Question about a Ruhlman/Polcyn recipe

[SiFumar]

I don't have their book.  I was going to make a capicola using the Umai bag.  They have a video on their site(Umai) following the Ruhlman recipe.  They mix salt and cure and rub onto the boneless pork butt, refrigerate/cure for 10 days.  OK I know 1tsp cure for 5lbs of meat, but they never said the salt amount.  Would anyone be so kind to post Rulman/Polcyn recipe or email it to me? (Why they didn't include the recipe is beyond me :( )  Thanks!

[Habanero Smoker]

Sorry! I'm running short on time this morning, so I'm not able to post the recipe. If anyone is looking for the recipe, in Ruhlman's book it is called Coppa. He does use Cure #2, because he is curing for 3 - 4 weeks.

If your total curing time using the Umai bag is 10 days, then it is safe to use cure #1.

[NePaSmoKer]

I don't have their book.  I was going to make a capicola using the Umai bag.  They have a video on their site(Umai) following the Ruhlman recipe.  They mix salt and cure and rub onto the boneless pork butt, refrigerate/cure for 10 days.  OK I know 1tsp cure for 5lbs of meat, but they never said the salt amount.  Would anyone be so kind to post Rulman/Polcyn recipe or email it to me? (Why they didn't include the recipe is beyond me :( )  Thanks!

5 lbs boneless poke shoulder
4 oz/125g kosher salt (1/2 cup)
3/4 oz dextrose/25g  (2.5 T)
1 t cure 2 (or Umai with their bag cure 1)
4 T Hot paprika
1 t cayenne
3 T Sugar
2 T black pepper (fresh ground)
1 T coriander
2 t minced garlic
1 t allspice
3/4 t ground juniper berries

combine cure, salt, dextrose, rub well into the meat. combine remaining ingredients together and rub into the meat. place into the Umai bag and evac the air.

follow the instructions on their site.

i have the Umai sealer and bags, just aint used them yet.

[SiFumar]

Thank you Rick.  One more question....can I use sugar instead of dextrose?  Realized I was out of it.  Just ordered again.  Boneless poke butt on sale right now for $1.49 right now. So I'm trying to get a lot done now.

Hab....cure is for 10 day then then in Umai bag for 3 month to dry.....do you think that might be a problem?

I'm so excited to try this!

[Habanero Smoker]

In the book he divides the recipe into two sections. So if you don't want the spicy version omit the hot paprika and cayenne pepper; that will give you the sweet sausage version.

Ruhlman's salt conversion to grams is a little liberal; 125 grams is about 4.41 oz, but it better to be a little over. If the actual recipe calls for 4 oz of salt then the correct conversion would be 114 grams.

[SiFumar]

Thanks Hab!  I guess I need to get the book!

[Habanero Smoker]

It is a good book, but there are some errors. I working to post those on the recipe site.

As for your other question. In traditional dry curing sausage you need dextrose, because the beneficial bacteria cannot digest complex sugars and there will be not lactic acids to lower the pH. In this recipe he may only be using the dextrose to make his Basic Dry Cure, since he is not using a starter culture. If you have time, I would go to his blog and post the question.

[NePaSmoKer]

Thank you Rick.  One more question....can I use sugar instead of dextrose?  Realized I was out of it.  Just ordered again.  Boneless poke butt on sale right now for $1.49 right now. So I'm trying to get a lot done now.

Hab....cure is for 10 day then then in Umai bag for 3 month to dry.....do you think that might be a problem?

I'm so excited to try this!

DEXTROSE - 70% as sweet as cane sugar and quite a bit heavier. Helps reduce nitrate to nitrite as meats are cured. Used to counter salt in brines. Dextrose assists fermentation, which gives us the desired tang of flavor. The most common sugar used in meat is dextrose. Dextrose is corn sugar and it will not burn as easily as cane or beet sugar. When a recipe calls for cane sugar you can replace it with dextrose by adding 20% more dextrose than cane sugar due to the sweetness factor between cane sugar and dextrose. Cure #2 is best used with dextrose.

[SiFumar]

I've got the time Hab...I'll just wait until my order comes in on the dextrose.  Sale on poke butt good till next week....and the vac paks are usually good for 2 weeks.  I bought some already...but can make something else with it.(Like Jalapeno/cheddar sausage...mmmm) tks for your help as always!

[Habanero Smoker]

Great that you have time. I hear he is good at responding to questions. If the dextrose is needed for bacterial growth, you don't want to substitute white sugar. Though looking at the recipe, it does seem that he is using it just for making his Basic Dry Cure. Throughout the book he prefers dextrose over white sugar to make his Basic Dry Cure.

[SiFumar]

Just to let you all know...I did write to Ruhlman on his blog after discussion with Habs.  I just got a response! This is what I wrote to him...."Umai dry bags use your recipe for capicola.  Your recipe says to use cure#2, dextrose, and salt.  They say use cure #1 when using their bags.  My question is can you use regular white sugar instead of dextrose in this application? And how much for 5 lbs?  I appreciate your help!"

His reply:

sugar and dextrose interchangeable.

use salt #2 for ground meat/salami only.

.25% (.0025) by weight

Kinda short and to the point lol...but amazing he did reply!

[Habanero Smoker]

He is really good at replying. So the question I had, whether he was using it as food or just as a sweetener, is that he is using it as a sweetener for his Basic Dry Cure. The two are not quite interchangeable, as NePas replied it is 70% as sweet as white sugar.

I was able to scan and copy his whole recipe so you will get a better idea of the original recipe. I haven't been over to the Umai site, but use their instructions for curing. Looking at the recipe, it is kind of confusing as to what is the Hot Spicy Sausage full ingredients. But here is the recipe as printed in the book. I remove notes and reference pages that lead to how to grind, and reference on freezing pork.  Let us know how this works out for you. If this works I may purchase some of those bags.  :)

If you are using grams as weight, his salt conversion is a little liberal. 125 grams is about 4.41 oz, but it better to be a little over. If the actual recipe calls for 4 oz of salt then the correct conversion would be 114 grams.

COPPA

Coppa is made with chunks of pork (or whole muscles) that are cured and seasoned, but not ground, and simply stuffed into large casings, typically beef middles, by hand. Because it's not ground, coppa is more like a cured ham than salami, with a rich earthy taste. Some of the curing is done outside the casing before it's stuffed, and the heavy seasoning can be either spicy or sweet. In Tuscany, common seasonings include garlic, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon, and caraway. Here we include recipes for both spicy and sweet coppa. As with all these larger dried sausages, it should be sliced paper-thin and served before the meal, as an antipasto.

5 pounds/2.25 kilograms boneless pork shoulder butt, well trimmed of fat and sinew, cut into chunks about 3 inches/7.5 centimeters square
4 ounces/125 grams kosher salt (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 ounce/25 grams dextrose (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon/6 grams Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2
(see page 106)

For Spicy Sausage
Hot paprika, preferably Hungarian to coat the meat (about
4 tablespoons/32 grams)
1 tablespoon/9 grams cayenne pepper

For Sweet Sausage
3 tablespoons/4O grams sugar
2 tablespoons/20 grams freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/8 grams ground coriander
2 teaspoons/12 grams minced garlic
1 teaspoon/4 grams ground mace
1 teaspoon/4 grams ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon/3 grams ground juniper berries

Beef middles, about 18 to 20 inches/45 to 50 centimeters long, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed

1. Combine the salt, dextrose, and Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2. Rub the meat all over with half the cure mixture and place in a single layer in a nonreactive baking pan or sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 9 days.

2. Rub the meat with the remaining cure mixture and pack tightly in a single layer in a nonreactive pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 9 days.

3. Remove the meat from the refrigerator, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Combine all the spicy or sweet seasonings and rub the pork well with the seasoning.

4. Pack the meat tightly by hand into the casings (see Note 2 below). Prick any air pockets with a sterile pin or needle before tying the ends.

5. Hang the coppa at room temperature for 12 hours.

6. Dry the coppa (ideally at 60 degrees F./15 degrees C. with 60 to 70 percent humidity) until completely firm throughout, 3 to 4 weeks

[SiFumar]

Thanks for your help Habs!

[SiFumar]

So after go back and forth with Umai customer service..they said I inspired them to write a brochure on the dry curing with their bags.(why they didn't have in first place is beyond me)  And I received cure #2 in the mail from them.  I kept questioning why they sent Cure#1 but they say to use Cure #2.  I would post the PDF file they sent me but don't know how to.  :(  End of week I will finally have time to get around to starting the Capicola and maybe some Bresola.  Will let y'all know how it goes.

[Habanero Smoker]

That's great, but if the curing time is only 10 days I don't see why they wouldn't use cure #1. The final product is uncooked so it not big issue.

Like photos, you will need to have a hosting site to link the PDF file to. If the Umai people don't mind, I can post it on the recipe site for people to download. Check with them, and send me the PDF file, I'll find an appropriate area for it.