Thanks! I'm so much happier with that slicer than the old Cuisinart I first purchased 15 years ago. Every time I use it, I recall the Seinfeld episode where Kramer says he was spicing meat so thin he couldn't even see it. 🤣 Thanks for watching!
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 this story sounds familiar: been using a 15 year old Waring pro (pro....Ha!) I had bought at a store closeout. Just got a second hand 9 inch Berkel. Sliced a Coppa yesterday using the new toy. Could slice soooo thin!! Now I know the feeling people have when they see Jesus in their morning toast
So, I bought the netting for hanging and the casing at a local sausage supply store. I'm sure, if you don't have one of those near you, that you can also purchase the same materials from an online sausage store (which one would be determined largely by where you live). I use two different types of casings for this type of aging: pasted hog skin and collagen casings. The one I used here was a collagen casing...I just rechecked the video and noticed that my daughter must have bumped the camera when I call it by name, which messed up the video. Kids, right? I haven't found much of a difference between the two types of casing with regards to finished product. I think the collagen one seems a little more durable and less likely to accidentally tear (especially when to start cutting it), but the pasted hog skin looks and feels more "natural". Either way, you can't go wrong. Thanks for watching!
I bought the collagen casing from local sausage supply store in town. I haven't tried zip ties before. I have used string, but that's a hassle. I think the hog rings work out to be cheaper than the zip ties.
This is one of the first things I've ever cured. Never used collagen wrap though, used Umai. Can you use that collagen for dry aging steaks too? Finished product looks good!
Man, I love this stuff. I'm hoping to make a venison version (alliteration, much?) of it soon, as I think wild game would pair nicely with these spices, or at least a variation of them. The Umai bags are great, as you can use them in a refrigerator, without worrying about the relative humidity in there (as regular fridges tend to be quite dry). The Umai releases the moisure from the meat at very slow rate, which is why it works in there. If you are going to use collagen or natural casings (i.e. bungs or whatever), you'll need to ensure that the humidity of your fridge/chamber is high enough to prevent the meat from getting case hardening because, if that happens, your meat won't release more moisture, and it can rot from the inside out. If you have a higher humidity environment, then you could totally use those casings for steaks or whatever. I haven't dry aged portioned steaks before, although I have aged prime rib roasts for 60 days, then portioned into smaller roasts and steaks. So delicious! I'm trying to work out a way to do that with my new curing chamber, as it doesn't get quite cold enough to do that without risking spoilage. The wine fridge really only gets down to the low 50s F on its own. Still working on ideas for that, as the dry aged beef is stellar! Thanks for the comments and for watching! I'm going to go eat some meat, now. :)
That's a good question. I just did some digging around online, and it seems that rosemary leaves or bay leaves are relatively acceptable substitutes. In that case, you could maybe bump up the rosemary and touch and also grind up a couple or so bay leaves and add that to the cure. Hope that helps!
Gin is flavored with juniper berries. All gin. I use ~1tsp per pound of meat. makes a difference, and the bit of liquid helps make a slurry of the spices in the bag so they more easily can be massaged around.
so you put it in a sealed bag for 3 months after you hung it??? So a month in the fridge, at least 2 months in the fridge, and back in a bag for 3 months!! 6 months process??? So this is a real question. I just bought the fridge, dehydrator, and hydration indicator. I ask because I haven't seen any other videos talk about "equalizing" (the 3 months in a bag)... THANKS FOR THE VIDEOS!!!! sorry for the stupid questions, I'm new to this...
Hey, definitely not stupid questions. A lot of this stuff feels like dark secrets we're uncovering, so I get it. Yeah, I've found (as have friends of mine who cure and age meat) that it's a good idea to let the meat equalize for a period of time (the thicker the meat, the longer you'd want to let it do its thing). Even with a humidity controlled chamber, there will be a bit of a difference in the moisture between the deep interior and closer to the perimeter. You could absolutely just rip into the thing as soon as it comes out of the curing chamber, but I try to be patient and wait for the best possible version of it. The patience becomes much easier once you have a supply of charcuterie, and more on the way, so it's not like you don't have anything ready to eat whenever the mood strikes...the first batch or two is pretty hard to resist! I'm currently aging a culatello, which will be around an 18 month process, once it's done. Can't wait to finally rip into that! I've been filming that process, too. Anyway, thanks for the questions.
Yeah, the cure #2 is really just for food safety. I think I responded to a similar question for my presunto video, where I chatted about how I used to make presunto with my father-in-law, using only salt. Both ways work, but I've transitioned to this method, and I'm super happy with it.
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Yes, you are right, thank you. I am all over the place excited about trying this...Bought copa & Bresaola on Sunday to give it a try...only downside is I don't have a fridge like yours so will try my main fridge hanging...Also bought ribeye and top sirloin to try and age it. They had those collagen wraps on Amazon so I bought some of those as well with #2 cure and a food slicer lol. This is your fault! haha.
@@adamwarrick2970 Haha! Awesome! You'll likely find that a regular fridge gets quite dry, and you run a high risk of hardening the exterior of the meat (see case hardening) and preventing proper moisture loss, spoiling your meat. One trick I've heard of from people without a curing chamber is that, every now and then, they'll take their charcuterie and throw it in Ziploc bags in the fridge for a couple of days, to let things equalize a bit, then remove from the bags. That might help you, for now. Another option is those Umai dry bags, which are designed for just this in a regular fridge. Keep me posted on your progress!
Hey, there. I found that fridge from a guy who was selling it through an online classifieds site. He had a liquor store that went out of business. It was an old Coors beer display fridge. Sadly, it died on me, and I had to build a new one - although I'm definitely happier with the new chamber! I think finding these fridges - either beverage coolers or wine fridges - is a matter of watching classified sites, like kijiji, or through local auctions. Thanks for watching!
You totally could. I think a light smoke would compliment the flavor. Smoke can also help with resistance against mold and whatnot during aging... I haven't smoked this particular charcuterie before. The only one I have so far is landjäger. It was delicious! 😁
@@oman7787 Thanks! I love all these projects. I appreciate the comments, feedback, and geeking out. I hear you about the trimming...it's hard to walk the line between showing all the fun details and not boring people. 🤣
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 hmmm, I recommend implementing a skipping baton and/or segmentation. This way viewers can easily skip over or even choose a specific segment. If you need any help I'd be happy to send tutorials if you can't find anything helpful. I see big potential here especially with your nice presentational skill. God bless
If you mean using that instead of the collagen or pasted hog skin casings, I think the casings likely work better. They are still porous, but they don't let nearly as much air/liquid through as cheese cloth. I think you'd have to wrap it quite a few times, in order to get the same effect. Also, I think the casings probably protect a bit better if you run into some sort of mold issue on the outside - it would possibly give you a bit more lead time than cheese cloth before the mold gets through and causes trouble. The casings peel off quite nicely, in my experience, whereas cheesecloth can sometimes stick a bit more. Also, it looks pretty sweet. :)
Hey, that's a good point. I adjusted my video description to show the whole recipe, with ingredient percentages (easiest way to ensure consistency/accuracy, regardless of meat weight). Hope that helps. Thanks for the feedback.👍I also have a new, tweaked version of my bresaola recipe in this video, if you want to check it out: th-cam.com/video/CLWcipngHa4/w-d-xo.html. The recipe is also in that video description. Thanks!
Yeah, I somehow missed filming when I took the beef from the chamber, removed the netting, and vacuum sealed it. I remembered all steps in my other bresaola recipe, with my tweaked, updated recipe: th-cam.com/video/CLWcipngHa4/w-d-xo.html. Thanks for the comment! 😁
Haha, thanks! It really is. I'm currently working on an elk version and another beef eye of round, so there is more delicious bresaola coming down the pipe! :)
I do that with dry rubs for marinades, for sure. When curing, I try to make sure I get some of the rub all over the meat (which I know you could do by shaking the bag)...I think it's my OCD in action, that's all. Good tip, though. :)
Thank you for wonderful and precise explanation. Greetings from Serbia!!
My pleasure! Cheers from Canada! 😁
Shouldn't be much surprise that weight increases when you add salt, sugar, and other spices to meat.
Yeah, I was surprised (at the time) that the moisture loss didn't balance that out more. 🤣 Still, I love how this turned out! Bresaola is so tasty.
That's a mighty fine looking slicer you got there as well. Can really gets those paper-thin slices
Thanks! I'm so much happier with that slicer than the old Cuisinart I first purchased 15 years ago. Every time I use it, I recall the Seinfeld episode where Kramer says he was spicing meat so thin he couldn't even see it. 🤣 Thanks for watching!
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 this story sounds familiar: been using a 15 year old Waring pro (pro....Ha!) I had bought at a store closeout. Just got a second hand 9 inch Berkel.
Sliced a Coppa yesterday using the new toy. Could slice soooo thin!!
Now I know the feeling people have when they see Jesus in their morning toast
@@danfitz2263 That's awesome! It's a huge quality of life investment for people who love their charcuterie.
Where can I buy that net, and also what is that casing, what is it really called, and where can I buy this too.
THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO!!
So, I bought the netting for hanging and the casing at a local sausage supply store. I'm sure, if you don't have one of those near you, that you can also purchase the same materials from an online sausage store (which one would be determined largely by where you live). I use two different types of casings for this type of aging: pasted hog skin and collagen casings. The one I used here was a collagen casing...I just rechecked the video and noticed that my daughter must have bumped the camera when I call it by name, which messed up the video. Kids, right?
I haven't found much of a difference between the two types of casing with regards to finished product. I think the collagen one seems a little more durable and less likely to accidentally tear (especially when to start cutting it), but the pasted hog skin looks and feels more "natural". Either way, you can't go wrong.
Thanks for watching!
where did you buy that sheet of collegen casing. try zip ties instead of rings!! 😊
I bought the collagen casing from local sausage supply store in town. I haven't tried zip ties before. I have used string, but that's a hassle. I think the hog rings work out to be cheaper than the zip ties.
This is one of the first things I've ever cured. Never used collagen wrap though, used Umai. Can you use that collagen for dry aging steaks too? Finished product looks good!
Man, I love this stuff. I'm hoping to make a venison version (alliteration, much?) of it soon, as I think wild game would pair nicely with these spices, or at least a variation of them. The Umai bags are great, as you can use them in a refrigerator, without worrying about the relative humidity in there (as regular fridges tend to be quite dry). The Umai releases the moisure from the meat at very slow rate, which is why it works in there.
If you are going to use collagen or natural casings (i.e. bungs or whatever), you'll need to ensure that the humidity of your fridge/chamber is high enough to prevent the meat from getting case hardening because, if that happens, your meat won't release more moisture, and it can rot from the inside out. If you have a higher humidity environment, then you could totally use those casings for steaks or whatever.
I haven't dry aged portioned steaks before, although I have aged prime rib roasts for 60 days, then portioned into smaller roasts and steaks. So delicious! I'm trying to work out a way to do that with my new curing chamber, as it doesn't get quite cold enough to do that without risking spoilage. The wine fridge really only gets down to the low 50s F on its own. Still working on ideas for that, as the dry aged beef is stellar! Thanks for the comments and for watching! I'm going to go eat some meat, now. :)
some use Fenugreek spice, i like carraway on beef, i dont know what type of flavor Cumin has, but alot of people love it!!
Cumin is super delicious. I use it all the time in my cooking. :)
Looks perfect!!
Thanks! It's so tasty...🤗
do you know of anything I could use in place of juniper? Can find it anywhere and I have the meat already
That's a good question. I just did some digging around online, and it seems that rosemary leaves or bay leaves are relatively acceptable substitutes. In that case, you could maybe bump up the rosemary and touch and also grind up a couple or so bay leaves and add that to the cure. Hope that helps!
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 thank you!!!
Gin is flavored with juniper berries. All gin. I use ~1tsp per pound of meat. makes a difference, and the bit of liquid helps make a slurry of the spices in the bag so they more easily can be massaged around.
so you put it in a sealed bag for 3 months after you hung it??? So a month in the fridge, at least 2 months in the fridge, and back in a bag for 3 months!! 6 months process??? So this is a real question. I just bought the fridge, dehydrator, and hydration indicator. I ask because I haven't seen any other videos talk about "equalizing" (the 3 months in a bag)...
THANKS FOR THE VIDEOS!!!! sorry for the stupid questions, I'm new to this...
Hey, definitely not stupid questions. A lot of this stuff feels like dark secrets we're uncovering, so I get it. Yeah, I've found (as have friends of mine who cure and age meat) that it's a good idea to let the meat equalize for a period of time (the thicker the meat, the longer you'd want to let it do its thing). Even with a humidity controlled chamber, there will be a bit of a difference in the moisture between the deep interior and closer to the perimeter. You could absolutely just rip into the thing as soon as it comes out of the curing chamber, but I try to be patient and wait for the best possible version of it.
The patience becomes much easier once you have a supply of charcuterie, and more on the way, so it's not like you don't have anything ready to eat whenever the mood strikes...the first batch or two is pretty hard to resist! I'm currently aging a culatello, which will be around an 18 month process, once it's done. Can't wait to finally rip into that! I've been filming that process, too.
Anyway, thanks for the questions.
Had to watch again lol. Do you use cure #2 just to be safe? I guess why not just salt? Thanks!
Yeah, the cure #2 is really just for food safety. I think I responded to a similar question for my presunto video, where I chatted about how I used to make presunto with my father-in-law, using only salt. Both ways work, but I've transitioned to this method, and I'm super happy with it.
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Yes, you are right, thank you. I am all over the place excited about trying this...Bought copa & Bresaola on Sunday to give it a try...only downside is I don't have a fridge like yours so will try my main fridge hanging...Also bought ribeye and top sirloin to try and age it. They had those collagen wraps on Amazon so I bought some of those as well with #2 cure and a food slicer lol. This is your fault! haha.
@@adamwarrick2970 Haha! Awesome! You'll likely find that a regular fridge gets quite dry, and you run a high risk of hardening the exterior of the meat (see case hardening) and preventing proper moisture loss, spoiling your meat. One trick I've heard of from people without a curing chamber is that, every now and then, they'll take their charcuterie and throw it in Ziploc bags in the fridge for a couple of days, to let things equalize a bit, then remove from the bags. That might help you, for now. Another option is those Umai dry bags, which are designed for just this in a regular fridge. Keep me posted on your progress!
It's perfect🎉🎉🎉
Thanks! 😁👍👍
Where did you get the sweet fridge?
Hey, there. I found that fridge from a guy who was selling it through an online classifieds site. He had a liquor store that went out of business. It was an old Coors beer display fridge. Sadly, it died on me, and I had to build a new one - although I'm definitely happier with the new chamber! I think finding these fridges - either beverage coolers or wine fridges - is a matter of watching classified sites, like kijiji, or through local auctions. Thanks for watching!
Do you recommend smoking this?
You totally could. I think a light smoke would compliment the flavor. Smoke can also help with resistance against mold and whatnot during aging...
I haven't smoked this particular charcuterie before. The only one I have so far is landjäger. It was delicious! 😁
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Thanks and love your work. btw I would've enjoyed seeing the full trimming processes it's so satisfying :) Cheers
@@oman7787 Thanks! I love all these projects. I appreciate the comments, feedback, and geeking out. I hear you about the trimming...it's hard to walk the line between showing all the fun details and not boring people. 🤣
@@ThisDadGoesTo11 hmmm, I recommend implementing a skipping baton and/or segmentation. This way viewers can easily skip over or even choose a specific segment. If you need any help I'd be happy to send tutorials if you can't find anything helpful. I see big potential here especially with your nice presentational skill. God bless
@@oman7787 Hey, thanks! Great ideas. I'll look into that for my longer videos. 👍👍
Why not cheese cloth?
If you mean using that instead of the collagen or pasted hog skin casings, I think the casings likely work better. They are still porous, but they don't let nearly as much air/liquid through as cheese cloth. I think you'd have to wrap it quite a few times, in order to get the same effect. Also, I think the casings probably protect a bit better if you run into some sort of mold issue on the outside - it would possibly give you a bit more lead time than cheese cloth before the mold gets through and causes trouble. The casings peel off quite nicely, in my experience, whereas cheesecloth can sometimes stick a bit more. Also, it looks pretty sweet. :)
U Should have put the list on the screen!!
Hey, that's a good point. I adjusted my video description to show the whole recipe, with ingredient percentages (easiest way to ensure consistency/accuracy, regardless of meat weight). Hope that helps. Thanks for the feedback.👍I also have a new, tweaked version of my bresaola recipe in this video, if you want to check it out: th-cam.com/video/CLWcipngHa4/w-d-xo.html. The recipe is also in that video description. Thanks!
LOOKIN GOOD 8-)
Thanks! 😁
you dont show the whole process, you hanged the meat in netting and after 3 months the meat was vacuum sealed ,
Yeah, I somehow missed filming when I took the beef from the chamber, removed the netting, and vacuum sealed it. I remembered all steps in my other bresaola recipe, with my tweaked, updated recipe: th-cam.com/video/CLWcipngHa4/w-d-xo.html. Thanks for the comment! 😁
Beautiful. Looks like meat candy!
Haha, thanks! It really is. I'm currently working on an elk version and another beef eye of round, so there is more delicious bresaola coming down the pipe! :)
next time, put the meat in the bag first then put the spices in the bag! 😊
I do that with dry rubs for marinades, for sure. When curing, I try to make sure I get some of the rub all over the meat (which I know you could do by shaking the bag)...I think it's my OCD in action, that's all. Good tip, though. :)
Tell the whole story!!
Hope the detailed ingredients in the video description help you, now.
i buy only NSF APPROVED EQUIPMENT!! the health dept.will kick anything else out of a commercial kitchen, that is all "household"equiptment!
Uh, yeah, man. That is household equipment for my household. Thanks for pointing that out. 🤷♂️