Capicola – curing or drying issue?

[Daniel]

I made my capicola and it weighted approx 4#s and I cured it for 10 days (flipping it daily) prior to coating it and placing it in the umai bag. It went 7 weeks before getting to 40% weight loss but when I cut into it there was a 1/4 ring around the product that was dark red (and somewhat hard) vs. the “stainglass” bright red look I see in your videos….Did I overcure it or should I have removed it from the bag at 35-38% loss? The flavor was good but the outer ring was a bit tough. Thoughts?

[Jim]

This happens sometimes and it is a bit of “case hardening” due to lower humidity level in the fridge. It’s nothing you did that caused it. Depending on airflow or humidity levels the meat can dry too quickly on the outside and cause this rind. This actually happens even in professional settings.
The important thing is you did get 40% weight drop and that is success.

[Bill]

In cutting firewood, lots of folks have moisture meters to determine if the wood is ready for burning. Too wet and creosote can develop and cause a chimney fire. To dry and it likely will not generate much heat, nor burn very long.

Is there moisture meters for meat? Seem that weight loss alone might give a bad indication, in the case of your outer ring being to dry and the inside being progressively raw towards the middle.

[Jim]

Absolutely there are instruments to measure moisture content of foods: http://www.amazon.com/Ohaus-MB23-Moisture-Analyzer-Readability/dp/B009F1FLQI/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1460679823&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=moisture+analyzer&psc=1
If one wants to be very scientific then calculate MPR (moisture protein ratio) which for dry salami would be 1.9.
This still does not account for case hardening which can only be evaluated by observation.

[Bob]

If you have dry rim and it is at the weight loss you want to achieve simply vac seal and refrigerate for a few weeks or longer, the moisture will even out and the taste will actually improve.

For water levels in meats you would want to be able to measure the AW value (available water), not the moisture level, for a stable product. Confusing but they are different. It is explained in the Marianski book, sold on this site.

For our purposes, water loss by weight gets us to the texture we prefer, and of course will vary with personal tastes. Usually between 30 and 50% loss.

To test at home you would need a PAWKIT……around 2 grand :woohoo:

[Author]

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