VacMouseketeers POST HERE!!!!

This topic has 114 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Ron Pratt.

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April 9, 2012 at 11:43 pm #5983

Barry
Member

Hi, MrP. Please let us know how the pancetta comes out–how many days also. I started curing pork belly for bacon and it was great. The pancetta would be a good next step. Thanks for sharing.

April 10, 2012 at 2:02 am #5984

Ron Pratt
Member

MrP wrote:

quote :

I am turning daily

Welcome aboard! I do have to ask…why are you turning it daily? Your handling it ..at least IMHO…prohibits the bonding of the Drybag with the meat.

Ron

April 10, 2012 at 2:10 am #5985

Barry
Member

It may be the curing process. You have to “spread the love” with the liquid that is extruded from the meat.
Of course, handle the bag very gently.

Just my 2 cents worth.

April 10, 2012 at 6:18 pm #5989

Larry Poms
Member

My only thoughts were that it would get an even exposure to the air since I am not hanging it. Also having it on a rack is pushing marks into one side. I am not sure it will affect it either way. I am not really handling it too much just one hand and a turn. I guess time will tell.

April 10, 2012 at 6:31 pm #5990

Larry Poms
Member

Here are some pictures of my pancetta

April 10, 2012 at 6:32 pm #5991

Jim
Member

Hey MrP,
Welcome to the forum.
Could you possibly post a pic of the pancetta you are aging?

April 10, 2012 at 6:43 pm #5992

Larry Poms
Member

I just posted some. The last post on page 8

April 10, 2012 at 7:18 pm #5993

Jim
Member

Looks like you really know what you are doing there. That is good looking pancetta!
Hopefully the brine/protein mixture on the surface will give you adhesion to the bag to allow good moisture transfer. How long do you plan to dry?
With pancetta it is more drying than aging so airflow might be really critical.

April 10, 2012 at 8:30 pm #5995

Larry Poms
Member

I wouldn’t go as far to say, I know what I am doing, but thank you. I was thinking of going for a least two weeks. My beginning weight of this pancetta is 3lbs 6 1/4oz. The bag seems to have bonded to all of the meat except for some areas in the front. I am not sure if I should re-bag it or leave it.

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April 10, 2012 at 9:19 pm #5997

Scott Mark
Member

I would very much appreciate some information on the differences between pancetta and other similar meat products.

For example, I’m aware that “prosciutto” (which USA-wise actually means “prosciutto crudo” which means uncooked ham rather than what we tend to purchase in grocery stores, which is “cooked” ham. In Italy, prosciutto just means ham. cooked, raw, etc. Ham.) — anyway, prosciutto crudo is not allowed to be imported into USA. However, pancetta may be. Possibly on the idea that folks eat prosciutto crudo raw, and pancetta is sorta / kinda expected to be further cooked before eating.

On the idea of pancetta — Go, go, go! And believe in yourself!

I followed the conventional recipe for “duck breast ‘prosciutto'” which involved curing the duck breast overnight in salt, and then hanging the breast for a week to dry. It worked very well. Recently, as a safecut I decided to drybag the duck instead of hanging it “open” wrapped in cheesecloth.

I’d say that, drybagged, it needed more time to get the right texture. Flavor was GREAT — everybody ought to try this at least once. But I think that the loss of moisture in the drybag was maybe a bit slower than in the open air.

But — it’s great stuff. Try it.

April 10, 2012 at 9:35 pm #5998

Anonymous
Guest

toasty, I bought an entire Prosciutto di Parma, which is prosciutto crudo so far as I know, at Costco about two years ago. Either there’s no problem importing it, or it wasn’t crudo. I don’t have it anymore (long gone) so I can’t check. But I recall it was sold as prosciutto crudo.

April 10, 2012 at 9:36 pm #5999

Larry Poms
Member

I decided to just pull another vacuum on the bag. Seemed to work. That VacMouse works great.

April 10, 2012 at 9:55 pm #6000

Larry Poms
Member

Prosciutto crudo is just cured, but not cooked ham. Parma ham is also crudo. You can get imported prosciutto here and 99% of the time it is eaten uncooked. Pancetta is basically bacon (pork belly) that is not smoked, but needs to be cooked. Here are a couple good links on prosciutto:

Is Prosciutto Crudo Raw? Italian Food Facts

Making Italian Prosciutto Crudo, Cured Ham in Parma: The Salting

April 10, 2012 at 10:10 pm #6001

Scott Mark
Member

I got it entirely backwards, sorry.

Prosciutto crudo may be imported (but not by citizens such as you or me) but pancetta must be manufactured within the states. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but there it is.

so, Parma ham is “region” rather than “cooked” or “uncooked”. Prosciutto can be imported, but I think that pancetta cannot be.

I think. At this point I would not be willing to bet one way or the other.

April 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm #6002

Ron Pratt
Member

MrP

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who can not see your pictures without clicking on them. To embed them in the text you are going about it correctly but I believe the problem is the size of your photos – this forum like many others work best when the photos are re-sized to 640 x 480.

Just trying to be helpful!

Ron
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