Can you guess what I'm making?

Norm · December 03, 2011, 05:18:48 PM

;D

Mooseherder · December 03, 2011, 05:34:58 PM

Bacon or Pork Rinds? ;D
We sell Fried Chicharróns in some of our Deli's made from Fresh Side.

SwampDonkey · December 03, 2011, 05:40:58 PM

How big of a crew you feed'n Norm? :D No such thing as small cuts at your place. ;D

Clam77 · December 03, 2011, 09:38:00 PM

Hmmm... Does look alot like fatback.... but it looks more like beef... so I'd say flank steak maybe??

WDH · December 03, 2011, 09:41:41 PM

I can tell you what you are making...........you are making me hungry :D.

LeeB · December 03, 2011, 11:23:02 PM

Fajitas.

Jeff · December 04, 2011, 12:56:49 AM

A meat coat to wear to a Lady Gaga concert?

D Hagens · December 04, 2011, 01:24:59 AM

Is this one of those posts that I can hit the "report to moderator button" :D :D

WildDog · December 04, 2011, 03:08:02 AM

Looks like ribeye fillet, either way it would make good steak burgers on those home made buns of yours Norm

Norm · December 04, 2011, 07:54:38 AM

Quote from: Mooseherder on December 03, 2011, 05:34:58 PM
Bacon or Pork Rinds? ;D
We sell Fried Chicharróns in some of our Deli's made from Fresh Side.

Ok the professional meat cutter can't play these games any more. :D

Glenn is right this is a slab of pork belly to be cured and then smoked for bacon. This is Berkshire pork that is raised in NW Iowa and is supposed to still have flavor unlike the confinement other white meat that is awful.

Jeff you need to quit watching MTV while you're programming from now on. :D

Mooseherder · December 04, 2011, 08:24:05 AM

If you want to try something different.
Take a 1 inch thick slice off for the deep fryer. Take it out when golden brown.
That is what they call Fried Chicharróns and is very popular in some latin markets.
For point of reference the Fresh Side is where the Spareribs were.
You can see the butcher did a fantastic job when they broke it down.
The bottom right quadrant of the meat where the plate was will be unbelievably good.

Norm · December 04, 2011, 08:46:35 AM

Thanks Glenn.

LeeB · December 04, 2011, 11:09:36 AM

When I was a teenager living in Ecuador, I used to buy deep fried pork from the street vendors in the small towns as I would hitch hike around the country. It was fried in lard, usually in a cut off 55 gal drum. A few pieces of pork, a couple of small boiled potatoes and an ear of corn for a few pennies. Through in a local brew and meal fantastic. Some of my favorite food memories. I have always loved street food and still hit the stalls when travelling abroad.

LeeB · December 04, 2011, 11:11:04 AM

How do you plan on curing it?

Norm · December 04, 2011, 11:19:00 AM

Lee I'm going to use pink salt or sodium nitrite for the cure. I'll cut this into three sections and each will get a different flavoring. One will be honey, one is maple syrup and the last one will be pepper bacon. They get put into a foodsaver bag with a partial vacuum. Cure for 5 days and then cleansing soaks for 2 days and one day of air drying. I'll cold smoke them on my xl egg for 8 hours.

LeeB · December 04, 2011, 11:34:55 AM

How well does the pink cure do? I've been using Mortons and am not totally happy with the flavor. I like the idea of the vacuum bags. Havent tried that. Should work much better than a garbage bage full of meat leaking all over the refridgerator.(I have an old one in the shop for this) The last that I cured, I did a combination brown sugar/black peppar cure after salt curing it for a week, then smoked. Great flavor. I really want to build a small smoke house. Anybody got ideas on that?

Norm · December 04, 2011, 12:11:56 PM

I've used it a couple of times Lee and have been pretty happy with it. Well I found some cure I had bought years ago and decided to try it. Called High Mountain jerky cure but it's sodium nitrite, brown sugar and maple sugar combined.

I cut off the section Glenn talked about to try on a hot grill.

Norm · December 04, 2011, 02:17:24 PM

Here's a blog about making a smokehouse Lee.

Smokehouse

Mooseherder · December 04, 2011, 02:38:03 PM

Are you going to deep fat fry Norm?

Norm · December 04, 2011, 02:50:07 PM

Unfortunately no, Patty's diet has no deep fat frying allowed.

Mooseherder · December 04, 2011, 02:52:56 PM

Can't wait to see the finished product.

WH_Conley · December 04, 2011, 02:59:03 PM

Well........When she goes to the exercise club or whatever it is........Wouldn't the deep fry have enough time to get hot while she is gone? :D :D Don't forget to turn on the exhaust fan. ;)

Norm · December 04, 2011, 03:05:55 PM

:D :D :D :D

OK but if she catches me with deep fat fried pork belly on my breath it's your fault.

LeeB · December 04, 2011, 04:31:59 PM

But good greasy pork is ok? :D

LeeB · December 04, 2011, 04:38:41 PM

I had seen that one already Norm, but thanks anyway. I really hadn't figured on getting quite that elaborate. Basically the same principle though' with a sawed off 55 gal drum for a fire/smoke box and stove pipe buried in the ground running to a small house about that size or maybe a bit bigger. Hinged lid on the fire box. I want something big enough to do a whole hog worth of sausage, bacon and hams at once.