How to Dry, Cure and Smoke meat All in one video 

That's it brother keep the tradition alive...

@@VelebitMountainMan we shure are cuz. We use manuka over here and do batches with a bit of feijoa, plum or grapevine from pruning off the the property

@@VelebitMountainMan Hvala, you too

@@ivanvlasic988 I'm going to use the grapevine on my next smoke session. That's a great idea

West Auckland here too 🙌

То је српски Бато, сви словенски језици потичу одатле ;)

LoL i zera rakije🥃

I love it! I'm with you, weather is finally cold, next weekend I'm meeting my butcher and starting the prosciutto, can't wait!

Love it men

The Polish are some of the best meat and sausage makers in the world. This technique is different because we have a warmer climate in Croatia, and our curing techniques evolved with our location. You should give this a try, you'll like it!

Nice pfp lol

Check out the upgraded version, made a few improvements... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g7w0TeXRQCE.htmlsi=veBhyRItEmp0E2Tt

It's my favorite smell!

Just the one time. There is a process where you salt it twice 1.5% each time, but I didn't find any benefit to doing it twice.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g7w0TeXRQCE.html Here you go...

Smoke enhanced flavor but it's optional, it also acts as a preservative and helps ward off pests like flies. Once it's done curing and loses the weight I strongly recommend vacuum sealing and freezing. Frozen it will last years, refrigerated it will last months and open air it will continue to dry until it becomes too dry to eat.

I only smoke and cure seasonally, fall and winter. Usually I wait for the evening temps to be around 30F. The one thing Chicago doesn't lack is cold weather... The other thing you can do is build a screen box. I've been meaning to make one but haven't had time. Couple 2x4's and some window screen material and your set.

@@VelebitMountainMan Thank you for this great information and content

We dry cure meat, or ribs, because we want the meat to be microbially stable and preserved. Water in the meat causes microbial instability so when you're dry curing & smoking meat you want to remove water from the meat and slowly "dry" or cure the meat. Brine will add water to the meat and should only be done when cooking the meat to 165 F like in BBQ or grilling. This year I changed my recipe and I only use salt. For most cuts of meat or ribs I use 3% salt and apply it at 1.5% the first day and an additional 1.5% salt the second day. The product comes out more firm and a little saltier but better in my opinion. I've used pink salt in the past but have't in the last two years. I'd also suggest using 75% Hickory and 25% cherry wood on your ribs. It makes for a really nice deep smokey flavor and the cherry adds a deep color and a bit of sweetness.

Thanks for your answer. Looking forward to giving this a try.

Thank you for the comment, a lot of questions here, and I will try to answer, but if I miss something, please ask again. First, it sounds like the temperature of the smoke is too hot going into the smoke house. Use a aluminum duct pipe and use at least 5 or 6 feet. The extra distance will help give the smoke time to cool before it enters the smoke house. Second, use only fully dried wood. Your wood will put off stem if not fully dried and cause soot and moisture. Third, smoking does not cause the meat to dry, it flavors and preserves the meat. Putting your smoked meat into a curing chamber will facilitate drying. Fourth, try smoking for shorter periods of time with less wood and allow the meat to fully cool again before smoking the next time. Fifth, adding a heater would be a last resort. The heater will absolutely stop the condensation but will also cause the internal temperature of the meat to get into the danger zone for bacteria growth much quicker. I don't use a heater or a fan anymore. I redesigned my smokehouse to help move air quicker. I will still get a little condensation here and there but it's much better than before. Watch this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g7w0TeXRQCE.html Also watch my video on pork loin, good info on curing chambers. Good luck, feel free to ask more questions!

Good question, you don't need to smoke the meat to preserve it but some say that the smoke does help to preserve the meat. In my opinion the smoking is primarily for flavor. If you want to preserve the meat you'll need to vacuum seal it once you've lost 35% of the original weight. If you don't vacuum seal it, it will continue to dry and become unedible. I personally like to dry it to about 40%, then seal it in a bag and throw it in the freezer for later use. If you vacuum seal it and freeze it the meat could last for years. I'm doing a experiment now by leaving vacuum sealed meat out at room temperature to see how long it will last, my guess is a few years.

Yes, you want to keep the meat at "fridge" temperature at least until the cure has equalized. The risk of spoilage drops significantly once you've finished the cure process. Also cold smoking works better when Temps are just above 0c outside.

Curing you want around 37° Fahrenheit for 7- 30 days, depending on what you are curing, pork belly, or bacon as we call it, I cure for 7 days, hams, because they are bigger, I cure for 31 days, then smoke for around 24 hours at 165°, then I age for 9 months at 72° Fahrenheit for 9 months for a salt, or country cured ham, or I don't age for a sugar cured, or city ham. I am going to follow this video, you have good ideas, seems like you are just adding too much work to achieve the same end product, not knocking you, just adding constructive criticism if that is ok!

My wife says constructive criticism is good, as long as she's giving it to me... LoL I always appreciate any comments and criticism, its the best way to learn and grow. There are lots of ways to skin a cat, some better than others, but its good to know them all...

I built a cure room in my basement and dropped in a small fan and a humidifier. You can check out the video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sHXnkblvATs.html

Glad to hear it's going well, I would use a little heater or start the fire in the morning and then move the meso to the garage when the fire is 99% dead. Tonight is 15F outside so I'm going to smoke in the morning, meat is hanging in the garage at 33F. No issues with spoilage at those temps. Hanging it in the garage at 55% humidity isn't a problem either with whole muscle, only with sausage. Kobasice will get the skin at 55% pretty quick. Zvuči koda će bit ukusna zima kod vas, malo kupusa malo mesa, rakicu jednu, ili dvi... I nek pada sniga! Uživajte...

hvala puno, ziv bio..ti si mi najvise pomogao sa svojim videima i odgovorima...@@VelebitMountainMan

What's up brother, Australia is definitely on my bucket list of countries to visit, God willing sooner rather than later. In terms of humidity control in your garage it can be really simple to set up, or, if your like me you can over complicate the heck out of it. Humidity and temperature go hand in hand, the higher the temp the more moisture the air can hold. If you're curing meat you want the humidity between 70-90% depending on what you're doing and what stage you're in the process. If it's cold out, close to freezing you may need to add some heat to the garage to warm up the air so it will be easier to retain humidity. The easiest way to control humidity is by setting up a containment, which is just plastic sheathing, think of the roll of plastic you buy at the contractor store for use as a drop cloth. Not sure if you guys have zip poles down under but they are awesome to set up containments, add a sticky zipper and you've got a door, super simple and quick. Then just add a small humidifier, fan and a heater if it's cold. You'll need to adjust the humidifier and heat as necessary until you dial it in. There are also gauges you can buy which you can plug your humidifier and fan into which will help maintain the your set point and automate the process. Going to buy one of those this year, I did a terrible job of maintaining my humidity this year and it shown in the quality of my meso...

@@VelebitMountainMan..you will love Australia, not as cold as your part of the world, i have built a curing chamber, but i know in Sydney and Melbourne, people cure in their garages, i tried in my shed last winter but humidity was all over the place, product dried abit quick i think but tasted good still..im still learning and came across your channel, must say braco it is one of the best and your explaining of the process is excellent..i will be trying some of the things ive watched you make this winter. Im from Lika (Saborsko) many good doms around Australia for when you come to visit, thanks for replying, ill have more questions in the future im sure..stay safe

Good question, I could write a lot on this topic but I'm going to try and keep it brief and to the point. On whole muscle meats like pršut mold isn't dangerous, when serving the meat cut it off and throw it out. IF, and this is a big IF, the meat smells good when you cut into it it's ok to eat. If the meat smells rancid or bad throw it out. A little mold on whole muscle pork cuts like shoulders, loins and legs is normal. I recommend taking a little vinegar and a clean rag and wiping out off. Monitor your humidity and lower if necessary, you can also add a fan in the cure room to circulate the air. Now on fermented sausage, or any cured sausage for that matter it's a whole different story. Sausage are much more susceptible to spoilage than whole muscle meats. Because sausage meat is cut into small bits, then mixed and cased there is much more of a chance to get a infection. It's really a race to dry the sausage before the spoilage bacteria take hold and ruin your sausage. Modern sausage makers will inoculate sausage with "good" mold and bacteria to over take the bad mold. So the question is why did my grandfather's sausage always have mold over but it was delicious and never spoiled? Because after years and years, decades and in some cases centuries of curing meat in the same rooms the "good" bacteria have taken over and are embedded in the walls, floors, ceilings and will colonize any meat cured in those rooms. There is something to be said about tradition and longevity. Next year I'll do a video for a batch of "good" moldy fermented sausage. It's actually delicious, think of Slavonski Kulen. That is a moldy and fermented sausage. Check this video out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eA__mbzzh24.html I had a mold issue because the humidity was too high, a good wipe and the sausage turned out awesome.

Velebit Mountain Man Thanks for that, very much appreciated - I think I know what you mean about the walls and everything filled with the good bacteria - kind of explains why our konoba in the selo after all these years still smells so good :-) hvala

@@VelebitMountainMan Keď dáte do klobás čierne mleté korenie ,soľ papriku štiplavú, cesnak, v správnom pomere a zaúdite, nemôže sa pokaziť na slnku keď budete pracovať na poli .! Iba pustí masť, ale nič sa nepokazí! Pozdravujem zo Slovenska.

You are going to save lives with this knowledge these younger people need this information but I feel it’s going to be like drinking from a firehose

I think most of them are oblivious to the threat, if there not prepping and learning today, tomorrow is going to be a bad day for them.

I contimplated your question for a while, the only feasible solution would be to build a second smoke box above the existing so the smoke wouldn't wash away into wind but rather begin the smoke process on a second batch. Think of a daisy chain, or a thumper on a still. At some point the smoke will cool to much and lose its flavoring compounds and ability to draft your fire box.

Yes, you use them to cook with. Add them to stew, soups, etc for flavor and they soften up enough to eat.

I usually vacuum pack it, check out this video towards the end... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OoJnEzFzE5Q.html

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g7w0TeXRQCE.html Take a look at this video I think this will answer a lot of your questions.

Pine and cedar for the roof. Unfortunately I built it during covid and the lumber crisis, the 1x3 pine was so bad I couldn't use it to fill in the walls and I used plywood. I'll pop out the panels in a few years and swap them out with solid pine.

Cherry and applewood is best

Oak is good too

I used a humidifier and a humidity control sensor. Any ultrasonic humidifier will work, pick one with a large water tank so your filling less often. I also use a inkbird humidity sensor. You set the % of desired humidity and it will turn the machine on and off. Here is a Amazon link: a.co/d/iTY3cck

Može bez problema. Kad se meso soli i ostane u refrigerator za jedan dan po panu, ili dva dana po kili, meso će bit stabilno za sušenje. Kad staviš meso vani ili u utility shed, ako je temperatura između 32-55F meso će se lipo i polagano sušit. Ako je malo hlađe na početku to bi bilo bolje ali ako temperatura se digne dan dva nema veze, meso je stabilno i nebi smilo se pokvariti. Nemoj upalit fan, to će osušit meso od vana ali ostaviti meso siravo u sredini. Vlaga je bitna ali kad se meso suši može i bez, ako sušiš kobasice i nema vlage kobasice ostanu tvrde i sirave. Jedino bi rekao kad obisiš meso stavi u naj manju prostoriju što imaš, meso kad se suši će otpustiti vlage samo odsebe i bit će dosta vlage ako je u malu sobicu. Ako imaš priliku daj malo dima za ukus.

@@VelebitMountainMan super. Planiram završiti s smoker’om. Hvala za savjet.

I measure it daily with a hygrometer that I bought from Amazon, if the humidity is low I put up some painters plastic sheathing around the meat and add a small heater. Warm air retains moisture, the colder the air the less humid it is. Try to keep the temp around 40F, that usually keeps the humidity at about 65-70%. The Hygrometer also gives me high and low temps so I can see if its getting too cold at night and adjust the heat up. Once the meat has thoroughly dried and is firm when you squeeze it I vacuum pack it and leave it in my basement fridge or put it in the freezer for later use. Check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XnKXoOnMyN8.html Apologize up front, little too much vino and my camera was broken on my phone so it came out blurry. Another tip, measure you basement humidity and temp, you may be better off storing your meat in the basement once its done smoking. I don't have a "cold" room in my basement so the temp is to warm initially to hang the meat but once it dries out about half way I could probably transfer it to the basement and hang it. Here is the link for my Hygrometer: www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humidity-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Indicator/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=asc_df_B0013BKDO8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216551439599&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14741472239718977872&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021437&hvtargid=pla-350117545360&psc=1

Thanks Mountain Man. Great advice. I really appreciate it and will adapt your methods. Cheers! Save

Maybe 12 to 24 hours, ideally I start the smoker again in the morning or the next day. It's good for the meat to completely cool off again before you smoke the next time.

No, just the first time

Yes, good question, you open a beer, drink it, then hope tomorrow is better weather. If it's not, repeat the process. In all seriousness, you can cure the meat in a refrigerator in a covered plastic container. You will need some colder weather to smoke, best to do it at night. Ideally to start the drying process the temp should be around 55F, but as the meat dries the temp can go up a bit.

A little but no need to resalt, 3% has it covered.

Pine

Yes, sliced thin eaten with bread, cheese, and either whiskey or brandy... makes for a really good night

@@VelebitMountainMan thank you

OK, so the process is exactly the same as with a pork loin but it is a different cut of meat. I use the eye of round cut of beef and cut it in half, it comes out perfect. I am working on a video now, it will be ready in spring but here is my process: Use any beef round cut from the hind quarter. Clean the silver skin and trim fat, weigh the meat and multiply by 3%. That is the amount of salt you will need to apply. Salt the meat and let it sit over night, in the morning pour off any excess water that the meat released. Let the meat absorb the salt, 1 day per pound of meat. Once absorbed COLD smoke for 12 to 24 hours. Let meat age to it loses 35-40% of the weight. Then eat it and drink, and be happy.

Do not use a hot smoker it will ruin the meat. Working on a cold smoker video now...

Thank you so much for your answer, just one more question:) so after I cold smoke meat I put it to air dry? I just didn’t get what does let it aged means. Sorry

@@fruityval watch this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OoJnEzFzE5Q.html It's exactly the same process just beef instead of pork. You'll need to hang the meat and slowly air dry it. Start the humidity at around 80% then every week reduce it till you hit about 65% humidity. Your goal is to lose 35-40% of the original weight of the meat.

My favorite is eye of round

Depends on how smokey you like the meat. I always say about 24 hours on the smoke but that includes time from when it starts smoking till the fire is completely out. I bought a bigger smoke box this year and it will run about 6 hours per fire. I usually do 3 to 4 fires per batch of meat. If you like just a hint of smoke do one fire. I also started using a filter, it helps keep some of the tar off the meat but requires a few more fires to get the aroma I like. Check this video out it should help describe my set up. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g7w0TeXRQCE.html

amzn.to/4abEyAg Amazon

I monitor it more than control it. There is a lot of fancy equipment you can buy that will keep your meat at temp and control the humidity but I just monitor it and make sure its within range. If I need to increase the humidity I increase the temperature in my garage. Humidity is most influenced by temperature, high temp high humidity, low temp low humidity. A really easy way to increase your humidity is to make a small room with zip poles and plastic then add a space heater. Should keep you right where you need to be.

I used pine and put on a cedar roof. Really, anything you have available.

I use fine sea salt, I try to use Mediterranean sea salt, just make sure its 100% pure salt, no additives.

@@VelebitMountainMan awesome.. love the slanina.. looking amazing.

Regular salt is fine no need fancy sea salt!!!!

38F - 42F during the curing process, after its cured and reached equilibrium, you can raise the temp to 55F during the drying stage.

A dehumidifier

I vacuum seal it and either freeze it or refrigerate it. You can vacuum seal it and keep it at room temperature but it runs the risk of botulism infection.

🤣🤣🤣

I had to re watch the video, wasn't sure what I had said. So really really cold is below 32F typically. I try not to cold smoke below freezing any more but sometimes it's necessary, if you have a better insulated smoke house you won't need a space heater. Also if it's below freezing don't leave the meat in the smoke house and let it freeze it will ruin the meat if it freezes solid. Also use 3% salt, 2% is not enough, I've actually gone to 3.5% on my whole muscle cure recipe.

Pine

Yes sir, only cold smoke

I don't know, my uncle in Arizona does this same process in winter but he only has a month or two to get it done. You can cure it in the fridge in a covered container but it has to be cold out when you smoke it. Once it's cured and smoked you can keep it around 55F till it dries.

This is a cold smoke method. Mississippi Texas etc use hot smoke at 250-350 degrees. Sausages and Jerky is another way of preserving meats in the south.

No refrigerator no freezer eat as is because it's cured and delicious

@VelebitMountainMan But I still need to cook it first, right? Before I eat it even if it's cured. Thanks

No cooking, it will ruin the flavor

@VelebitMountainMan Ok, but it can be warm up some. How do you store it. And keep it from drying out or losing more weight on meat. What's your favorite meat to hang and store without a refrigerator or freezer Thanks for your help.

Yes once you lose 35% of the original weight through the curing and drying process the meat is essentially shelf stable. You can then store it at room temperature or you can also cook with it. Check out some of my other videos, they go into greater detail. My favorite? Man, I love pork shoulder, it's so good, I have a video coming out this fall for how to make pork shoulder. But the undisputed king is pork leg, or prosciutto. It takes about 14 months to finish but it's so good it's worth the wait.

Sorry buddy, no

Chicago, Illinois America, to je moj dom!

Sure, except it is in fact Serbian word

🤣🤣🤣

Спасибо за сообщение! Да, обычно все мясо, которое у меня осталось с зимы, перемалываю на колбасу... оленину, свинину, говядину, чеснок, соль и перец. Хорошо для гриля!

@@VelebitMountainMan Делаю так же, здоровья вам!

North side

Correct it should be 100% fine at room temperature

Translates to dry cured meat 🍖

@@VelebitMountainMan Oh Croatian... Cool... I'm going to try this technique.

Good question, because historically there are only two sources when it comes to salt, sea salt and mined salt. My family comes from Croatia, close to the sea, I'm sure they used natural sea salt for hundreds of years with no issues. I figure if it was good enough for them it's good enough for me so I use Croatian sea salt from the island of Pag which is readily available in Chicago. Some people will say that sea salt has impurities and minerals that could be detrimental to the cure, and they may be right but I've never experienced that and assume the odds of a bad reaction due to sea salt is so minimal that it's inconsequential. I would like to try mined salt next year and see if there is any difference in the cure or taste, my guess is they will be the same or so similar it will be undetectable. I think the key with salt, especially sea salt or mined salt is to find one you like and stick with it. It consistently comes from the same area and probably varies slightly batch to batch. The Adriatic Sea, where the salt I use comes from is one of the cleanest bodies of water in the world.

Yes but it takes a long time and I'm not that patient, I always eat it early, it is my favorite