Hi /u/MicCheckTBR if you are posting an image don’t forget to include a description in the comments or your post may be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Charcuterie) if you have any questions or concerns.*
MicCheckTBR on
So I made my first dry cured product. I used a 1365g section of whole muscle tenderloin and within 30 days its to its target weight 887g. It was 2 guys and a cooler recipe for spicy capocollo. I took it out of the fridge and the outside is ultra hard and there is no give. I’m not sure if that is because its cold or from case hardening. How can you determine that you have case hardening w/o cutting it? Can you? Also, if I have to cut it open to determine, what would it look like? And lastly, if ultimately it does have case hardening I understand I should vac seal it for some weeks. Do I take the casing off before vac sealing or can I leave it on? I used the DrySteak Dry Aging Steak Wraps to age it.
Oh and there is no mold on the outside if that matters.
Thanks for all replies!
Skillarama on
Do you have a vacuum sealer? If so seal that baby up to “balance” the moisture. See if it feels more pliable in a week, 2 weeks. Granted Vac sealing will create a firm feel because you’ve sucked it all up tight, but you can tell the difference from what you have now.
eskayland on
Friend, low humidity kills everything and fridges kill moisture by design. I’ve got a Steakager and it maintains 75% humidity and keeps my deliciousness away from case hardening . Raise your temps up to 55f and add maintain humidity and ur good to go.
SnoDragon on
You are very likely going to have some using those types of wraps. That said, if you are at Target weight, then you’ve done a good job. Those wraps do work and yes they do create some small case hardening. To fix that, cut into a portion that will fit into a bag, and then vacuum pack it. Let that sit under vacuum in the fridge, with all the casings removed prior, wipe any mold with vinegar, for 3 weeks. After that you should be able to slice it up and all your moisture will have evened out.
5 Comments
Hi /u/MicCheckTBR if you are posting an image don’t forget to include a description in the comments or your post may be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Charcuterie) if you have any questions or concerns.*
So I made my first dry cured product. I used a 1365g section of whole muscle tenderloin and within 30 days its to its target weight 887g. It was 2 guys and a cooler recipe for spicy capocollo. I took it out of the fridge and the outside is ultra hard and there is no give. I’m not sure if that is because its cold or from case hardening. How can you determine that you have case hardening w/o cutting it? Can you? Also, if I have to cut it open to determine, what would it look like? And lastly, if ultimately it does have case hardening I understand I should vac seal it for some weeks. Do I take the casing off before vac sealing or can I leave it on? I used the DrySteak Dry Aging Steak Wraps to age it.
Oh and there is no mold on the outside if that matters.
Thanks for all replies!
Do you have a vacuum sealer? If so seal that baby up to “balance” the moisture. See if it feels more pliable in a week, 2 weeks. Granted Vac sealing will create a firm feel because you’ve sucked it all up tight, but you can tell the difference from what you have now.
Friend, low humidity kills everything and fridges kill moisture by design. I’ve got a Steakager and it maintains 75% humidity and keeps my deliciousness away from case hardening . Raise your temps up to 55f and add maintain humidity and ur good to go.
You are very likely going to have some using those types of wraps. That said, if you are at Target weight, then you’ve done a good job. Those wraps do work and yes they do create some small case hardening. To fix that, cut into a portion that will fit into a bag, and then vacuum pack it. Let that sit under vacuum in the fridge, with all the casings removed prior, wipe any mold with vinegar, for 3 weeks. After that you should be able to slice it up and all your moisture will have evened out.