Not really the same as properly briming meat though (a fairly large part of smoke curing meats) That takes a few days in and of itself before you begin to smoke.
Black bacon experiment
- Thread starter British Red
- Start date
The maple cure i use is a mix of salt, prague powder #1, maple syrup (the proper stuff), soy sauce, garlic and cayenne pepper. Cured for 3-4 days (depending on the size of the joint). After curing, rinse and leave to dry out in the fridge for 2 days. Then make a glaze from maple syrup and soy sauce, brush on liberally and put in the smoker. I like to cold smoke for a good 14 hrs over maple. Leave again for 4 days in the fridge or a cool place then slice and enjoy.
Nitrite salt. Preservative.
Prague ham is a well known ham product, originated in Prague, Bohemia ( Czech Republic)
The powder is American though. They like to use foreign names in their products to imply a high quality.
Prague ham is a well known ham product, originated in Prague, Bohemia ( Czech Republic)
The powder is American though. They like to use foreign names in their products to imply a high quality.
Last edited:
Ah. Learn something everyday. Never heard it called Prague powder before.
I know what the nitrate stuff is tho.
It may not be so healthy, but it prevents unwanted bacterial growth. Plus makes the meat nicely pink.
Nobody in the valley had pigs this year. Or that nobody is saying a word about it.
I want a slab of bacon, smoked almost orange,
racks of side ribs and a couple of chops to wok up as cinnamon pork.
I'll lay out plenty of cash for the bacon, alone.
I want a slab of bacon, smoked almost orange,
racks of side ribs and a couple of chops to wok up as cinnamon pork.
I'll lay out plenty of cash for the bacon, alone.
Not American; I’ve never heard of it either. We call that saltpeter or sodium nitrate.
Never heard of Prague powder. Must be an archaic and arcane term.
Not even when I moon-lighted as a professional pyrotechnician for the motion picture industry.
True, salt peter is sodium nitrate (NaNO3.)
It has been used as an oxygen source in some pyrotechnic formulas
but potassium nitrate has a faster decomposition and as such is used in electric ignition matches,
black powder, pyrodex and most other commercial pyro mixes..
However:
The meat curative preservative is sodium nitrite. Note the difference in spelling.
This indicates that the nitrite has one less oxygen atom in it as does anything-nitrate.
The nitrite radical fouls up several aspects of bacterial metabolism to prevent decomposition
and the development of anaerobic treats such as Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
There's really good thermal stability so the preservative action can last for a very long time.
Not even when I moon-lighted as a professional pyrotechnician for the motion picture industry.
True, salt peter is sodium nitrate (NaNO3.)
It has been used as an oxygen source in some pyrotechnic formulas
but potassium nitrate has a faster decomposition and as such is used in electric ignition matches,
black powder, pyrodex and most other commercial pyro mixes..
However:
The meat curative preservative is sodium nitrite. Note the difference in spelling.
This indicates that the nitrite has one less oxygen atom in it as does anything-nitrate.
The nitrite radical fouls up several aspects of bacterial metabolism to prevent decomposition
and the development of anaerobic treats such as Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
There's really good thermal stability so the preservative action can last for a very long time.
Thanks for the correction RV. That said, this site from the National Center For Home Food Preservation also lists at least some use of nitrates https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html
It also names Prague powder. I’d never heard of it before today.
It also names Prague powder. I’d never heard of it before today.
Last edited:
HA! The biggest bang is to use ammonium nitrate in ANFO. My uncles used to mix it in a wheel barrow
for draining bottom land on the farm. Plastic bread bags of the stuff. 1/2 mile of ditch in 2 seconds.
Yeah, I'd never heard of Prague powder until today, myself. All these things have proper chemical names to be used.
Because of it's pyyrotechnic use, sodium nitrate is really hard to buy in this day and time.
I can see using it in a IED as well. I can show my pyro licenses and buy what I need.
Same as I finally learned the difference between "Soda Water" and "Club Soda."
CS is doped up with some potassium salts, like potassium chloride, which is a first cousin to table salt.
I like the fizz when I use CS to dilute fruit juices. Has a faint 'salt' taste which isn't unexpected.
What do I need to buy to make bacon? Pork belly or what?
for draining bottom land on the farm. Plastic bread bags of the stuff. 1/2 mile of ditch in 2 seconds.
Yeah, I'd never heard of Prague powder until today, myself. All these things have proper chemical names to be used.
Because of it's pyyrotechnic use, sodium nitrate is really hard to buy in this day and time.
I can see using it in a IED as well. I can show my pyro licenses and buy what I need.
Same as I finally learned the difference between "Soda Water" and "Club Soda."
CS is doped up with some potassium salts, like potassium chloride, which is a first cousin to table salt.
I like the fizz when I use CS to dilute fruit juices. Has a faint 'salt' taste which isn't unexpected.
What do I need to buy to make bacon? Pork belly or what?
I haven’t had time to watch British Red’s video yet but I’d lik to see what he’s using. That said, most bacon in North America (streaky bacon) is made from pork belly.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw0JgwUWopIdUla3eXPyx1Dn&ust=1576465718592507
British Red, would you consider an attempt at making gammon? I’d really love to see that.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw0JgwUWopIdUla3eXPyx1Dn&ust=1576465718592507
British Red, would you consider an attempt at making gammon? I’d really love to see that.
Yes, American.
Read:
https://earthwormexpress.com/tag/origin-of-prague-powder/
Quite interesting. Nitrite salts have a short history in food preserving, I thought it was much longer!
When I brine I use only salt.
Read:
https://earthwormexpress.com/tag/origin-of-prague-powder/
Quite interesting. Nitrite salts have a short history in food preserving, I thought it was much longer!
When I brine I use only salt.
Depending on what I’m briming I use various combinations of salt, apple juice, and sugar. But almost all commercial meat packers use nitrites here.
Sorry, would have got back to you all earlier with a prague explanation sooner, but on holiday up in the Scottish highlands, enjoying the beauty of the Abernethy Forest.
Prague #1 is 6% Sodium nitrite and 94% salt and is used for cures where the end product is going to be cooked, ie Bacon.
Prague #2 is a mix of Sodium nitrite and Sodium nitrate and salt and is used for longer cures where the end product is going to be eaten raw, ie prosciutto, salami etc.
Prague #1 is 6% Sodium nitrite and 94% salt and is used for cures where the end product is going to be cooked, ie Bacon.
Prague #2 is a mix of Sodium nitrite and Sodium nitrate and salt and is used for longer cures where the end product is going to be eaten raw, ie prosciutto, salami etc.
I am pleased enthusiasts like B. Red are not using these modern preparations but keep the old fashioned ways alive!
Salt, Saltpeter, ( sugar) have been used for many centuries.
If you hot smoke, only salting is needed, but for some reason hot smoked foods ( smoked for many hours) have fallen out of the British cuisine.
( hot smoking - air / smoke is around 80C around the meat.
That was the reason I started doing it.
Fish, pork, game, birds.
Salt, Saltpeter, ( sugar) have been used for many centuries.
If you hot smoke, only salting is needed, but for some reason hot smoked foods ( smoked for many hours) have fallen out of the British cuisine.
( hot smoking - air / smoke is around 80C around the meat.
That was the reason I started doing it.
Fish, pork, game, birds.
You need to visit a First Nations smoke house somewhere along the Skeena River in BC.
Everybody has a car garage. Everybody parks in the driveway. The garage is a smoke house.
Every able bodied family shares in the responsibility to make certain that the elders get enough to eat.
Maybe 200 salmon in there. No brine, no nuthin', just alderwood smoke for a week.
They never had sugar. Sea salt was made but in small quantities.
The concept is to dry the fish as well as preserve them as a large part of the winter food supply.
I don't see much but prociutto and panchetta where drying is a key part of the preservation. True?
Can you reconstitute dried slab or slice bacon? Kinda, sorta?
Everybody has a car garage. Everybody parks in the driveway. The garage is a smoke house.
Every able bodied family shares in the responsibility to make certain that the elders get enough to eat.
Maybe 200 salmon in there. No brine, no nuthin', just alderwood smoke for a week.
They never had sugar. Sea salt was made but in small quantities.
The concept is to dry the fish as well as preserve them as a large part of the winter food supply.
I don't see much but prociutto and panchetta where drying is a key part of the preservation. True?
Can you reconstitute dried slab or slice bacon? Kinda, sorta?
You can safely eat cold smoked meats also if they’re sufficiently dried.
Similar threads
