equilibrium cured, sous vide VS. brined and poached
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 02:12
I have made experiment. I had that idea for some time but 2 weeks ago got it working.
similar pieces - 2 of pork loin, 2 cuts of pork butt, 2 of pork belly. 3 pieces vs. 3 pieces.
days of curing - 3 in brine - and 3 in equilibrium curing locked in vac pouches.
night before smoking i have removed them from brine and vac pouches. They looks like this -
- in my opinion - pieces cured by equilibrium system having better color.
Then I have decided that will give more chances for cured in brine and i have packed 2 pieces (pork loin and pork butt) in beef bung. They were hanged in garage during night. In morning sunlight they looks like these..
After 5 hours in smoker - temp 40-50*C (I can call that was delicate smoking process) they looks like these
By the time of smoking I have made special sous vide set - on picture parts I have used to make it working perfectly.
After smoking process i have again put in vac pouches pieces from equilibrium curing and set them in souse vide pot. Time started to be counted when temp reached 144 F (62*C)
Other 3 pieces I have poached in temp. 75-78*C (168-174 F).
Pice of pork loin have been removed when IT reached 62 *C, piece of pork butt have been removed when IT reached 65*C. Pork belly stays in poaching water for 2.5 hours.
Sous vide pieces - I have removed pork loin after 4.5 hours. Then rised water temp. to 150F and kept remaining two pieces for another 4 hours.
Then they were cooled down and stayed 24 hours in garage, then next 24 hours in refrigerator. They here on picture
Final comparison - pictures of pork loin:
Pork butt :sous vide - (inside pouch little jelly visible on picture)
POrk but - poached
Pork belly - side by side
IMO (these pieces were processed in my polish style of wedzonki)- pork loin - texture, color, juiciness, taste - winner definitely equilibrium cure, sous vide
pork butt - mixed opinion ( beef bung helped a lot for poached piece).
Pork belly - better poached piece but... next time need higher temp. and longer time in sous vide system.
Generally - definitely system of equilibrium curing and sous vide needs more testing for optimal salt and cure doses by value of meat, and temperatures and time for sous vide.
similar pieces - 2 of pork loin, 2 cuts of pork butt, 2 of pork belly. 3 pieces vs. 3 pieces.
days of curing - 3 in brine - and 3 in equilibrium curing locked in vac pouches.
night before smoking i have removed them from brine and vac pouches. They looks like this -
- in my opinion - pieces cured by equilibrium system having better color.
Then I have decided that will give more chances for cured in brine and i have packed 2 pieces (pork loin and pork butt) in beef bung. They were hanged in garage during night. In morning sunlight they looks like these..
After 5 hours in smoker - temp 40-50*C (I can call that was delicate smoking process) they looks like these
By the time of smoking I have made special sous vide set - on picture parts I have used to make it working perfectly.
After smoking process i have again put in vac pouches pieces from equilibrium curing and set them in souse vide pot. Time started to be counted when temp reached 144 F (62*C)
Other 3 pieces I have poached in temp. 75-78*C (168-174 F).
Pice of pork loin have been removed when IT reached 62 *C, piece of pork butt have been removed when IT reached 65*C. Pork belly stays in poaching water for 2.5 hours.
Sous vide pieces - I have removed pork loin after 4.5 hours. Then rised water temp. to 150F and kept remaining two pieces for another 4 hours.
Then they were cooled down and stayed 24 hours in garage, then next 24 hours in refrigerator. They here on picture
Final comparison - pictures of pork loin:
Pork butt :sous vide - (inside pouch little jelly visible on picture)
POrk but - poached
Pork belly - side by side
IMO (these pieces were processed in my polish style of wedzonki)- pork loin - texture, color, juiciness, taste - winner definitely equilibrium cure, sous vide
pork butt - mixed opinion ( beef bung helped a lot for poached piece).
Pork belly - better poached piece but... next time need higher temp. and longer time in sous vide system.
Generally - definitely system of equilibrium curing and sous vide needs more testing for optimal salt and cure doses by value of meat, and temperatures and time for sous vide.