Curing with smoked salt

Curing with smoked salt - Delicious assorted cured sausage pieces on wooden tray between sauces and salt shaker on blurred background

I have a question about Ruhlman’s home cured bacon recipe. I do not have a smoker and I know the smoking step is optional but I was thinking that if I used Maldon Smoked Sea Salt Flakes instead of the suggested Morton or Diamond Crystal it would give the bacon a nice smoky flavour. Has anyone tried this or has an opinion?



Best Answer

You could use the smoked salt, but it would not impart that much smoked flavor and would be quite expensive compared to normal kosher salt. Since most wet-cured bacon available at the grocery store is flavored with liquid smoke, an easy alternative would be to rub the belly with liquid smoke prior to roasting as described at The Splendid Table.

As a side note, Ruhlman's recipe yields bacon that has a significant herbal flavor. If you were looking for something closer to standard bacon, try a simpler recipe like the one from The Splendid Table or this one from Salt and Smoke Food




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Curing with smoked salt - Delicious salami slices near spices and rosemary
Curing with smoked salt - Meat cold cuts station in buffet
Curing with smoked salt - High angle appetizing sliced cured pork fat and smoked sausages served on sideboard with cheese and olives during buffet catering



Quick Answer about "Curing with smoked salt"

The practice of curing and smoking meat is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. Treating cuts of meat with a salt solution or packing them in dry salt inhibits most spoilage bacterial growth by reducing the amount of water available for bacteria to grow.

Can any salt be used for curing?

Toxicity. It's important to note that curing salt is toxic, so you cannot use it like regular salt. Curing salt should only be used for curing meats.

What salt is best for curing?

Sea Salt \u2013 sodium chloride has the preserving effect for cold smoking or dry curing (for inhibiting the meat and reducing the moisture \u2013 whic in turn lessens the ability for the bad bacteria to spoil the meat).

What kind of salt do you use to cure meat?

1 pink salt is used to cure all meats that require cooking, brining, smoking, or canning. This includes poultry, fish, ham, bacon, luncheon meats, corned beef, pates, and other products. It is 93.75 percent table salt and 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. It is used at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of ground meat.

Can you cure meat with smoke?

You can salt, smoke or process meat and fish using both methods at the same time. Regardless of the method you choose, the meat or fish must be fresh. Never try to cure something that has started to turn.



Salting, Curing and Smoking your own meat




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Images: Julia Filirovska, Milan, Milan, Milan