1.3: Curing, Brining and Smoking

History and Development

Garde Manger largely deals with the preservation of foods and quite likely, the first foods to be preserved were proteins. Whether this was by accident, trial and error or by natural occurrences is up for debate still. One thing we do know is that protein, and minerals from meat were a much-needed source of nutrition for early man, and today we benefit from modern technique when returning to the age-old art of Garde Manger.

Early man likely dried proteins before the advent of fire, which could then be used to add smoke in addition to roasting for immediate consumption. Drying and smoking could have aided in the reduction of harmful bacteria and this reduction of moisture was quite probably the first step made in today’s concept of food safety.

Salt played a great roll in preservation as Strabo, the Greek geographer and historian of the first century noted in his writings of the fish salting houses of ancient Greece and Rome. This use of salt minimized microbes, lowered water content, and ensured a steady supply of much needed protein in an era devoid of refrigeration.

Today we still are concerned with eliminating harmful bacteria in the process of preservation, but do so more to enjoy the wonderful and increasingly popular products of charcuterie rather than an effort to stockpile protein in a life or death struggle.

Photo of Blackstrap Molasses Cured Country Ham in the aging process

The Scientific Processes Underlying Curing and Brining

First of all, salts, sugars and spices (of course today chemicals like nitrates and nitrites too) are the pathways to curing proteins. With these adjuncts science wealds its processes, which are:

• Osmosis
• Dehydration
• Denaturing
• Fermentation

Osmosis

Think back to an early science class you have had. Remember that osmosis refers to the movement of something through the semi-permeable membrane of a cell wall. In our case, this often means water, salt, and flavorings entering a cell wall and moisture in the way of water, albumen, and blood being drawn out. Which leads us to the next step.

Dehydration

When the curing agents are carried into the cell walls, they tend to dehydrate the protein by leeching out harmful pathogens and moisture. One good example is when we make duck confit by applying salt and quatre espices; it does not take long to see the dripping of water and blood from the duck legs into the pan below.

Denaturing

Think of this as “cooking without heat”. Have you ever marinated a piece of fish or shrimp in Italian dressing before you cooked it? Did you notice the protein turn from a translucent color to a white opaque color? What is happening here is a cooking process called denaturing. In the simplest form, it means that the acid is changing the protein into a form that in many cases is edible. Ceviche is a perfect example of this. We can marinate fish, shrimp, scallops, and more in lemon and lime juice; add tomato concasse, onions, cilantro and seasonings. Toss it and serve it with tortilla chips and you are ready to enjoy a wonderful Latin dish.

Fermentation

The biggest trend in food today is fermentation. Examples are Kombucha, yogurts, Sauer krauts, and cured meats. There are enzymes present in foods which feed on the proteins and break them down into gases and organic compounds. Salt keeps this in check otherwise the food would simple decay. As meats age these enzymes add tenderness as they break down the protein. As we increase the acid levels during fermentation we also help to preserve the foods.

How Curing and Brining Relate to the Garde Manger

It is important to think back to the acronym ‘FATTOM’ from your food safety class. Food safety is an extremely important element in curing and brining due to the nature of the process.

• Food
• Acidity
• Time
• Temperature
• Oxygen
• Moisture

When making charcuterie the Garde Manger is concerned with eliminating the chances of microorganisms and the circumstances that give them quarter in the foods we prepare. Bacteria love proteins and if we can control the factors that allow them growth we can preserve a product that is not only wholesome but also delicious and in great demand. We accomplish this in several ways. We can preserve with fat, as in the case of confit of duck breast. The duck is cooked in its own fat and allowed to cool creating a layer of fat that envelopes the protein and keeps out oxygen - thus preserving the meat. We see this fat preservation also in making rillettes- a preserve of stewed boned meats that are beaten with a mixer and paddle to a paste consistency, and mixed with and covered by melted fat to be eaten on toast points. Tuna can be preserved in a similar way with oil. Today modernist chefs are preserving other products in fat or oil as in the case of tomatoes and red onion, making the wave on condiment usage remain on trend since the 1990’s.

Salts aide in pulling moisture out of the meat and we know that bacteria need moisture to grow and survive. Curing agents make food unpalatable to bacteria, lessening their harmful effects. When discussing Curing it is important to distinguish between the following:

• Dry Cure - dry salt and sugar cures
• Wet Cure - also known as brines

Dry Cures are not to be confused with rubs, which are very popular today in the growing popularity of barbecuing. Dry cures are often used to bury the protein and can last for days depending on the thickness of the animal or primal cut being cured. In Europe, it is common to bury wild boar legs in salt for nearly two weeks. As with any cure or brine, it is very important that the Garde Manger take great care to check the product to insure that it is evenly cured and not left too long so as to render the product inedible. Below is a table for Curing and Brining found in a highly recommended textbook - Garde Manger- the art of the cold kitchen 4th edition.

Figure 3a: Curing Table

Item	Time
¼ in thick	1 to 2 hours
1 in (lean meat)	2 to 8 hours
1 ½ in (pork belly)	7 to 10 days
Ham, bone in (15 - 18 lbs)	40 to 45 days

*Curing table from Garde Manger, 4th edition

Figure 3b: Brining Table

Item	Not pumped	Pumped
Chicken breast	24 - 36 hours	n/r
Chicken, whole	24 - 36 hours	12 - 16 hours
Pork Butt Lion (boneless)	5 - 6 days	2 ½ - 3 days
Turkey, whole	5 - 6 days	3 days
Corned Brisket	7 - 8 days	3 - 5 days
Ham, w/o	6 days	4 days
Ham, bone	20 - 24 days	6 - 7 days

*Brining table from Garde Manger 4th edition

Brining is a curing medium usually consisting of salts, sugars, spices and water. Often the ingredients are boiled to enhance the flavor extraction of spices such as cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice and others. It is most important to chill the brine before adding protein so that cooking does not begin and to avoid the temperature danger zone. Many recipes, especially older ones use more salt than sugar at about a 60/40 salt to sugar ratio. Today I and many other chefs are reversing the ration and using more sugar than salt in recipes where both are used. I do this in brines for pork barbecue. Remember that there is country ham and city ham. In most cases country ham is a salt cured product and city ham one the other hand is primarily sugar cured. My recipe for one such ham includes some salt but primarily blackstrap molasses and sugars.

Four Other Types of Curing Agents

• Unrefined Salt
• Salt Peter/ Potassium Nitrate- banned in 1975 to combat hypertension
• Prague Powder I/ also known as TCM (tinted curing mix) or Pink Powder
• Prague Powder II

There are also flavor enhancers known as Sodium Erythorbate and Ascorbate; however, these are not curing agents.

Tinted Curing mix, also known as Pink salt is commonly used in hot smoking (185°F- 285°F). It is a blend of 94% sodium chloride and 6% sodium nitrite. Be judicious with its use as it only takes 4 ounces to cure 100 pounds of meat. This is why it has a pink color so as not to mistake it for regular salt. This is a favorite cure for sausages, forcemeats, deli meats and bacon as it helps to retain the meats natural red color. It also fights against botulism, but is considered a carcinogen and today you can see a trend in the market for products that are marketed without curing agents as in “uncured pepperoni”.

Prague Powder II is necessary when the meats being cured will undergo no cooking as in the case of hard salami. The curing agent here protects against botulism while the meat hangs and dries at various temperatures and humidity levels throughout its aging process. Prague Powder II is a blend of 90% sodium chloride, 6% sodium nitrite, and 4% nitrate and takes up to six weeks to break down under controlled conditions.

Of course, sugars remain an important resource for curing and can include many forms other than granulated sugars. Molasses, honey, maple syrup and even corn syrups are at your disposal.

During the Curing Process

We mentioned denaturing as one of the scientific processes earlier. During this process, the meat’s natural structure undergoes changes. What was once soft becomes more firm as it loses its moisture. As we reach this stage especially in the case of bacon and ham production, we must begin our discussion of smoking. Here is where the rubber meets the road and we begin to see the fruits of our labor.

Smoking - a little physics, a little chemistry, a whole lot of happy

Smoking meats accomplish flavor enhancement or can be part of a plan to extend the life of foods as with country hams. It is important to note that if you have an operation that wishes to make and sell these types of smoked goods you may be required by your local food safety authority to obtain a variance.

Once the brining or curing has taken place, there may be more steps prior to smoking. Check your recipes for guidance. For example in the case of blackstrap molasses cured hams. The recipe calls for soaking the ham for 8 hours in water while in the cooler to remove some salts. After this, the ham is patted dry and left in the cooler for several hours or up to overnight in order to form a pellicle. The pellicle is a thin layer if film that is tacky or sticky. It forms a protective barrier and its tackiness allows for a better penetration of smoke into the meat. Otherwise, if the meat were placed in the smoker wet there would simply be a layer of soot on the meat that would be easily wiped away with your finger.

By now, you may begin to understand the lengthy process by which these smoked delicacies make it to the table and the care we must give the product for it to turn out right. This is part of the justification for the price of your labors.

Now let us address the smoke ring. The smoke ring is already within the meat in the form of myoglobin. It is the protein that makes raw meat red or pink. As the meat cooks, myoglobin turns brown, but if enough nitric oxide (NO) from the wood smoke condenses on your meat, it will bind with the still-red myoglobin and allow it to retain its color. *Feb 3, 2016, Texas Monthly.

Moisture present during the smoking process by way of spritzing or use of a water pan helps the condensation of nitric oxide on the meat’s surface, providing a better chance of development of the smoke ring. Smoke rings are nice and often responsible for guest delightful comments but in some competitive barbecue organizations are not only unrequired, but also offer no points advantage to the competitor.

Examples of competition barbecue plates for judging, from left to right are: Chicken thighs, pulled pork butt with “money meat”, pork ribs, and beef brisket with “burnt ends”. Note that the products are resting on beds of parsley.

Refer to course handouts and or recipes provided by your instructor via the LMS (Learning Management System) ex. Moodle®.

Classroom Preparation Assignment \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Curing Brining and Smoking

1. According to the Power Point Presentation, what are the four types of preservation?
2. The text describes what was likely to be the first step in the concept of food safety. What was it?
3. Who wrote of the first fish salting houses and where were they? You must have both answers.
4. What are the four scientific processes underlying Curing and Brining?
5. What does the acronym FATTOM stand for?
6. What color is TCM?
7. TCM is also known as?
8. Which curing mix is used in hot smoking?
9. What is a pellicle?
10. Why do we need a pellicle?