CHARCUTIERE - BRINES, CURES, MARINADES & SMOKING

CHARCUTIERE - BRINES, CURES, MARINADES & SMOKING

                       

      

            Charcuterie is "the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pates and confit, primarily from pork.

             Before refrigeration was a common, economically viable practice, chefs the world over were constantly faced with a problem. Meat needed to be preserved in such a way that it could be held, safely, at ambient temperatures for long periods of time.

        Their ingenious solution was to develop a range of techniques for meat preservation. These days those techniques are called Charcuterie. Charcuterie is derived from the term chair cuit, which translates to mean cooked meat. Charcuterie is considered by some to be the art and science of making cooked meat preparations - with emphasis on pork. This ancient art, whose origins date back some 6,000 years, became popular during the Roman Empire when cuisine started to become sophisticated, the art really hit its stride in France during the Middle Ages when charcuterie came into its own. Shops began to specialize in these meat preparations - known as charcuterie - and the people who owned and operated these shops were referred to as "charcutiers”. They were skilled individuals who not only had to possess the talent to season and cook moist and delicious foods, but they also had to present it in a way that was appealing to customers who passed by or entered their shop. Charcutiers enjoyed great popularity and their customers were always interested to see the new creations being prepared.

                  Most use salt as the primary curing ingredient, and it's the magic of salt-curing over time that produces the unique flavors of bacon, prosciutto, salami, etc.

      Salt does two things. First it draws moisture from the meat, changing the texture and flavour, and creating an environment inhospitable to bacterial growth. Second, it draws proteins from the meat and effectively acts as the glue to hold together a wide range of meat products. Salt is a miracle.

A generic formula for cured meat might look like this:

Meat + salt + flavouring = Salted meat

Salted meat + time = Cured meat

          

                  Curing of meat depends on the second step, essentially drying the meat over time. Under controlled temperature and humidity a salted pork belly will dry and condensed into something greater than the sun of its parts, with new flavour and texture resulting from curing process.

CHARCUTIERE - BRINES, CURES, MARINADES & SMOKING

A) BRINES

                 The larder uses a number of marinades and brines, most of which have been known for hundreds of years. Whereas the marinades are always used to give a certain distinctive flavour and /or to tenderize in some cases, the pickles and brines were originally used to preserve food.

In modern times of refrigeration and deep-freezing, pickling and brining may be thought to be unnecessary but this is not so.

                     Although pickling and brining does preserve the foods treated in this way attain a certain colour in the case if brine and, what is more important , flavour in the case of pickles and marinades; people have become accustomed to this and would not care to miss it. This does not imply, however that pickle and brine is not also and to preserve; under certain circumstances, this purpose still exists today.

1. Raw Brine

2. Red Brine

3. Spice Brine

4. Cooked Brine

       As for Raw Brine but the liquid is brought to a boil for about 2 hrs 20 minutes and cooled overnight before being used.

                 Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. Salt concentration is nearly 25%.

Brine can be achieve by any of the following:

Steeping

Injecting

Spraying

                  In Brining the food is completely immersed in the brine solution for a period of time. The food should be turned over occasionally to achieve even brining.

Injecting – Injecting involve the use of brine pump wherein the brine is injected directly into the muscles fiber.

Spraying – Spray brining is when the brine solution is sprayed by injection at several points in the muscles at the same time.

Even faster than injecting.

Salting & Pickling Brine          

Meat contains around 75%of water in the form of inner and intra cellular liquid distributed all over the tissue. These liquid contain several substance such as mineral, salt, proteins, amino acid and lactic acid.

          When meat is exposed to brine, osmotic exchange happens between meat and the brine. The meat absorbs brine and brine receives some of the meat liquid.

B. CURES

                Curing is a process of surrounding meat, fish, game or poultry with salt, sugar, and nitrate. This helps in dehydrating the meat and hence retards microbial growth.

It also refers to various food preservation and flavouring processes, especially of meat and fish.

Many curing process also involve smoking.

Curing agents

Salt

It contains of 94% table salt & 6%Sodium nitrate

Salt Petre

It is also known as potassium nitrate and reacts with colour pigment in meat to give pink colour.

Sugar

Reduce strong flavour of salt, lower the pH and enhance flavour and taste.

Types of Curing

Dry

          In this process the cures are directly applied on the surface of food by rubbing it. It is a prolonged process and the cure needs more time to penetrate. When ready the excess cure is rinsed off.

Wet Curing

             In this the curing salts are added to a water and hence resulting in BRINE formation. This process is much shorter due to osmosis and penetration is faster.

METHODS OF CURING

The various method of curing are:

1.              Smoking

2.            Pickling

3.            Salting

C. MARINADES:

                A marinade is a seasoned liquid used for macerating (steeping certain kinds of meat, especially game such as hare and venison prior to cooking. Its purpose is to impregnate the piece with flavour and tenderize the meat In some cases a marinade may be used to preserve the meat for a short time. The time taken for marinating depends on the nature and size of the piece, in winter large cuts such as thick roasts may take up to 6 days: in summer 2-3 days is normal. Smaller cuts such as meat for sheek-kebebs may only require a few hours marinating time. Do not discard the marinade after use since it may be required for making a sauce as part of the recipe.

            Marinades should be made in non-metal containers such as earthenware or glass vessels because of the corrosive action of acids on metal. Nowadays it is no longer necessary to marinate saddle of venison or saddle of hare in order not to change the very fine flavour of these meat cuts. On the other hand one may, although it is not always necessary, marinate the less fine cuts of hare and large game. To enhance the flavour of mutton, the addition of a little rosemary is recommended and for venison, the inclusion of a few juniper berries and basil Again in any marinate, red wine may supplant white wine and the ratio of wine to vinegar may be varied according to taste

                    Marinades may be raw or cooked. The cooked variety makes its flavour more available to the food and should be prepared in advance and used cold.

Marinades

               A marinade is a seasoned cooked or uncooked liquid with various aromats in which meat, poultry, fish, game and even vegetables are steeped. Marinades consist of the following components:

Oils: Oil used for marinades can be olive, peanut, salad or refined. Flavored oils such as garlic oil, chilli oil and herb infused oil can also be used. The oil in the marinade helps to prevent moisture loss.

Acid: Acids like citric acid, citrus fruit juice, vinegar (Plain or flavoured), yoghurt, red and white wine etc. are used in marinades. These help in tenderizing meats and enhance better penetration of aromats.

Aromats: These contribute to the flavour and aroma of the marinated food product. Aromats like herbs, spices, proprietary sauces etc. are used for same.

Seasonings Like salt, sea salt, black salt, garlic salt, rock salt etc. are used.

Major Functions

-       To add flavour and taste to the food.

-       To act as tenderizer and to mellow the connective tissues.

-       To act as Preservative.

Duration of Marination

The length of time for marination depends on several factors, such as:-

-       The type and cut of meat or food stuff.

-       The size of the item.

-       The temperature. Food marinates best at room temperature however refrigeration is considered safe due to microbial growth.

-       During winters large cuts of meat can be left in the marinade for 5-6 days

-       In summers they should not be marinated more than 48 hours.

When the marinade is used for its preserving effect, the food should be completely submerged and not removed until required.

Types of Marinade

-       Cooked

-       Uncooked

Cooked Marinades

             As the name suggests, the ingredients used for this are cooked together first and then used for marination.

-       The marination should be cooled completely before use.

-       Cooking allows the aromats to release their full flavour.

-       Has a longer shelf life.

-       Mainly used to marinate large joints of meat.

Uncooked Marinades

   These are at times also termed as instant marinades. In this the ingredients are not cooked and mixed together only

The release of flavour is slow as compared to cooked ones but the tenderizing process is faster due to high acid content

The quantity of aromates used is more.

Best suited for fish, poultry and vegetables.

D) SMOKING

              The smoking process allows cured meats, poultry, game and seafood to be subjected to smoke in a controlled environment. The smoke is produced by smoldering hardwood chips, vines, herbs, fruit skins, or spices. This smoke influences the flavour, aroma, texture, appearance and shelf life of foods. The process can be performed at temperatures that range generally from 65-250°F.

           The food merely retains the flavour of the smoke at lower ranges (cold-smoke), while the food actually cooks at the higher end of the scale (hot-smoke).

SELECTING FOODS TO BE SMOKED

               Virtually any meat, poultry, game or seafood can be smoked, as can hard cheeses, nuts, vegetables, and sausages.

1. Prepare items

                 

• Trim excess fat

• Fish should be gutted and cleaned of gills and all blood; large fish are often filleted

• Poultry should be trussed

• Larger cuts of meat should be boned and cut into smaller pieces

• The rind should be removed from cheese

2. Cure items (optional)

• Dehydrates - low moisture prevents bacteria growth and allows smoke to penetrate the item

• Adds flavour

• Prevents botulism

• Enhances color

• Smaller, thinner pieces cured: larger pieces brined

3. Rinsing

• Stops the curing process

• Removes excess saltiness and excess surface fat

4. Dry Foods Well

• Removes excess surface moisture to form a skin (pellicle)

• A wet surface will not readily absorb smoke

• Removes excess surface fat

• Forms the Pellicle

5. Smoking Process

• Smoke is a seasoning - don't overdo it

Smoke is the complex production of very complicated compounds that occur during the thermal decomposition of wood (chips or sawdust). This process primarily occurs between a temperature range of 390°F and 750°F.

                  Although at the point of generation smoke is a gas, it rapidly separates into a vapour and a particle state. It is the vapour phase that contains the components largely responsible for the flavour and aroma that smoke imparts to foods. More than 300 different compounds have been isolated from wood smoke, but not all of these compounds occur in smoked meat products. The components most commonly found are phenols, organic acids, alcohols, carbonyls, hydrocarbons, and some gaseous components such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide.

                     

SMOKE IS APPLIED TO MEAT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS

. For preservation: Phenolic compounds and formaldehyde have antimicrobial action; this affects only the surface of the meat as smoke does not penetrate deeply into items.

• Acids: smoke emits a number of acids which cling to the meat and form an outside layer or skin. The acids help the coagulation of the surface meat, and also help preserve the meat by preventing the growth of surface mild and bacteria.

• Add aroma & flavour: Phenols, carbonyl compounds and organic acids contribute the smoky taste. Excessive smoke flavour can become bitter. Develop appealing color: Carbonyl compounds combine with free amino groups combined with meat protein to form furfural compounds that are dirty brown in color and translucent; when added with the reddish color of the cooked cured meat, you see a reddish brown color that is characteristic of smoked products.

• Creation of new food products: The addition of a smoky taste results in a product with a longer shelf life and pleasing color.

                        

• Protection from oxidation: Smoke will protect the food from lipid oxidation and eliminate any stale fat tastes.

• Formation of a protective skin on meats and emulsion-type sausages:

Acids in smoke help coagulate the protein on the surface of the meat.

SMOKY FIRES ARE CREATED BY CONTROLLING:

• Oxygen: decrease in oxygen causes wood to smolder and smoke.

• Moisture: damp products smolder rather than burn.

WOODS FOR SMOKING

                       Hard, fruit or nut woods are preferred. All woods impart a slightly different flavour of their own

Wood is available in sawdust, chip/nugget and chunk form (use the form recommended by the manufacturer of the smokehouse). Hickory is the most common type used and provides good color and flavour. Apple, cherry, mesquite and alder wood are other commonly used woods.

Note: Soft or resinous woods should never be used: they will either flare up or burn (produce no smoke) or add too much color to the product imparting a bitter taste. They are high in creosote resin which may cause cancer. Woods should be purchased from a reputable purveyor to insure they are free of contaminants such as oil or chemicals. Never use pressure-treated wood; may contain arsenic or other toxic compounds.

OTHER ITEMS USED FOR SMOKING

-       Dry herbs and spices can be used.

-       Jasmine and other teas; also peanut shells are used by Chinese.