Equilibrium brining is a technique used to evenly distribute salt and flavor throughout meat or vegetables by allowing them to sit in a saltwater solution until the concentration of salt inside and outside the food reaches equilibrium. This method ensures that the food is properly seasoned from the surface to the center. Here are detailed instructions on how to perform equilibrium brining.
Equilibrium brining (instructions)
Calories:
Materials
Ingredients by weight
- Pork Belly 100%
- Salt: 3.5%
- Sugar: 1.5%
- Pink Cure #1: 0.35% 150ppm
Instructions
- Weigh your piece of pork belly.
- Pink Cure #1 is 0.35% of the weight of the pork belly.
- Salt is 3.5% of the weight of the pork belly.
- Sugar is 1.5% of the weight of the pork belly.
Notes
Flavour #1: We added 2% ground black pepper to one belly.
Flavour #2: Ground black pepper:
2% Bay leaves:
4-5 / Kg Juniper berries:
0.5% Thyme: 0.5% Place the prepared cure / brine in non-reactive container. Leave the skin on the pork belly, and slip into the prepared cure, cover and place in the fridge. Turn the belly daily and stir the brine to maintain an even distribution of ingredients. After 5-7 days rinse off any ‘cure left on the surface, place on a clean rack and put back in the fridge for 12-24 hours. We cold smoked the bacon for 2-3 hours, but you could also hot smoke it if that makes you more comfortable. Cold smoking needs to be done a temperatures below 30ºC (86ºF) – but ideally below 18ºC (65ºF). We smoke for 2-3 hours depending on the thickness of the belly.
After cold smoking this bacon needs to be refrigerated, and it needs to be cooked before eating. For longer term storage slice, wrap, and freeze.
4-5 / Kg Juniper berries:
0.5% Thyme: 0.5% Place the prepared cure / brine in non-reactive container. Leave the skin on the pork belly, and slip into the prepared cure, cover and place in the fridge. Turn the belly daily and stir the brine to maintain an even distribution of ingredients. After 5-7 days rinse off any ‘cure left on the surface, place on a clean rack and put back in the fridge for 12-24 hours. We cold smoked the bacon for 2-3 hours, but you could also hot smoke it if that makes you more comfortable. Cold smoking needs to be done a temperatures below 30ºC (86ºF) – but ideally below 18ºC (65ºF). We smoke for 2-3 hours depending on the thickness of the belly.
After cold smoking this bacon needs to be refrigerated, and it needs to be cooked before eating. For longer term storage slice, wrap, and freeze.
