Use PG scraps and a $6k laser to make date tags for your home-made Salumi?
31 Likes
Easy answer. You would.
1 Like
I like the $6000 laser part. 
2 Likes
Reminds me of my brother. Every little fun thing I make, he’s like “… so you spent thousands of dollars on that thing to make… that?”.
Yes. yes I did.
I think your food tags are awesome.
8 Likes
Yes! Better than a label maker, and perfect for scraps.
1 Like
at first glance, I thought the one on the left was a hand wrapped up in gauze. 
1 Like
Close! The fully dried Pancetta Arrotolata on the left is wrapped in cheesecloth and hung to cure for about 3 months, and can be sliced and eaten without cooking.
The one on the right will be semi-dried, which would be cooked before eating, and would probably be good about now, a month or so after the first round of cure, but it’ll stay in that bag for another few weeks as I’m in no rush. It will be used in dishes like Carbonara.
I also make my own “American” bacon…
14 Likes
I think we have cross posted it before, but I make my own bacon too. In fact, starting to cure one tonight. I generally do a whole belly at a time, and my favorite is Maple. 
1 Like
Since my GF dumped me, the “demand” for my bacon has declined. I love it, I slice it thick as you can see, and cooked right it’s “meat candy”, but don’t eat it often, so I decided to split this whole belly into 1/3 dry & 1/3 semi-dry Pancetta, and 1/3 bacon.
I usually smoke it with hickory before slicing and packaging, but I may skip that seeing as I only have a few lbs worth… unless I cook some ribs the same day. Hmmm…
2 Likes
Mmmmmm Bacon, now I’m hungry. Oh and the tags are nice too.
1 Like
Ad campaign in Washington DC
www.breakupwithbacon.org
Put on buy a vegan doctors group
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/breakupwithbacon-is-the-message-of-a-new-ad-campaign-at-dc-bus-stops-and-on-tv/2018/09/28/3c60c564-c336-11e8-a1f0-a4051b6ad114_story.html?utm_term=.d18d3d464b38
If anyone happens to get to South Florida there is a species called Trema Sp that I once smoked some Queen Conch not so much out of genius as desperation of needing something for cire and the Trema killed by frost was just sitting there. They are killed by frost so are not north of Ft Lauderdale but they are a pioneer species and so are fairly common where found. The taste is like comparing other unrelated things like beef and pork but in my estimation is far tastier than Hickory though I have not had any in a number of years. It is apparently well known to indigenous folk but nearly unknown to nearly everyone else. I have never seen it over 20 ft tall and usually six or eight feet and the bark seems to hold most of the flavor but I usually just used inch thickish branches often even green.
THis looks like it https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Flowers_%26_leaves_I_IMG_3453.jpg/220px-Flowers_%26_leaves_I_IMG_3453.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trema_(plant)&h=330&w=220&tbnid=jTxZZbZoGVB6YM:&q=Trema+(plant)&tbnh=186&tbnw=124&usg=AI4_-kS2MJhyfZy71XbrOZ-xQ_SujhOYtA&vet=1&docid=MURyIbqWoS1Z3M&itg=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKj9CwqsPeAhXwqIMKHec-DMEQ_B0wCnoECAoQCQ
&h=330&w=220&tbnid=jTxZZbZoGVB6YM:&q=Trema+(plant)&tbnh=186&tbnw=124&usg=AI4_-kS2MJhyfZy71XbrOZ-xQ_SujhOYtA&vet=1&docid=MURyIbqWoS1Z3M&itg=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKj9CwqsPeAhXwqIMKHec-DMEQ_B0wCnoECAoQCQ){kind=link}
3 Likes
OK, I’m gonna need some details on your curing chamber. 
one thing i discovered when packaging bacon. if you use saran press and seal, you can essentially individually wrap slices. i just lay out a long stretch of press and seal, lay a slice, fold over, lay another slice, fold again, rinse/repeat until that sheet is done. start over.
freeze in 1 gallon bags. pull out a block, unpeel however many slices you want, put back in freezer.
4 Likes
Why would you put empty plastic bags back in the freezer?
9 Likes
I snorted when I first read that reply, James, and again just now. TY… 
I will, however, be wrapping smaller packages for personal consumption. As much as I can easily consume, and delightfully enjoy, a pound at a time, my body says moderation…
There’s nothing “processed” about salt-cured pork belly. The whole nitrate/nitrite “movement” is just another cause without a rebel.
2 Likes
When the kids were growing up we did 2lbs every Sunday for breakfast with bagels. Fortunately as they grew older one would leave before another sibling would take over in the consumption line - 4 kids, 2 adults but with 15yrs between the oldest & youngest there were usually only 2 or maybe 2.5 kids eating bacon.
Now half of them are either vegan or vegetarian. The alternate “bacons” are awful 
And with just me & the wife at home we only need to cook up 1lb.
1 Like