Tasso Ham question


 
I'm looking at the recipe for Tasso Ham in Charcuterie, and where the authors say to take 5 lbs of boneless pork butt cut into five even slabs, dredge in basic dry cure (salt/dextrose/pink salt), refrigerate four hours, then rinse, apply rub containing white pepper, Cayenne, marjoram and allspice and hot smoke to 150.

The four hours in the dry cure doesn't seem like it would be long enough. Most other Tasso recipes recommend several days of curing. Has anybody tried this recipe to verify that it works OK as stated?
 
Though I've read the book, I can't offer an answer to your question. However, egullet has a really good thread that covered what seemed like most of the book. I'd post your question there.

That being said, the time does seem short.
 
It sure does.

Most, probably, who make tasso at home don't use a curing agent at all, other than salt, but some do. Commercial tasso usually has an agent for longer shelf life.

Since I freeze mine I don't use an agent--just a couple- or three-day cure in the salt/spice mix (usually three). In restaurants, I used to add a pinch of nitrite because I didn't freeze it.

I don't recall the recipe in Charcuterie but I remember being startled by this 'quick-cure' approach as it didn't make sense to me.
 
No, they do freeze well. I'm saying that because I don't require the extra protection against rancidity that a nitrite addition affords (because I plan to freeze) I don't bother using it.
 

 

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