okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Mine was $100 and change but I bought it years ago. I think with the quarantines and stuff meat slicers actually became scarce and shot up in price. I'd hold off for another couple of months if you want one.
Food Thread
- Thread starter ssckelley
- Start date
Mine was $100 and change but I bought it years ago. I think with the quarantines and stuff meat slicers actually became scarce and shot up in price. I'd hold off for another couple of months if you want one.
Fryowa
Administrator
Side note since we were talking about food equipment...
I've had a generic, no name vacuum sealer for years and packed thousands of fish with it. After last season it quit working, and I've been eyballing a popular model Foodsaver that a lot of my buddies use. It's about $200 on Amazon without the food attachment.
Anywhoo...in my town we have a thrift store that's like Goodwill only run by a local charity. I cruise through there about once a week because it's a great way to pick up inexpensive cooking items. Usually what happens is someone in their 80s dies and has a kitchen full of good stuff from the 50s and 60s back when shit was heavy duty and built to last. I've gotten tons on cast iron from Wagner and Griswold for literally pennies, old Anchor and Pyrex baking dishes, you name it.
I was cruising through there this weekend and see what looks a hell of a lot like the Foodsaver I want on the end of the shelf. Checked out and sure enough it was the exact model number and had the wet food attachment, the manual, and all the paperwork taped to it. Price tag said "$8, NOT TESTED." Took it up to the counter and it was 50% off in the whole store so I got out of there for $4, totally sure the thing wouldn't work. Plugged it in, and she worked like a champ. Vac'd and sealed about five bags and I'm pretty sure it's good to go.
I'm guessing someone's mom or dad died and their kids put everything in boxes and took it down there. Thank you to whoever it was.
I've had a generic, no name vacuum sealer for years and packed thousands of fish with it. After last season it quit working, and I've been eyballing a popular model Foodsaver that a lot of my buddies use. It's about $200 on Amazon without the food attachment.
Anywhoo...in my town we have a thrift store that's like Goodwill only run by a local charity. I cruise through there about once a week because it's a great way to pick up inexpensive cooking items. Usually what happens is someone in their 80s dies and has a kitchen full of good stuff from the 50s and 60s back when shit was heavy duty and built to last. I've gotten tons on cast iron from Wagner and Griswold for literally pennies, old Anchor and Pyrex baking dishes, you name it.
I was cruising through there this weekend and see what looks a hell of a lot like the Foodsaver I want on the end of the shelf. Checked out and sure enough it was the exact model number and had the wet food attachment, the manual, and all the paperwork taped to it. Price tag said "$8, NOT TESTED." Took it up to the counter and it was 50% off in the whole store so I got out of there for $4, totally sure the thing wouldn't work. Plugged it in, and she worked like a champ. Vac'd and sealed about five bags and I'm pretty sure it's good to go.
I'm guessing someone's mom or dad died and their kids put everything in boxes and took it down there. Thank you to whoever it was.
Fryowa
Administrator
Probably a good idea.
I've really gotten to enjoy buying pork belly and making my own bacon on the Pit Barrel. The price/lb comes out about even but I like the quality more.
What I do know is freeze the slab for about a half hour to stiffen it up and slice it by hand, but that's kind of a PITA.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, you need a meat slicer, bro. Mine is a little different than this one, but pretty close. For $115 it is worth it: https://www.amazon.com/Anescra-Remo...=1&keywords=meat+slicer&qid=1610381473&sr=8-8
I think the ones down in the $60 range have a lot of plastic. What salt do you use to cure that belly? Recipe?
Chickenlounge
Well-Known Member
With COVID shuttering a lot of restaurants, keep an eye on auctions. A couple places in Iowa City have gone under and auctioned off all their equipment. I did see a meat slicer in the list of items for one of the restaurants.
Fryowa
Administrator
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1.5 tsp pink curing salt (cheap on Amazon)
As much black pepper as you like (I like a lot)
I cut my pork belly slab into squares that are just big enough to fit in a gallon ziplock, any extra pieces just put in their own ziplock.
Coat the pork belly the mixture above, put it in the gallon ziplock and get as much air out as you can. Put it in the fridge for 5 days, flip it once every day. It'll pull a hell of a lot of moisture out so if you're not confident in your ziplock bag put it in a baking sheet in the fridge.
When the 5 days is up rinse it in the sink and dry it completely. Don't want any sugars on there burning during the smoke.
Toss it on your BPC and smoke it till it hits 150* internal. Slice it up to whatever thickness you want and it's done. You got bacon. It really is better than store bought but a little more labor
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Do you use hickory in the PBC?
Fryowa
Administrator
I've used both hickory and apple doing bacon and either one is good.
One thing I've noticed is the smoke isn't as intense doing bacon since it doesn't take a ton of time to get to that 150* temp. Maybe if you went full on mesquite it'd get too harsh but otherwise it's pretty forgiving.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Have you tried closing the vent a little and maybe plugging two or three of the top holes? Get that temp down and just let it take some smoke. How much is shoulder going for at Costco these days? Maybe this is a necessary experiment.
Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
We are going to try this one over biscuits.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
You may not need the broth, you will probably want a thicker gravy for biscuits.
Fryowa
Administrator
I tried that once with a shoulder and I thought it turned out a little bitter. The smoke was pretty acrid, I think it was from choking the fire. The dude who designed the PBC was either pretty smart or really lucky to find the right settings.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but a shoulder would be on there for a long time.
Fryowa
Administrator
If you wanted a more intense smoke flavor I’d try some hickory first and see how that works.
BILLYBOBSTEXAS
Well-Known Member
Be sure to look carefully at the pork belly to be sure it's good quality. I got one that was nearly all fat. It did have some lean meat on the outside but after smoking and cooling it, once I sliced it, It was nearly all fat. I tried to use it but had to throw it away.
Fryowa
Administrator
Wow, that sucks.
Usually with pork belly they can sometimes err towards the side of being a little too lean, but I've never had one that was too fatty. Did it come from a big processor like Smithfield/Tyson/Hormel or was it a local meat locker?
Fryowa
Administrator
On the same topic, do you have a grinder?
I can get a lot of chuck and assorted cuts as they get close to date (which is actually better than fresh) for a decent price and it's tough to beat ground chuck for tacos, burgers, sauces, etc.
I've heard good things about the grinder attachment on the KitchenAid stand mixers, but Fryowa don't bake and I wouldn't need that monstrosity.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I do not have a grinder. If I had a grinder, it would lead to me making sausages at home and I don't need to make sausages at home. I got the slicer primarily to make Japanese and Korean dishes that require sliced meat.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
Yep. It's one of those items where a "cheap one" just doesn't cut it. I tried. Buy a professional quality unit or don't waste your money. The floor for a good one is around $250-$275
BILLYBOBSTEXAS
Well-Known Member
I got it at Fairway. Normally all their meat products are of great quality. I just got a bad one.
