Curing Salt (or Pink Salt) to make a Homemade Ham

[dudeinthailand]

Hello, I have tried to find pink salt to cure my own ham. I tried to have my son bring some back from the Philippines but customs at the Philippine airport confiscated the salt. They did not give a reason why. Does anyone know where I can find the pink curing salt here in Thailand. I have looked in several Foodlands, Home Fresh Marts, and Topps, but I have been unable to find it. I don't mind driving in Bangkok to purchase the salt or having the salt mailed to me. Thanks for your help.

[arthurwait]

PM sent.

[kikoman]

If you want pink salt it is best to find some online, or have someone mail you some from the home country.

In my curing I used "Indasia" European cure available in Thailand, The pink salt American cure is a more potent cure than the cure I use!

Cheers

Edited December 14, 2013 by kikoman

[Tchooptip]

In my country I used to make brine with cooking sea salt, I have not find any in Thailand, I went to Makro did not find simple cooking salt ?

I am in Samui where I suppose many things are harder to find than on the main land.

I did ask my Thai wife it seems she knows nothing about brined meat?

If any one has an idea ? For instance a Thai name, its hard for me to believe Thai people do not know about brine!

[wayned]

Sea salt is available at most Ma and Pa stores where I live. They buy it in 50 kilo sacks and repackage it into 1 kilo bags. Thais use it a lot especially for barbequing fish. It cost me 15 baht/kilo. I've never seen it in the "supermarkets".

[billd766]

Look on this thread (and there are many more if you search western foods).

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686190-making-hambacon-for-christmas/

[Tchooptip]

Sea salt is available at most Ma and Pa stores where I live. They buy it in 50 kilo sacks and repackage it into 1 kilo bags. Thais use it a lot especially for barbequing fish. It cost me 15 baht/kilo. I've never seen it in the "supermarkets".

Thank you wayned, in fact I found it strange not to find any in supermarkets, but I did not try seriously elsewhere.

[arthurwait]

Yep sea salt is available everywhere there is a coast , sold at the sides of the road.

If you drive south to Hua Hin you sea them everywhere en route.

Bang Saen / Ang Sila this side of the gulf.

You should find some similar places if you look round Samui.

[dudeinthailand]

Thanks for all of your posts. Arthurwait thanks for the PM.

[quidnunc]

If you have a decent scale and access to a laboratory supply house, it's easy to make your own. Just buy pure sodium chloride and food grade or reagent grade sodium nitrite from a laboratory supply house. Weight our 93.75 grams of sodium choride and 6.25 grams of sodium nitrite. (You can also do multiples of these quantities) Add enough water to make a slurry and add some red food coloring. (the red food coloring isn't necessary but it does keep someone from mistaking the curing salt for regular salt). Boil over a flame until dry. You should keep stirring especially as you get to the end so that the mixture doesn't turn into a hard cake. Let it cool and you're done.

Of course, it's easier to buy it. And this formula is for the American version of pink salt which is one part sodium nitrite to 15 parts salt. But if you can't find it. this will do the trick. And if you use large quantities, this way works out to be a lot cheaper in the not so long run.

[Showbags]

If you see those bbq fish stalls on the side of the road, ask them if you can buy some, they cover a certain fish in it to bbq, so they will have plenty.

[puchooay]

Go to any of the street vendors that sell barbecued sausages. Ask them where they buy their " din braa sill". That is KnO3.(Potasium nitrate)

Use a teaspoon for each 350g of salt.

[AyG]

its hard for me to believe Thai people do not know about brine!

Not hard for me to believe. "Brining" appears to be predominantly an American pastime. Never encountered it in Europe at all (apart from cheese). To be honest, the thought of it to me is rather distasteful - rather like the cheap chicken breasts that are pumped full of polyphosphate and water. Nothing wrong with the natural taste of meat.

[billd766]

its hard for me to believe Thai people do not know about brine!

Not hard for me to believe. "Brining" appears to be predominantly an American pastime. Never encountered it in Europe at all (apart from cheese). To be honest, the thought of it to me is rather distasteful - rather like the cheap chicken breasts that are pumped full of polyphosphate and water. Nothing wrong with the natural taste of meat.

I brine my pork when I make a batch of 3 or 4 kg into ham otherwise it is just pork. I also use no "preservatives".

When I make bacon I use a "dry" cure and not brine.

This is honey and mustard flavour.

[AyG]

I brine my pork when I make a batch of 3 or 4 kg into ham otherwise it is just pork.

Just pork? Just pork? Don't you know that the existence of pork is the ultimate proof of the existence of a loving God?

She in her infinite wisdom gave us wonderful thick slices of belly pork to simmer for hours with bean or to roast to crisp perfection.

She gave us the ribs to barbecue.

She gave us gelatinous trotters and crispy fried ears.

She gave us deep, rich pâté from the liver and fried kidneys for breakfast.

She gave us the brain, pancreas and thymus gland, delicious soaked in milk then pan fried.

And she gave us the intestines with which make andouille sausage and chitterlings.

Then the cheek meat for delicious head cheese.

And she gave us pork scratchings to eat with beer in the pub.

And when all the skin and flesh is stripped from the carcass she left us with the bones to make amazing stock of incredible sweetness.

So never, ever say "just pork".

[Turkleton]

curing salt (Nitrite Brine Salt):

http://www.royalgroupphuket.com/?cid=1838166&subid=200255

[KhunBENQ]

Go to any of the street vendors that sell barbecued sausages. Ask them where they buy their " din braa sill". That is KnO3.(Potasium nitrate)

Use a teaspoon for each 350g of salt.

"For taxi" :

ดินประสิว (din prasio)

Edited December 17, 2013 by KhunBENQ

[billd766]

I brine my pork when I make a batch of 3 or 4 kg into ham otherwise it is just pork.

Just pork? Just pork? Don't you know that the existence of pork is the ultimate proof of the existence of a loving God?

She in her infinite wisdom gave us wonderful thick slices of belly pork to simmer for hours with bean or to roast to crisp perfection.

She gave us the ribs to barbecue.

She gave us gelatinous trotters and crispy fried ears.

She gave us deep, rich pâté from the liver and fried kidneys for breakfast.

She gave us the brain, pancreas and thymus gland, delicious soaked in milk then pan fried.

And she gave us the intestines with which make andouille sausage and chitterlings.

Then the cheek meat for delicious head cheese.

And she gave us pork scratchings to eat with beer in the pub.

And when all the skin and flesh is stripped from the carcass she left us with the bones to make amazing stock of incredible sweetness.

So never, ever say "just pork".

Ummmmm Sorry.

I was with you all the way until

She gave us gelatinous trotters and crispy fried ears.

She gave us the brain, pancreas and thymus gland, delicious soaked in milk then pan fried.

And she gave us the intestines with which make andouille sausage and chitterlings.

Then the cheek meat for delicious head cheese.

At which point I vacated my chair and headed to the porcelain megaphone for a long multicoloured howl.

There are some thing about a pig I like but the abreviated list above are not for me.

[Dancin Dna 11]

its hard for me to believe Thai people do not know about brine!

Not hard for me to believe. "Brining" appears to be predominantly an American pastime. Never encountered it in Europe at all (apart from cheese). To be honest, the thought of it to me is rather distasteful - rather like the cheap chicken breasts that are pumped full of polyphosphate and water. Nothing wrong with the natural taste of meat.

I brine my pork when I make a batch of 3 or 4 kg into ham otherwise it is just pork. I also use no "preservatives".

DSCF3832.JPG

When I make bacon I use a "dry" cure and not brine.

This is honey and mustard flavour.

DSCF3833.JPG DSCF3838.JPG

Please could you include the recipe for your Dry cure honey mustard rub, Cheers.

[Shawn0001]

Curing salts are currently available on Baht and Sold

[worgeordie]

I brine my pork when I make a batch of 3 or 4 kg into ham otherwise it is just pork.

Just pork? Just pork? Don't you know that the existence of pork is the ultimate proof of the existence of a loving God?

She in her infinite wisdom gave us wonderful thick slices of belly pork to simmer for hours with bean or to roast to crisp perfection.

She gave us the ribs to barbecue.

She gave us gelatinous trotters and crispy fried ears.

She gave us deep, rich pâté from the liver and fried kidneys for breakfast.

She gave us the brain, pancreas and thymus gland, delicious soaked in milk then pan fried.

And she gave us the intestines with which make andouille sausage and chitterlings.

Then the cheek meat for delicious head cheese.

And she gave us pork scratchings to eat with beer in the pub.

And when all the skin and flesh is stripped from the carcass she left us with the bones to make amazing stock of incredible sweetness.

So never, ever say "just pork".

You forgot the pigs blood for the black pudding, waste nowt.

regards worgeordie

[PhuketFarang]

Pink Curing Salt:

http://thaiartisanfoods.com/shop/pink-curing-salt-number-1/

[CLW]

Could I make pastrami without curing salt?
Except that the color will turn grey I think it should work... Any ideas?

[wayned]

Curing salts are a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite.  Te sodium nitrite  serves to inhibit the growth of bacteria, specifically clostridium botulinum in an effort to prevent botulism  and helps preserve the color of cured meat.  cure my meet in the bottom of the fridge for 12 - 15 days and wouldn't take the chance.  There is a link above, never used them,.  I buy mine online from either Modernist Pantry in the US or Surfy's Home Curing in the UK.

 

The picture is of home cured corned beef cut very thin "deli" style.  It's the same cure as Pastrami but boiled not smoked.