Did I Ruin This Bacon?? HELP!

[Bkndsdl]

Guys, I cured some bacon two weeks ago using cure #1; started the process 14 days from today. I usually use TQ but went with pink this time. I spread it over the meat best I could, but I am worried I didn't get it on to all the meat; some of the meat looks like one side cured and the other didn't. I want to smoke it today, but I am worried it might not be good.....Here's a pic to show you what I'm talking about. You can see where some spots are bright pink, and other parts aren't. Keep in mind I have brown sugar in here as well....



Please help!

[PitRow]

I'm sure others with more experience than me will chime in, but that looks like oxidation to me. did you pull a good vacuum on the bags?

[Bkndsdl]

I did not seal them totally, never do. I have done this in regular ziploc bags before too. I pretty much follow Bear's posts on bacon to a tee.......never had this spot show up like this before.

[PitRow]

kinda hard to tell from the pics, does it have a greenish tinge to it? Or is it more brown? The bottom corner of the one in the upper left looks a little green to me, and the fact that it's in the fat too, not just the meat makes me question my earlier answer. Hopefully someone with some more experience will come along shortly and have better answers for you.

[Bkndsdl]

Brown. No green..........wouldn't even question if it was green, lol!

[PitRow]

probably alright then, but I'd wait for another opinion to be sure. Does it smell ok?

[Bkndsdl]

Haven't opened it yet to find out.

[Bkndsdl]

so I opened the bags - no smell whatsoever. I cut off some of the pieces I was most concerned with anyway, but I think it'll be ok. No smell = good smell!!

[rexster314]

Tell me your cure recipe

[Richtee]

I’m assuming you used salt as well? Attempting to use the SMALL amount of Cure 1 without a buffer..salt and sugar..thouroughly mixed in can result in uneven coating. From the pict... it looks like oxidation. Expected with oxygen present. Slice off a bit of the dark area..my bet is you’ll have the bright red/pink of cured meat under it.

It’s likely OK. Basically when using Cure 1..you need to make your own “TQ” mixing in salt..about 5 tablespoons per teaspoon... and sugar to ensure even dispersion over the meat.

[Bkndsdl]

my cure recipe was pink salt, and some brown sugar......bacon was weighed, cure required for each was written on a paper plate for each piece, then I put the proper amount of cure on each plate. I did not mix it with anything, simply sprinkled it on the bacon and spread it out as best I could. So Ritchee, you saying I should have mixed the cure with the brown sugar, then spread it? I applied the brown sugar after I put the cure on.

[Bkndsdl]

Oh, and also cut the pieces I was concerned with, and most had pink in the middle......what didn't have pink, I threw away. Wasn't much.

[Richtee]

So Ritchee, you saying I should have mixed the cure with the brown sugar, then spread it? I applied the brown sugar after I put the cure on.

You should have mixed the pink with salt and the brown sugar. I’d put a decent coat of salt on those hunks and let rest another day or so before smoking.

Pink salt is used at the rate of 1 TEAspoon..about 6.25 grams per 5 pounds. No way to assure an even coating alone..and you need the salt and sugar to go with it for flavor. This is one reason why TQ is a great product. If you have trouble finding it I carry it, or usually you can get it online elsewhere as well.

[Bearcarver]

Like Rich said, if you Dry cure with Cure #1 you have to mix it with Salt before you spread it, because it's humanly impossible to spread 1 ounce evenly over 25 pounds of Belly.
However since so many people think TQ is too salty, I wouldn't mix a TBS of Salt per pound of meat, because that would be the same as TQ. I would use 3 or 4 TBS of salt for every tsp of Cure #1 with 5 pounds of meat.
Can't really see the meat very good through the bags, but if you're worried about it being cured enough everywhere, you could hot smoke it to 140° IT in no longer than 4 hours.

Bear

[Bkndsdl]

Thanks guys.

I already put the meat to smoke; most all of the meat was pink all the way through, with the exception of one piece that had brown on one end and pink on the other, I cut that piece off and put it on by itself. However, it won't be to 140 before 4 hours, it has been on for 4 right now and the thickest part is 130....but like I said, it was all very, very pink except one piece on the outside. don't know what to do?