How long should I cure my pork belly?

[Bearcarver]

I've always used 1 week per inch of product as a general rule. Also, if it goes longer due to your schedule, life happening, etc., no problem. You can't over cure, only under cure (time wise...assuming you used correct amounts of a curing agent to begin with).

Well if my interpretations are correct, cure #1 will be fine for pork belly, as long as I cure it in the fridge, and smoke it afterward to a temperature of at least 150 degrees.

Am I correct in my assumptions? Can I cure it for 10-14 days with cure #1 in the fridge?

Like Dana said, "You can't over cure it", However if you go much longer than needed when Dry curing, it's quite possible to get too salty from absorbing too much salt. This doesn't usually happen when Brine curing because the cure & salt is more diluted than when Dry curing.

BTW: You can smoke it to 150°, like you said, but once you cure it, there's no reason to smoke it that high. Many people Cold Smoke it, and if you look at my Step by Step you'll see I like to use a Smoker Temp of between 100° and 130° until I get good color (Flavor), which is usually between 120° and 128° IT after 8 to 11 hours.

Bear

Bear

[Bearcarver]

Everything I keep reading says 1 teaspoon cure #1 per 5 pounds of meat.
The link gracoman posted to Ruhlman's site is from 2010 and says 2 teaspoons per 5 pounds of meat. That's double the amount others say.
Which is the right amount to use ??
Is this one of the mistakes/misprints that are talked about in some of his recipes ?

I don't use Cure #1, but it seems everybody uses 1tsp per 5 pounds of meat.


Bear

[Richtee]

7-10 days is what i usually go for.
As long as you're using a curing salt with nitrate, it can be any length of time.

Just don't use cure #1 - that's for short term curing only.

Bacon IS a short term cure. C’mon Alex...

[Richtee]

Everything I keep reading says 1 teaspoon cure #1 per 5 pounds of meat.
The link gracoman posted to Ruhlman's site is from 2010 and says 2 teaspoons per 5 pounds of meat. That's double the amount others say.
Which is the right amount to use ??
Is this one of the mistakes/misprints that are talked about in some of his recipes ?

It’s too much #1. But the beauty of 1 is..upon heating/cooking..it will convert to oxygen, No2 and salt..thereby losing it’s toxicity. Cure 2 is a different beast.

It’s not OVERY heavy in cure..which will result in “cure burn”

http://www.ou.edu/publicaffairs/arch...esinMeats.html

[Richtee]

You can't over cure, only under cure (time wise...assuming you used correct amounts of a curing agent to begin with).

True!

[Bearcarver]

Hope it was a misprint and not screwing with people.
Either way someone could get sick taking bad advise about cures.
JMHO-YMMV

I didn't mean that "Screwing with us" in a Bad way.
I meant "Kidding around with us" like we often do, or like I said, CA might have been seeing if we were Paying Attention, because I think he knows Cure #1 is for Bacon.


Bear

[206]

JUST DO BACON.

Your Welcome.

[206]

Just do Tender quick.

okay that's for beginners. carry on..............never mind me.

[BYBBQ]

Like I said, I have only done bacon a couple times and that was with TQ. So my asking about the correct amount of Cure #1 per 5 pounds was for the knowledge so that I didn't use too little or too much when I tried doing my next batch of bacon with it. But alas, I guess I need to ask about this somewhere that I can get a straight answer and not a cute, sarcastic, or screwing with you answer. Sorry I wasted everyone's time asking a legit question. Safety is important to me, especially since I'm very new at curing bacon and don't want to ruin any meat or get someone or myself sick from using the wrong amount of cure. Forgive me for trying to learn something new.

[XLR8R]

I'd like to know the relative answer because I'm having trouble with the bacon process.

[Richtee]

Like I said, I have only done bacon a couple times and that was with TQ. So my asking about the correct amount of Cure #1 per 5 pounds was for the knowledge so that I didn't use too little or too much when I tried doing my next batch of bacon with it.

I thought I addressed your question in a previous post here? Roughly 6.25 grams..or 1 level teaspoon is the correct amount of Cure 1 for 5 pounds meat. One of the issues with #1 is the difficulty in distributing it evenly over the meat’s surface. For bacon, I recommend mixing in thoroughly in with the rest of the cure recipe.. IE: the salt/sugar/pepper, etc. THEN coating the meat.

[nickelmore]

I thought I addressed your question in a previous post here? Roughly 6.25 grams..or 1 level teaspoon is the correct amount of Cure 1 for 5 pounds meat. One of the issues with #1 is the difficulty in distributing it evenly over the meat’s surface. For bacon, I recommend mixing in thoroughly in with the rest of the cure recipe.. IE: the salt/sugar/pepper, etc. THEN coating the meat.

Good advice by Rich and Bear. A good gram scale is your friend.

Rhulman is incorrect. I am sure it will be corrected in his next book.....

[Bearcarver]

I thought I addressed your question in a previous post here? Roughly 6.25 grams..or 1 level teaspoon is the correct amount of Cure 1 for 5 pounds meat. One of the issues with #1 is the difficulty in distributing it evenly over the meat’s surface. For bacon, I recommend mixing in thoroughly in with the rest of the cure recipe.. IE: the salt/sugar/pepper, etc. THEN coating the meat.

Well said !!

Bear

[BYBBQ]

I thought I addressed your question in a previous post here? Roughly 6.25 grams..or 1 level teaspoon is the correct amount of Cure 1 for 5 pounds meat. One of the issues with #1 is the difficulty in distributing it evenly over the meat’s surface. For bacon, I recommend mixing in thoroughly in with the rest of the cure recipe.. IE: the salt/sugar/pepper, etc. THEN coating the meat.

Thank You That's what I wanted was the weight and/or volume needed per 5 pounds of meat. good advise on the mixing part. Thanks

Good advice by Rich and Bear. A good gram scale is your friend.

Rhulman is incorrect. I am sure it will be corrected in his next book.....

I have a good digital scale. I prefer to use measured weights rather than volume measurements(tsp or Tblsp).
I had read that several of his recipes contained errors in them. That's why I asked if that recipe was right or not. Thanks

[Richtee]

If ya wanna...weigh out 10 teaspoons and take the average. That’s where I came up with the 6.25 grams.