Belly color question

[cspackler]

I cured two separate pieces of pork belly.  I used pink curing salt and measure it using a digital scale so I am pretty sure it was the correct amount.  I put both pieces into vacuum sealer bags and vacuum sealed them to cure in.  One piece sealed properly while the other bag had some salt stuck in the edge and did not seal.  I resealed it so it was essentially a ziplock bag.  When I took the belly out of the cure yesterday to smoke it I noticed the piece which had been vacuum sealed was bright red and the piece that was only ziplocked was a bit grayish, almost like oxidized beef. Should I be concerned?  I will toss it out if you think it was not cured properly.  Just seems strange since I used the same amount for both but the one looks a lot redder.  Neither of them smell rancid.

Thanks for any help you provide,

Brandon

 

[smokinhusker]

I would say it's fine, but someone with more knowledge should drop by with better explained answers. 

IMO, I would say the one that has turned grayish, is due to exposure to air since the bag didn't vacuum seal properly. I usually put mine in a ziploc bag and they tend to have a grayish color to them. 

 

[daveomak]

 

[Bearcarver]

Exactly what Alesia said. I always use Ziplocks, and the little bit of air gets in and turns the outside a little grayish. However if it was cured properly, and if you would have cut through one after curing, it would have been bright reddish pink all the way to the center.

Bear

 

[cspackler]

Thanks for the replies.  Makes me feel a little better. 

Brandon