Thanks for the reply - as for the cure recipe, those were just the ratios I used in mixing up a larger supply of cure, I didn't use nearly all of it on the belly - perhaps 1/3 at the most, so the amount of insta-cure #1 should be no more than 3 or 4 teaspoons. In the future is it better to mix up a cure per-batch so that I have the numbers exactly correct?
In the future, yes... it is important when adding cures to ground meat or whole chunks to use the correct amout per pound as stated by the cure supplier... the 2 types of meat require different amounts because of different processes... (long cure times for bacon as an example or short cure times for smoked sausages) (then there are salamis which are different again)
Also, are there any health risks I should be worried about if using too much cure in a single batch? I know that too much sodium nitrite itself can be fatal but that's not so much a concern when using such heavily diluted salts, and I know that too much of it over time can be carcinogenic, but is there any reason to be concerned about this single batch?
If you think you used about 1/3 of the mix you noted, you should be about right for this batch...... One more consideration on premixing cures and salts/sugars/spices.... settling can take place and a homogenized dry mix can be a little difficult to maintain... not impossible but to be on the safe side, individual mixes for each batch of meat, for the home curer, would be recommended...
Nitrite does dissipate over time... that is why the initial higher dose, for long time curing of intact muscle, is recommended..... If the muscle is 2" thick for instance, and you put cure on both side of the meat, then 6-7 days or longer, under refrigeration,(37-39 deg) would be adequate for a cure duration.... colder temps take longer.... don't know the exact numbers.... food for thought....
Take pics to share and enjoy the bacon...... Dave
