How do I know if its all the way cured?

[atcnick]

I've been curing 3 butts about 2-3 lbs each boneless.  One  I butterflied and the other I injected and brined.  I see wide ranges of curing times posted...anywhere from 3-14 days.  Is there a way to tell if its cured all the way?   I've been curing the butts since last friday night/saturday morning.

Thanks.

 

[solaryellow]

It usually depends on the size and dimensions of the meat. For example, when I make buckboard bacon I inject it to 15% of the green weight and then brine it. I usually cut the whole (10+lbs) shoulder in half horizontally so it ends up being about 2" high, 6" wide and about 10" long. That takes 4 days to cure. When I dry cure buckboard bacon with the same piece of meat cut the same way it takes 10 days.

 

[atcnick]

Thanks solar yellow. Is the meat suppose to take on a slight gray color?

 

[mballi3011]

The outside of the meat will turn a grayish color but the inside should be a almost bright pink in color. I would say that you can cut it in half but then it's in 2 pieces. You should have had a direction of this long per inch of thickness of the meat. I would do that and maybe go over a day or two and then cut into it. That way you can do the fry test too. Take a slice and fry it up and see how salty it taste. If it's too salty for you then soak it in some fresh clean water and change the water on the hour. I would do that for as long as it takes. If it was alot salty then longer and less if it was less salty.