This thing is all new to me, and I'm totally confused. If one cures the turkey using #2, does that curing process result in turkey that is edible, or is the cold smoke necessarily followed by cooking? If so, then why cold smoke?
I'm planning to cure half a turkey for Bird-day. Can I use TQ for this? I know it's not low-salt, but I don't know how it fits in with this #1 vs #2 discussion. Looking at the Morton's curing guide, I believe they had a recipe for Turkey using TQ that cured for 24 hours (with injection).
TIA
One can use cure 1 or cure 2 or TQ for doing a turkey. But each is used for specific smoking conditions.
Cure 1 for normal smoking temperatures 140 F to as high as you want to dare.
Cure 2 for long cure times, curing times of 4 to 6 days on turkeys that were frozen and thawed to then cure. Or for cold smoking a turkey for cold service.
TenderQuick is not a cure, but a salt that gives meat cure properties. Using tenderquick requires you to use all food safety time temp rules. With the exception of doing fish.
Show the recipe of what you are thinking, there are plenty of people that can help you (myself included) make sure you are safe and understand the whys.
Problems with cure 1 and 2 confusion are based mostly on opinions from people who do not understand the real reasons for cure 2's use. And that leads to lots of food poisoning problems every single year.
Making stuff with TQ is not curing.. it is following a recipe. Making stuff that is hot finished with cure 1 is curing with a complete nitrite conversion gauranteed by temperature finish.
Making stuff with cure 2 is a high level curing method, you need to totally understand why and when it is called for if you are going to venture on your own.
As the temperature duration shows in the quote in my post above.... it is really easy to cross the line and think you are safe when you are not if you don't understand the principles of why and when.