Tenderquick Substitute

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Just find some Cure 1 and use recipes designed for Cure 1.  You will have more control over the salt content and not be using unnecessary nitrates for most of your cures.  If interested in long term cured products like hams and some sausages you will need Cure 2 and maybe some bacterial cultures.  I suggest as a person new to this hobby start out simple with simple recipes and learn proper techniques.  Let me know if you need some help.  The amount of Cure 1 used and recommend in most recipes and by the USDA are well within safe levels and you would have to be very careless to get an unsafe product.

Start simple, learn good technique, use refrigeration, measure by weight and not by volume and if in doubt ask or just throw it away. 

Let me know how I can help

Al
 
Morton Salt is now a German company.

Keep in mind that Tender Quick was invented at a time when saltpeter was in use for the home curing of meat, which can be quite dangerous when not properly used, there was no cure #1 or cure #2 at that time.

Tender Quick was a revolution that allowed home curer's to safely cure meat, it's not so unique today.

What do you think of the amount of Tender Quick used in the jerky recipe I posted above? That's a lota salt, nitrite and nitrate!!! LOL

~Dig
That's not even close to the recipe currently in the Morton Meat Curing book.

The current one calls for 1 TBS per pound of meat.

Dry cure for 1 hour, rinse, and dry.

This is not too much salt. IMO

I'm not here to discuss really old cures that I've never seen.

The only reason I commented on your original post on this was to caution people to mix your mixture well.

I found no fault with your mixture.

You had to come back with that not being important, so the rest of these posts were born.

When things like this come up, I make comments to tell people how to be careful.

Others reply that it's not important.

I have told people to be careful getting through the danger zone, and I have had replies like, "I have been smoking meat for 35 years, and I never heard of NO Danger Zone".

I'm not arguing with you. I just try to keep things safe for people who may not know something, or haven't thought about it.

When I tell people to mix a mixture well when it has cure in it, because it could be dangerous, and you tell them it's not any more important than mixing seasonings, that can be a problem.

If you are right, and people listen to me, I caused people to take a minute to mix the mixture well, when they really didn't have to.

If I am right, and people listen to you, someone could get sick, or worse.

Please don't make it harder for us to help people stay safe.

Hoping this is finished now,

Thanks,

Bear
 
 
I'm not here to discuss really old cures that I've never seen.

The only reason I commented on your original post on this was to caution people to mix your mixture well.

I found no fault with your mixture.

You had to come back with that not being important, so the rest of these posts were born.

When things like this come up, I make comments to tell people how to be careful.

Others reply that it's not important.

I have told people to be careful getting through the danger zone, and I have had replies like, "I have been smoking meat for 35 years, and I never heard of NO Danger Zone".

I'm not arguing with you. I just try to keep things safe for people who may not know something, or haven't thought about it.

When I tell people to mix a mixture well when it has cure in it, because it could be dangerous, and you tell them it's not any more important than mixing seasonings, that can be a problem.

If you are right, and people listen to me, I caused people to take a minute to mix the mixture well, when they really didn't have to.

If I am right, and people listen to you, someone could get sick, or worse.

Please don't make it harder for us to help people stay safe.

Hoping this is finished now,

Thanks,

Bear
 
I'm very sorry that you're very confused and either have not read my replies very well or did not understand them.

I NEVER stated that mixing is not important.

In Post #11 DiggingDogFarm wrote...."It is a good idea to mix it well before each use, but that goes for any type of mixture."

In Post #19 DiggingDogFarm wrote...."Of course mixing is important, but, I think that some are assuming that the mixture separates easily, which definitely is NOT  the case.....the ingredients are hydroscopic so they absorb a bit of atmospheric moisture keeping the mixture homogeneous.

But, as with any mixture...mix well before use!"

Please don't imply that I'm making it hard for you or anyone else to help people stay safe, nothing I've posted is unsafe.

~Dig
 
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Excuse my wording:

My point was that your replies reflect that you don't feel mixing mixtures containing cure to be any more important than mixing any other ingredients.

That is not how I feel about mixing cure, and that is not a good thing to tell people.

If that is implying that you are making it hard to help people to stay safe, it is because a statement like that has to be answered to keep people safe.

If you would not do that, I would have no reason to reply, which I have tried not  to have to do, ever since all I said was to mix your mixture well.

And I'm going to mention one more time, If Morton Salt Scientists didn't think Stratification could occur, they would not have bonded Tender Quick.

I'm tired of playing this game with you, and since this is my last reply, I will say people can read what you said & read what I said, and hopefully they can see what is safe. 

All this has done nothing to change the few important things I have said:

Use Tender Quick (with TQ instructions), or use Cure #1(with Cure #1 instructions). If you make your own mix, be sure to mix it well. If you have some left, either toss it, or mix it well again, before using it again. Very Simple!

Bear
 
I have to full-heartedly agree with Bear.. Not EVERYONE is in the same tier of knowledge and the amount of valuable information on safety should be the FIRST line of instruction.  It appears that an individual has had excellent results with his or her own mixtures of ingredients, preferring those over store bought, time tested, scientific data backed products. The beginner or even us old pharts, need to ensure what we say on this or any forum, be on the side of 'over-kill' as far as safety is concerned.  Vicarious Liability is with the written word..  Just MHO.

Rich
 
Excuse my wording:

My point was that your replies reflect that you don't feel mixing mixtures containing cure to be any more important than mixing any other ingredients.

That is not how I feel about mixing cure, and that is not a good thing to tell people.

If that is implying that you are making it hard to help people to stay safe, it is because a statement like that has to be answered to keep people safe.

If you would not do that, I would have no reason to reply, which I have tried not  to have to do, ever since all I said was to mix your mixture well.

And I'm going to mention one more time, If Morton Salt Scientists didn't think Stratification could occur, they would not have bonded Tender Quick.

I'm tired of playing this game with you, and since this is my last reply, I will say people can read what you said & read what I said, and hopefully they can see what is safe. 

All this has done nothing to change the few important things I have said:

Use Tender Quick (with TQ instructions), or use Cure #1(with Cure #1 instructions). If you make your own mix, be sure to mix it well. If you have some left, either toss it, or mix it well again, before using it again. Very Simple!

Bear
I can see that your intent is to misrepresent what I've said and suggest things that I did NOT say!

Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that.

Your spinning of the facts isn't going to work.

~Dig
 
Let me add My 5 cent worth to this argument. Rich  is right, here at SMF we got pros and newbie and the whole spectrum in between, no body will take the risk to advice on a risky method to the whole forum.and risk some body health. i want
 
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From Morton's Salt:

This mix is a fast cure product that has been developed as a cure for meat, poultry, game, salmon, shad, and sablefish. It is a combination of high grade salt and other quality curing ingredients that can be used for both dry and sweet pickle curing. Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] mix contains salt, the main preserving agent; sugar, both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, curing agents that also contribute to development of color and flavor; and propylene glycol to keep the mixture uniform. Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] mix can be used interchangeably with Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Sugar Cure[emoji]174[/emoji] (Plain) mix. It is NOT a meat tenderizer.

CAUTION: This curing salt is designed to be used at the rate specified in the formulation or recipe. It should not be used at higher levels as results will be inconsistent, cured meats will be too salty, and the finished products may be unsatisfactory. Curing salts should be used only in meat, poultry, game, salmon, shad and sablefish. Curing salts cannot be substituted for regular salt in other food recipes. Always keep meat refrigerated (36° to 40°F) while curing.
 

Guess that should answer the question!

Rich
 
I'm not sure exactly what point you're trying to make.

There's nothing unsafe about making your own mix as long as you do it right.

Just because Morton has a custom product such as this, it doesn't automatically mean something else that's properly made is unsafe to use!!!!

Thank goodness they don't make their own pumping brine or soaking brine or you'd insist that that is the only safe brine product to use, when the reality is that thousands of people safely mix up their own brines AND dry cures all the time!!!

If someone doesn't trust themselves, and likes to waste money....go ahead and use the Morton's products, there's nothing wrong with doing that.

But please don't imply that making your own dry cures is unsafe when done properly.

What I've posted meets the accepted safety standards.

Processing Inspectors' Calculations Handbook

[font=arial, sans-serif]http://www.aamp.com/documents/Directive7620-3.pdf[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]New thread about safe dry cure mixes.......[/font]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/108210/safe-dry-cure-mixes#post_652381

~Dig
 
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I mix my own TQ substitute all the time which allows me to exclude nitrate. I understand the bonding argument but I think to assume people aren't able to mix their own is faulty logic. That would mean for any recipe to be effective you would have to do the same bonding process for all dry ingredients to ensure equal distribution of curing salt. Unless your chocolate chips end up in 1 or 2 cookies when you make chocolate chips cookies you should be able to mix your own TQ substitute.
 
Interesting thread.
biggrin.gif


I'm a firm believer that there is more than one way to cure meat. I enjoy reading about ALL methods.

 I use old family recipes that would curl the hair of some people here and sometimes I use tenderquick (just cause it's easy).

Thanks for all the input on this thread.. and remember, just because someone uses a different method than what you do, it doesn't make them wrong.

Some are new to curing and have only been doing it a short time and others have been doing it for a life time.
 
I use TQ for jerky and it's not too salty. After I rub it I marinate it so that dilutes the saltiness I think.
TQ is easy to use, but for health reasons, some members(Including Me!) had to cut down on salt.  Every little bit counts!

I now use commercial cures that I get from a local butcher supply.  You can also get them at Butcher-Packer or Midwestern Research.  For Bacon, I use Country Brown Cure.  For jerky, I use my own recipes, that cut down on salt.
I mix my own TQ substitute all the time which allows me to exclude nitrate. I understand the bonding argument but I think to assume people aren't able to mix their own is faulty logic. That would mean for any recipe to be effective you would have to do the same bonding process for all dry ingredients to ensure equal distribution of curing salt. Unless your chocolate chips end up in 1 or 2 cookies when you make chocolate chips cookies you should be able to mix your own TQ substitute.
A HUGE step that is left out of Home Made Cure Recipes is how the cure is mixed with the meat.  If (1) tsp. of Cure #1 is used to 5# of meat, then the chance of dry cure #1 being distributed evenly throughout the meat is far less than when mixed with water or another liquid.  I think this is why guys like Pops brine cure instead of dry cure.

When making sausage or jerky, I dissolve Cure #1 in water with the other spices.  Jerky is marinated in the cure/spice/water mix or the cure/spice/water mix is combined with the sausage, and mixed very well.

Todd
 
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TJohnson,

 the procedure I follow and is confirmed in the Marianski book calls for making 3 different applications of cure to dry cured bacon over the curing process.  The cure pulls moisture from the bacon and the bacon reabsorbs the moisture and cure to achieve a hydrostatic equilibrium.  It is more labor intensive, requires some patience and attention to detail but I like the results. 
 
TJohnson,

 the procedure I follow and is confirmed in the Marianski book calls for making 3 different applications of cure to dry cured bacon over the curing process.  The cure pulls moisture from the bacon and the bacon reabsorbs the moisture and cure to achieve a hydrostatic equilibrium.  It is more labor intensive, requires some patience and attention to detail but I like the results. 
True and exactly how I cure bacon, except I add a couple oz. of water to start the process.  I actually read that if the bacon does not sweat and make it's own brine, to add a few oz. of water.  It works for me.

My fear is that someone would add 1 tsp. of dry cure to 5# of ground meat or sliced meat for jerky, and then expect every nook and cranny to be cured properly.  Water is added during the process of sausage making, in-order to stuff the casings, so my point is to add the cure and spices to water first, and them mix thoroughly into the meat.

Sounds like common sense....Right? 

I'm speaking from my own experience and making the mistake of applying cure separately. 

The sausage may have been OK, but I was not confident that I had cured it correctly, so i threw it out.

Todd
 
A HUGE step that is left out of Home Made Cure Recipes is how the cure is mixed with the meat.  If (1) tsp. of Cure #1 is used to 5# of meat, then the chance of dry cure #1 being distributed evenly throughout the meat is far less than when mixed with water or another liquid.  I think this is why guys like Pops brine cure instead of dry cure.
When making sausage or jerky, I dissolve Cure #1 in water with the other spices.  Jerky is marinated in the cure/spice/water mix or the cure/spice/water mix is combined with the sausage, and mixed very well.

Todd


The 1 tsp per 5lbs of meat is for dry curing though. In a brine or wet cure, you have to account for the weight of the meat and the liquid so you will use a lot more cure #1 than what you would for a dry cure. Equalization takes care of the rest assuming you are following the rules.

I also wet cure my jerky. My bacon I prefer a dry cure though.
 
If you're salt sensitive I can see where that would be too much salt using TQ.


Never was salt sensitive until the dietician slapped me with a low salt diet.
After you get used to it, extra salt makes you blow up like a balloon and it takes days to drop the water weight.

She even told me I could not drink beer anymore!!!

Todd
 
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