Pops6927's Wet Curing Brine

[Bearcarver]

When in doubt, can it hurt to inject meats?

Randy,

I would guess you could overload it, but anything thicker than 3" should get injected---Some do it if it's only over 2" thick. Certainly doesn't hurt, if done correctly.

IMHO.

Bear

 

[kilo charlie]

 
real simple curing brine:

 for every 1 gallon of water, add:

1/3 - 1 cup sea salt (depending if you're on a lo-salt diet)

1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji]

1 cup brown sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] brown sugar mix

1 tbsp cure no. 1 pink salt

stir thoroughly until clear amber color, pour over meat, inject if necessary to cure from inside-out as well as outside-in

weight down with a partially filled 1 qt or 1 gal. ziploc bag or bags to keep meat immersed

Curing times vary with meat, but generally overnight to 2-3 days for chickens and turkeys, 8-10 days buckboard bacon, 10-14 days belly bacon, pork shoulder, whole butts, 3-4 weeks whole hams, 10-20 days corned beef (fresh beef roasts, briskets, rolled rib roasts, etc.)   If whole muscle is more than 2" thick, then inject so it can cure i/o as well as o/i, and/or in and around bone structures, etc.

You can add any other flavorings you'd like, this is just the basic curing brine. 1 heaping tablespoon of cure is about 1 ounce.  The maximum concentration allowed safely is 3.84 ounces per 1 gallon of brine (24 lbs.per 100 gallons: 16 oz. x 24 = 384 ounces, 1/100th is 3.84 ounces).  You can experiment with different concentrations as long as you keep it between those parameters:

In an effort to standardize this process (for me), I first read through all 461 previous posts in search for a specific answer. Due to having used dry cures in the past I am used to weighing things in grams for accuracy. I know that a cup of granulated sugar and brown sugar both weight the same at 200 grams. I know that a cup of table salt weighs 273 grams vs a cup of Kosher Salt at 288 grams. 

My question is the curing salt. If a person were to Google how many grams in a Tablespoon they could get an answer of 28.34 grams. When using a calculator such as the one found at traditionaloven.com and using the 1 Tablespoon of table salt volume to grams the answer is 17.06 grams in table salt mass.  While both of these answers well below the 3.84 ounces/gallon, which one is correct? 

 

[daveomak]

Let me help....  When using a brine or a rub, the USDA acceptable amount of cure, is ~156 Ppm nitrite...    Ppm is weight vs. weight...    Soooo, that being said, approximately 1.1 grams of cure #1 per pound fits those parameters... 

Dry rub, weigh the meat and add 1.1 grams per pound......

Brine/cure solution, weigh the meat and the brining liquid and add 1.1 grams per pound...  

Most sites recommend using 25% solution based on the meat weight, to add your ingredients to.. up to 50% on other sites....

Soooo, 10#'s of meat and 2.5#'s of brine/cure solution, adjust for weight of salt and sugar, add 1.1 grams per pound or ~14 grams of cure #1...

I prefer 2% salt and 1% sugar...

 

[kilo charlie]

Apparently I failed to communicate my question clearly. I was referring to the original post with Pops brine and the approximate weight of the Cure #1.
In an effort to reduce variables such as a Tablespoon vs a heaping Tablespoon, a simple weight measurement would be repeatable time after time.

 

[daveomak]

Apparently I failed to communicate my question clearly. I was referring to the original post with Pops brine and the approximate weight of the Cure #1.
In an effort to reduce variables such as a Tablespoon vs a heaping Tablespoon, a simple weight measurement would be repeatable time after time.

Well, since you seemed to have a total understanding process of curing meats, I thought I would point out the "scientific proper" way to develop a cure/brine solution... 

Anyway....   1 tsp. of cure #1 per 5#'s of stuff...  or 5.67 grams of cure #1 per 5#'s of stuff for a 156 Ppm nitrite addition...    1 TBS. = 3 tsp....  

A gallon of water with salt and sugar additions weighs approx. 10#'s.....   Therefore, to be technically correct, the gallon of cure/brine, with the addition of a 5# hunk of meat, would be at the perfect addition of nitrite to the meat given enough time as this is an equilibrium brine/cure solution...  1 tsp. per 5#'s of stuff...

 

[Rings Я Us]

:popcorn

 

[szejin]

Hello everyone!

If I calculated correctly, pop's solution has a nitrite concentration of 280 ppm. The curing solution that I currently use is approximately 480 ppm in nitrite concentration.

I am using it to cure bacon (belly and loin), and the meat sits in the solution for anytime between 1 week to 10 days. My question is:

1. Is it safe to eat?

2. Have I exceeded the maximum limits in this case? I read that the maximum permissible nitrite concentration is about 3.84oz 6.25% curing salt / gallon of water - about 1800 ppm.

3. I used the calculator from: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/curing_meats.html - is it advisable to do so? It tells me to leave the meat in the solution for lesser days (~4 days) than I'd prefer to (~7 days).

Cheers and thank you! 

 

[kilo charlie]

 
Well, since you seemed to have a total understanding process of curing meats, I thought I would point out the "scientific proper" way to develop a cure/brine solution... 

Anyway....   1 tsp. of cure #1 per 5#'s of stuff...  or 5.67 grams of cure #1 per 5#'s of stuff for a 156 Ppm nitrite addition...    1 TBS. = 3 tsp....  

A gallon of water with salt and sugar additions weighs approx. 10#'s.....   Therefore, to be technically correct, the gallon of cure/brine, with the addition of a 5# hunk of meat, would be at the perfect addition of nitrite to the meat given enough time as this is an equilibrium brine/cure solution...  1 tsp. per 5#'s of stuff...

Dave - Thank you for your response. I totally understand your calculations. Here's where my confusion lies - 5.67 grams per teaspoon equals 17.01 grams per table spoon which we can all agree on. The original post stated a heaping tablespoon is what was being used and the original post also indicated that a heaping tablespoon was 1 ounce which equals 28.35 grams. The difference of 11.34 grams is what is leading me to my questions.

I sent Pops a PM and in his reply he indicated that the 28.35 grams is correct for his recipe. If you added this to a gallon of water at 8.34 pounds which is 3780 grams, plus a full cup of table salt which is 273 grams and a full cup of white and brown sugar which are 200 grams each you get a total of 4481.35 grams or 9.87 pounds. If you reduce the cure to the 17.01 grams then all that math comes out to 9.85 pounds.

Based on most people's statements in this whole thread, they are not using a full cup of table salt, nor a full cup of each of the sugars which further reduces the weight of the curing brine. This fact slightly skews the whole 156 Ppm equation and then factor in that the center cut pork bellies available in my area are usually 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds the whole equation is skewed.

By utilizing this curing brine it eliminates the weight factor of the meat and the brine itself and the sugars and table salt can be adjusted according to individual tastes. The two constants in this recipe are 1 gallon of water and the 1 ounce of cure (28.35 grams) which is the answer to my original question.

 

[dr k]

Dave - Thank you for your response. I totally understand your calculations. Here's where my confusion lies - 5.67 grams per teaspoon equals 17.01 grams per table spoon which we can all agree on. The original post stated a heaping tablespoon is what was being used and the original post also indicated that a heaping tablespoon was 1 ounce which equals 28.35 grams. The difference of 11.34 grams is what is leading me to my questions.

I sent Pops a PM and in his reply he indicated that the 28.35 grams is correct for his recipe. If you added this to a gallon of water at 8.34 pounds which is 3780 grams, plus a full cup of table salt which is 273 grams and a full cup of white and brown sugar which are 200 grams each you get a total of 4481.35 grams or 9.87 pounds. If you reduce the cure to the 17.01 grams then all that math comes out to 9.85 pounds.

Based on most people's statements in this whole thread, they are not using a full cup of table salt, nor a full cup of each of the sugars which further reduces the weight of the curing brine. This fact slightly skews the whole 156 Ppm equation and then factor in that the center cut pork bellies available in my area are usually 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds the whole equation is skewed.

By utilizing this curing brine it eliminates the weight factor of the meat and the brine itself and the sugars and table salt can be adjusted according to individual tastes. The two constants in this recipe are 1 gallon of water and the 1 ounce of cure (28.35 grams) which is the answer to my original question.

I weighed a rounded Tbsp. of cure #1 and I get 22-24gm. Depending on how rounded. It doesn't seem to be as dry as table salt but can be packed a little like brn sugar but is much more granulated than brn sugar. Being salt and nitrite and opened and vacuumed sealed many times it may have absorbed a little humidity over 5 years and I've never heard of a shelf life. I put in a rounded Tbsp. Per gallon of water and a third cup each of brn. Sugar, cane sugar and kosher salt and used Pop's duration 14 days for CB without injecting and has been flawless on thorough curing.
-Kurt

 

[keithaa]

I was hoping to get some help here. I come across this brine some time ago. The company has been around for quite a while. I have bought lots of seasonings from them.

http://www.alliedkenco.com/pdf/Smoke Turkey, Ham & Bacon.pdf

It seems to have lots of Cure #1 compared to other recipes. I just want to know is it safe. I only found one other recipe using this much cure.
I used a 10 pound fresh ham and 4 gallons of water so my recipe was this.
12.8 ounces canning salt
12.8 ounces Cure #1
19.2 ounces Dextrose

Thanks

 

[daveomak]

The salt and dextrose are in the ballpark.... However... The cure #1, for an equilibrium brine, should be 2 oz....

a 10# hunk of meat requires approx. 11.3 grams of cure #1 to cure it properly...
Your brine/cure solution has ~106 grams of cure #1 in it...
Are you still close enough to the start of this project to start over ?? I will help you... Do you have an injector to inject the ham... I have an injection method that works awesome... Take a look...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/index.php?threads/ham-from-fresh-picnics-update-10-21-money.236375/

 

[keithaa]

No I it is pretty much done now. I have been going back and forth on the recipe because even my cure #1 from butcher packer say on the package to use 3.84 ounces per gallon of water so I am not really much off that. I had to use 4 gallons of liquid because the ham was cut in half long way. It took that much to cover it within a 5 gallon bucket. If I could have submerged it another way I could have used far less. Not sure what to do next time I have 3 left to do. I found when injecting the liquid come right back out the hole.

I will read your post and see whatever might help but am not sure why everything says to use that much.

 

[daveomak]

I know what you mean about using that much cure... I don't understand it either... If you read the FSIS manual, those that recommend those amounts have not read the USDA manuals... Their methods make absolutely no sense.....

 

[GSRoger]

This is my first post ever on any forum, not sure if I'm doing it right, but here goes. I recently used Pops recipe and made bacon. It is the best thing I have ever smoked. Can this same recipe be used for other meats such as turkey, beef, sausage, etc. without modification?

 

[SmokinAl]

Yes you can use it to cure anything, all though I would not use it for sausage or any other ground meat.
For those you would use a dry cure.
Also if the meat is more than 2" thick then you should also inject the brine into the meat.
Al

 

[GSRoger]

Yes you can use it to cure anything, all though I would not use it for sausage or any other ground meat.
For those you would use a dry cure.
Also if the meat is more than 2" thick then you should also inject the brine into the meat.
Al

Al, thank you, I'm going to try it on a turkey breast...and then some ham hocks... and then, and then...

 

[foamheart]

Al, thank you, I'm going to try it on a turkey breast...and then some ham hocks... and then, and then...

It makes some down right righteous ham hocks!

 

[daveomak]

Be sure to always make a gallon or more... The amount of cure is inadequate if the recipe is reduced, but fine, if it is doubled...

 

[kilo charlie]

It also works wonders for making pastrami!