# Cure Recipe's



## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

Hi Everyone! I did not see anything under the recipe section, is there a place to find tested/trusted cure recipe's? Either wet or dry cures. I'm looking for a wet black pepper cure, I have a dry one but i'd prefer to do wet.


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## SmokinAl (Jan 12, 2017)

This is the brine that most of us use.

Just add black pepper to it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine

Al


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## crankybuzzard (Jan 12, 2017)

SmokinAl said:


> This is the brine that most of us use.
> 
> Just add black pepper to it.
> 
> ...










After cure and pellicle formation, you can also rub fresh cracked black pepper into the meat before smoking.


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

While awesome, is there a way to calculate down for a 5 pound chunk of pork belly for idiots like me? haha I don't plan on getting a huge bucket to do the brine in, i'd really like to put it in a gallon size ziplock or vacuum seal bag.

Thanks!


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 12, 2017)

j0n3s3d said:


> While awesome, is there a way to calculate down for a 5 pound chunk of pork belly for idiots like me? haha I don't plan on getting a huge bucket to do the brine in, i'd really like to put it in a gallon size ziplock or vacuum seal bag.
> Thanks!



Use this calculator and do a dry cure. 

http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

lol that's the problem, i'm wanting to do the wet cure. I do like that calculator though, i'll see if it helps. Thanks!


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## crankybuzzard (Jan 12, 2017)

j0n3s3d said:


> While awesome, is there a way to calculate down for a 5 pound chunk of pork belly for idiots like me? haha I don't plan on getting a huge bucket to do the brine in, i'd really like to put it in a gallon size ziplock or vacuum seal bag.
> 
> Thanks!


Math?  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Sorry, couldn't resist

Pop's brine/cure is adjustable 

Pop's brine/cure calls for 1-gallon water

1-cup kosher salt

1-cup brown sugar

1-cup white sugar

1-TBS cure #1

Divide by 2

1/2 gallon water

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 TBS cure #1

Should be about perfect for your belly...


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

haha yea math...not fun.

ok so that brings up another question, and i'm sorry for all the questions, i'm quite newbish when it comes to all the cure stuff and I want to make sure the meat stays safe for consumption...cause you know....bacon :) . Prague claims 1tsp per 5 pounds of pork belly. would 1/2 tsp be enough?


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 12, 2017)

j0n3s3d said:


> haha yea math...not fun.
> 
> ok so that brings up another question, and i'm sorry for all the questions, i'm quite newbish when it comes to all the cure stuff and I want to make sure the meat stays safe for consumption...cause you know....bacon :) . Prague claims 1tsp per 5 pounds of pork belly. would 1/2 tsp be enough?


@DaveOmak, help this guy out.


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

...sorry...lol


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## daveomak (Jan 12, 2017)

j0n3s3d said:


> haha yea math...not fun.
> 
> ok so that brings up another question, and i'm sorry for all the questions, i'm quite newbish when it comes to all the cure stuff and I want to make sure the meat stays safe for consumption...cause you know....bacon :) . Prague claims 1tsp per 5 pounds of pork belly. would 1/2 tsp be enough?


j0, afternoon...    Hey... You are thinking really clearly....    Nope, 1/2 tsp. would not be enough....   GREAT QUESTION .......

Anywho,  Making a brine/cure is about the same as a rub...    If you can weigh the meat, use about 1/4 - 1/2 the weight of the meat as the liquid for your brine/cure... 

Say you have a 4# hunk of belly...    get a pint of water..  (pint weighs ~1#) ...  Now you have 5#'s of stuff....    Dissolve 1 tsp. of cure #1 in the pint of water... dissolve sugar and salt...   I would use a 2% salt and 1% sugar...  about 45 grams salt and 23 grams sugar.. 

The length of time to cure/brine is about 7 days per inch thickness or longer is good...   flip/rotate/massage daily while it is in the refer at about 38 degrees...

You are good to go...


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## crankybuzzard (Jan 12, 2017)

I like Dave, he can think and type at the same time.  I try to do that and my fingers get confused.


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

DaveOmak said:


> j0, afternoon...    Hey... You are thinking really clearly....    Nope, 1/2 tsp. would not be enough....   GREAT QUESTION .......
> 
> Anywho,  Making a brine/cure is about the same as a rub...    If you can weigh the meat, use about 1/4 - 1/2 the weight of the meat as the liquid for your brine/cure...
> 
> ...



Makes sense, thank you for explaining! I have 20 pounds in 5 pound chunks to start curing this weekend. I'm doing a maple, asian, bourbon, and black pepper. All wet except the black pepper but with all the great comments here I'm hoping to turn it into a wet cure. The people over at amazing ribs .com are pretty against dry cures so I've been trying to keep it all wet. Not really sure it's necessary but oh well. I'll tell ya though...they sure have God complexes over there lol at least one guy anyway. But anyhoo, thanks again!


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## crankybuzzard (Jan 12, 2017)

You'll find the SMF family to be pretty easy going and open to most all ideas and procedures. 

Please keep us informed with your progress and results.  We love pictures!


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## j0n3s3d (Jan 12, 2017)

Yea, honestly it's kinda freaky because they were pretty insistent that .5 or .6 tsp of cure would be enough for a 5 lb chunk of pork belly. I tried to find out why and all I got from a moderator was that he had access to scientists that prove it to be ok. I don't know...I'd rather be safe then take the risk of not having enough.


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## daveomak (Jan 12, 2017)

j0n3s3d said:


> Yea, honestly it's kinda freaky because they were pretty insistent that .5 or .6 tsp of cure would be enough for a 5 lb chunk of pork belly. I tried to find out why and all I got from a moderator was that he had access to scientists that prove it to be ok. I don't know...I'd rather be safe then take the risk of not having enough.


Again, evening...   If 1 tsp. is ~156 Ppm nitrite...   and the USDA's minimum allowable for curing meat is 120 Ppm nitrite, I guess they are using the "NEW MATH" or something... 

Anyway, about the amount of liquid used in the cure / brine...   The 25-50%, of the weight of the meat, is recommended on a few sights...   The reason, as it was explained to me, if you have enough cure etc. in 1 pound of water, to cure 5#'s of stuff...  the osmotic "pressure" to attain equilibrium "forces" the migration of the salt, sugar, cure molecules etc. to a "more" complete and  thorough homogenous mix...    If that makes sense ???...    Maybe they took samples of the meat at different depths/penetrations or something, and at varying time intervals...    anyway, if they can come up with an explanation like that, and it "seems" to make sense to me... I'm sticking with it..    

If anyone out there disagrees with that assumption or conclusion or method or just don't like me......   start you own thread and try and have an intelligent discussion...


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## wade (Jan 13, 2017)

DaveOmak said:


> Anywho,  Making a brine/cure is about the same as a rub...    If you can weigh the meat, use about 1/4 - 1/2 the weight of the meat as the liquid for your brine/cure...
> 
> Say you have a 4# hunk of belly...    get a pint of water..  (pint weighs ~1#) ...  Now you have 5#'s of stuff....    Dissolve 1 tsp. of cure #1 in the pint of water... dissolve sugar and salt...   I would use a 2% salt and 1% sugar...  about 45 grams salt and 23 grams sugar..
> 
> The length of time to cure/brine is about 7 days per inch thickness or longer is good...   flip/rotate/massage daily while it is in the refer at about 38 degrees...


Good clear explanation regarding the weight calculation Dave 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. I am not sure if it is you that has recommended in the past (or maybe others) that it is easier to do the complete calculation in grams (rather than pounds) as it can make it easier to do the Ppm math.

Another way of paraphrasing your calculation is that you can treat the whole thing as a dry cure - where the weight of the water used in the brine becomes added to the weight of the meat in the calculation. You can then simply use the dry cure calculator, as Dirtsailor suggests, to determine the amount of cure/salt/sugar required. That takes out almost all of the math requirement.

For more background information on brines and how they work then this is a good place to start. FS 002| THE SCIENCE BEHIND BRINING


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## daveomak (Jan 13, 2017)

Wade, I did make that distinction... 

*Anywho,  Making a brine/cure is about the same as a rub...    If you can weigh the meat, use about 1/4 - 1/2 the weight of the meat as the liquid for your brine/cure... *

*Say you have a 4# hunk of belly...    get a pint of water..  (pint weighs ~1#) ...  Now you have 5#'s of stuff....    Dissolve 1 tsp. of cure #1 in the pint of water... dissolve sugar and salt...   I would use a 2% salt and 1% sugar...  about 45 grams salt and 23 grams sugar.. *

*The length of time to cure/brine is about 7 days per inch thickness or longer is good...   flip/rotate/massage daily while it is in the refer at about 38 degrees...*

As usual, you failed to read the entire thread, OR didn't comprehend the material.....


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## wade (Jan 13, 2017)

Dave - I have passed this back to the Admins. I challenge you on statements that you make that are incorrect and I get abuse from you - and then when I support what you are saying (as in this case) again I get abuse from you. You may want to look at your PMs and check the message I sent earlier regarding the factual error you made in one of your previous posts in this thread - that I tried to address with you offline.


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