# Bacon needs salt after cure and soaked-Help needed



## jmusser (Jan 14, 2021)

Had some 10# belly in for 10 days and cured through. Rinsed and soaked 30 mins. in ice water. Fry test and very little salt flavor. Always afraid of too much. Not sure best method here. Was thinking of doing a cajun and a Black Peppered. 
1) Salt outside?
2) Wet brine with salt?
3) use regular cajun rub with salt and pepper/salt other

Thoughts on best way to get my salt fix?

Thanks in advance.
Jarod


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## pc farmer (Jan 14, 2021)

You cant fix this batch of bacon.  What cure recipe did you use?  We need to know that to help.


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 14, 2021)

pc farmer said:


> You cant fix this batch of bacon.  What cure recipe did you use?  We need to know that to help.


This is necessary.


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## jmusser (Jan 14, 2021)

1 tsp pink salt cure per 5#
5 Tbl K Salt
1 c light brown sugar
3 tsp. black pepper

Same i have used on quite a few batches. First under salted.

Ended up straight cajun on one and salt n course ground black pepper. On drying rack in fridge.


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## jmusser (Jan 14, 2021)

Appreciate responses as always
Nice pink in mid slab. Maybe soaked /rinsed too long? 
1) If cured in safe time, why couldn't rebrine, resalt, etc.?
2) 1-1 1/4" tops on thickness of bellies so I felt plenty o time 
3) Salted outside will add to it
4) If proper cure, can't fix means cannot resalt? but safe to eat.
5) If something seems questionable, i can always toss.  But felt comfortable

Thanks all


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## daveomak (Jan 14, 2021)

Why are you soaking and rinsing the belly slabs ??????

Why don't you add the "correct" amount of stuff when you first make it ?????

Get a $10-15 grams scale (0-100 grams) and weigh stuff out....
1.1 grams cure#1 per pound of meat.....  (0.25%)
7 grams of Kosher salt per pound of meat......  (1.5%) (May have to go up to 2%, depends how salty you want it to taste)
4.5 grams of white *sugar* per pound of meat......   (1%)
Use the above as a starting point and adjust from there....
Add the above to the meat and refrigerate for 12-14 days....  lightly rinse and dry.....   smoke...


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## DanMcG (Jan 15, 2021)

Your salt is at 1.5 % which is good. But when I convert your cup of sugar to weight I come up with 176 grams or 3.8% for lightly packed sugar or 4.7% for packed , which would mask out any salt flavor. If that's the case it would be very sweet and would burn bad when it was fried.
There is a good chance in this early hour I'm wrong with my math, but thats a lot of sugar.


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## jmusser (Jan 15, 2021)

daveomak said:


> Why are you soaking and rinsing the belly slabs ??????
> 
> Why don't you add the "correct" amount of stuff when you first make it ?????
> 
> ...


Thank you for the replies. I honestly had some food after fry test thinking maybe I had COVID and lost taste. Seriously. The things that go through my mind these days.

I soak based off starting with Bearcarver's Step by Steps which have always worked well for me and a lot of others.
"*On day 9,* I removed them from the fridge, rinsed them off in cold water, and soaked them in ice water for 1 hour, to remove surface salt. Then I patted them dry, cut a couple slices, and did a fry test for salt flavor---Just right!"       I believe in future I will try fry test before soak.

Could you please elaborate more on what was incorrect? Directions say 1 tsp cure per 5#. I used a level tsp and the belly is cured through based on slice.  Was my salt level appropriate?
I assumed I did add the "correct" items first and that is why this was a fix the prob question.

I do have a scale and measuring instruments, not sure how that applies. I think it is possible to make bacon without a digital scale. A scale may be slightly more accurate than a teaspoon, but I don't think that would have changed my recipe.

I prefer the brown sugar and love sweet bacon. I have done around 50-60#'s this year and haven't had any issues. No prob with this ever burning either.  This taste test was not overly sweet.

As far as cure time, I went 10 days. Sometimes I go a little longer. Would 12-14 days change much?Based again on Bearcarver's, 
"*Calculating curing time:*
The thickest place on any of these belly pieces was just under 2".
I calculate there being 4 "half inches" in 2 inches, so that gives me the "4".
Then to that 4 (days), I add 2 more days for safety, the way I was taught.
So that would be 6 days.
I then usually add another 3 days on my own, unless I have scheduling problems that make me want to smoke a day or 2 in either direction."


Worst case...throw out or grind in with future sausage, brats, etc.

I am just trying to prob solve to see if this could be saved or if it happens in future. Also trying to figure where I went wrong. Obviously something did go wrong here.

Thanks for the guidance and replies!


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## daveomak (Jan 15, 2021)

Bearcarver uses Tender Quick salt, 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate + sugar.....  You are using cure#1....   There is no comparison...
Using your recipe above, there is no need to soak the meat...   Your measurements are spot on to the recipe I noted...
The grams scale is for reproducibility...  and accuracy...   I have tested measuring spoons and the 2 sets, I have, and tested, there was a 25% difference between them...


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## daveomak (Jan 15, 2021)

both marked 1 tsp.


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## daveomak (Jan 15, 2021)

If you like the amount of sugar you used, go for it....   I find much over 1% I can taste the burnt sugar....


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 15, 2021)

Here is how I do my bacon. It’s never under/over salted or sweet.
454 grams per pound. 10# is 4540 grams

1.5% salt. 4540x0.015= 68.1g

1.0% sugar. 4540x0.010= 45.5g

cure #1 @156ppm. 4540x0.000156 divided by 0.0625= 11.33g

this base line will give you a total salt of 1.75% [including salt from cure #1] from this base line I can adjust my salt up another 0.25% easily for a total of 2% much higher than that and the finished product is getting over salty for me, but you may like 2.5%
Mix together and rub all of the mix on all sides of the belly. Place belly in a sealable plastic bag along with all cure mixture that is left.  Refrigerate for 7-10 days turning the bag daily. Nice thing is, if you leave the meat in the bag 14 days, the salt will be the same as 7 days. Because the salt is applied to the weight of meat as a percentage. This is absolutely repeatable.

If I were you, get another 10# belly. Cut it in half. 5# each.  Then cut one piece in half again making two 2.5# pieces. Follow this basic recipe and cure one with 1.5% salt and the other with 2% salt. It will be much clearer to you where you like your salt. Both pieces will be good, but you may prefer one over the other. With that knowledge mix up what you like and cure the other 5#.


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## jmusser (Jan 15, 2021)

Awesome. Thanks guys. I did have the 10# split into 2 to cure and then split again to smoke. I threw these on smoker currently to see how they come out. 

Originally I used Bearcarver's TQ and tried Cure. I preferred the cure over TQ but used same technique. I will try with just a quick rinse next time.

Rethinking, I did have more liquid in bag than usually. That may have reabsorbed with some added time.

I really appreciate the assistance and will be back at it again. 


Just got sous vide today so on to learn some more!


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 15, 2021)

Sometimes I have liquid left in the bag. Sometimes there is none. I sometimes rinse and sometimes I pat dry with a towel. Most of the time I pat dry, place on a rack with a fan to dry [form pelical] then smoke. One other problem with using measuring spoons vs. weight is the type of salt or sugar used. Kosher salt is volume wise much less salt than canning pickling salt because of the larger crystals in kosher. If weighed, the volumes change but the applied salt is same by weight. Sugars can be same. I use sugar in the raw. Much larger granules than other sugars. Move to a weight measuring system. You will be glad you did.

As to the sous vide, I just put 3.5# of beef skirt down for taco night tomorrow at 131* for roughly 30hrs. Have fun.


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## jmusser (Jan 16, 2021)

SmokinEdge said:


> Sometimes I have liquid left in the bag. Sometimes there is none. I sometimes rinse and sometimes I pat dry with a towel. Most of the time I pat dry, place on a rack with a fan to dry [form pelical] then smoke. One other problem with using measuring spoons vs. weight is the type of salt or sugar used. Kosher salt is volume wise much less salt than canning pickling salt because of the larger crystals in kosher. If weighed, the volumes change but the applied salt is same by weight. Sugars can be same. I use sugar in the raw. Much larger granules than other sugars. Move to a weight measuring system. You will be glad you did.
> 
> As to the sous vide, I just put 3.5# of beef skirt down for taco night tomorrow at 131* for roughly 30hrs. Have fun.


Appreciate it. Did a 3.5# chuckeye for 24  hrs at 175. Was amazing and so simple! Taco night tonight! I think the sous vide is gonna be my new best friend. Good luck


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 16, 2021)

Run those chuckies up to 35 or 40 hours @ 131*. They are budda.


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## jmusser (Jan 17, 2021)

SmokinEdge said:


> Run those chuckies up to 35 or 40 hours @ 131*. They are budda.


Thanks! Still shred at that temp? or slice?


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 17, 2021)

jmusser said:


> Thanks! Still shred at that temp? or slice?


Slice. The texture is very close to prime rib.


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## jmusser (Jan 19, 2021)

Awesomeness! Time for more exploration  :)


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## mneeley490 (Jan 20, 2021)

Not meaning to pile on, but I have to agree with Dave. Big difference between cure #1 and TQ techniques. Lot of people like it, but TQ has always been too salty for my tastes, so I can see soaking for that. 
For beginners I always suggest using Pop's wet brine technique, then move on to dry brining if you have a good scale and DiggingDogFarm's calculator.  It has never let me down, and you can adjust for how salty or sweet that you want it.
I don't soak, just a quick rinse and pat dry, then set overnight in the fridge to form  the pellicle.  Or, if it's cold enough outside, I set them on racks in my garage with a fan directed toward them.


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## jmusser (Jan 21, 2021)

mneeley490 said:


> Not meaning to pile on, but I have to agree with Dave. Big difference between cure #1 and TQ techniques. Lot of people like it, but TQ has always been too salty for my tastes, so I can see soaking for that.
> For beginners I always suggest using Pop's wet brine technique, then move on to dry brining if you have a good scale and DiggingDogFarm's calculator.  It has never let me down, and you can adjust for how salty or sweet that you want it.
> I don't soak, just a quick rinse and pat dry, then set overnight in the fridge to form  the pellicle.  Or, if it's cold enough outside, I set them on racks in my garage with a fan directed toward them.


Agreed. I like TQ with some things. I think I just needed a quick rinse instead of soak. Thanks


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## BigW. (Jan 21, 2021)

I would think you could get some of the salt flavor back by using the Cajun rub.  It won't obviously be inside the meat but will be on the outside.   Report back with the finished results.


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## jmusser (Jan 25, 2021)

A little light on salt but heavy cajun and heavy black pepper made both pretty decent.


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 25, 2021)

Looks good from here. The EQ method is your way forward.


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## jmusser (Jan 31, 2021)

pc farmer said:


> You cant fix this batch of bacon.  What cure recipe did you use?  We need to know that to help.


This bacon ended up pretty decent. The cajun definitely added enough salt back to it. The black pepper crusted provides plenty of flavor. Definitely learned but wanted to post results.


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