# Cured Meat Mistakes...



## Jesse Dresselhaus (Mar 25, 2018)

So here's the question. I'm doing two 8lb pork shoulders. Curing them for 5 days, and then smoking them to get somewhat of a pulled ham type meal for Easter.

Here's where I messed up and I want to know how screwed I am.

I dissolved ~20g of Prague Powder #1 in 2 cups of water and injected it into the pork shoulder. 20g was the amount that I wanted to use for six or so cups of water. The calculator says 17g, but since my cure time is a bit shorter, I thought I could add an extra three grams or so.

Here are my questions.

Is my pork ruined because I injected 20g of Prague Powder dissolved in 2cups of water? I did inject 2 cups more with salt and sugar etc to try to counter act my mistake... And I added the final 2 cups into the bag that it's sitting in. So I'm not sure how equilibrium works in this situation.
Am I screwed because I upped it from 16g to 20g?
I am planning on smoking it to around 200F. I know nitrite levels decrease when heated. Does that mean that I'm okay? 
I did a second shoulder where I used 20g, but spread out into 4 cups instead, with a final 2 cups of liquid added. If I just combine all of the meat together when I shred it, will I be okay?
Sorry. Probably over thinking. Not sure how to calculate what my actual PPM is, and if that's within the safe levels. I know they say 200ppm is maximum, but that's with room for mistakes. So I'm curious what the ACTUAL ppm is too.

Thanks for bearing with me in my rambling and panic...


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## pops6927 (Mar 25, 2018)

No, that is .70 of an ounce to 2 cups of water.  The maximum allowed is 3.84 oz. per gallon, or 1.92 oz. per 4 cups, or .96 to 2 cups.  Well within maximum limits!  Proceed!


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## chopsaw (Mar 25, 2018)

I would leave it be , and wait for Dave omak to stop by ,,, he will help you . I just did a 8lb butt and used 9 grams cure .


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## bregent (Mar 25, 2018)

I'm no expert with injections, so curious what others will say.  But I think using more water really helps with ensuring that cure is distributed uniformly. As long as you injected into several sites in each shoulder, then you might get good distribution - and during the cure time it should migrate well throughout.  Your PPM remains the mostly the same, regardless of how much liquid you injected with - however, the weight of the water needs to be included I would think. So I think you're fine.


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## atomicsmoke (Mar 25, 2018)

Not experienced with injected meat but the amounts seem ok. However 5 days seems short.


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## daveomak (Mar 25, 2018)

The 20 gram injection is fine...  a little high, but like you noted, the temp when cooking will reduce the nitrite lever...  
When I inject, I do not take into account the liquid weight...  I DO take into account the liquid weight when doing a submerged brine curing method...
My reasoning...   If the liquid makes it to the surface of the meat, it will evaporate and leave the nitrite behind to finish it's job....
In a submerged brine cure, the nitrite migrates into the meat, trying to attain equilibrium with whats outside the meat..  it's a physics thing..   Soooo, when the curing is done, there are equal amounts of stuff inside the meat and outside, based on concentration...
example....  5#'s meat + 5#'s water....  brine calculated using 10#'s of stuff...  Now the brine cure solution is 2X's more concentrated than it will be when equilibrium has taken place...  1/2 in and 1/2 out ...
In closing....   as a fair rule....  use 1.1 grams of cure#1 for every pound of stuff you are curing... or 1 tsp. for every 5#'s you are curing..  that will render approx. 156 Ppm nitrite in your stuff...  

If I screwed up this explanation....   let me know...


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## Jesse Dresselhaus (Mar 25, 2018)

What if you inject AND submerge? I was trying to cut down on my cure time. I wanted to do it yesterday, but got home and my boneless butt was rancid...


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## daveomak (Mar 25, 2018)

Butt's were rancid ???  Your refer is too warm or they sat too long in the warm, or they were past their "use by date"...  

Boneless, did you remove the blade bone ??


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## Jesse Dresselhaus (Mar 25, 2018)

Past their used by date. Cut it open and smelled horrifying. 

They came boneless.


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## daveomak (Mar 26, 2018)

I've had that happen...   almost puked on the spot...   
Sorry to hear that...


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## Jesse Dresselhaus (Mar 26, 2018)

Yeah. It is what it is. Because of that I'll only be able to cure it for a little over 5 days. Do you think since it's boneless, it'll at least get close to being finished?


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## daveomak (Mar 26, 2018)

If you weigh out the proper amount of Salt (2%), Sugar (1%), and Cure#1 (1.1 gms/# or 1 tsp. per 5#'s)  and dissolve that in water or vegetable stock...  use the liquid at 10% the weight of the meat...   Inject all the liquid at 1 1/2" intervals throughout the meat, in a checkerboard pattern.....   It will be ready in 5 days...  The stuff only has to migrate 3/4" to meet up with all the other injected stuff...   If you want it moist, try using STPP at 0.4% addition rate in the liquid...   check out my Ham thread...  If the needle only goes 1/2 way into the meat, inject from both sides...   NO need to submerge...  everything needed is already inside the meat and fairly well distributed....

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ham-from-fresh-picnics-update-10-21-money.236375/


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