# too much pink salt in bacon..



## jt69714 (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi everyone, I have a problem. I'm curing a pord belly for bacon and I read the recipe wrong. Thi recipe called for 2 TEASPOONS of pink salt and I mistakenly used 2 TABLESPOONS... What should I do?? Is my belly ruined or should rinse it off and redo? 

I started it Sat. night and it is now Mon. night... Please help..... Thank You...


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## kc5tpy (Jul 22, 2014)

Hello.  Welcome.  I see this is your first post.  Please take some time and swing over to Roll Call and introduce yourself so that we may give you a proper "Hello".  All info you can provide us with such as smoker type, location and so on will help us answer any questions you may have, and pictures help a bunch.  As for your question: I tell no secrets when I say I am no expert on curing meat.  Them MAIN thing you are leaving out is the weight of the pork belly.  BUT!!  Assuming you read the recipe correctly and just confused teaspoons for table spoons you have added almost 2/3rds more cure than you should have.  My advice is to start over completely.  Maybe one of the more experienced curing members will have better advice.  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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## mneeley490 (Jul 22, 2014)

For dry brining use no more than 1 teaspoon, per 5 lbs of meat. Two tablespoons would be enough for 30 lbs of belly.

Wet brining, most people here use 1 tablespoon, per gallon of water.


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## rgautheir20420 (Jul 22, 2014)

I have to agree with the above. Since it sounds like you just read wrong, you are way over the suggested amount. Cure #1 & #2 is over dose amounts is unhealthy and could be trouble. I'd throw it out and chalk it up to a lesson learned....a somewhat pricey one.


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## jt69714 (Jul 22, 2014)

So,  I have rinsed the belly off and re seasoned it with the right amount of Pink salt. I'll have to think about weather or not to eat it..... I hate to throw it away...


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## dandl93 (Jul 22, 2014)

jt69714 said:


> So,  I have rinsed the belly off and re seasoned it with the right amount of Pink salt. I'll have to think about weather or not to eat it..... I hate to throw it away...


How big is this chunk of pork belly? How many gals of water did you mix with your mistake brine when using to much cure#1 ?

So far with what info you have provided you need to throw it out and start over.No need making people sick over $20 of pork belly.Just some thing to think about

Dan


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## rgautheir20420 (Jul 22, 2014)

I'm sorry but I agree. There's no telling how much Cure was taken in in the 4 days it was in the over Cure Mixture. Now you're adding more cure?!? Get rid of it and start over. It's a tough lesson learned but am important one in the end.


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## mneeley490 (Jul 22, 2014)

If it's any consolation, there is probably not one of us here that hasn't screwed up something at one time or another and had to toss it.

In my case, I smoked 2 eight pound pork butts w/o seasoning the new grill racks first. I realized it afterward when the meat had a metallic flavor, and had to dump it all.

So do yourself and everyone else a favor, and dump it. No one wants nitrite poisoning.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jul 22, 2014)

Welcome, glad ya joined us !  Sorry bout your mishap but as mneeley pointed out.... We've all made mistakes & had to learn stuff the hard way !


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## gary s (Jul 23, 2014)

Welcome to the forum, don't know much about curing, But I had rather be safe than sorry. You don't want your first attempt to just be so so because of a mistake Start all over and do it right  My two cents worth. 

Gary S


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