# boykjo's bacon with pink salt test  (Final pics)



## boykjo (Nov 1, 2011)

Received the cure #1 from butcher packer and going to pick up a belly strip today. I am staying with my original recipe 2 cups water and 2 cups Jeff's rub but i am changing the curing salt from TQ to instacure #1.......so I only need to make about a quart of wet curing brine. Now That said I think I have to go by volume on the Quart... that will be 2 c water and 2 c rub and cure #1. I see pops curing and its 1 tbsp per gal of water so i will be using 1/4 tbsp of cure for the 4 cups of ingredients.... are there any thoughts on my amount of cure or should i go by the wet amount only...... This is still just a test... but when I get done this stuff is gonna be good

Will post pics

Joe


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## solaryellow (Nov 1, 2011)

Are you going to add any salt and sugar Joe?


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## daveomak (Nov 1, 2011)

Joe, morning.... I think the recipe is only dependent on the amount of water/brine you are making up.... The amount of meat is only important in the respect it is totally covered by the brine...  You might have to adjust the amount of salt as Cure#1 has less salt that TQ...  

Dave


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## boykjo (Nov 1, 2011)

I dont plan on adding salt or sugar.... All I want to happen is for the cure to transfer the rub flavor back into the belly. I'll add salt if need to the next try

I'll plan on adding the cure for 2 cups liquid then.......


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## boykjo (Nov 1, 2011)

just got the belly.... its a good thickness.... was standing there at the counter and I saw the belly i wanted... a woman was getting her order and walked over to where I was standing and picked the bellie right next to the one i wanted.... phew!!!!!!!!!!!








halved and de-skinned.......













now to go make some rub


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## SmokinAl (Nov 1, 2011)

Man your a master with that knife!


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## wildflower (Nov 1, 2011)




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## boykjo (Nov 1, 2011)

ok.......i am at a standstill... I am using 2 cups of liquid so if its 1 tbs to a gallon a gallon liquid I will have to divide 1 tbs into 16 cups......1tbs cure = 12 grams so (as I am thinking)....

it doesnt matter. I need to have a smaller scale to measure milligrams which i dont have or add more liquid and do the bucket thing........

ok scratch that.... went to 8cup liquid = .5 gal so 1.5 tsp is half of 1 tbs..... Added 2 more cups jeffs rub

this is where I am at

8 cups water

4 cups jeffs rub

1.5 tsp pink salt

18 days to go


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## bmudd14474 (Nov 1, 2011)

That is going to be some great stuff Joe. Cant wait to see you finish it up


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## slownlow (Nov 1, 2011)

Got my seat ready


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## raptor700 (Nov 1, 2011)

Looks like a good start Joe.

Pops recipe is the Bomb!

I add salt to the brine because, as some have said, The pink salt isn't as salty as TQ.

Looking forward to the results


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 2, 2011)

This sounds interest...JJ


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## venture (Nov 2, 2011)

This a question and not an answer!

I do not have Jeff's recipe, so I don't know how much salt there is in it.

If a small amount, or no salt is used, will Cure #1 work properly?  Will there be enough osmosis?

Good luck and good smoking.


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## pops6927 (Nov 2, 2011)

It will be interesting to find out; I've often wondered that myself if only the salt in 1 tbsp per gal. is enough to cure with sufficiently.  I will have to do a test on a piece of pork to see, because that would reduce the salt even more instead of adding additional salt!

I don't know the salt content on Jeff's rub either, what i do know is that a handful of salted peanuts makes my systolic blood pressure rise as much as 20 points (we did a demonstration at HealthSouth Cityview Outpatient Therapy the other day .... WOW!).  I think I used to know but now it escapes me.

BTW, 1 rounded tbsp of cure is about 1 ounce; that would contain 93.75% of it as salt, or just a bit less of 1 oz of salt only.


Venture said:


> This a question and not an answer!
> 
> I do not have Jeff's recipe, so I don't know how much salt there is in it.
> 
> ...


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## mballi3011 (Nov 2, 2011)

Now that is some fine knife work with that skin removel. I leave more meat on my bellies then that. Now I have used pink salt cure before and it just didn't seem like enough cure to me either. Now I use tender quick when I cure my bellies but I do it dry cure not a wet cure like you did Joe. I can't wait to see how it coes out.


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## tjohnson (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm Watchin' This One Too!

Very Interesting

Todd


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## DanMcG (Nov 2, 2011)

Pass the popcorn. I'm in!


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## irie (Nov 2, 2011)

in for some results! your off to a good start!


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## boykjo (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone for having an iterest in this. i am also wondering how its going to come out...  Using  TQ, the bacon is awesome..... just trying to duplicate it using cure #1 to see if it comes out as good or better.......all i am trying to do is get the rub flavor in the bacon....

Joe


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## venture (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks Pops!

My question about salt is about using Cure #1 in a brine that is otherwise without salt or low on salt.

My thinking is that cure needs salt to create the osmotic process to penetrate the meat.

With cure #1 we are dealing with over 90% salt, but with such small amounts of cure #1 are we dealing with enough salt to produce the osmotic process without additional salt?

Again, folks, this is a question, not an answer!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## bluebombersfan (Nov 2, 2011)

Love to see how this turns out!


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2011)

Venture said:


> Thanks Pops!
> 
> My question about salt is about using Cure #1 in a brine that is otherwise without salt or low on salt.
> 
> ...


Venture, morning... I'm on my first cup of coffee reading this... Your question has implications that make sense.. Without getting my head hurting from thinking too hard... I do believe equilibrium

 will occur in the brining solution salt or no salt... me thinks salt is not the carrier.... physics is the carrier... (unless there is some sort of molecular sieve that is interferring with the whole process)...

We need an expert in here....

Dave


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 3, 2011)

Information I can find a standard brine uses10oz, 1cup Table Salt or what seems to be a more common  7.5oz, 1cup Morton Kosher Salt ( Diamond Crystal Kosher is 5oz per cup) per Gallon Water, with the minimum amount of salt for effective Osmotic pressure being approximately 3.5oz, scant 1/2cup Morton Kosher Salt per Gallon Water.  That being said, someone who has Jeff's Rub Recipe will have to chime in on the amount of Salt in 4cups to see if there is at least 3oz of Salt to combine with the 1/2 oz Joe added from the Cure #1...

There seems to be some info that Time is a factor where as the Salinity goes down increasing Brine time will have the effect of getting the cure in...But...If the Salt concentration of the Brine is below that of the Natural level in the meat Nothing will happen...JJ


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2011)

I knew there was an expert here........ Thanks JJ...   We are all wiser now...

Dave


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## sound1 (Nov 3, 2011)

Sounds good, I'm curious about the flavor transfer..Nice trimming..


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## boykjo (Nov 3, 2011)

The amount of salt in jeffs rub and the cure # 1 added should be sufficient to make the osmosis occur......

Joe


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## venture (Nov 3, 2011)

I am thinking a typical rub, when using as much as 2 cups, might have the required salt.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## boykjo (Nov 15, 2011)

Tic Tock...... Going to pull it thursday after 17 days...( gotta work the weekends) and cold smoke with hickory on friday.....

Joe


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## SmokinAl (Nov 15, 2011)

Still here with you Joe!


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## ptcruiserguy (Nov 15, 2011)

Still following this one. This is going to be totally interesting at the finish.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 15, 2011)

This is the first I saw this Thread, Joe, but that is a very nice looking belly----nice & meaty!!







I'm in,

Bear


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## alelover (Nov 15, 2011)

Great looking belly Joe. Did you make anything with the skin? You cut it of so perfectly it looks like it would be good for something. Like a lampshade or something. Or is bacon skin inedible?


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## africanmeat (Nov 15, 2011)

i am still here


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## jc1947 (Nov 15, 2011)

*I believe Jeff's is about 6% salt.*

*JC1947*


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## Bearcarver (Nov 15, 2011)

alelover said:


> Great looking belly Joe. Did you make anything with the skin? You cut it of so perfectly it looks like it would be good for something. Like a lampshade or something. Or is bacon skin inedible?










    2 Scott !

Bear


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## boykjo (Nov 15, 2011)

alelover said:


> Great looking belly Joe. Did you make anything with the skin? You cut it of so perfectly it looks like it would be good for something. Like a lampshade or something. Or is bacon skin inedible?




just rolled it up and stuck it in the fridge for later... will try some fried pork skins.............


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## boykjo (Nov 17, 2011)

Heres the bacon out of the fridge.... It looks good. Looks like the rub had thickend up a bit, That didnt happen with the TQ but this was a lot longer cure time.. The bacon has stiffened up more using cure #1... Well into the smoker for a 18 hr  cold smoke



















Joe


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## SmokinAl (Nov 17, 2011)




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## sound1 (Nov 17, 2011)

Still here..


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## bmudd14474 (Nov 17, 2011)

Cant wait to see how it turns out.


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## daveomak (Nov 17, 2011)

.......Can't be much longer now..... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.....


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## raptor700 (Nov 17, 2011)

I'm guessing.............. it's gonna be good


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## DanMcG (Nov 17, 2011)

Been over 2 weeks Joe....Where's the bacon?


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## Bearcarver (Nov 17, 2011)




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## shooterrick (Nov 17, 2011)

Looks like its gonna be a winner.  Just a note:  I have started to convert all my sausage and bacon recipes to weights instead of tsp tbs type measurements.  It is just more accurated that way and I don't have to worry as much about meat weights being close to whole pounds and such.  I wish I had started doing that from the beginning because it is a heck of a chore now that I have so many recipes to deal with.


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## boykjo (Nov 18, 2011)

I would do that but i would want a scale that does milligrams..


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## diesel (Nov 18, 2011)

I have started doing all my recipes in metric.  It works really well.  I do need a scale that does milligrams.. I agree with boykjo.


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## DanMcG (Nov 19, 2011)

My scale does 1/10 of a gram, that's all you really need.

Now back on topic........Where's the Bacon!!!


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## boykjo (Nov 19, 2011)

At work right now... will slice it up this afternoon


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## africanmeat (Nov 19, 2011)

All my recipes are in metric i just convert them in to oz and tbs when i post it on this forum.


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## moikel (Nov 19, 2011)

Metric here but Im still eyeball & feel for spices etc. Liquids,brines as per recipe but by the litre  or I  just use an empty wine bottle(always one laying around) to measure 4 bottles = 3 litres. Most of my  stuff is approx ,who am I  kidding all of my stuff is approx


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## Bearcarver (Nov 19, 2011)

I use my scale set on eighths.

Since I use TQ, that's close enough.

Sometimes I'll use +  and -  to get closer, if I'm in the mood.

Bear


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## aceofspd (Nov 19, 2011)

If you are going to smoke at low temps, you must do a traditional salt and cure brine. Your TQ is just salt with Instacure added.  The salt is what cures your bacon, the instacure is just added insurance as your meat will be in the danger zone for 10 or more hours. If your smoker is hotter than 180 degrees, you can do whatever you want but you will not have bacon, just smoked pork bellies.

May I suggest the the dry cure recipe from the Kutas book? It is so simple.

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons instacure No.1 ( I do cheat here)

2 cups honey

Mix salt and cure, well (that is why it is pink)

cut belly in half and skin

rub with salt mixture, use most of it for 1 full slab

rub in the honey - very messy but worth it

place in two baggies and refrigerate for 6 days, flipping every day (or two)

remove and rinse

I like to scrape with a sharp knife to remove more salt. I then rub with black pepper (you can use your rub recipe) and refrigerate overnight.

hang slabs in a cool place until dry to the touch. skip this step and your smoke will not penetrate and a black soot will form

smoke at 140 degrees until internal temp reaches 127-128 degrees F  You do not want the fat to liquefy so you have to keep the temp below 180 degrees


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## boykjo (Dec 1, 2011)

Sorry so late on the bacon..... W'ell The bacon came out great... Just the same as the bacon with the TQ. But a little less saltier. I too am concerned about the salt content for cold smoking even though my temps are a little higher cold smoking with a flood light... there were 6 tbs of salt in the 2 qts of liquid plus the 1 1/2 tsp of cure #1.........













Sliced after a few day rest in the fridge













fried up













Thanks for looking

Joe


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## raptor700 (Dec 1, 2011)

Good looking bacon Joe


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## SmokinAl (Dec 1, 2011)

It was worth the wait Joe!

The bacon looks tremendous!

Such a nice color!


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## daveomak (Dec 1, 2011)

Joe, morning... Good lookin' bacon.... I gotta make some more bacon... Thanks for the posts... Dave


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