# MSG IN BACON CURE



## Slow42 (Nov 7, 2019)

When dry curing bacon would MSG, in the cure mixture, inhance the flavor of the bacon?  Mixture of salt, sugar, cure, MSG?  Not with Morton tender quick.


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## JC in GB (Nov 7, 2019)

MSG should give you a flavor boost in your bacon.  You will have to let me know how it turns out.

JC


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## noboundaries (Nov 7, 2019)

I've had an unopened container of "Accent" (aka MSG) in the cabinet for about a year. Just recently I watched a YouTube video about how the bad press for MSG got started (it was BS)...and the advantages of using it in savory foods.  I immediately opened the Accent and started experimenting.

I've added a miniscule amount of Accent to savory foods before reheating them in the microwave and DEFINITELY noticed an increase if flavor. For example, I tried two bowls of a Potato and Roasted Veggie Cream soup I'd cooked earlier this week. One bowl was straight from the leftovers. I sprinkled a teeny amount of MSG on the second bowl, then heated them both in the microwave. It was kind of a blind taste test because the bowls were identical and I didn't mark which one had MSG and which didn't. But...after a couple nights of eating leftovers, it was easy to recognized the bowl that had MSG. It absolutely had a deeper range of flavor. 

I'd be careful, though, about adding too much to bacon cure or you might end up with over-salty bacon, or bacon having an Asian flavor. My wife asked, "Did you put soy sauce in here?" when she tasted the soup. She's a super-taster (and a souper-taster in this instance). I know the directions say to put 1/2 tsp per pound of meat, but I'd experiment by using something like 1/8th tsp per pound in my cure if I was going to cure bacon.


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## okyoureabeast (Dec 12, 2019)

MSG is my secret ingredient in pretty much everything from dry rubs to meals.

The trick with MSG is to mix it with regular salt in a 1 part MSG to 3 parts salt. Then use this as your "salt" for seasoning your dishes. Never use this in baking.

What ends up happening is that you can significantly reduce your salt intake with this blend. MSG allows you to achieve the same level of saltiness with a lot less in the overall dish.

A fun test is to taste what MSG tastes like on its own. To me, it tastes astoundingly like a packet of beef ramen. Once you know this flavor on its own, you'll begin to taste how often added glutamates are put into every dish from fast food to 5 star dining restaurants. It's crazy.

I've been doing my first bacon cure using MSG. You will need a tad more of that MSG/Salt blend to achieve the right cure mix because of chemistry. We're on day 4 in a vacuum seal so i'm going to pull one belly today and do a taste test.


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## crazymoon (Dec 12, 2019)

I have developed a reaction to MSG  and can no longer use it. No chinese food in about 5 years ,it makes me sad but at least I don't get ill.


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## Slow42 (Dec 12, 2019)

Crazymoon I’m sure your mistaken about your intolerance to MSG. Your doctor is wrong. Your probably just allergic to cat!


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## okyoureabeast (Dec 12, 2019)

crazymoon said:


> I have developed a reaction to MSG  and can no longer use it. No chinese food in about 5 years ,it makes me sad but at least I don't get ill.



As always, you do you.

 If you miss it and want to give it a shot again as a guilty indulgence, try drinking about 8 measured cups (8 cups) of water over the course of an hour before your Chinese takeaway. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

In other news, I did a taste test of 4 day old vacuum sealed MSG/Salt cured pork belly. I used this calculator http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/calculator/dry_cure_bacon/ 

And added about 15grams more salt for the dry brine to compensate for the loss of sodium with the added MSG.

The result was tasty cured pork belly!

It's funny how we've trained ourselves to  _expect _ a smokey and maple flavor on our bacon.  Dang grocers have trained my palate! 

I'm happy to report that I could start smoking the bacon now if I want, but i'm happy to wait since I want to do this on Saturday and Sunday.


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## Bearcarver (Dec 12, 2019)

Slow42 said:


> Crazymoon I’m sure your mistaken about your intolerance to MSG. Your doctor is wrong. Your probably just allergic to cat!




The Chinese Food problem could show an allergy to both Dogs & Cats.
I know in my whole tour in Vietnam, I only saw 2 cats, and they were both in the orphanage, and were way too skinny to eat.

Bear


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 12, 2019)

" There are NO Cats in American Made Chinese Food! "
A Chinese Restaurant owner and good friend told me this Years ago.
He went on to say, " Cat meat is delicious and there was no way they were going to Share it with, Round Eyes! "


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## pc farmer (Dec 12, 2019)

chef jimmyj said:


> " There are NO Cats in American Made Chinese Food! "
> A Chinese Restaurant owner and good friend told me this Years ago.
> He went on to say, " Cat meat is delicious and there was no way they were going to Share it with, Round Eyes! "




I have heard American stuff is nothing like the Chinese stuff.    I dont eat either so it dont matter to me.


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 12, 2019)

On the use of MSG, I've eaten it all my life. Dad learned to make Chinese Food and kept a bottle of Accent in the Spice cabinet. When I  moved out, I used Accent as well. . Now I buy the Original Ajinomoto. Not any different just A LOT cheaper.
@PC Yes Adam, the average American Chinese Restaurants, the ones that all use the same menu just a different name, are all the same. With dish developed for the American palate. A lot of the items are even factory frozen. For real Chinese Food, you need to hit big cities with a China town, or areas with larger Asian populations. The food is very different with some similar ingredients. More vegetables with meat for flavor...JJ


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## zwiller (Dec 13, 2019)

Showed up in my Thunderbird feed this AM.  https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-again-of-msg?utm_source=pocket-newtab



noboundaries said:


> But...after a couple nights of eating leftovers, it was easy to recognized the bowl that had MSG. It absolutely had a deeper range of flavor.



Hard to really describe it.  Not sure I would call it a boost but can see it being deeper and would agree.  I would say it actually widens or maybe richens the flavor.  I have experimented with it in cured pork loin and not if it needs it.  I feel the cure has a similar effect.  That said, it is absolutely in my smoked stuff.   Marianski suggests a rate of .5% per lb and that is what I use for my injections and brines.  On non smoked food, it RAWKS in gravies, sauces, soups, and other savory stuff.  All this being said, for bacon, I would be trying STPP before MSG.


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 13, 2019)

Considering the way folks typically cook Bacon, STPP in Belly Bacon would be a waste of the ingredient. Belly Bacon is sliced 1/8" or less and cooked until mostly crisp or well cooked and shatteringly crispy. That is achieved by cooking ALL the moisture out. STPP is used to Retain Moisture. There is really no way, I know, to achieve... Juicy, Crispy Bacon...JJ


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