Tenderquick Substitute

[Bearcarver]

True and exactly how I cure bacon, except I add a couple oz. of water to start the process.  I actually read that if the bacon does not sweat and make it's own brine, to add a few oz. of water.  It works for me.

My fear is that someone would add 1 tsp. of dry cure to 5# of ground meat or sliced meat for jerky, and then expect every nook and cranny to be cured properly.  Water is added during the process of sausage making, in-order to stuff the casings, so my point is to add the cure and spices to water first, and them mix thoroughly into the meat.

Sounds like common sense....Right? 

I'm speaking from my own experience and making the mistake of applying cure separately. 

The sausage may have been OK, but I was not confident that I had cured it correctly, so i threw it out.

Todd

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Bear

 

[tjohnson]

The 1 tsp per 5lbs of meat is for dry curing though. In a brine or wet cure, you have to account for the weight of the meat and the liquid so you will use a lot more cure #1 than what you would for a dry cure. Equalization takes care of the rest assuming you are following the rules.
I also wet cure my jerky. My bacon I prefer a dry cure though.

Seriously?!?!?!

You take into account the weight of the water too?

I brine cured bacon once and prefer dry cured anyway, but this scares the heck out of me!

So if you use a gallon of water = Approx. 8lbs. and lets say 15 lbs. slab bacon, you use enough cure for 23# total?

This is where a little knowledge can be dangerous!

Good thing I don't brine cure anymore!

Todd(aka:"Little Knowledge")

 

[Bearcarver]

Seriously?!?!?!

You take into account the weight of the water too?

I brine cured bacon once and prefer dry cured anyway, but this scares the heck out of me!

So if you use a gallon of water = Approx. 8lbs. and lets say 15 lbs. slab bacon, you use enough cure for 23# total?

Good thing I don't brine cure anymore!

Todd

Not how I was told:

They say use the right amount of water & cure ratio.

Then the amount of meat doesn't matter---It must be submerged.

I could be wrong, because I have not done it & haven't studied it.

Bear

 

[alelover]

No beer. Yikes. That's where I draw the line.

 

[tjohnson]

I called her a "Fun Sucker!"

How about a "Beer Based Brine Cure"?

LOL!

TJ

 

[solaryellow]

Not how I was told:

They say use the right amount of water & cure ratio.

Then the amount of meat doesn't matter---It must be submerged.

I could be wrong, because I have not done it & haven't studied it.

Bear

This is what frustrates me. There are two methods in two different threads today that you have stated your opinion on that you actually have no frame of reference about.

Do me a favor. Create 2 gallons of pastrami brine using TQ (because it doesn't matter) and in a 5 gallon bucket put in a gallon of brine and a single brisket. And in another 5 gallon bucket put in 3 or 4 briskets and a gallon of brine (believe me, a gallon of brine will cover them). Let them cure and then smoke them at the same time making sure you keep the two differently brined brisket types separate and then sample them. Post your discovery.

Seriously?!?!?!

You take into account the weight of the water too?

I brine cured bacon once and prefer dry cured anyway, but this scares the heck out of me!

So if you use a gallon of water = Approx. 8lbs. and lets say 15 lbs. slab bacon, you use enough cure for 23# total?

This is where a little knowledge can be dangerous!

Good thing I don't brine cure anymore!

Todd(aka:"Little Knowledge")

Seriously. I believe that is why more than a few of us feel so passionate about this issue.

 

[pineywoods]

Never was salt sensitive until the dietician slapped me with a low salt diet.
After you get used to it, extra salt makes you blow up like a balloon and it takes days to drop the water weight.

She even told me I could not drink beer anymore!!!

Todd

See that's why I look so fat I eat to much salt everyday so I never loose the water

Digs calculations are correct and his recipe will work fine. I'm just too lazy to do all the math so I cheat and use the stuff out of the bags. I use TQ for some things and I use Instacure #1 for some things.

 

[alblancher]

Piney,  I've seen you up close,  If that's water you got hanging over your belt it sure does a good job of masquerading as beer belly. 

Your lard butt cohort in crime,  Al

 

[rich-]

I have been using Morton Tender Quick for almost a year now and have made up at least 100 pounds of Beef Pepperoni and as this date, no one has gotten sick or died from what I have made.

Mortons has been making this stuff longer than I can remember, so I trust them.

 

[alblancher]

TenderQuick is a fine cure for pepperoni and other dry sausages.

 

[Bearcarver]

This is what frustrates me. There are two methods in two different threads today that you have stated your opinion on that you actually have no frame of reference about.

Do me a favor. Create 2 gallons of pastrami brine using TQ (because it doesn't matter) and in a 5 gallon bucket put in a gallon of brine and a single brisket. And in another 5 gallon bucket put in 3 or 4 briskets and a gallon of brine (believe me, a gallon of brine will cover them). Let them cure and then smoke them at the same time making sure you keep the two differently brined brisket types separate and then sample them. Post your discovery.

That really wasn't my opinion, I was only stating what I had read, and what I would believe to be correct. Here is one of the places I read it (From "Pops" on "using a brine to cure meat"):

===========================================================================================

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/104221/using-a-brine-to-cure-meat

According to the 1 lb. bag of DQ Cure #1, you use 24 lbs. of curing salt to 100 gallons of water for a curing pickle.  This would be the maximum amount you'd use.

Reduce that by 100 to 1 gallon, it would be .24 of a lb. to 1 gallon of water, or approx. 4 ounces of cure #!.

I use approx. 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon of water.  A level tablespoon is .8 of an ounce.  A rounded tablespoon is approx. 1 ounce, or ¼ the maximum allowed.  And, I find this sufficient to pickle any pork or beef or poultry I need to do.  I will allow more time for it to cure, just from my dad's instruction on how long to let it cure; 2-3 days for poultry, 7 - 10 days for half-butts (buckboard) or bellies, 2 weeks for picnics once pumped, 3-4 weeks for whole hams once pumped.  I've never tried it with less times, simply because the cost of the product is too valuable on my limited income and unlimited (so it seems, lol!) medical bills.  But, it produces a nicely cured product without the need to soak or freshen it to get rid of unnecessary salt (and I've limited the amount of salt I add also).

As for the amount of brine, your proportion of curing salt to water is the important ratio, and just use whatever amount of brine necessary to cover the product.  You can pickle 1 ham in 1 gallon of water/curing salt or 100 gallons of water/curing salt, it doesn't matter, as long as it's proportioned correctly per gallon.  Of course, you add more ingredients in salts and sugars, etc. to enhance the bouquet of flavors in your pickle.

Again, my dad's theory was that a mild curing brine for a longer period of time made the product more tender and flavorful instead of a shorter time, more concentrated cure.  He sold hundreds of thousands of product over 45 years in business, and his customers readily agreed!

============================================================================================

 

[solaryellow]

That really wasn't my opinion, I was only stating what I had read, and what I would believe to be correct. Here is one of the places I read it (From "Pops" on "using a brine to cure meat"):

===========================================================================================

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/104221/using-a-brine-to-cure-meat

According to the 1 lb. bag of DQ Cure #1, you use 24 lbs. of curing salt to 100 gallons of water for a curing pickle.  This would be the maximum amount you'd use.

Reduce that by 100 to 1 gallon, it would be .24 of a lb. to 1 gallon of water, or approx. 4 ounces of cure #!.

I use approx. 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon of water.  A level tablespoon is .8 of an ounce.  A rounded tablespoon is approx. 1 ounce, or ¼ the maximum allowed.  And, I find this sufficient to pickle any pork or beef or poultry I need to do.  I will allow more time for it to cure, just from my dad's instruction on how long to let it cure; 2-3 days for poultry, 7 - 10 days for half-butts (buckboard) or bellies, 2 weeks for picnics once pumped, 3-4 weeks for whole hams once pumped.  I've never tried it with less times, simply because the cost of the product is too valuable on my limited income and unlimited (so it seems, lol!) medical bills.  But, it produces a nicely cured product without the need to soak or freshen it to get rid of unnecessary salt (and I've limited the amount of salt I add also).

As for the amount of brine, your proportion of curing salt to water is the important ratio, and just use whatever amount of brine necessary to cover the product.  You can pickle 1 ham in 1 gallon of water/curing salt or 100 gallons of water/curing salt, it doesn't matter, as long as it's proportioned correctly per gallon.  Of course, you add more ingredients in salts and sugars, etc. to enhance the bouquet of flavors in your pickle.

Again, my dad's theory was that a mild curing brine for a longer period of time made the product more tender and flavorful instead of a shorter time, more concentrated cure.  He sold hundreds of thousands of product over 45 years in business, and his customers readily agreed!

============================================================================================

You highlighted the pertinent information (pertinent meaning the proportions) so I will assume you understand my concern at this point (three months later). Even so, I will take the value of personal experience over "what I read on some internet forum". Give my challenge a try Bear. I am sure it will change your mindset.

 

[jeff 1]

For me I like andI use cure #1 all the time.  Mostly always in a wet cure and soak my meat and its on the low end of the spectrum and give it plenty of time to work.  When it is not being soaked and it is used in ground suasage I will disolve it well in liqued along with the other seasoning and mix in to meat between first and second grind and it always gets mixed very very well and only 5lbs of meat at a time,  Then I will let the suasage sit in fridge for a day before i do anything with it.  

 

[jc1947]

I've tried and tried to find tenderquick, and I just used the locator and there is nothing within 50 miles of me.  I was wondering if there was a substitute for tenderquick?  I'm thinking about making some jerky and snack sticks and the like but I don't want to poison myself or my family/friends :-)  If anybody has any ideas/suggestions I would really appreciate it.

Back when I lived in Vegas VON'S carried TQ. Perhaps they can order it for you if they don't stock it anymore.

JC1947

 

 

[erodinamik]

Back when I lived in Vegas VON'S carried TQ. Perhaps they can order it for you if they don't stock it anymore.

JC1947

 

Thanks.  I just went ahead and ordered it online.  One of these days I'll actually get around to using it.  I will keep my eyes open at Von's though.
 

 

[kingkoch42]

gone

 

[tjohnson]

I believe he deleted all his posts

TJ

 

[shtrdave]

Never was salt sensitive until the dietician slapped me with a low salt diet.After you get used to it, extra salt makes you blow up like a balloon and it takes days to drop the water weight.

She even told me I could not drink beer anymore!!!

Todd

I was reading through this again, not sure why a new post brought it back to the top, and I see this, I feel bad for you my friend, I don't drink much but can't imagine a world without beer.

With this being cider season here, we are drinking the apple pie.