Following recipe here on amazing ribs.... I got some pork belly and put in a bag with required ingredients. However life got in the way and it's been in the bag for 3 weeks....can I still smoke it .. can it go bad in the brine?
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First thought - depends on how sick it is...
With the proper brining solution, you cannot over brine. Once the salts in the meat reach equilibrium with the salts in the brine, the meat will not absorb any more of the salts. I wouldn't worry about going a few days over the recommended time, but I don't think I would take a chance with a three week brine. I don't have any science to back this up though, so hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. -
First of all, what was your original minimum time for the meat to be in the cure? That will help us decide if it has been too long.
Meathead mentions in his article, The Science of Curing Meats Safely........
"The calculator will tell you how long to leave the meat in the cure. You can go 25% longer than the minimum time if you wish, but don't push it any more. The longer it is in the cure the greater the chance of contamination."
And as always........."When in doubt, throw it out."
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I agree a few days is okay but you are well past that.Comment
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What a shame........ back to the drawing boardComment
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Nobody has ever been able to cure me of bacon. It has been many, many years.Comment
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