I’m in need of some clarification. Trying to cure my first batch of bacon. In the “The Science of Curing Meats Safely” (I would like to quote the text, but it currently not available.) But it says something like, once you get the pork belly start the curing process as soon as possible. My confusion comes when the text reads to help to remove bacteria place in worm water for days. I’m doing 6lbs. How long do i soak in the water? Is this part of the working before the curing process? I have it in gallon bags in the refrigerator at 38º-34º.
Cold rinse and then start brining and cure. Soaking it in warm water for days before will only grow bacteria. Keep it cold throughout the curing process.
Curing meats is an ancient technique for preserving meats before the advent of refrigeration. If done properly it can make awesome tasting food such as bacon
I think the only reason he suggests starting the curing process "as soon as possible" is to minimize bacteria growth while it's still fresh and before it's cured. When I make bacon, the only time I use warm water is to help dissolve the salt in each gallon bag. Then I cool it back down before adding the meat and sealing up the bag. Keep it cold in the fridge the entire time you're curing it.
By the way, Meathead's recipe is scaled for a 3lb slab, so your 6lbs of belly should give you two gallon bags' worth. You'll use the same amount from the recipe in each bag.
Thanks, I didn't clearly state what i'v done. I rinse it off and warm water. Then placed the pork belly, (which I cut in to ~ 2.5 lbs each with ~ 1 lb skin that I cut off.) in 2 gallon bags in plain water, no curing. I have it in gallon bags in the refrigerator at 38º-34º.
Unless I'm misinterpreting, it sounds like you may have made a couple mistakes. If you need to rinse the fresh belly, use cold water to rinse - never warm water.
But more importantly, the meat needs to soak in the cure, not just plain water. You should dissolve all the ingredients, including/especially the curing salt, in the water and then the meat soaks in the saltwater cure mixture.
josepmille So, If I read this right, you have the bacon in plain water in the fridge, but none of the curing ingredients - salt and Prague Powder mixed into the water? that's not going to do any curing, and I would be doubtful that that pork belly is still any good!
Curing Calculators Broken, now I have a problem! I followed the Maple bacon Curing Calculators (before it was down) Maple Bacon Ingredients Adjusting Curing Ingredients
Enter the weight of the pork belly here:
2.5
pounds
kilograms
Enter the thickness of the pork belly here:
1.75
inches
centimeters
The quantities on the following ingredients will be calculated based on what you entered above.
0.63 cups warm distilled water.
0.5 teaspoons or 2.56 grams of Prague powder #1
2.50 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3.75 teaspoons Morton’s kosher salt
3.75 teaspoons ground black pepper
0.42 cup dark maple syrup Cure time: 3.8 days
The 3.8 days will be up tonight at 2100. Adding a 20% to the cure time will be 1500 hr Sunday. Unfortunately, I did not copy the recipe How To Make Smoked Homemade Bacon. And it is not available right now. So does anyone have the recipe? Or how long may I leave it in the curing solution?
Comment