Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Look like a Hog

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Look like a Hog

    I've eaten so many pork bellies over the past 2 months with a Butt or two in between that I think I'm starting to look like a Hog.
    Wait a minute my surname is Hogg so that's not so difficult to do.

    It's already 11 for this month and nowhere near slowing down, will be picking up another 6 tommorow.
    I have been doing experimental cooks using different methods and I'm running out of ideas.

    I have only made Bacon once and I used salt with both nitrite and nitrate. I used the calculator as per AR free side. The results weren't great and I say that because it lacked that bacon saltiness. It still tasted good though. I assume it's because I did not use a curing salt with nitrite only. I cannot find any these parts and have been told by 3 speciality spice shops every body uses the cure they sell. I am not prepared to debate the issue with them.

    Is there a way I can brine with the 2 part curing salt.?Does it require a longer time in the brine?
    Use more off?
    or
    It just doesn't work for making bacon?

    #2
    Make sure to check out Meathead's article, The Science of Curing Meats Safely. In the article he states, "All my recipes use Prague Powder #1 which has only sodium nitrite, no sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrate is sometimes used on meats that age because it slowly breaks down into sodium nitrite over time so it remains active over months. But nitrates can also form nitrosamines, a compound that is a carcinogen in animals, but its effect on humans is still ill defined. Unless you are an expert, you should never substitute one curing salt for another."

    So you can cure bacon using #2, but Meathead does not recommend it, as stated above. I will send this over to him so he can chime in and give you the best answer possible, since he wrote the article. I am only experienced with using PP#1 as he recommends. Sit tight, I am sure he will chime in soon.

    Comment


    • Spinaker
      Spinaker commented
      Editing a comment
      I hear ya. Meathead will be able to give you a quality answer on this one. Your questions are certainly valid! holehogg

    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Spinaker Meathead and aladdin4d
      I found some cure labelled Quick Red Cure with ingredients listed:- salt, sodium nitrite, sodium carbonate and colourant.

    • aladdin4d
      aladdin4d commented
      Editing a comment
      holehogg That's it! The sodium carbonate is there as an anti-caking agent.

    #3
    Prague Powder #2 is, for some reason I do not know, illegal for bacon in the US.

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Seems to be the only stuff available in SA. They do sell a product called all cure that only lists nitrite as an aditive but there are about ten other ingredients as well.

      Thanks for the quick response Sir.

    #4
    holehogg I hear from people often that they cannot find PP#1 in the US when it is available in sporting goods stores and online. I am not accusing you of not looking hard enough, but perhaps you need to look harder? Also, it may go under a different name as I explain on this page:
    Here's what you need to know about table salt, kosher salt, pickling salt, sea salt, seasoned salt, curing salts, and how to use them. Learn also about brines, measuring different salts, and the health aspects of salt.


    "Prague powder #1 or Insta Cure #1 or Pink curing salt #1 or Sure Cure. This is the standard for quick curing meats. It is approximately 94% plain old sodium chloride with approximately 6% sodium nitrite with some anticaking agents and a touch of red dye that makes it pink so you won't mistake it for table salt or sugar. It's not easy to find this stuff in groceries, but butcher shops, sporting goods stores where they sell sausage making gear, and this link to Amazon.com carry it."

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      I'll investigate further as suggested. I have asked at the speciality shops for a nitrite % because on all the packaged curing salts it is not specified. Below I'll post a photo of the ingredients of the cure I have.

    #5
    Meathead

    Click image for larger version

Name:	20190716_224005.jpg
Views:	175
Size:	161.6 KB
ID:	715189

    Comment


    • Ahumadora
      Ahumadora commented
      Editing a comment
      Or maybe contact the Manufactor direct and ask them the exact specs on the salt.

    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      That's what I plan on doing as a last resort. Ahumadora

    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      This is SA. I can tell you I have mailed the 2 big guns with no response and a long distance phone call usually ends up being sent from pillar to post. Ahumadora

    #6
    A US Prague #2 available in SA

    Binding: Misc., Brand: Anthony's, Categories: , Anthony's Goods Affordable Buys, Coarse Salts, Condiments & sauces, Grocery Fall Celebration Event, Salts


    Comment

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
Working...
X
false
0
Guest
Guest
500
["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
false
false
{"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
Yes
["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
/forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here