Tenderquick Substitute

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erodinamik

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Sep 11, 2010
94
10
Alamogordo, NM
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.
 
I don't know of a substitute for TQ

Don't know if I would use TQ for jerky....To Much Salt!

Pink Salt will work, but not in the same amounts.

Jerky seasonings usually come with a packet of pink curing salt

Todd
 
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There is NO substitute for Tender Quick there are other curing products but as was stated they would not be used at the same rate. If your recipe calls for Tender Quick and you decided to use Instacure #1 it would have to be a different amount. They will both cure the meat but you have to calculate how much you would need depending on the weight of the meat and the amount per pound of whichever product you are using. I have Tender Quick and Instacure #1 and find myself using the Instacure #1 most of the time. Also be aware there is Instacure #1 and Instacure #2 and they are NOT interchangeable either for snack sticks and such you'd want Instacure #1
 
There is NO substitute for Tender Quick there are other curing products but as was stated they would not be used at the same rate. If your recipe calls for Tender Quick and you decided to use Instacure #1 it would have to be a different amount. They will both cure the meat but you have to calculate how much you would need depending on the weight of the meat and the amount per pound of whichever product you are using. I have Tender Quick and Instacure #1 and find myself using the Instacure #1 most of the time. Also be aware there is Instacure #1 and Instacure #2 and they are NOT interchangeable either for snack sticks and such you'd want Instacure #1
Exactly as stated above.

There are recipes for Jerky, using TQ, and recipes for Jerky using other cures. Do not mix the two.

Bear
 
 
Here's my recipe for a cure that's used at the same rate as Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] for recipes NOT requiring nitrate.

17.5 oz salt (I use pickling salt)

5.0 oz sugar

2 oz cure #1

It's super easy to use......

For dry curing....use one tablespoon (1/2 oz.) per pound of meat.

For curing ground meats such as sausage....use 1/2 tablespoon (1/4 oz.) per pound of meat...it provides ALL the cure and the salt for the recipe.....no additional salt is needed.

~Dig
Should note that if you use this mix, make sure you mix it really well, so the 2 ounces of cure is evenly distributed. Then if you have some left, and you use that at a later date, make sure you mix that really well again, because the different ingredients could separate. Morton's TQ doesn't have that problem because of an additive & a process they use to avoid stratification.

Thanks,

Bear
 
[h4]Tender Quick:  what it is and how it is used in barbecue[/h4]
By JOE AMES

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Many barbecue cooks have heard of Tender Quick but do not understand what it is and how it it used.  Its purpose is to cure and tenderize meat quickly ("Tender Quick")..
[h5]What it is[/h5]
Tender Quick is a blend of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and propylene glycol.  The amount of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are 0.5%.
[h5]Why it is used[/h5]
For centuries, nitrates and nitrites have been used to cure meat.  They reduce the risk of botulism poisoning while the meat cures, and they change the meat's color into the typical pink of ham and cured sausage.
[h5]What the ingredients do[/h5]
The salt aids the flavor and preservation of the meat.  The sugar mellows the salt.  The nitrate turns into nitrite, which turns into a gas, and this is what cures the meat.  The propylene glycol is a preservative.
[h5]Why it was developed[/h5]
To be effective in curing meat, there must be the correct amount of nitrates and nitrites evenly distributed throughout the curing mixture.  Too much or too little nitrates or nitrites is ineffective and possibly dangerous.  However, it is very difficult for a home cook to create the proper curing mixture, because the ingredients of salt, sugar and nitrates cannot be mixed effectively.  The proper amount of nitrate and nitrite are less than 1%.  Simply combining the ingredients is ineffective, because "stratification" occurs, so that the nitrates and nitrites will not be distributed evenly throughout the mixture.

Many years ago, the Morton Salt people developed Tender Quick, so that the home cook could safely cure meat.  The ingredients in Tender Quick are bonded.  Basically, bonding means that the ingredients are mixed with water to achieve a solution and then dried.  This guarantees that the ingredients are distributed evenly in the proper ratio, even in the smallest amounts.  
 
Or just rest your brain a little and order some TQ and some Instacure #1 and keep some of both on hand so you can use whichever the recipe calls for
biggrin.gif
 
[h4]Tender Quick:  what it is and how it is used in barbecue[/h4]
By JOE AMES

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Many barbecue cooks have heard of Tender Quick but do not understand what it is and how it it used.  Its purpose is to cure and tenderize meat quickly ("Tender Quick")..
[h5]What it is[/h5]
Tender Quick is a blend of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and propylene glycol.  The amount of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are 0.5%.
[h5]Why it is used[/h5]
For centuries, nitrates and nitrites have been used to cure meat.  They reduce the risk of botulism poisoning while the meat cures, and they change the meat's color into the typical pink of ham and cured sausage.
[h5]What the ingredients do[/h5]
The salt aids the flavor and preservation of the meat.  The sugar mellows the salt.  The nitrate turns into nitrite, which turns into a gas, and this is what cures the meat.  The propylene glycol is a preservative.
[h5]Why it was developed[/h5]
To be effective in curing meat, there must be the correct amount of nitrates and nitrites evenly distributed throughout the curing mixture.  Too much or too little nitrates or nitrites is ineffective and possibly dangerous.  However, it is very difficult for a home cook to create the proper curing mixture, because the ingredients of salt, sugar and nitrates cannot be mixed effectively.  The proper amount of nitrate and nitrite are less than 1%.  Simply combining the ingredients is ineffective, because "stratification" occurs, so that the nitrates and nitrites will not be distributed evenly throughout the mixture.

Many years ago, the Morton Salt people developed Tender Quick, so that the home cook could safely cure meat.  The ingredients in Tender Quick are bonded.  Basically, bonding means that the ingredients are mixed with water to achieve a solution and then dried.  This guarantees that the ingredients are distributed evenly in the proper ratio, even in the smallest amounts.  
Very good post !

Thanks Ahron. This is what I was referring to, but I couldn't find it.

That bonding is what makes it OK to dip into a 2 pound bag of Tender Quick, 15 times over 6 months, without re-mixing it, and always come out with the same mix.

Bear
 
Just curious...

Is it a fear of possibly too much nitrite that makes some needlessly afraid of a homemade mix?

~Dig
Fear is not involved.

Using cures properly is the objective.

Nothing wrong with a homemade mix, if done correctly.

Your percentages look fine to me.

What I stated in my posts explains my feelings on keeping things mixed properly.

It is important to mix any type of mixture, but not as important as when cure is involved.

The End

Bear
 
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Perhaps someone should tell Morton's that stratification will not occur, and they wasted their time bonding Tender Quick to avoid it.

This has been discussed many times on this site. I will take the word of a very successful American company and their scientists.

Bear
 
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