new to bacon curing

gbduke · Feb 19, 2013

ok guys heres my question,i just got my hands on four 5lb bellys how much kosher salt and insta cure #1 do you think i need per pound for a dry rub.i am thinking about a quarter tsp of insta cure per pound of belly and about 3tbsp of kosher salt per 5 lb plus my other spices.do you think im in the ball park with those amounts.any comments appreciated!

diggingdogfarm · Feb 19, 2013

One level teaspoon of cure #1 per 5 lbs of bacon will do the trick.
The amount of salt you use depends on your personal preference and the brand of kosher salt.
What brand of kosher salt are you using?

If you have an accurate gram scale, a calculator is the best way to go:

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

~Martin

gbduke · Feb 19, 2013

thanks martin, i dont remember what kind of kosher salt i bought but i will check and get back with you.i dont own a scale that reads grams and im to set in my ways to learn that metric stuff hahaha!thanks alot for the reply and i will check out your site!

diggingdogfarm · Feb 19, 2013

Yeah, if you can find out what brand the kosher salt is and it's one of the more common brands, I can help you with the salt level.

~Martin

gbduke · Feb 20, 2013

martin its morton course kosher salt.thanks for the help

diggingdogfarm · Feb 20, 2013

Morton's kosher weighs approximately 15 grams per level tablespoon.
Three tablespoons of Morton's kosher and the salt in the one teaspoon of cure will give you a salt level of approximately 2.2% (per 5 lbs. of belly), that's if everything is weighed and measured carefully.
2.2% salt is an acceptable salt level for most folks.. of course you can cut back on the kosher some without issue if you wish.
I would cure for 7 days per inch of total thickness to allow plenty of time for the salt and cure to distribute and equalize well throughout the belly.

HTH

~Martin

gbduke · Feb 21, 2013

thanks for the help martin!bellys are going in the rub in the next couple of days.we are doing a family sausage and bacon weekend on march 9th in port barre louisiana.we get together a couple time a year and do this so we can pass on our tradition with the younger generation.i will try again to post pics of the event,i tried last year but couldnt get the pics to go through.thanks again for you help!

earpaper · Feb 25, 2013

i am new and have been trying to learn how to dry cure bacon and am more confused than when I started…..what I think I know is you use cure #1 at 1 tsp. for 5 lbs. meat. You rub the cure and whatever spices you want on the pork belly put it in a zip lock put it in fridge kipping it between 36 and 38 degrees F turning each day and do 3-4 days per inch of thickness than rinse it off cut off a piece and fry if too salty soak in cold water for a hour re fry and repeat if still too salty…than when salt taste checks out dry meat and set in fridge for 24 hours till it gets tacky than cold smoke keeping it under 100 degrees F for some 24 hours……well that as I understand isn’t dry cured bacon……its dry wet cured bacon……I don’t want to kill myself and I haven’t really found how to DRY cure bacon…I would think you would use #2 cure for true dry cured bacon but im not sure. I am a commercial fisherman and I run a tender for trident seafood’s around sand point AK…..I have smoked hundreds of lbs. of salmon over the years using 1 cup salt to 1.5 cups brown sugar….i call it a soft cure. Just slather it on the filets (around 30 lbs. of fish at a time… 1 fish per rack….4 racks and yes you can invert 4 more racks and double the load but I find it works better with a single load) put in fridge for about 12 to 18 hours depending on how thick.. also I score the flesh cross ways on the thick ones….rinse off good with cold water pat dry with scott towel load smoker turn it on for 1 or 2 hours without smoke (Bradley smoker)than add smoke for 8 to 12 hours (maple wood pucks) smoker gets about 110 degrees F than the last hour I bring the internal temp to around 155 degrees than take em out and drizzle some honey on em wrap in foil and give to the fishermen and crew… Than today I read smoking at low heat you need to use cure #1 so ya don’t get sick……not sure if that applies to fish but I can tell you no one has gotten sick from any fish I have smoked…..any way blab la bla I could go on with more questions but at this point I find the more I know the LESS I really KNOW…..can someone help set me clear on some of my ignorance………im leaning toward wet dry bacon but would like to know in a straight forward way of how to make real DRY cure bacon. can someone advise me? Thank you

diggingdogfarm · Feb 25, 2013

earpaper said:
i am new and have been trying to learn how to dry cure bacon and am more confused than when I started…..what I think I know is you use cure #1 at 1 tsp. for 5 lbs. meat. You rub the cure and whatever spices you want on the pork belly put it in a zip lock put it in fridge kipping it between 36 and 38 degrees F turning each day and do 3-4 days per inch of thickness than rinse it off cut off a piece and fry if too salty soak in cold water for a hour re fry and repeat if still too salty…than when salt taste checks out dry meat and set in fridge for 24 hours till it gets tacky than cold smoke keeping it under 100 degrees F for some 24 hours……well that as I understand isn’t dry cured bacon……its dry wet cured bacon……I don’t want to kill myself and I haven’t really found how to DRY cure bacon…I would think you would use #2 cure for true dry cured bacon but im not sure. I am a commercial fisherman and I run a tender for trident seafood’s around sand point AK…..I have smoked hundreds of lbs. of salmon over the years using 1 cup salt to 1.5 cups brown sugar….i call it a soft cure. Just slather it on the filets (around 30 lbs. of fish at a time… 1 fish per rack….4 racks and yes you can invert 4 more racks and double the load but I find it works better with a single load) put in fridge for about 12 to 18 hours depending on how thick.. also I score the flesh cross ways on the thick ones….rinse off good with cold water pat dry with scott towel load smoker turn it on for 1 or 2 hours without smoke (Bradley smoker)than add smoke for 8 to 12 hours (maple wood pucks) smoker gets about 110 degrees F than the last hour I bring the internal temp to around 155 degrees than take em out and drizzle some honey on em wrap in foil and give to the fishermen and crew… Than today I read smoking at low heat you need to use cure #1 so ya don’t get sick……not sure if that applies to fish but I can tell you no one has gotten sick from any fish I have smoked…..any way blab la bla I could go on with more questions but at this point I find the more I know the LESS I really KNOW…..can someone help set me clear on some of my ignorance………im leaning toward wet dry bacon but would like to know in a straight forward way of how to make real DRY cure bacon. can someone advise me? Thank you

What kind of dry cured bacon do you want to make?
Something like southern country bacon, or something shorter term?

There is risk involved in cold smoking fish without nitrite.

~Martin

earpaper · Feb 26, 2013

Martin

Im not sure what kind i want to make .....Something with a maple flavor i think....(I have some maple cure) in the 6 to 10 day range…. I am going to bring cure # 1 with me for the fish next time I head north better safe than sorry. Is the ratio still 1 tsp. to 5 lbs fish ? thanks david

earpaper · Feb 26, 2013

i will try the shorter term bacon first but would like to do real dry cure long term kind as well

earpaper · Feb 26, 2013

Martin

Im not sure what kind i want to make .....Something with a maple flavor i think....(I have some maple cure) in the 6 to 10 day range…. I am going to bring cure # 1 with me for the fish next time I head north better safe than sorry. Is the ratio still 1 tsp. to 5 lbs fish ? i will try the shorter term bacon first but would like to do real dry cure long term kind as well thanks david

ps as you can see i need help as i dont even know how to post very well...........

diggingdogfarm · Feb 26, 2013

When you decide what you want to make, let me know and I can help.

~Martin

earpaper · Feb 26, 2013

Martin

ok i have a 5 lbs slab of pork belly and a bag of cure with maple sugar............got the maple cure from butcher & packer supply...use 2 lbs cure to 100 lbs meat. the belly was frozen and now that it is thawed i see it is kinda scored...not sure why of if that will affect the bacon maken process.,..thats what i have....how should i proceed? thanks for your help

diggingdogfarm · Feb 26, 2013

Measure out the appropriate amount of cure for the 5 lb. belly.
Split the cure in half, apply one half of the cure, rubbing it in well.
Place the belly in the fridge on something so that any liquid will drain away.
Apply the rest of the cure 3 days later.
Cure for 7 days per inch of total thickness.
After curing, dry the belly and cold smoke for the desired amount of time.
After smoking, mature the belly in the fridge for a few days (5-7) before slicing and consuming or freezing or whatever.

~Martin

earpaper · Feb 26, 2013

thank you i will give it a try......

unclejhim · Mar 20, 2013

Martin, I too would like some of your advise. Question I have is should I remove the skin/rind before curing, after curing but before smoking, after the smoking or not at all?? Thanks Gonna start my 1st one this weekend.

diggingdogfarm · Mar 20, 2013

It's personal preference, I prefer to remove it before curing and smoking because cure and smoke will penetrate easier, but it is easier to remove afterward.

~Martin

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