My first bacon

It should be good.



Happy smoken.

David

I would like to try curing and smoking some bacon soon.  Your recipes sound good.  I look forward to hearing more how it turns out.

Did you only make 3 lbs.? Your calculations of 15 grams of Morton tender quick would do slightly over a pound of meat. As per Morton's tender quick curing instruction 1 tablespoon (half an ounce) per pound of meat. Half an ounce is 14 grams. To do a thirteen pound belly would require 192 grams of cure.

Ok, I see now where you state the recipes are per pound of meat. I must have overlooked that and wanted to make sure you were using enough cure. Seems like you have it figured out. You will never buy bacon again once you taste your own homemade, so much better.

I'm watching this one. I love bacon.

Disco

My mistake...

gibsorz said:

That table is accurate, however you should note that it is for sausage only. The amount you use in sausage and on slab meat is different. *just saw your edit so ignore this paragraph*

My level is actually a little high, by about 1.4 grams per pound. The MTQ package says 15grams per 500 grams not a pound. That is my bad. But there is no safety concern really, it is only .014 grams more of nitrate/nitrite than recommended per pound of meat. So on my largest slab, only .07 grams too much.

Click to expand...

If you look at what the USDA says about bacon.... 200 Ppm maximum allowable ingoing nitrite for a dry rub.. AND nitrate is not allowed....

Soooooooooo.... USDA, by default, TQ is not allowed for bacon...

I was trying to avoid that...

On this forum, we stick to the USDA/FDA regs... You can cure with what ever you choose and use as much as you want... You can choose any countries regulations.... although, I would opt out of some food processing techniques from S.E. Asia....

You don't have to use cure... you can smoke without it... we aren't the food police.... we just try to advise folks as to what the Feds allow, when commercially producing foods for consumers.... You can leave your food on the kitchen counter for days... then cook it to 110 degs. over a 24 hour period if you choose...

Recipes that don't conform to the USDA/FDA regs. can be altered by admin, so as to not mislead newcomers...

So, if you choose to post recipes, that conform to Canadian Regulations, I suggest you Preface your recipes, threads stating such... and probably a disclaimer stating, "These recipes may not conform to food safety practices in your country"..

I regularly see and use recipes from books and the web.... I note where they do NOT conform to good safe practice and modify them to be safe.... whether it be a typo like tsp. to Tbs. or just a gross error.... As long as one knows how to safely use nitrites, that's the goal...

Dave (anal about food safety)

gibsorz said:

I'll do that in the future, thank you for the suggestion.

But it should be noted that just because the USDA allows it, doesn't mean it is safe and just because the USDA does not allow it, does not mean it is unsafe. Like you said it is a matter of knowing what is safe and what is not. Generally CFIA is more strict than American counterparts when comparing policies. I too would not use processing regulations from south east countries Asia, a matter of fact I would not use non North American ones. The food in Europe (that is from Europe), can take a lot more punishment on the safety side than our commercially produced meat.

Also Dave can you address the reasoning for no nitrates on pork, is what I said in my first paragraph more or less it? Or is there something else (so that I know for the future).

Furthermore, when on the USDA website, when they direct you to how to home cure bacon, they send you here

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G2528

"A cure mixture that performs well under home curing conditions consists of 7 pounds meat curing salt, 4 pounds sugar (white or brown) and 3 ounces of nitrate (saltpeter — optional). This cure produces a mild-flavored bacon."

As well as on amazingribs.com, they reference a person on the national pork board who states that commercial bacon uses prague #2 (~6% nitrite, ~4% nitrate). But they don't source their info, so can't say if that is accurate.

So as a result of the above, can you direct me to where the USDA prohibits the use of nitrate in curing bacon. I can see prohibition on using only nitrate, but from what I found on a 5 minute google search and USDA website, it doesn't say no nitrates.

Click to expand...

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...at-preparation/bacon-and-food-safety/CT_Index

Does bacon contain additives?
Yes. Bacon is made with salt as a curing agent, and nitrite (but not nitrate) is the other most frequently used additive. Bacon may also contain other additives such as sugars, maple sugar, wood smoke, flavorings, and spices. Pumped bacon (see above) must also contain either ascorbate or sodium erythorbate (isoascorbate), which greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines by accelerating the reaction of nitrite with the meat.


http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7620-3.pdf

Regardless of the curing method used, restricted ingredient calculations for bacon are based on
the green weight of the skinless belly. For rind-on bacon, e.g., where the skin is sold as part of
the finished product, a restricted ingredient conversion calculation is necessary. Nitrate is no
longer permitted in any curing method for bacon. Page 28.....


The are uses for nitrate in curing.... Long term "Dry aging" of meats "can use" nitrate... Nitrate needs bacteria to "change" to nitrite... these bacteria need temperatures of around 50 degrees to multiply and convert the nitrite.... THEREFORE, the methods described by the USDA/FDA of storing meats below 40 degrees while curing do not allow that conversion to happen... or something like that... don't quote me but that's the basic premise .....


http://hubpages.com/hub/Whats-the-D...a-Cure-2-Understanding-Which-You-Need-and-Why


What’s Insta Cure #2 Used For?

Insta Cure #2 is used for meat products that will be air dried and not cooked, such as dried salamis, pepperonis etc, and some air dried hams.

The reason a cure with the addition of sodium nitrate (Insta Cure #2) is used for such long curing products is because it breaks down very slowly over a period of time into sodium nitrite. In the words of the great sausage maker, Rytek Kutas, the sodium nitrate works like an extended release medication for meats that require very long curing times, like dry cured sausages



I'll tell you what..... curing meats is complex at best.... The rules seem to change every time you turn the page.... Except in this case, but not in this case.... at this temp but not that temp... 120 Ppm max in bacon.... 156 ppm max for sausage... 625 Ppm max when dry curing ..... skin on or skin off.... add 1/3 of the cure 3 times and rub into the meat over a week or so...


I'm getting old enough that some of this cr@p slips right on past the old brain cells... BUT... I do my best to try and follow it... I make mistakes.... LOVE to have them pointed out BECAUSE misinformation can be serious or worse.....


As a reminder.... at home, you can do anything you want... these are rules for commercial food processors in the U.S.of A.....

Please link the "New Updated Edition" Thanks

I'm going to say, the omission is probably due to some typist, editor that doesn't know the difference between nitrites and nitrates.. happen quite frequently in publications..... Some person hired as a temp. to do the 'menial" tasks in the office.... That my opinion...

As an aside, the primary uses for nitrate are still the same..... uncooked meats.....

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...at-preparation/bacon-and-food-safety/ct_index Last Modified Oct 29, 2013

Does bacon contain additives?
Yes. Bacon is made with salt as a curing agent, and nitrite (but not nitrate) is the other most frequently used additive. Bacon may also contain other additives such as sugars, maple sugar, wood smoke, flavorings, and spices. Pumped bacon (see above) must also contain either ascorbate or sodium erythorbate (isoascorbate), which greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines by accelerating the reaction of nitrite with the meat.



http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_meats.html

4.2. Bacon

Bacon is cured and/or smoked hog meat from the pig belly. Bacon produced at home, is typically dry-cured with salt, nitrites, sugar, and spices for a week or longer. Because of concern over N-nitrosamines, the use of nitrates for bacon curing is not allowed commercially (USDA FSIS 1997c). Home preparations, such as Morton Smoked-flavored sugar cure, contain nitrates and are recommended by the manufacturer for the use in bacon curing (Morton Salt Co.1996). Some ethnic bacon (Canadian bacon and Irish bacon) is made from leaner cuts. Pancetta is Italian bacon that is not smoked. Salt pork is salted pork belly fat.


http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_pres.html

6.2.3. Curing Compounds

Purchase commercially prepared cure mixes and follow instructions carefully (PHS/FDA 2001) or blend cure mixes carefully at home using an accurate scale.

Nitrate. Use cure mixtures that contain nitrate (e.g., Prague Powder 2, Insta-Cure 2) for dry-cured products that are not to be cooked, smoked, or refrigerated (PHS/FDA 2001). Dry cure using 3.5 oz. nitrate per 100 lbs. meat maximum or wet cure at a maximum of 700 ppm nitrates (9 CFR Cpt 3. 318.7(c)(4), 381.147(d)(4)).

Nitrite. Use cure mixtures that contain nitrite (e.g., Prague Powder 1, Insta-Cure 1) for all meats that require cooking, smoking, or canning (PHS/FDA 2001). Dry cure using 1 oz. nitrite per 100 lbs. meat maximum. For sausages use ¼ oz. per 100 lbs. (Reynolds and Schuler 1982). A 120 ppm concentration is usually sufficient and is the maximum allowed in bacon (PHS/FDA 2001).

Nitrites are toxic if used in quantities higher than recommended; therefore caution should be used in their storage and use (PHS/FDA 2001). About 1 g or 14mg/kg body weight sodium nitrite is a lethal dose to an adult human (USDA FSIS 1997b). Mistakenly using sodium nitrite instead of NaCl in typical curing recipes can lead to a lethal dose of nitrite in the incorrectly cured product (Borchert and Cassens 1998). For this reason it is safer to purchase and use curing mixtures rather than pure nitrites (saltpeter).


http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/119319/be-cautious-when-relying-on-info-on-the-usda-fsis-website

DiggingDogFarm

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4,353 Posts. Joined 6/2011
Location: Finger Lakes Region of New York State
Points: 104

This is a perfect example of why it's important to fully educate oneself.
The USDA can't be trusted to always dispense or relay safe and accurate information.
In the case of their Bacon and Food Safety webpage, under the question "Can Bacon Be Home Cured?" they provide a link to a page at Missouri Extension Service with bad information.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Bacon_and_Food_Safety/index.asp#5
The instructions say to cure bacon with "nitate" (saltpetre) and that the nitrate (saltpetre) in only optional.
This presents a couple of major problems, the USDA discourages the use of nitrate in bacon, it is, in fact, banned in all commercial bacon and when smoking bacon (there's no temperatures specified in the smoking instructions) cure should ALWAYS be used, it's not optional!!!!

Some scary stuff coming from what's supposed to be the "be all, end all" authority on such subjects!!!

Beware!!!



As stated earlier.... you can do as you wish..... I am delegating this discussion to others on this forum.....