It's my understanding that pink salt is necessary if you cold smoke because in cold smoking your temps are about 80 degrees F and if you do not use the pink salt you might get sick due to bacteria. The pink salt has the sodium nitrate that prevents the growth of bacteria. Some here actually go without the pink salt when cold smoking and think it's okay but the general consensus is that it's risky, therefore I'll stick to the pink salt when I cold smoke.
Here is the main question. I watched on the Food Network "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" and there was a chef who made his own bacon. He did not smoke the pork belly, cold or hot smoking. He did a dry cure without pink salt but he did put the pork belly in the oven for about 2 hours at 220 degrees F maybe then he took it out and sliced it and cooked up the slices to make cooked bacon. Guy loved the bacon of course. Well, most of us don't want to hot smoke or hot cook the pork belly because we don't want to render the fat but we want to cold smoke it then we slice it up and cook it in high temps. Seeing that he did not cold smoke it but threw it in the oven at 220 I think it was I take it that pink salt is not necessary because you don't risk getting sick from bacteria at that temp, it's like smoking ribs at 220, you don't put pink salt on the ribs because it's going at 220 not 80 therefore no bacterial growth.
This dry curred it in the refridge for I think 12 or 14 days but I take it since it's cold no bacterial growth, therefore no pink salt also.
I don't plan on doing this but I was just curious.
So does one need or not need pink salt if one puts the bacon in at 220 F? I'd think not but I am curious about what you guys say.
Thanks
Here is the main question. I watched on the Food Network "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" and there was a chef who made his own bacon. He did not smoke the pork belly, cold or hot smoking. He did a dry cure without pink salt but he did put the pork belly in the oven for about 2 hours at 220 degrees F maybe then he took it out and sliced it and cooked up the slices to make cooked bacon. Guy loved the bacon of course. Well, most of us don't want to hot smoke or hot cook the pork belly because we don't want to render the fat but we want to cold smoke it then we slice it up and cook it in high temps. Seeing that he did not cold smoke it but threw it in the oven at 220 I think it was I take it that pink salt is not necessary because you don't risk getting sick from bacteria at that temp, it's like smoking ribs at 220, you don't put pink salt on the ribs because it's going at 220 not 80 therefore no bacterial growth.
This dry curred it in the refridge for I think 12 or 14 days but I take it since it's cold no bacterial growth, therefore no pink salt also.
I don't plan on doing this but I was just curious.
So does one need or not need pink salt if one puts the bacon in at 220 F? I'd think not but I am curious about what you guys say.
Thanks