Bacon turned slimy?

[theyankeesmoker]

so I have a 5 pound pork belly. Cured with a usual quarter cup salt sugar and two teaspoons of curing salt #2.

After two weeks it was not getting firm. Figured I'd take out of vac seal. Well it was slimy. But no smell. I rinsed it off and threw on another layer of cure.

Anyone have any experience like this?

 

[pops6927]

First of all, you have to use cure #1, not cure #2. You don't leave it in the cure long enough for the nitrates to convert to nitrites. Cure #2 is for curing 30 days to 2 years, cure #1 is for curing from 1 day to 30 days. Cure #1 only contains nitrites, cure #2 contains both nitrites and nitrates

 

[bregent]

In addition to what Pops has told you about using the wrong cure, you used about twice as much cure as needed initially. After 2 week all of that has been absorbed, and now you added 2 more tsps, bringing the total to about 4X the recommended amount - around 650PPM.

Pork bellies don't always firm up much after curing. I would rinse it off now, maybe even do some cold water soaking, and smoke - or consider tossing it and starting over.

I suggest buying a scale and using a cure calculator next time.

 

[theyankeesmoker]

In addition to what Pops has told you about using the wrong cure, you used about twice as much cure as needed initially. After 2 week all of that has been absorbed, and now you added 2 more tsps, bringing the total to about 4X the recommended amount - around 650PPM.

Pork bellies don't always firm up much after curing. I would rinse it off now, maybe even do some cold water soaking, and smoke - or consider tossing it and starting over.

I suggest buying a scale and using a cure calculator next time.

Thank you. Meant cure #1. It was the under 30 day one. Will soak and smoke and have some bacon for tomorrow :)

In the past when I have done Pancetta and bacon it has usually firmed up. What threw me off is usually with a slime there has been a smell. This time no smell.

 

[theyankeesmoker]

Eh no issues. Soaked and smoked today. I got distracted and it went up to 160 before being pulled out (given circumstances may not be the worst).

Thanks for the feedback