CB Help!

[gooden123]

Hello,
I followed Bearcarver's step by step on CB. Cured for 8 days (2 1/2" at the thickest). I cut a section from the thickest in the center, color was perfectly even, fried and it was outstanding. So I smoked as per bearcarvers method to a "T" with an MES30/mailbox mod. The section of loin that I took the slice out of looked like the cure didn't get to the center on the cut sides, but I cut a 3/8" hunk off and it looks fine. Cut the other loins in half and they also look cured to the center. So it's only the exterior of my cut before smoking. Any ideas? Thank you! -Chris

P.s. the pictures are the same 3/8" slice side A and side B. Side A was the cut exposed to the smoke. B is the interior and how the rest of the batch looks throughout

 

[Steve H]

I would have gone longer on the cure. Quarter inch a day. Then I add 2 days to be sure.

 

[Bearcarver]

This is what my Step by Step says on the one I did that was 2 1/2" thick:
My thickest piece was 2 1/2 inches. There are 5 "Half inches" in 2 1/2".
So that would be 5 Days plus 2 days = 7 days minimum curing time.
Then I always add 2 or 3 days to that, so I planned on curing this stuff for 10 days.

However None of that looks like it didn't get cured to center.
That dark surface around the perimeter of the one side looks like CB gets from being exposed to a number of hours of Heat & Smoke. All of the outside of the whole loin should have some of that color.

Bear

 

[gooden123]

Thanks fellas I really couldn't go longer on the cure and I think you're right Bear. must have had something to do with the smoke. I rubbed all sides and flipped every 12ish hours. The bottom of the slice doesn't have that "ring" so I don't think it could be cure unevenness. Probably fine, resting in the fridge wrapped up and I'll slice tomorrow

 

[SmokinAl]

Did you use the right amount of cure?
I have never seen CB that wasn’t pink or red all the way to the center.
When I do CB I use POP’s brine & inject the brine into the loin.
That is really the only time I don’t do a dry cure.
It won’t be unsafe to eat, but it won’t taste like CB, more like salted pork.
Al

 

[Brokenhandle]

Looks like some good eating! I need to make more, think I'm about out.

Nice job
Ryan

 

[HalfSmoked]

I have to agree and as Bear stated doesn't look like it was cured long enough.

Warren