Cure ingredient update

[wade]

 
Right - Back to the task in hand. Commercial cure firmly pushed to the back of the cupboard. This weekend I an putting the last batch of bacon into the smoker and have bought another 6.5 Kg (14.3 Pounds) of bacon to start the next cure, This batch consists of 3 Kg belly pork (streaky bacon) and 3.5 Kg pork loin (back bacon). I am going to split each batch into 3 and vary the salt content of each cure. Two of each batch will be 2.5% salt and the other will be 2%.

Final update on this thread I think

The 2.5% and 2% salt were finished over the weekend and so the blind tasting began. Chef friends as the guinea pigs again. 

From left to right 3%, 4% salt (with 180 Ppm Nitrite) and 5% salt with 220 Ppm Nitrite. The 3% and 4% are my own cures but the 5% is a commercial bought cure used as directed!

Bacon.jpg

• wade
• Dec 15, 2014

From left to right 2.5% and 2% salt - my own cure.

Bacon batch 2.jpg

• wade
• Dec 23, 2014

The results of the blind tasting were:

• 5% salt (commercial cure) - far too salty to eat as bacon. The general opinion though was that it would be good as lardons.
• 4% salt - Was favoured by one person although most found it too salty.
• 3% and 2.5% salt - These were the preferred cures with most giving them equal weightings.
• 2% salt - This was liked by all however it was thought to have a less "rounded" bacon flavour. 

An interesting exercise that I found very worthwhile, and based upon these tests my future batches will standardise on 2.5% salt. They are not only one of the healthier cures (from a salt perspective), but it was also the one that I personally preferred.

It was also somewhat of a surprise to discover exactly what was in the commercial cure and I have learned from this not to assume that the supplier recommendations should be followed without question.

 

[kc5tpy]

Thanks Wade.  This one will be saved for future reference.

Danny

 

[briankinlaw]

Wade you made a believer out of me... I am currently smoking my 50lbs of bacon now(brine cured) but I had some dry curing at the rate of salt you suggested  I use a cure with 1.0% nitirte.  I smoked it two days... It tasted(yes tasted... it all gone now) Great.  You said  20grams of cure per kilo would produce 2% salt... I'm Happy with the results.  Thanks..