I've just finished curing a pork belly. I loosely followed the system covered in this video.
Which I think is basically the excess salt method. Change the salt-sugar cure daily for 5 days. Then hang.
I cut the belly into four and cured it with:
I will hot smoke it, but thought I'd tried the intermediate result after hanging. They're all edible but a bit too salty (not a huge amount of difference between the different salts in case you were wondering).
I'd like to know how I could make it less salty, logic dictates that I should cure it for less time - but I am not sure at what point the bacon is actually "cured" and safe to keep without spoiling. If I did it for 4 days, is that still going to be safe to keep for a long time. What about 3 or 2?
I did weigh the pork belly before, during and after curing. Is there a certain moisture loss after which it is considered "cured"?
Thanks in advance
Which I think is basically the excess salt method. Change the salt-sugar cure daily for 5 days. Then hang.
I cut the belly into four and cured it with:
- 1:1 sea salt (fine), sugar (+pepper)
- 2:1 sea salt (fine), sugar (+pepper)
- 2:1 sea salt (coarse), sugar (+pepper)
- 2:1 sea salt (pink himalayan), sugar (+pepper)
I will hot smoke it, but thought I'd tried the intermediate result after hanging. They're all edible but a bit too salty (not a huge amount of difference between the different salts in case you were wondering).
I'd like to know how I could make it less salty, logic dictates that I should cure it for less time - but I am not sure at what point the bacon is actually "cured" and safe to keep without spoiling. If I did it for 4 days, is that still going to be safe to keep for a long time. What about 3 or 2?
I did weigh the pork belly before, during and after curing. Is there a certain moisture loss after which it is considered "cured"?
Thanks in advance
