Curing times differing WILDLY online vs what I've learned...

[SherryT]

I COMPLETELY understand there's not just "one" way to do everything, but some of the instructions I've been running across online/videos SEEMS to fly DIRECTLY in the face of what I learned when I first got into curing/smoking meat.

Example, when looking for info on curing ham a couple of weeks ago, I found a LOT of quite prominent YT cook/chefs/bbq'ers that will tell you to add ALL the ingredients to a brine, INCLUDING the curing salts, and THEN bring to a boil, but what "I" was taught was to add the curing salts AFTER boiling and AFTER the brine has cooled because the high heat can essentially destroy the cure.

Another example are curing TIMES. I've used Pop's brine quite a bit and, IIRC, the cure penetrates about 1/2" a day from both sides...ex, a 4" thick piece of meat would need 8 days to cure and then a couple of days extra just to be safe and that you should always inject part of the brine if the meat is thicker than 4". What I'm reading recently is to go by the WEIGHT of the meat and not the thickness of the meat, but that would demand that all meats have the same density/weight/texture/water&fat content, etc...I'm no expert, but I just cannot accept that as accurate.

In any event, almost all of what I've learned has been from this forum and as I'm still alive and kicking , I'm going to stick to what I KNOW has been safe in my experience.

As you were...

 

[tallbm]

I COMPLETELY understand there's not just "one" way to do everything, but some of the instructions I've been running across online/videos SEEMS to fly DIRECTLY in the face of what I learned when I first got into curing/smoking meat.

Example, when looking for info on curing ham a couple of weeks ago, I found a LOT of quite prominent YT cook/chefs/bbq'ers that will tell you to add ALL the ingredients to a bring, INCLUDING the curing salts, and THEN bring to a boil, but what "I" was taught was to add the curing salts AFTER boiling and AFTER the brine has cooled because the high heat can essentially destroy the cure.

Another example are curing TIMES. I've used Pop's brine quite a bit and, IIRC, the cure penetrates about 1/2" a day from both sides...ex, a 4" thick piece of meat would need 8 days to cure and then a couple of days extra just to be safe and that you should always inject part of the brine if the meat is thicker than 4". What I'm reading recently is to go by the WEIGHT of the meat and not the thickness of the meat, but that would demand that all meats have the same density/weight/texture/water&fat content, etc...I'm no expert, but I just cannot accept that as accurate.

In any event, almost all of what I've learned has been from this forum and as I'm still alive and kicking , I'm going to stick to what I KNOW has been safe in my experience.

As you were...

Yeah this site and it's people are the best source of curing and cooking info I've found anywhere online.

The youtube videos and all those online recipe blog posts are off a good bit or completely wrong like 90% of the time. When it comes to safety, it is best to do what is sure to work.
You know what you are doing :D

 

[processhead]

I think you are on solid ground with the methods you are currently using.

Regarding using the weight of a piece of meat as a guide to curing time.
Consider that using a dry rub cure on a 10 lb pork belly will fully penetrate and fully cure in less time than the same cure on a 10 lb pork butt. Cure penetration rate is more about thickness than weight.

Of course, if you are stitch pumping the piece of meat, those rules for dry curing don't apply since you are taking the cure directly to the interior and there is much less time required for full penetration through out the meat.

The only reason to boil the water is to ensure it is sterile and not introducing any bacteria into the meat. I'm with you on keeping the rest of the ingredient out of the water until it has at least partially cooled. Then refrigerate and inject or use as a cover brine after it is ice-cold.

Its true that dry ingredients will dissolve faster in hot water, but normal brine ingredient s will dissolve in cold or cool water just fine.

 

[SmokinEdge]

One thing about this subject, we here at SMF are not YT jockeys, we have nothing to prove, and are only passing information that works. Some is generations old and some more scientific with modern applications. But even though we technically are on the “web” we are really not internet information. This is more like talking to someone who knows how to do it successfully every time and is willing to pass that information.

I don’t think SMF has a YT channel, and for good reason.