Do You Really Need Pink Salt If You Do Not Cold Smoke Your Bacon???

[gretscher]

It's my understanding that pink salt is necessary if you cold smoke because in cold smoking your temps are about 80 degrees F and if you do not use the pink salt you might get sick due to bacteria.  The pink salt has the sodium nitrate that prevents the growth of bacteria. Some here actually go without the pink salt when cold smoking and think it's okay but the general consensus is that it's risky, therefore I'll stick to the pink salt when I cold smoke.

Here is the main question. I watched on the Food Network "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" and there was a chef who made his own bacon. He did not smoke the pork belly, cold or hot smoking. He did a dry cure without pink salt but he did put the pork belly in the oven for about 2 hours at 220 degrees F maybe then he took it out and sliced it and cooked up the slices to make cooked bacon. Guy loved the bacon of course.  Well, most of us don't want to hot smoke or hot cook the pork belly because we don't want to render the fat but we want to cold smoke it then we slice it up and cook it in high temps.  Seeing that he did not cold smoke it but threw it in the oven at 220 I think it was I take it that pink salt is not necessary because you don't risk getting sick from bacteria at that temp, it's like smoking ribs at 220, you don't put pink salt on the ribs because it's going at 220 not 80 therefore no bacterial growth. 

This dry curred it in the refridge for I think 12 or 14 days but I take it since it's cold no bacterial growth, therefore no pink salt also.

I don't plan on doing this but I was just curious.

So does one need or not need pink salt if one puts the bacon in at 220 F? I'd think not but I am curious about what you guys say. 

Thanks

 

[DanMcG]

Without Pink salt you got salt pork. cure is what makes bacon bacon an hams ham.
Just my opinion

 

[mossymo]

I agree with Dan. Pork belly and side pork are just pork belly and side pork. Add cure to either of them and they are bacon. Dry cure with salt and you have salt pork.
 

 

[gretscher]

If I understand you, you are saying that if you add cure to even ham you get a bacon taste?

I agree with Dan. Pork belly and side pork are just pork belly and side pork. Add cure to either of them and they are bacon. Dry cure with salt and you have salt pork.
 

 

[mossymo]

I didn't say that. If you add cure to a pork roast you will then have ham; and if you add cure to a pork loin you will have canadian bacon. I suppose if you add cure to pork rib you will have either bacon or ham on a stick... That my opinion anyways!

 

[gretscher]

Thanks for the info.  Now I get it. 

I didn't say that. If you add cure to a pork roast you will then have ham; and if you add cure to a pork loin you will have canadian bacon. I suppose if you add cure to pork rib you will have either bacon or ham on a stick... That my opinion anyways!

 

[southernsausage]

yall keep this thread goin' now ya hear! im a learnin' sumpin'!!!....wherea nepas!?!?!??

 

[alblancher]

You are getting good advice from the two OTBS members that have replied to your question.  Just. because you see it on TV doesn't make it right or safe.  Pork belly has to be cured and smoked to become bacon. 

Gretsher, you said

 "Some here actually go without the pink salt when cold smoking and think it's okay but the general consensus is that it's risky, therefore I'll stick to the pink salt when I cold smoke"

Smart choice,  please never cold smoke a piece of pork belly in the danger zone for any length of time without using cure.  Remember that the smoker is a low oxygen environment and can be a breeding ground for all kinds of bad things. 

"This dry curred it in the refrigerator for I think 12 or 14 days but I take it since it's cold no bacterial growth, therefore no pink salt also"   

I'll bet the belly develops some pretty interesting smells.  I've made that mistake before. 

 

[pops6927]

Pink Salt is cheap.  Pink Salt is easy to get:  http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=237_12&products_id=56

A 1 lb bag lasts me a year or more.

It is 6.25% sodium nitrite (not 'nitrate') and 93.5% regular salt.  It has less nitrite than broccoli.

"NON Cured" products have celery juice in them.  Why? It's rich with Sodium Nitrite!  Either way, they are cured; its just a merchandising ploy.

 

[gretscher]

Oops, I mixed up nitrate with nitrite.  I have a big bag of this pink salt I bought at the Chinese grocery warehouse for cheap.  That's good to know it has less than broccoli. I am fine using it but was curious if you need it or not.  I have to watch that Diners show again and see if they did or did not put any pink salt in.  I recall they did not but I could be wrong so I must watch again.

Thanks

Pink Salt is cheap.  Pink Salt is easy to get:  http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=237_12&products_id=56

A 1 lb bag lasts me a year or more.

It is 6.25% sodium nitrite (not 'nitrate') and 93.5% regular salt.  It has less nitrite than broccoli.

"NON Cured" products have celery juice in them.  Why? It's rich with Sodium Nitrite!  Either way, they are cured; its just a merchandising ploy.

 

[pops6927]

[h2]Smoking Without Nitrates[/h2]
For those who smoke meats without cures, it will be advisable to smoke them at temperatures well above the danger zone (>160° F, 72° C). Such a product will not be pink but will exhibit a typical grayish color of cooked meat. Adding cure to meats that will be smoked brings many benefits (explained later), one of them is preventing the danger of contracting food poisoning, known as botulism. Barbecued meats are smoked at much higher temperatures which eliminates the danger of Clostridium botulinum  producing toxins.

Those who insist on smoking meats without nitrates, should be aware that the internal meat temperature trails the temperature of the smokehouse by about 25° F and to be on the outside of the danger zone (40°-140°) the smoking must be performed at temperatures higher than 170° F (77° C) which in our opinion becomes cooking with smoke. Clostridium botulinum bacteria need moisture, warm temperatures and the absence of oxygen. These are prevalent conditions in a small self contained smoker, where incoming air is kept at minimum in order for the sawdust to smolder and not to burst into the flames. A large outside smokehouse with a separate fire pit is at a smaller risk as there is an ample flow of fresh air that enters smoking chamber together with the smoke. Using dry wood increases safety as less moisture will be created.

Copyright [emoji]169[/emoji] 2012 Wedliny Domowe

 

[fpnmf]

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts

 

[mossymo]

I just watched that episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They used no pink salt, it looked like regular table salt. Then they Saran Wrapped the pork belly and said it would be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. When they were mixing and applying their dry rub they should have said "Don't try this at home"!

I'm sure with the amount of salt they used and for how many times they have made it this way it is safe, but I don't understand why a restaurant like this wouldn't use a cure (pink salt) in their dry rub. I would sure think they would get a much better refrigerated shelf life for their bacon compared to using table salt...

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Did they definitely say that there was NO nitrite added to the bacon?
Not all cures containing nitrite or nitrate are pink.


~Martin

 

[DanMcG]

I never saw the show but did they show the bacon after it was cooked?
If it had the red color of bacon then it had cure in it. If it was gray like a fried pork chop then it didn't.

 

[alblancher]

I have seen the show several times and the never mentioned cure.  Just salt and spices. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

 I just watched this...The Chef did not use Cure only Salt and Spices and said he let's them go in the refer 5-7 days. This is no problem with sufficient salt and he really coated the belly well.  Next he COOKED the Belly for 2 hours at 220*F. In 2 hours it would have easily gotten above 165*F so it is Fully Cooked. The Belly was then chilled, sliced and cooked again to crisp it...SO...To answer Gretscher's question...YES, if you COOK or SMOKE the belly at at 225*F or higher you DO NOT need to add Pink Salt. If you chose to not use Pink Salt and simply Cook the Belly, like on DDD, it will just taste like Salty Roast Pork. If the Belly is Hot Smoked it will be closer to Cured Bacon but will not have the Red color and will have a taste similar to smoked Pulled Pork. Hope this clears things up for you...JJ

 

[diesel]

Yep.. everyone has covered this.  When I make bacon I always save a half of a belly and leave out the pink salt.  I like "pork belly".  We cut it in 1 inch cubes.  Rub down with brown sugar and bake in oven.  Serve it over rice and it is really good.  But, like everyone says, if there is no pink salt then it is just pork belly.

I have also found that the chefs on DDD don't always tell the whole recipe.  They tend to leave out important aspects sometimes. 

 

[southernsausage]

So where's the best place to get pink-salt in small quantities?

 

[alblancher]

The Sausage Maker is a supporter of the site and they should have what you need.  The stuff will last forever if you keep it dry.