Equilibrium Cure Open Question ~ Proper Amount of Cure #1 in a Wet Curing Brine

[thirdeye]

I looked at all the methods for curing whole muscle meats over the years and decided I wanted to be sure of the nitrite, and other ingredients, concentration inside what I was curing, and I wanted it to be uniform... Not relying on "migration" of the ingredients for uniformity is why I developed my home method of "stitch" pumping...
With all humility, and a bit of S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess), I think I hit the mark pretty close..
I still use the recipe today...
I get a certain amount of pleasure from those folk that "praise" it's use.. Thank you.. I do need to crack a small smile periodically... That's what it's all about... Helping others on this forum...

Dave

Have you done any "stitch" pumping experimentation with corning beef roasts? Specifically with the base liquid itself? When I've used a combination cover brine & injection, I simmer my brine the day before, then chill overnight and add Cure #1. But eliminating the cover brine is something to think about.

Would a good starting place be to substitute the same amount of a pickling spice brine (broth) in place of the vegetable broth...., and keep the AmesPhos, salt, sugar, and Cure #1 the same?

 

[daveomak]

Have you done any "stitch" pumping experimentation with corning beef roasts? Specifically with the base liquid itself? When I've used a combination cover brine & injection, I simmer my brine the day before, then chill overnight and add Cure #1. But eliminating the cover brine is something to think about.

Would a good starting place be to substitute the same amount of a pickling spice brine (broth) in place of the vegetable broth...., and keep the AmesPhos, salt, sugar, and Cure #1 the same?

What a great idea !!! I have a "corned beef" in the freezer now... When the ambition strikes, I will try it...

 

[thirdeye]

What a great idea !!! I have a "corned beef" in the freezer now... When the ambition strikes, I will try it...

Dialing in the flavor of the corning broth will be the hard part. Most corning brines have some or all of these: salt, pepper (white, black red),garlic, crushed bay leaves, allspice, mustard seeds (yellow and brown), cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander, allspice, dill and nutmeg.

We buy pickling spice from Penzey's and they sent a free sample of their Corned Beef seasoning. The ingredients are the same, but they are in a slightly different order, for example coriander appears earlier on the Corned Beef seasoning.

For the injectable brine/broth I'm wondering about starting with pickling spice since that mixture is already proven to be popular, then bumping the amount of several things from the list I really want to stand out. Garlic and coriander would be two examples especially if I was going to use the corned beef for pastrami. Once the brine/broth is simmering it would be easy enough to make adjustments. Water would be the logical liquid, but would it be out of line to use a mild beef stock or Au jus base?

 

[daveomak]

I'm thinking "Beer" for a base liquid....
An American lager... Not too much of an overpowering flavor profile.....

 

[thirdeye]

I'm thinking "Beer" for a base liquid....
An American lager... Not too much of an overpowering flavor profile.....

I'm liking this thinking.

Apparently the alcohol in beer is an acceptable ingredient. An NCHFP reference:
2.4. Combination Curing
Some current recipes for curing have vinegar, citrus juice, or alcohol as ingredients for flavor. Addition of these chemicals in sufficient quantities can contribute to the preservation of the food being cured.

2.5. Flavor of Cured Meats
Besides preservation, the process of curing introduces both a desired flavor and color. Cured meat flavor is thought to be a composite result of the flavors of the curing agents and those developed by bacterial and enzymatic action.