First BBB & using cure #1

[buzzy]

I bought a small piece of boston butt so if something goes wrong not much invested. Started out at 3.42# (1.55kilo). Trimmed off fat cap & deboned. Then I cut in half length wise. First piece weighed 708 grams. To that I rubbed 1.8 gr cure #1, 9 gr salt & 7.1 gr brown sugar. Rounded everything up because scale doesn't do 100th. Second piece was 702 gr. Used 1.8 gr cure #1, 8.9 gr salt & 7.1 brown sugar. I went with 1.5% salt on both. What I'm have trouble with in my head is the little amount of cure used. I've always used TQ. The amount needed for both pieces is a little over 1.5 Tbs. So for those of you that have cure 1 knowledge are my numbers right?
Put each piece in its own bag. Will be flipping daily for 13 days. Rinse then overnight in frig. Using that number of days because of work schedule.
Thank you all in advance.

 

[TNJAKE]

Yep the math is good. Now you got a wait ahead of you lol. I have a brisket flat dry curing for beef bacon and I'm on day 8. Killing me. 6 days to go.

 

[buzzy]

TNJAKE
Thank you
I know what u mean about the wait but have plenty to do in the smoker. Smoking a batch of venison dry beef I got up extra early to get going today & another batch to do on Monday. Plus have a go of souse in crockpot going today. I really have trouble with the wait after it’s smoke an sitting in frig for a few days mellowIng. End up sampling some before done. It’s mine so I figure I’m allowed to.

 

[TNJAKE]

TNJAKE
Thank you
I know what u mean about the wait but have plenty to do in the smoker. Smoking a batch of venison dry beef I got up extra early to get going today & another batch to do on Monday. I really have trouble with the wait after it’s smoke an sitting in frig for a few days mellowIng. End up sampling some before done. It’s mine so I figure I’m allowed to.

No problem bud. Please post a thread on the dried venison when it's ready. I have some venison and want to do the same

 

[SmokinEdge]

I bought a small piece of boston butt so if something goes wrong not much invested. Started out at 3.42# (1.55kilo). Trimmed off fat cap & deboned. Then I cut in half length wise. First piece weighed 708 grams. To that I rubbed 1.8 gr cure #1, 9 gr salt & 7.1 gr brown sugar. Rounded everything up because scale doesn't do 100th. Second piece was 702 gr. Used 1.8 gr cure #1, 8.9 gr salt & 7.1 brown sugar. I went with 1.5% salt on both. What I'm have trouble with in my head is the little amount of cure used. I've always used TQ. The amount needed for both pieces is a little over 1.5 Tbs. So for those of you that have cure 1 knowledge are my numbers right?
Put each piece in its own bag. Will be flipping daily for 13 days. Rinse then overnight in frig. Using that number of days because of work schedule.
Thank you all in advance.

The cure #1 number is good. The salt for 1.5% should be closer to 10g but you are awfully close. And now we wait……..

 

[chopsaw]

Gonna be good . Yup . I's a bit confusing switching between TQ and cure 1 .
I use both . It doesn't have to be spot on perfect . You're all over it .

 

[buzzy]

No problem bud. Please post a thread on the dried venison when it's ready. I have some venison and want to do the same

Sure can. I've been using Bearcarver recipe for years an never looked back or for another recipe. It turns out so good.

 

[buzzy]

Gonna be good . Yup . I's a bit confusing switching between TQ and cure 1 .

That is a understate for me yesterday. Kept thinking did I put the decimal point in right place? Did I use the % at the right time? Double checking myself. A lot of double takes on the notes. Plus a few scribbles. 1.8 grams compared to 1.5Tbs.(22.5 grams) A lot of second guessing going on yesterday but now I got one done & it is correct I will feel more comfortable from here on out.

 

[chopsaw]

Yeah , I know . I like to learn different ways too . First time I used cure one on a small brisket flat , the amount of cure was so small it does make you wonder .
Key thing is you ask , but also do it on your end . That's how you learn what works for you , and what's safe .
I do like the TQ though . Used correctly it makes great products .
I'll be watching .

 

[mneeley490]

I've always used this cure calculator; it's never lead me astray.

DiggingDogFarm

 

[TNJAKE]

I've always used this cure calculator; it's never lead me astray.

DiggingDogFarm

Same here and even if you do your own math it's a great way to check your work

 

[thirdeye]

Trimmed off fat cap & deboned. Then I cut in half length wise

Dividing a pork butt and slicing direction (for serving) on a pork butt when making BBB or a ham is not super critical but one thing to consider is the number of individual muscles in a pork butt. I like the slices to contain as many of the muscles as possible because some are not as good as others, and this way each slice contains good, better and best muscles.

That is a understate for me yesterday. Kept thinking did I put the decimal point in right place? Did I use the % at the right time? Double checking myself. A lot of double takes on the notes. Plus a few scribbles. 1.8 grams compared to 1.5Tbs.(22.5 grams) A lot of second guessing going on yesterday but now I got one done & it is correct I will feel more comfortable from here on out.

This is to be expected when you use two methods to get a similar result. Throw brine curing, or corning into the mix and you have more variables. There is so much skewed curing information online and in some cookbooks, it pays to do a little research, and take the time to accurately measure. The good news is.... pretty soon the numbers tend to repeat themselves because many people sort of stick to similar meat size/weights.

 

[Sven Svensson]

I just did my first BBB and I was uneasy about the process. I used a different method for 10 years but could never get the salt level dialed in. So after lurking on this site forever I finally jumped in and was coached on this new method. The cure level didn't seem right to me, either. It was the best bacon I've ever made. Salt level was perfect. And trust them when they say you don't need to rinse it after the cure and before the smoke.

 

[SmokinEdge]

The cure #1 number is good. The salt for 1.5% should be closer to 10g but you are awfully close. And now we wait……..

Just to be technical for those who may not know. The salt and cure #1 amounts that buzzy posted for 1.5% salt are in fact 1.5% total salt including the salt from the cure #1. When using the cure calculator and you plug in your salt percentage the calculator takes into account the salt in the cure. So in this case the salt amount is 1.25% and the cure #1 is 0.25% together totaling 1.5% salts.
Most of us who figure our own math will, as example, figure 1.5% salt then we figure our cure at 0.25% making our total salt 1.75%. If we wanted total salt of say 2% we have to figure our salt at 1.75% and add our cure at 0.25% to give us the 2% all in salt, where the calculator does this automatically.

 

[TNJAKE]

Dividing a pork butt and slicing direction (for serving) on a pork butt when making BBB or a ham is not super critical but one thing to consider is the number of individual muscles in a pork butt. I like the slices to contain as many of the muscles as possible because some are not as good as others, and this way each slice contains good, better and best muscles.
View attachment 526047


This is to be expected when you use two methods to get a similar result. Throw brine curing, or corning into the mix and you have more variables. There is so much skewed curing information online and in some cookbooks, it pays to do a little research, and take the time to accurately measure. The good news is.... pretty soon the numbers tend to repeat themselves because many people sort of stick to similar meat size/weights.

Nice job on those slices and something I'll keep in mind when I give BBB a try

 

[thirdeye]

Nice job on those slices and something I'll keep in mind when I give BBB a try

Thanks. It's the same slicing direction as a pork steak. So... the blade bone is at the bottom of a butt, and the Money Muscle is at the top. Slicing from the bone end to the MM end are the slices I like. Here is one more view, the bone was on the left end, and you can see the MM and the tube muscles on the right end.

 

[chopsaw]

Same here and even if you do your own math it's a great way to check your work

Yes sir . Asking a question and getting an answer is one part of it . Then checking it by doing the math is how you learn .