Homemade Bacon

[two much smoke]

I am confused and could use some help. Everything I read says that to make bacon I need to use praque powder number 2. Yet every recipe I see on here calls for praque powder number one. Can anyone explain that to me.

Also a lot of the recipes morton tender quick, how do I convert that to praque powder.

Thanks

 

[woodcutter]

You want cure #1 for most bacon. You determine by weight of the meat as how much cure is added. Tender quick has sodium in it and cure #1 does not so if you use a recipe for TQ the recipe normally won't ask for salt. Recipes with cure 1# require to add the salt separately. Personally I find TQ to have a good flavor but it is too salty for me. I choose to go the cure #1 route and add salt to my personal taste.

Here is a good thread

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/109696/bacon-cure-recipe

Here is a very good brine recipe

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine

 

[stovebolt]

   Cure #1 is a mixture of sodium nitrite and salt (1oz. to 1lb). Cure #2 includes sodium nitrate. You don't want sodium nitrate in your bacon. Do some searches on the subject in the forum and you will find many threads on the subject. Read a lot and learn all you can. Every thing I know about cures and curing I learned right here.

Chuck

 

[daveomak]

........

........    The FSIS, a gov. agency, does not allow nitrate in bacon when made commercially...