Is it ready?

[hayskip]

It tastes great. Not very salty.I'm experimenting with Smoke. I have 6 slabs (25 lbs total) 1 I did with Apple 2 I did with hickory and 3 I haven't smoked yet. The first one I did after 8 days brine and you could hardly taste any salt. The next 2 I did at 9 days brined and the salt was better. A couple questions. Does pepper bring out the the salt flavor and does different woods make the seasonings stronger. I know the length of the brine process will.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Nothing you add brings out a Salt flavor. Saltiness is a function of how much used. 2% by Weight of meat you taste but not considered salty to most palates. 3% Salt is for the folks that like the taste and don't see a Cardiologist on a regular basis. Beyond 3% and many Soak in fresh water after a taste test. It would be hard to say what your commercial mix had. Most likely, somewhat less than 2% to appeal to a broad customer base. Mixes and making a Cure by weight means no over curing. Many of us go 7 days per inch plus a couple days for good measure...JJ

 

[hayskip]

Thanks JJ