Mixing in more sugar or adding syrup to Mortan Tender Quick?

[dzlvs8]

well it was slightly fishy or sulfury, but not really strong or anything.  It was a little hard to tell what the smell was bcuz it wasn't that strong.   I could put my nose right up to the meat and could only faintly smell it.  So it wasn't pungent.  Thanks for the confidence boost.  

Last question for now, does anyone have a solution to curing 3/4" thick slabs and 2" slabs at the same time?  I know my 3/4" slabs will be done sooner.  Is just letting the thinner pieces cure for the same time that the thicker pieces to cure my best option?   and then soaking any extra/unwanted saltiness out?  Yeah, idk, but the variations in thickness of this slab is pretty extreme and kinda makes me mad.  I think the butcher is blind. Next time I will try someone else.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

As long as you used the recommended amount of cure, there's no way they can over-cure.
So curing them together isn't a problem, it's not uncommon to cure pieces of meat with varying thickness.
You can always pull the thin ones out early.



~Martin

 

[dzlvs8]

so, I'm really worried about this botulism thing. There's a slight chance that a lot of the MtQ came off and I didn't reads enough to the meat. I really don't want to throw away all this bacon because I'm probably worrying about nothing, but should I do anything? I am wondering if I should maybe just add some more salt (instead of adding too much more MtQ). I'm not sure if that would even help but I'm really wondering hoe much I would be at risk of botulism if I possibly lost too much mtq when applying it.

Sorry about all the questions but this has became a little bit of an unsettling process, since I'm making it for more people than myself.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

You're worrying too much and making it more difficult than it needs to be! :biggrin:
It'll be fine, don't add more salt, that's not going to accomplish anything.


~Martin

 

[gotarace]

You're worrying too much and making it more difficult than it needs to be!

It'll be fine, don't add more salt, that's not going to accomplish anything.
~Martin

X2 I understand your concern but you are going to worry yourself sick over a little lost tenderquick!!

 

[chef jimmyj]

STOP FREAKING OUT! While it is important to use the proper amount of cure. The manufacturers write their instuctions with a little wiggle room for error. The recommended amounts usually fall in the middle of the range between too little and too much. There is a highly respected Member that specifies in Her Bacon instructions to measure your MTQ and flavoring ingredients, mix well, rub the Bellies on both sides making sure to get the edges too...Then pick the belly up and Shake off any excess... Bag and refrigerate for 6-7 days...So you see a little falling off is NOT a need for concern...JJ

 

[dzlvs8]

 Ok.  My belly has been in the fridge for 8 days and its time to rinse, cook, and test a piece aaaaaannd I'm freakin out again. I was expecting there to be water in the bag from the process of the sodium nitrite drawing out the water from the meat.  I don't see any water in ANY of the four bags.  The meat maybe seems a little firmer than originally, but there is definitely not any water in any of the bags except the one that had syrup in it and that has a very watery looking substance in it (probably maple and water).  

So is something wrong?  I would like to know before I rinse these and taste them.  

FYI - I neaded them and fliped them everyday in the fridge and never saw a drop of water in the bags!  They were practically air tight.  

 

[diggingdogfarm]

There's nothing wrong, it's not uncommon for their not to be any residual liquid.


~Martin

 

[dzlvs8]

Oh ok.  I've just heard a lot of people talking about a ton of water coming out after the first day.        ....So, its the middle of the week.  Any suggestions on how to delay smoking until the weekend, since the cure is done?   Can I just rinse the slabs off and zip lock them back up in a brand new bag and hold off until saturday? (today is wednesday).

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I would leave them as is, in the fridge, there's an advantage to letting the salt equalize throughout the meat.
Then do test fry before smoking to test the saltiness, if you wish.

~Martin

 

[dzlvs8]

Duplicate Post

 

[dzlvs8]

Alright,  its been 15 minutes since I've ate some bacon and I'm not dead yet.    I've also had a bowl of wheaties.  Hopefully Wheaties cures Botulism.  

So here's what I'm afraid of now.  I've cured the belly.  I had four cuts in four separate bags.  One bag was maple cured and a portion of the meat is brown.  See the pics below.  One pic has the flash on and it almost looks like there is no brown on the meat in that pic, but there is.  The actual color is somewhere in the middle of the two extremes show in the pics.  So, can curing in maple do this?  This was the bag that became extremely watery.  I assume that was because of the maple.  I kneaded the bag and flipped it every day for 12 days (I know thats a little long).  I assume the liquid should have helped to spread out the MTQ better and it also seems odd that the middle of the meat is brown and not the ends, but this is the portion that probably had the least contact with MTQ since the meat sat in the zip lock bag directly on the shelf in the fridge.  Every other day, there probably wasn't a lot of MTQ making contact wit this area.

Should I toss this piece of meat?  This is the only piece that turned a shade of brown at all.  Its the only cut that I cured in maple, brown sugar, and MTQ.  Is it from the maple?  How fast will Botulism set in until my arms get numb and I cant call 911?

ITS ONLY ON THE PIECE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.  ITS IN THE CENTER OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER PORTIONS OF THE CUT.

DSC03255.jpg

• dzlvs8
• Aug 11, 2012

It's hard to see it in this pic with the flash on the camera but look closely.

DSC03259.jpg

• dzlvs8
• Aug 11, 2012

DSC03254.jpg

• dzlvs8
• Aug 11, 2012

 

[gotarace]

Your bacon looks normal to me...the different color is from air contact. Also the maple can cause a bit of color change.  I wouldn't hesitate one bit on eating that bacon after it is smoked.  I would form a pellicle on the bacon and get it in the smoker. The longer you wait... the longer it is before you start to enjoy your bacon!!!

 

[dzlvs8]

Thanks for the info.  It's "pectile'n" now.     So, I just tasted it a second time....well, I made a big ass BLT and its so delicious!  How much is cold smoking it with Hickory going to change the flavor of it?  It's delicious now.    Does anyone have any recommendations on how long to smoke for.  FYI - I dont use an AMPS.  I have my own rig and it makes TONS of smoke.  Any recommendations on how long people usually cold smoke theres?  I'd hate to ruin the bacon by over smoking it.  It already tastes great!

 

[gotarace]

I smoke my bacon for 24-32 hours with a true cold smoke or 12-16 hours if i apply a little heat { temps less than 120} It scares me when you say your smoke generator will produce tons of smoke...you never want white thick smoke coming from your smoker...you are going for thin blue wisps of smoke coming out of your exhaust. If you smell smoke your smoking. Use the search bar and read about thin blue smoke please...here is one example...http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110195/thin-blue-smoke

Hopes this helps...Len

 

[dzlvs8]

Yeah, I know about thin blue smoke.  It's just not what usually happens if I do a really long smoke.  So why the hell would you smoke it for 32 hours.  I cold smoke cheese (below 80 F, what I assume you mean to be "true cold smoke") and my cheese is more smokey than necessary.  I was thinking that I would have to smoke the bacon between 4 and 14 hours.  32? what are you smokin?!

 

[gotarace]

If you add heat...under 120* you can get awesome flavor in 8 hours of smoke...cold smoke some bacon for 4 hours and get back to me with the results...I'll be waiting.