Morton tender quick

[smokin pop-pop]

Just got my pork belly going. I quartered it and ended up with 3.10,2.65,
3.20,and 3.10 . Put roughly 3 to 3/12 tbsp . of TQ on each piece and 2 tbsp
of brown sugar on each piece. My ? Is can you put too much TQ on a piece
of belly. I have read here about getting really precise measurements when
making a brine with cure #1 do you need to get that exact with TQ.

 

[daveomak]

No you don't need to be that exact with TQ...
TQ has 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate...
Cure#1 has 6.25% nitrite...
6.25/0.5 = 12.5 X's the salt in TQ for the same amount of nitrite
Cure#1 adds ~0.25% salt to the meat....
TQ adds 12.5 X 0.25 = ~3% salt to the meat for the same amount of nitrite...

Do not add extra salt to the meat when using TQ...
Folks usually add ~ +/- 1.75% salt when using cure#1...