No InstaCure bacon

[swamp puppy]

well, i pretty much just tossed in the towel so to speak and ordered up some Cure #1. Picked up a really nice 5lb pork belly at a local meat shop today and i am just about ready to get it going!

 

[rw willy]

Excellent choice!

After reading MANY posts on the nuiance of "cure(ing)".  I have found that the best thing to do is to cure with a curing agent.  In 2 AD they used salt only, good for them.

As for keeping the meat below forty in salt for 10 days!  I have "lost" a pack of chops in the fridge for that long and would not have fed them to the devil!  I don't think salt only could have saved them.

Just because the meat is cold, doesn't mean it will last forever.  You have no idea how it was handled prior to your purchase.

You will love your cured bacon, good luck and enjoy.

 

[swamp puppy]

thanks.  the meat company i got this from is pretty well respected and i was referred there by a co-worker that runs a BBQ biz on the side.  great folks! i will be going back for sure.  Just waiting for the cure to arrive in the mail..which should be any day now.  I plan to have the bacon done this time next week!   Just burned in/seasoned the new smoker (it's still cooling now) and have a rack of ribs rubbed up for the maiden run here in a bit.

 

[bbally]

Also if you look up cure in the dictionary...

The definition in BLUE applies when you get the definition in RED WRONG..

1. 
   cure Verb    /kyo͝or/
   
   Synonyms:
   • verb: heal, remedy, treat
   • noun: remedy, treatment, medicine, healing, medication, drug, medicament, recovery
   1. 
      cured past tense;   cured past participle;   cures 3rd person singular present;   curing present participle
   2. 
      Relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition
      1. 
         he was cured of the disease
      2. 
         centuries of science have not cured us of our superstitions
   3. 
      Eliminate (a disease, condition, or injury) with medical treatment
      1. 
         this technology could be used to cure diabetes
   4. 
      Solve (a problem)
      1. 
         stopping foreign investment is no way to cure the fundamental problem
   5. 
      Preserve (meat, fish, tobacco, or an animal skin) by various methods such as salting, drying, or smoking
      1. 
         some farmers cured their own bacon
      2. 
         home-cured ham
   6. 
      Harden (rubber, plastic, concrete, etc.) after manufacture by a chemical process such as vulcanization
   7. 
      Undergo this process

Also number six can apply depending on how well they can cook food!!!