Pickling Color

[charlesk]

First time making  some pickled pork butt, (top photo)  was wondering if anybody knows why my pork  never turned dark pink on the outside like the bottom picture below. Inside looks great but a little disappointed on the outside coloring 

IMG_0310.JPG

• charlesk
• Jan 20, 2014

sweet-pickled-cottage-roll.jpg

• charlesk
• Jan 20, 2014

 

[DanMcG]

Could you share more info on the process you used to Pickle? any cure in that Pickle.

 

[charlesk]

1 Gal of water

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp of # 1 (pink salt) cure per 5 lbs

4 tbsp. of pickling spice

Injected pork with brine then they sat in a pail covered in the mixture  for 4 days 

 

[woodcutter]

 
1 Gal of water

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp of # 1 (pink salt) cure per 5 lbs

4 tbsp. of pickling spice

Injected pork with brine then they sat in a pail covered in the mixture  for 4 days 

1 tsp or 1Tbs cure#1 ?

 

[foamheart]

I am not a guru, but what I have cured has not picked up the dark color until heat is applied. Either smoking, boiling, baking or Disco even wraps his in plastic wrap and steams I believe. The internal meat doesn't darken as much unless injected.

I have already been chastised once today over terminology....LOL But a pickle, a brine, and a cure are like a Mustang, Firebird, and Camero, they are all domestic sports cars but different. That is why I would not worry too much.

As thick as those butts are, I would think 4 days to be a short brine. But...... I are not a guru.  

Just my thoughts.

 

[charlesk]

woodcutter

1 tea spoon

 

[charlesk]

this brine is the same as I use for brining chicken except for the cure salt

I injected them very well before putting them in the brine the inside color is great just thought the outside should be a little darker

but if  that's the way it is so be it I can live with that

just wondering how the bottom pic of the pork got the outside colored  and mine didn't

 

[biteme7951]

All brine recipes I have found use 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water.

 

[Dutch]

I just receive my cure #1 from TSM and the instructions on the bag states 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat; 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water. So looking at your recipe, you're a couple of teaspoons short of cure #1. Back in the day when we smoked meats, we would pump stitch the ham, shoulders and bacon with the pickle brine and then return the meat to the brine barrel. shoulders and hams would soak in the brine for 5-7 days and the bacon would soak for 3-4 day before going into the smokehouse.

 

[woodcutter]

Here are recommendations from Pop's Brine which uses 1 Tbs of cure #1.

Curing times vary with meat, but generally overnight to 2-3 days for chickens and turkeys, 8-10 days buckboard bacon, 10-14 days belly bacon, pork shoulder, whole butts, 3-4 weeks whole hams, 10-20 days corned beef (fresh beef roasts, briskets, rolled rib roasts, etc.)   If whole muscle is more than 2" thick, then inject so it can cure i/o as well as o/i, and/or in and around bone structures, etc.

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

So your brine is too weak and it did not spend enough time curing. Try sending Pops6927 a PM and maybe he can help you safely get your butts on track again.

 

[daveomak]

this brine is the same as I use for brining chicken except for the cure salt
I injected them very well before putting them in the brine the inside color is great just thought the outside should be a little darker
but if  that's the way it is so be it I can live with that
just wondering how the bottom pic of the pork got the outside colored  and mine didn't

The 1 tsp. per pound of meat, is for dry brining, sausage etc..... when using a liquid brine, the weight of the water has to be considered...

You can't mix and match curing methods.....

 

[charlesk]

Thanks for the all the info, it was a great help