Pork Belly Plus I&G

[DougE]

Decided not to slice it all up today mostly because the process was rushed over my normal process. I’ll let the slabs rest another 5 days or so for flavor development, but I did slice some in squaring the slabs for slicing and we fry tested. One slab was my traditional cure dry rub the others were same but with I&G. We all agreed that with I&G was better although not life changing but very much better. Does taste a bit like dry aged bacon without the dry age process. Let’s just say it’s another layer of bacon flavor.
Keep in mind that this dry rub has sodium erythorbate added, so those that claim an instant cure acceleration with NaE are just wrong. The nitrite cures all the way through even with the erythorbate. It works folks and zero down side to it.

View attachment 672170

Sounds like a win win.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm not sure what you're saying with all the big words Edge, but it looks really really good.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[DougE]

I'm not sure what you're saying with all the big words Edge, but it looks really really good.

Point for sure
Chris

I+G = MSG on steroids .... it's a flavor enhancer, and a damn good one. What MSG wished it was. Sodium erythorbate is a form of vitamin C commonly used as a cure accelerator in cured sausages.

 

[DougE]

Erythotbate in sausage speeds the curing process by depleting the nitrite quickly allowing you to smoke sausages right after stuffing. Many of us still rest over night for flavor development. Even though it works that way, Eric still got bacon cured all the way through using it, which is interesting and raises more questions than answers of how it is working to still have enough nitrite to fully cure solid muscle in the time it takes to get the cure throughout the muscle.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Erythotbate in sausage speeds the curing process by depleting the nitrite quickly allowing you to smoke sausages right after stuffing. Many of us still rest over night for flavor development. Even though it works that way, Eric still got bacon cured all the way through using it, which is interesting and raises more questions than answers of how it is working to still have enough nitrite to fully cure solid muscle in the time it takes to get the cure throughout the muscle.

I’ve said before and will say again, sodium erythorbate is not an instantizer as far as nitrite reduction to nitric oxide. It is an accelerator.
These claims of using NaE and stuffing and straight to the smoker same day are actually the same results as not using NaE (erythorbate) and going straight to the smoker as far as appearance in sausage. It’s pink or red whatever you like to call it. Nitrite reduces very rapidly with high temperatures, above 160F. Sodium erythorbate is an absolute tool to be used in all curing to help reduce nitrite and help preserve the cured color and lessen fat rancidity over time in the freezer, it is a preservative.

And it works perfectly in dry rub meat curing. You can use it in brine curing as well.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm not sure what you're saying with all the big words Edge, but it looks really really good.

Point for sure
Chris

Chris, I would like to see a post of your creation of something like a BLT with avocado and bacon that you made. (Bacon) Life changing and you can smoke that bacon on the kettle. Beer pole as my witness.

 

[gmc2003]

Chris, I would like to see a post of your creation of something like a BLT with avocado and bacon that you made. (Bacon) Life changing and you can smoke that bacon on the kettle. Beer pole as my witness.

Thanks Edge, I've made bacon a couple of times(not recently), but I have made it. Both times they had a distinct hammy taste to them. My biggest problem with making bacon or anything involving cure is a lack of confidence in myself. I'm very prone to making stupid mistakes. I do have a smallish slab of belly in my freezer that I'm going to use for a third attempt. Third times a charm they say. I'll find out in the fall. As for the Avocado. I promised to try one by the end of summer, and I will. I'm a creature of habit, and don't like to stray too far off the beaten path.

Chris

 

[DougE]

Thanks Edge, I've made bacon a couple of times(not recently), but I have made it. Both times they had a distinct hammy taste to them. My biggest problem with making bacon or anything involving cure is a lack of confidence in myself. I'm very prone to making stupid mistakes. I do have a smallish slab of belly in my freezer that I'm going to use for a third attempt. Third times a charm they say. I'll find out in the fall. As for the Avocado. I promised to try one by the end of summer, and I will. I'm a creature of habit, and don't like to stray too far off the beaten path.

Chris

You're more than covered in making bacon, Chris. We got your back.

 

[gmc2003]

I know I can always count on you guys when I need help, and I appreciate it.

Chris

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yuppers thats nice right there.

A new smokehouse is in my future here.

 

[jcam222]

In for the ride to learn more about this I&G. I am a huge fan of MSG. I plan on adding something to my arsenal for cold smoking this year.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I know I can always count on you guys when I need help, and I appreciate it.

Chris

Always Chris.

Yuppers thats nice right there.

A new smokehouse is in my future here.

Love to see that happen Rick. Are you going to build with electric or gas?

In for the ride to learn more about this I&G. I am a huge fan of MSG. I plan on adding something to my arsenal for cold smoking this year.

Msg brings up the flavors like spices and such, but this I&G brings more of a meaty flavor to the top. Nothing life changing but it’s definitely there in a good way. It’s different in sausage than whole muscle for me but .25% is all around a good place to start. I like that percentage in sausage but think I would rather .15-.20% on bacon better. My wife loves the .25% in bacon but I’d rather throttle back for better balance. In all cases I adjust my salt percentage application down to allow for I&G as it is sodium after all and that seems to be working well. Pick some up and play with it. It’s good stuff.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I'm going to go with a small smoker (not huge like my one in PA) concrete floor with a drain. Thinking dual leg fired burner and removable kind of electric with PID.

Vented at the bottom for draw and top vent with damper. It's just going to be for sausage. Metal roof

 

[zwiller]

Both times they had a distinct hammy taste to them.

Same here. I think bacon has more salt and smoke on it than most recipes posted. I understand that it could be advantageous and healthier to use do that way but not for me. On the SE, it has really improved my curing results. Much better color and flavor IMO. Never got this deep of color without it. This is CB @ $1.50/lb. My fave cured fare now. Totally trying I&G on next run but will be some time before then.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I’m going to put some ham steaks down, I like them about 3” thick but this time they cut them about 1 1/2” to thin to inject so I’ll dry rub and do at least one with I&G maybe all three. I’ve got about 10 more so may even try my new injection tool on the next batch.

 

[SmokinEdge]

This is a 4# ham steak. Here is what I will do:

Salt) 1.05%
Sugar) .75%
Cure #1) .25%
Baking soda) .25%
I&G) .15%
NaE) .05% (erythorbate)

Because of my bacon experiment I’m cutting the I&G to .15%. I mix the cure, NaE, and I&G with .25% baking soda as a carrier to help bulk up some of these small amounts and give a more even coverage of things like erythorbate and I&G. I allow for the sodium in each addition so if my math is right I still end up with my usual all in sodium of 1.75%. This worked well in the bacon. These will go about 12-14 days.