Second attempt at curing bacon

[Pit pixie]

thanks guys!

i have used the same mix i used before
https://www.homecuring.co.uk/collec...neral-purpose-curing-salt-for-cooked-products
this recommends using 25grams pre kg of meat, so i used 52 grams for my salt.
which i think is about 5 times less than what i used on the last lot so fingers crossed this time it will work a lot better.

i used about 60grams of brown sugar.

 

[SmokinEdge]

thanks guys!

i have used the same mix i used before
https://www.homecuring.co.uk/collec...neral-purpose-curing-salt-for-cooked-products
this recommends using 25grams pre kg of meat, so i used 52 grams for my salt.
which i think is about 5 times less than what i used on the last lot so fingers crossed this time it will work a lot better.

i used about 60grams of brown sugar.

From the link you posted, that cure mix is very much like European Peklosol curing salt, which also contains .6% nitrite. The maximum amount of Peklosol to be applied per Kg meat is 25g. This will net 150ppm nitrite, but will also net 2.5% salt. The minimum amount of Peklosol per Kg of meat is 12.5g this will net 75ppm nitrite and 1.25% salt by weight. So there is your range from maximum to minimum with the cure salt you are using.
Here is a table you can use for the Peklosol cure salt.

This is a table for both cure #1 (Top table) and European Peklosol (Bottom table) per 1 Kg of meat.

The picture of tables comes from the book “Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages” by Stanley and Adam Marianski. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in curing or preserving meats.

 

[Pit pixie]

i have had a look over the book and going to purchase, i think it will help massively in my curing journey thank you.
Once cured how many days can you air dry before you smoke?

 

[DougE]

Once cured how many days can you air dry before you smoke?

I usually let it sit on a rack in the fridge over night but I have gone a couple days if I couldn't smoke the next day as planned.

 

[SmokinEdge]

i have had a look over the book and going to purchase, i think it will help massively in my curing journey thank you.
Once cured how many days can you air dry before you smoke?

Yes the book will help with everything you are wanting to learn. That book is a gold standard of curing and preserving books.

As far as drying goes, about 24 hours on a rack in the fridge is all you need, but you can go much longer than that. I dry cure my bacon on wire racks in the refrigerator, no plastic bag, for about 12-14 days then smoke them. I want them to dry like a dry cured product should be. Drying reduces water weight thus concentrating the cure and meat flavors.

 

[Pit pixie]

So this is my belly so far I started the cure on Monday so it's day 5 or 6 now as it's Saturday.

I have a lot less liquid than last time, but I am using 5 times less salt so it makes sense there is less fuild.

I was thinking about curing for 14 days and then dry in the fridge for 7.

 

[Pit pixie]

Yes the book will help with everything you are wanting to learn. That book is a gold standard of curing and preserving books.

I have found this one on amazon

is it the same as the one you have shown above?

 

[Pit pixie]

Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages https://amzn.eu/d/1GRuqti
Sorry wrong linke above

 

[SmokinEdge]

Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages https://amzn.eu/d/1GRuqti
Sorry wrong linke above

The title looks right, but the link doesn’t work for me.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I was thinking about curing for 14 days and then dry in the fridge for 7.

That will work fine.

 

[Pit pixie]

ok so this was on sunday after 13 days curing, i am going to leave it another week before i smoke it.

no smell and it is really starting to firm up.

cannot wait

 

[tbern]

looking good!!

 

[Pit pixie]

Ok so decided to smoke the belly today. This is my fire so far and what I am using.
Charcoal to get it going then I'll be using the lump wood.
https://www.love-logs.

Going to give this 30 minutes to an hour to burn down so I get low smoking temp. Then going to pop on the belly.

 

[mr_whipple]

Nice. I did a belly last Saturday but was too lazy to post pics.

 

[Pit pixie]

I have tired this before but used to much salt in the curing g process so the end result was not great

 

[mr_whipple]

You gotta double check your math when you cure stuff. I always write down my numbers on a mini legal pad and double check the numbers on a calculator. I cross them off one by one when making my cure so i don't get distracted and double or miss anything.

 

[Pit pixie]

I used the cure manufacturer instructions this time so fingers crossed.
I have put her in the smoker now at appx 100°f......... we will see how it goes

 

[tbern]

looks good, will follow along to watch

 

[indaswamp]

I'm in for the finish...

 

[Pit pixie]

So I took the belly off after 4 hours, I got a cheep thermometer to chuck inside the chamber so could do this belly.
I think it did read right because at the 4 hour mark the fat started to render.
However it's turned out fairly well I think.

What do you think?


She is now resting in the fridge till tomorrow.