Way "over cured"

[donr]

How long can I dry brine pork loins and still have them be good?

I have some pork loins dry drined with TQ, vacuum packed and in a commercial walk in refrigerator that is 40°f. They have been flipped over about every 3 days.
Through a series of events, they have been in there for about 9 weeks.

I am prepared to throw them out & start over, but wanted to double check to see what everyone else thinks.

Thanks

Don

 

[SonnyE]

9 weeks... Isn't that about half-way to being mummified?

I wouldn't give up so easily. I'd at least try smelling it. Maybe cooking a small amount for a taste test.
If a dog turns it down, that's a sure sign to stay away.
Probably salty.

If you do a taste test and survive, you can always throw it away.
If you do a taste test and do not survive, you won't need to throw it away.

 

[dernektambura]

If it's vacuum packed, with at least 20 grams of salt per kg and cured with cure # 2 its still ok....it was just bathing in its own juices a bit to long... run it in ice cold water for 12 hour to de-saline and smoke it... I wouldn't throw it out...

 

[Fueling Around]

What did you decide?

I wasn't familiar with Tender Quick as I use #1 pink salt for my cures.
I went to the Morton website to learn more.
TQ is a hybrid cross between #1 and #2 as it contains both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate as well as sugar and antifreeze. I didn't find the % of nitrites and nitrates.

What amount of TQ did you use versus poundage of muscle meat?

The reason I ask is that excess amounts of sodium nitrite is toxic.

-John

 

[daveomak]

TQ is 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate... ~99 salt with some sugar amount I'm not familiar with..

I think I'd 86 the meat... 9 weeks, I don't know about that...

 

[chopsaw]

9 weeks 20 days ago .

 

[weedeater]

Yea this is an older thread. Counting back the “about 9 weeks” that would mean it went in the refer the week before Christmas. Hope it got 86’d.

Weedeater

 

[Fueling Around]

TQ is 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate... ~99 salt with some sugar amount I'm not familiar with..

I think I'd 86 the meat... 9 weeks, I don't know about that...

Thanks Dave. Equal % of nitrite and nitrate is definitely a hybrid of the traditional "pinks".
Don't know why they call it a quick cure as #1 has more nitrite, but no nitrate for a short term cure. Then we have #2 with also more nitrite than TQ and much less nitrate, that is intended for very long cures as it takes months to convert into nitrite.

I'll stay with #1 or #2 and avoid TQ. I know base point for my for those cures.

 

[daveomak]

Here's the deal with Tender Quick.... Read the directions.... I don't know of anyone that follows TQ's directions... or I missed something which is possible..

1 TBS. ~=15 grams... at 0.5% nitrite, that's .075 grams nitrite per pound...
There are 3 tsp. in 1 TBS...
For 5#'s of meat, that's 5 TBS. of TQ that need to be added...
5 TBS @ 0.075 grams /TBS = 0.375 grams nitrite / 5#'s.. = ~165 Ppm nitrite added to the meat.. and ~3% salt...

..

 

[chopsaw]

Misused by many that's a fact . The directions are mis leading for one thing . The amount on the bag is for whole muscle meat . People use that amount for sausage and it should be half that . Don't say that on the bag .
Then you search , and all kinds of wrong amounts / bad advice can be found .

 

[donr]

We did end up pitching the meat.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Good call Donr. Glad no one tried to eat it and got sick.

 

[Bearcarver]

Misused by many that's a fact . The directions are mis leading for one thing . The amount on the bag is for whole muscle meat . People use that amount for sausage and it should be half that . Don't say that on the bag .
Then you search , and all kinds of wrong amounts / bad advice can be found .

Exactly:
1 TBS (1/2 ounce) of TQ per 1 pound of Whole Meat.
And 1/2 TBS (1/4 ounce) of TQ per 1 pound of ground meat.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Here's the deal with Tender Quick.... Read the directions.... I don't know of anyone that follows TQ's directions... or I missed something which is possible..

View attachment 390073

Actually reading & following the directions on a bag of TQ is just like taking something out of context when in an argument.

That bag doesn't tell you what Morton's directions are for after only curing for that short amount of time of 4 to 8 hours, or for larger cuts "up to 24 hours".
Their next step is to cook what they're calling cured at 350° in your oven, which means it doesn't matter that you didn't fully cure the meat in those "Short" times.

Same thing with their "Brine Curing" for 24 hours. Their next step is into the oven @ 350°.
You have to get their "Home Curing" Book to know this---The Bag instructions are useless to people who Smoke their meat Low & Slow.

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

-The Bag instructions are useless to people who Smoke their meat Low & Slow.

True . One of the last lines on the bag " follow directions carefully " should say follow a Morton's recipe .

I have used it to brine chicken breast . The directions of 1 cup TQ to 4 cups water is crazy . I cut way back from the salt amount , then made sure I cooked at a high temp .

 

[daveomak]

Actually reading & following the directions on a bag of TQ is just like taking something out of context when in an argument.

That bag doesn't tell you what Morton's directions are for after only curing for that short amount of time of 4 to 8 hours, or for larger cuts "up to 24 hours".
Their next step is to cook what they're calling cured at 350° in your oven, which means it doesn't matter that you didn't fully cure the meat in those "Short" times.

Same thing with their "Brine Curing" for 24 hours. Their next step is into the oven @ 350°.
You have to get their "Home Curing" Book to know this---The Bag instructions are useless to people who Smoke their meat Low & Slow.

Bear

Bear, Morton's home meat curing guide has been discontinued.... Perhaps, you could copy your guide and put it up on the forum....

...

 

[Jonok]

Here’s a set of highlights that were on the Mother earth news website:
https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/curing/curing-meat-at-home-zmaz73jfzraw

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, Morton's home meat curing guide has been discontinued.... Perhaps, you could copy your guide and put it up on the forum....

...

Here's a FREE PDF of the whole book, if you can figure out how to download it:
https://epdf.tips/home-meat-curing-guide.html

Bear

 

[daveomak]

Thanks Bear... Got it... Made a new thread in "CURING"..
I have downloaded the book....

Dave

 

[chopsaw]

Down loading now . Thanks for putting that up Bear .