Why won’t my meat cure?

[dernektambura]

Sorry, but I'm not talking about "Aging".
The pictures I showed are showing that the Center (Gray) areas didn't get the cure that far in, like the outer Pink Meat shows. You're talking exactly opposite of what's real.
Bear

Good luck to check if whole pork hind leg is cured in center by cutting it in half and gluing it back together to make prochiutto.... sir... if your reasoning is right, then center of the cut should be dark red (meat colour) not gray.... meat changes property from outside in, not from inside out....
I give up...lol...

 

[Bearcarver]

Good luck to check if whole pork hind leg is cured in center by cutting it in half and gluing it back together to make prochiutto.... sir... if your reasoning is right, then center of the cut should be dark red (meat colour) not gray.... meat changes property from outside in, not from inside out....
I give up...lol...

You won't be LOL'ing, once a hundred guys agree with me.
Obviously you don't check center of a Leg, but I've been checking center of Dried Beef & Bacons for 9 years, and teaching others the same. It is always Pink all the way through if it's cured properly & Gray in the center if it isn't cured all the way.
Just the Facts Ma'm.

Bear

 

[dernektambura]

You won't be LOL'ing, once a hundred guys agree with me.
Obviously you don't check center of a Leg, but I've been checking center of Dried Beef & Bacons for 9 years, and teaching others the same. It is always Pink all the way through if it's cured properly & Gray in the center if it isn't cured all the way.
Just the Facts Ma'm.

Bear

Sooo, Ma'm... all meat (domestic animals are light red coloured meat) and (wild game are dark red meat) once you done curing will turn PINK,?,!
You cure nice peace of pork loin and you post it here as venison or bison pork loin? Like: trust me Ma'm...its pink, its venison loin...I kill that deer last week.... lol....c'mon man...

 

[Bearcarver]

You know I cruise around here, helping people if I can. If I don't know the answer, I leave it for others. In this case it's so simple, and I can't get you to understand, in fact you even laugh at me while I'm trying to help you.
I'll try again---Let's stick with Bacons (Belly, CB, and BBB):
#1 After you pull the meat out of cure, it's good to cut into it. I recommend cutting into the thickest spot of the biggest piece. Take a slice or 2 to do a Fry Test. While you have it opened, observe the color of the cut side. If it's pink all the way through it is completely cured. If it's gray in the center it didn't get cured all the way to center. I would recommend you smoke that hot & fast. Now give it a Fry in the pan & taste it. If it's too salty, you should soak it in cold water for an hour or two. None of this has anything to do with aging.

Bear

 

[dernektambura]

I didn't ask for help...its somebody else who started this this topic....how did you come to the point to figure that I need help?
Anyhow... frying to check if its cured doesnt make sense to me... why? cuz its gona be hard to order medium rare steak for example...
with all due respect I will respectfully stop sharing my knowledge at this point.... hat off to your 9 years of experience...

 

[Bearcarver]

I didn't ask for help...its somebody else who started this this topic....how did you come to the point to figure that I need help?
Anyhow... frying to check if its cured doesnt make sense to me... why? cuz its gona be hard to order medium rare steak for example...
with all due respect I will respectfully stop sharing my knowledge at this point.... hat off to your 9 years of experience...

I started on this thread when I saw you giving wrong information when you told somebody you can't see when meat is cured. I try to point out things like that being wrong to keep mostly Newbies from getting confused. Nothing wrong with sharing your knowledge, but do like I do, If I'm not sure I let somebody who is sure, answer the question.
I rarely get complaints---Usually Thank Yous.
And this might have been the first time anybody ever laughed at me while I'm trying to help him.

Bear

 

[indaswamp]

How can you clear confusion with wrong info.
You can see what's cured & what's not cured by cutting it open after curing---BEFORE SMOKING ! THat's why we check it after curing, but before smoking!!!
If it doesn't get to the center, the center will not be Pink---It will be Gray.

Bear

Bear, reread my post carefully. I said you have to fry it and yes, the pink will appear. That is the reason for the fry test.

 

[dernektambura]

you just keep lecturing... can you support or validate your " curing doneness" by any scientific testing done by reputable site that doesnt include frying pan?.... something that supports your pink colouring across the entire meat section? if you can I will become believer and do my best to learn at least to match up your wisdom...

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, reread my post carefully. I said you have to fry it and yes, the pink will appear. That is the reason for the fry test.

Nice Guess.
No the Fry test is to check for too much salt.
Cutting it open to see the color is to check for cure to center. If it isn't cured to center the color will be Gray in the center, without frying it.
I told you that earlier---Was I lying?

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

you just keep lecturing... can you support or validate your " curing doneness" by any scientific testing done by reputable site that doesnt include frying pan?.... something that supports your pink colouring across the entire meat section? if you can I will become believer and do my best to learn at least to match up your wisdom...

Cured & Smoked Products (Step by Steps):
Bacon (Extra Smoky)
Bacon-On-A-Stick
Buckboard Bacon and Pulled Cured Boston Butt Ham
Buckboard Bacon (Step by Step) Oct 10, 2017
Buckboard Bacon (Step by Step) Nov 4, 2018
*New------Canadian Bacon

BTW: Like I told your Buddy, The frying pan isn't needed to check for Proper Curing. The frying pan is to quick check the salt flavor.
A knife is needed to check the internal color right after curing.

Bear

 

[indaswamp]

No the Fry test is to check for too much salt.
Cutting it open to see the color is to check for cure to center. If it isn't cured to center the color will be Gray in the center, without frying it.
I told you that earlier---Was I lying?

Bear

Sodium nitrite IS a salt.

 

[Bearcarver]

Sodium nitrite IS a salt.

Excuse me---I should have said "The Fry test is to check for too much salt "Flavor", but it still has nothing to do with whether or not it's cured to center.

Bear

 

[indaswamp]

Excuse me---I should have said "The Fry test is to check for too much salt "Flavor", but it still has nothing to do with whether or not it's cured to center.

Bear

If it's grey, it ain't cured in the center Bear.....

 

[Bearcarver]

If it's grey, it ain't cured in the center Bear.....

Yeahhhhhhhh---I knew you could do it!!
Grey in the center before or after frying is not cured in the center.
Congrats!

Bear

 

[indaswamp]

I've never in my life seen raw pork that was what I would call 'grey'.....ever.....

All the grey pork I've seen has been from being cooked.

 

[Bearcarver]

I've never in my life seen raw pork that was what I would call 'grey'.....ever.....

All the grey pork I've seen has been from being cooked.

That would be because you apparently never saw Pork that wasn't cured right, after curing, but before cooking. This isn't rocket science. I haven't seen it either, in person, because I never had it happen to me, but I've seen it in pictures, from people who were worried about it & asked me. That's one of the Perks I get from helping others. I get to see their pictures.

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

That would be because you apparently never saw Pork that wasn't cured right, after curing, but before cooking. This isn't rocket science. I haven't seen it either, in person, because I never had it happen to me .

That is a great point .

 

[dernektambura]

Bear.... I have nothing but utmost respect for your experience and expertise but this time you're wrong...
I asked you to support your curing doneness by reputable site and scientific supported FACTS....
You gave me hit and mis answer...
Yes Smoking meat forums is reputable site but you miss calling yourself scientists by showing me your own 5 "How to" posts.
Your curing process is based on observations not on facts... Yes, you're doing everything right way, as most of us do but your knowledge is limited by observation.
Scientific fact is:
it is not possible to visually check cure doneness... it is not possible to check cure doneness by processing it thermally (here comes your frying pan part that doesn't make sense)... it is not possible to check cure dispersion without taking a samples and looking under the microscope ( this is PPM, parts per million).
That is why the best recommendation is to keep cured meat extra long period of time above recommended... why? To make sure becouse we dont have frikin' microscope to check PPM...
So, please, even tho your experience may be at good level don't give out recommendations or advices based on your own observations... let facts rule...

 

[dernektambura]

That would be because you apparently never saw Pork that wasn't cured right, after curing, but before cooking. This isn't rocket science. I haven't seen it either, in person, because I never had it happen to me, but I've seen it in pictures, from people who were worried about it & asked me. That's one of the Perks I get from helping others. I get to see their pictures.

Bear

and one more thing... How can you give advices based on pictures other people show to you if it never happen to you, and you never seen it before... it means you giving advice by hearth and it is dangerous thing to do... you may be wrong cuz picture doesnt tells you everything...

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear.... I have nothing but utmost respect for your experience and expertise but this time you're wrong...
I asked you to support your curing doneness by reputable site and scientific supported FACTS....
You gave me hit and mis answer...
Yes Smoking meat forums is reputable site but you miss calling yourself scientists by showing me your own 5 "How to" posts.
Your curing process is based on observations not on facts... Yes, you're doing everything right way, as most of us do but your knowledge is limited by observation.
Scientific fact is:
it is not possible to visually check cure doneness... it is not possible to check cure doneness by processing it thermally (here comes your frying pan part that doesn't make sense)... it is not possible to check cure dispersion without taking a samples and looking under the microscope ( this is PPM, parts per million).
That is why the best recommendation is to keep cured meat extra long period of time above recommended... why? To make sure becouse we dont have frikin' microscope to check PPM...
So, please, even tho your experience may be at good level don't give out recommendations or advices based on your own observations... let facts rule...

I can't tell the percentage of cure by naked eye, and I don't care, but I can tell if it's cured enough by the color.
Most people don't even check, but most people who learned from me check it the way I do.
You don't have to---That's up to you, but when you tell people they can't tell if the cure got to center by looking at the color, you're wrong, and hopefully there will be somebody there to correct that, before other people get it wrong too.

Every one of my Step by Steps in the curing section has that explained and over 9 years nobody has taken exception to it until You today. Hopefully somebody else can enlighten you. I give up.
I help people who want to be helped & learn what I have learned, and what hundreds of other guys on this forum have learned.

I'm done trying to help you. Somebody else please take over.

Bear