Bacon cure question

Boilermaker Ben · February 2011

I'm making bacon for the first time. I got a (sad) 7lb belly, and halved it. Mixed up Ruhlman/Polcyn's basic cure (the dextrose recipe). They recommend to dredge the belly in the cure, ensuring good coverage. Alternatively, if you're working with a small amount, they say you can put the belly in a bag, add the cure (1/4 cup or 50 grams for a 3-5 pound belly), and shake. I took option B, and weighed out 50 grams into two bags, and put a 3.5 pound slab into each bag. To one bag, I added garlic, black pepper, bay. To the other, I added brown sugar.

It sure doesn't look like 50 grams is enough cure. I'm certain if I'd dredged it, I would have gotten more cure on that belly. It also didn't look like 50 grams was a quarter cup, either. As I recall, it was 5 heaping teaspoons, so maybe 1/8 cup.

Think I should add more cure?

stike · February 2011

i've had good luck with applying dry cures using the classic method...

whatever sticks

that is, dredging it on all sides, lifting it, and shaking it off.

i do this with the basic cure (kosher salt and pink salts alone), and then add flavorants

i believe ruhlman/polcyn discuss this, and i think it is in morton's longish manual on curing.

it doesn't result in a 'lot' of cure, but rather an even coating, which quickly looks like even less when the salt melts from the moisture that is wicked out

i can't guess from here whether you didn't have enough, but ruhlman is the man. one question, you did a 50g measure into EACH bag, right, not split between each bag (25g ea.)?

Boilermaker Ben · February 2011

Yeah, 50 grams in each bag, but I was surprised at how little volume it was. I realize the dextrose is a lot finer than the granulated sugar, but it doesn't seem that much more dense. I'll have to measure the bulk density when I get home.

Now that the cure has dissolved, and extracted some liquid from the belly, I'm not concerned about coverage, it's just the total mass of curing salt that I'm worried about.

Are you able to store and reuse the rest of the cure, after dredging?

stike · February 2011

yes, you can keep using the cure. it's not "reusing' really, you are just using it until it is used up or you add to it.

salt and nitrite. the very sentinels of the anti microbial world :laugh: . there is no issue keeping it premixed.

that's the whole idea behind the way it was done, shaking the meat in a box with plenty of cure. toss it in, shake it, take it out, drop in another chunk, and keep going. add more cure when you need.

Boilermaker Ben · February 2011

I was wondering more about the effect of moisture (dissolving the cure, clumping, etc.) on keeping and reusing it. Certainly there wouldn't be a problem with biological stuff. But I suppose if it did clump, you could always just pick the clumps out and move on.

2Fategghead · February 2011

All right Ben I'll be watching.

stike · February 2011

it doesn't clump, simply because the belly should be clean and dry.

Boilermaker Ben · February 2011

Ideally, perhaps. But when you're trying to get to bed, and just spent time removing an unexpected layer of skin from the belly...well, let's say the belly was clean and...moist? Damp?

Ricklesss · February 2011

We'll be expecting photos! :laugh:

Bacon cure question

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