Bacon- did I ruin it?

nysportsfan · August 2012

I got through the seven day cure, the rinse, set up my LBGE for 180 degrees...and had to go to soccer practice. When I came back the IT was 165, hotter than the 150* recommended. Am I in for shoe leather? Ive waited patiently for 8 days, so I am really hoping I did not screw this up. Thoughts?

JerkChicken · August 2012

I think it'll be fine, but when you go to fry it, it will cook much faster. I'm curious as to your results as well because I have wondered what happens if it's smoked for too long. Let us know how it fries up and tastes.

nysportsfan · August 2012

Welp, results are in. The taste was great, albeit a tad salty. Can I cut down on the kosher salt in the recipe?

Fred19Flintstone · August 2012

That just goes to show you that everythings better with bacon, including bacon. It's a cosmic force that can't be easily destroyed.

nolaegghead · August 2012

You can add less salt or cure for less time. Not like we make bacon anymore purely for preservation - we have refrigerators.

nysportsfan · August 2012

Hmm. I used two tsp of pink salt and cured for seven days. What do you recommend?

nolaegghead · August 2012

I wouldn't change the pink salt to salt ratio to have more concentrated pink salt. Sodium nitrite is only sold diluted in these "Prague" salts mixes for safety reasons. Try using less of the curing mixture. Your bacon is done curing when it gets firm. If it's thin, might take less than 7 days. Thick, more. The longer you dry cure, the saltier it will get, to a certain degree. Some people make bacon without the pink salt, but that isn't going to help you out - the saltiness is from the sodium chloride, not the sodium nitrite.

I'm not sure if it would have a negative effect on belly, but I have freshwater soaked corned beef and canadian bacon to lower the salt concentration. Might make your bacon more like commercial "wet" bacon. And shrink more on cooking. Research it. You control the process and can make adjustments to get what you like.

nysportsfan · August 2012

Thanks for the information, nola. I will certainly mess around with things but do o carefully. I would imagine my pork belly was cured before seven days as it was firm when i took it out on the fifth day to flip. I have already ordered a four pound belly from Whole Foods, so I will have my chance relatively soon.

nolaegghead · August 2012

That may explain the saltiness. When it's firm, it's done curing. Some of these guidelines assume you're working on thick primals.

stike · August 2012

I recommend you follow a recipe. Nitrite is poison. Dont guess.

Jesus people. Use your heads.

)

Fwiw, 5-6 days will effect the cure on a belly most times

nolaegghead · August 2012

"I wouldn't change the pink salt to salt ratio to have more concentrated pink salt. Sodium nitrite is only sold diluted in these "Prague" salts mixes for safety reasons."

)

stike · August 2012

was re: this "Hmm. I used two tsp of pink salt and cured for seven days. What do you recommend"

nolaegghead · August 2012

Well, I assumed he didn't just decide to use pink salt because it matched his nails

) , and the Ruhlman recipe, which is plastered all over the place calls for 2 tsp of pink salt. So I suggested don't change the ratio, use less salt and stop salting when it's done.

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2/

nolaegghead · August 2012

But you're right, 2 tsp could have been a lucky guess. Never assume nufin'.

SoCal_Griller · August 2012

I did my first bacon a few weeks back. I soaked the belly in cold water for about an hour to leach out some of the salt, then let it dry and on to the smoker. My first few slices were salty but after that, it was fantastic. Which reminds me, need to pull a package from the freezer....

stike · August 2012

that amount is based on the weight of meat. as long as he's using the right amount, he'd be fine.

you wouldn't to mix up cure based on five pounds, and then use it all to do a 2 pound piece, for example

i do a saltbox cure now. i premix a large batch of basic cure (pink salts + kosher). you toss a hunk of belly in there and coat it. whatever sticks is all that you need. bigger the piece, the more cure that is used. then just add the flavorant side of the recipe.

AleBrewer · August 2012

i do a saltbox cure now. i premix a large batch of basic cure (pink salts + kosher). you toss a hunk of belly in there and coat it. whatever sticks is all that you need. bigger the piece, the more cure that is used. then just add the flavorant side of the recipe.

I've had pretty good luck using the same method. I'm curing a whole loin now for back bacon.....using the wet brine for the first time though.

Bacon- did I ruin it?

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