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Morton’s Tenderquick versus pink curing salt

Teefus
Teefus Posts: 1,259
in EggHead Forum
I’m planning to do some Canadian Bacon and was looking for pink curing salt. None to be found locally. I did find some Mortons Tenderquick, which seems to be salt with premixed Sodium Nitrate. Anyone use this stuff? I think I might rather have the two ingredients (sodium chloride and sodium nitrate) independent of one another to allow for better brine recipe control.

Thoughts?
Michiana, South of the border.
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Comments

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    Tenderquick is 0.5% Sodium Nitrite and Pink Salt is 6.25%
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,549
    ^^^^^this ^^^^^ you have to do some math to interchange the 2 depending on the recipe ..o..or if you have a day to wait get some cure 1 from Amazon 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    edited December 2018
    As a rule of thumb, use 12 times more tenderquick to replace the amount of pink salt AKA Prague Powder #1.

    Edit - scratch that, you'll have to adjust other items with some algebra because that formula introduces significantly more salt, plus I think tenderquick has sugar.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • smokingal
    smokingal Posts: 1,025
    It will work fine.  Just follow the instructions exactly.  If dry curing, it calls for 1/2 ounce per pound of meat (15 grams), iirc.  I've never used it for brining, although I know it can be and has instructions for that too.
    It's "Smokin Gal", not "Smoking Al".
    Egging in the Atlanta GA region
    Large BGE, CGS setup, Kick Ash Basket, Smokeware SS Cap,
    Arteflame grill grate

    http://barbecueaddict.com
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  • 6baluts
    6baluts Posts: 303
    Concur with smokingal. Back in 99 at my first attempt at Canadian Bacon, Nature Boy and Reg walked me thru the process using Tenderquick. Follow directions for the tenderquick and you will be fine. After the cure recommend rinsing the guest of honor off multiple times think the Mrs settled on 7-8 times.
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  • st¡ke
    st¡ke Posts: 276
    When you add the required amount of kosher salt to pink salt you end up close to what tenderquick is: a ready to go cure 'base'.  Add sugars etc. 

    It has both nitrate and nitrite in it tho, yes. 


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  • unoriginalusername
    unoriginalusername Posts: 1,146
    I am trying a nitrate free recipie on some pork belly as we speak for the holidays 
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  • Justacookin
    Justacookin Posts: 291
    did you go to a real butcher shop if you can tell them what you have planned and the math adds up even close they will sell it to you. just let them know you are not an idiot.
    XL & waiting for my Mini Max Bloomington MN.
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