Kent wrote:
Hello all this Sunday,

I brine cured a pork butt with Morton's Tenderquick[salt, sugar, .5%
nitrite and .5% nitrate] using their recipe on the package. I did cut
back a little. Their recipe uses 1 cup of Tenderquick per quart of
water to make the brine. Some of that is sugar. If it's half sugar,
their recipe isn't that far off for a higher salt brine. I brined for
five days in a ziplock bag in the frig, and smoke-cooked a 5lb chunk
of shoulder at 275F for 7 hours to an internal temp of 190F.

The results were good, but only good. It had a slightly "hammy"
taste. The "ham color" was present through the whole of the meat,
suggesting the brine had penetrated the whole shoulder. However much
of the seasoned pulled pork taste we all want just wasn't there. I
doubt that I will try it again.
If anyone has tried this I sure be interested in your comments.

Kent

You just made a ham.

Next time lose the tenderquick, and substitute coarse salt. (Kosher is
good)

Sodium nitrate is what gives it the ham flavor, and color.

The good news is that the leftovers need no refrigeration ;-)