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zxcvbob zxcvbob is offline
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Default Curing with Tenderquick, or nitrites and nitrates

Kent wrote:
> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Kent wrote:
>>> I posted a similar question on alt.food.barbecue. It may be more
>>> appropriate for this NG., Curing, to reduce botulism etc. is an important
>>> part of low temperature smoking.
>>> Have any of you cured with nitrites or nitrates in your brine, or
>>> cure? I have done a dry rub with Morton's Tenderquick[.5% sodium nitrite
>>> and
>>> nitrate], with limited success as it only cures the surface.
>>> The FDA says that your finished cured meat shouldn't have more than 200
>>> parts per million to avoid the evil cancer from emerging.
>>> If any have used Tenderquick, what is your recipe for the brine. How much
>>> Tenderquick do you use per quart of cure and how did you arrive at it?
>>> Mortons does not post any of this on their site. Obviously they should.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Kent

>> What are you curing? Salt/nitrite/nitrate rubbed on the surface of the
>> meat does not just cure the outside, it slowly penetrates the whole piece
>> of meat thru osmosis, but I don't remember the rate of absorption. (I
>> think it's one inch per week.) Many years ago, my dad an I butchered a
>> hog every winter and we cured the hams, bacon, and jowls by rubbing them
>> with Morton Sugar Cure and curing them in the bottom of the refrigerator
>> for a couple of weeks. In retrospect, Tenderquick would have worked
>> better for the bacon and jowls.

>
> This is true for a very long dry cured ham like proscuitto. You're not going
> to accomplish that in two weeks.


It also works for a boneless ham; especially if you put it in a plastic
tub and let it sit in its own juice.

>> I've used Tenderquick to cure salami. I just used it in place of salt. I
>> have an unopened 2# bag of Prague Powder that I'll start using when the
>> bag of Tenderquick is finally used up.
>>

>
> Be careful. Prague powder has 6.4% nitrite. Morton's TenderQuick has .5%.
> You're curing with more than 10 times more nitrite.



I'm aware of that. I won't use Prague as a direct replacement for TQ.
I'll calculate the amount of Prague to use for the pounds of meat, then
add salt so the total equals the amount of TQ in the recipe.

Thanks,
Bob