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