Bacon sans pink salt


 
B

Benny

New member
Hey everybody,

I'm looking for an opinion; I'm sure I'll get one.

I am dry curing some pork belly right now; it's day 3 of the cure. After doing a bit of poking around and finding a recipe from someone I considered knowledgeable, I left sodium nitrite out of the recipe. I have made bacon once before in this manner to no ill effect. Now reading a bit more I'm starting to get spooked and was hoping for advice/opinions.

What are peoples' thoughts on bacon cured without sodium nitrite(or trate).

Considering it is day three is it too late to add pink salt to the cure? Would this be effective? I would like to smoke the belly 6 days from now. Additionally, I intend to smoke the belly at 200-210F until it hits 150F internal temp. I believe this is out of the bacteria danger zone; would it suffice?

Can it be saved? Am I overreacting?

Cheers and thanks!

Ben
Vancouver, BC
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Benny:
Hey everybody,

I'm looking for an opinion; I'm sure I'll get one.
Can it be saved? Am I overreacting?

Cheers and thanks!

Ben
Vancouver, BC </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

this is the recipe I use for bacon--have also added pink salt but it isn't needed when smoking at higher temps
home made bacon

1/4 cup sea salt,
2 tablespoons each dark brown sugar and maple syrup and
lots of fresh ground pepper.

7 days cure-turning in fridge
1 day to dry-
hickory smoke at 200 degrees till it reaches 145 degrees 2-3 hours.
-
 
I'm a novice but assumed it was the pink salt that made bacon taste, well like bacon. If not it may be a little pork chop tasting rather than bacon. I could be wrong though.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Additionally, I intend to smoke the belly at 200-210F until it hits 150F internal temp. I believe this is out of the bacteria danger zone; would it suffice? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes.

Unless you're planning to eat the bacon as is - that is to say, only smoked but not cooked further, something I doubt - it's a non-issue.

The use of nitrite/nitrate in bacon cure is more for color and flavor than bacterial problems. In the US, most bacon is not cold smoked and most people cook it again for serving, typically by pan frying or baking - or using it another recipe whereby it cooks more. In the rather unlikely event that the bacon retains pathogenic bacteria after the salt cure, the combination of smoking at higher temps and further cooking would handle whatever bacteria might be present. (I've done dozens of bellies without pink salt.)

Make sure your fridge - specifically the area where the belly is now - is not too cold, lest curing slow or stop, resulting in only a partially cured belly.
 
Thanks for the reassurance everyone!

Kevin, although I've eaten bacon that I have only hot smoked and really enjoyed it, my intention is to cook this stuff again.

Yianni, I've heard that too, but the bacon I made without nitrite was still pretty tasty.

Next time I'll do one slab with nitrite and the other without and see what they taste like.

Buzz, that was basically the cure for one of my slabs. Can't wait.

Thanks again all,

Ben
 
I too am curious about this. I just started curing my first belly Sunday with the intention of smoking it this Saturday. I used the recipe Monty House linked to earlier and it, as well as lots of other recipes, doesn't call for curing salt.

Dumb question...smoke it skin side up or down? If I wait until after the smoke to remove the skin, I suppose I should pepper the meat side before smoking? Will that dictate which side should be up for the smoke?
 
If you are planning on removing the skin (I often don't) then skin down will help preserve whatever rub you use on the other side, if using a rub, as it won't scrape off on the grate.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
If you are planning on removing the skin (I often don't) then skin down will help preserve whatever rub you use on the other side, if using a rub, as it won't scrape off on the grate. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then there is no point in putting any rub on the skin side?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Not if you plan to remove it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Tks.
 
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