Bacon disaster


 
Michael G. (Canada Mike)

Michael G. (Canada Mike)

TVWBB All-Star
So, I made 5 lbs of bacon and had to toss it all. It was incredibly salty - inedibly so. I think I messed up the recipe and added way to much salt. How much is 2 ounces in volume anyway?

I used what I thought was the Ruhlman method, but with way too much salt. I realise now that I made the Basic Cure, but applied a ton to the belly - I was thinking rub on a butt, and not cure on a belly. ****.
 
Mike,

Salt:
Table Salt 1 cup 292 g (10.3 oz)
Morton® Kosher Salt 1? to 1½ cup 218 g (7.7 oz)
Diamond® Crystal Kosher Salt 1 cup 142 g (5 oz)

A good thing to remember is after brining the meat, slice a small piece and fry it up and do a taste test. If it's too salty then it needs further rinsing/soaking.

Paul
 
No need to throw it away, a couple quick passes through fresh simmering water will remove much of the salt from bacon.

In the future, try building your cure based around salt weight using the ratios from your cure recipe. Most people prefer salt @ 2.5-3.5% by weight to the meat.
 
I make a lot of bacon each year. For me, the most reliable method is to add between 2.5 to 3% of salt to the belly, dry cure for a tad under a week, turn ziplock bag every day. I have never missed after I started doing this. Get a accurate weight, normal kitchen scales gives you totally random numbers when measuring a few grammes. Or ounces.

And as mentioned, you can adjust saltiness with cold fresh water if you have to. If you're doing this after the bacon is sliced, it does not take long.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">For me, the most reliable method is to add between 2.5 to 3% of salt to the belly, dry cure for a tad under a week, turn ziplock bag every day. I have never missed after I started doing this. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

this is my method now too. I make the basic cure from ruhlman, figure out how much salt I need for 3%, figure out how much total cure it is, then dump.

it sounds like another way is to make a 3% brine solution and let it soak for a week or so.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I make the basic cure from ruhlman, figure out how much salt I need for 3%, figure out how much total cure it is, then dump. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm slow with the math part of this, help me out. Say I have a 4 lb belly. To make my cure 3% of the weight should be salt?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'm slow with the math part of this, help me out. Say I have a 4 lb belly. To make my cure 3% of the weight should be salt? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

first of all, ditch english units and work with metric, and make up a batch of cure and store it in a jar.

4 lbs belly = 1814 g belly

1814 g x .03 = 54.4 g salt required to achieve 3%

basic cure has 450 g salt for 725 g total weight or: 450 g x 1.61 = 725 g

so...

54.4 g x 1.61 = 87.6 g basic cure would contain enough salt for 3% belly weight
 
Great written Jeff...Thats why i se problem when someone ask for a recipe. Translate all is not that fun.

Metric rules em all! One system and alot off ppl will be happy./(well i will
icon_biggrin.gif
)
 
I don't remember how I figured it out last time as I didn't write down notes. I'm happy I took the time to do the minor algebra, now hopefully I won't forget 1.61.

its a good way to do bacon because it makes it really easy to control the salt variable. You only have to worry about time effect (and belly thickness).

I started out doing 2.5% salt but found my bacon lacked pop. I'm now at 3% and may try 3.5% for fun.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> basic cure has 450 g salt for 725 g total weight or: 450 g x 1.61 = 725 g
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I failed to account for the 50 g of cure #1 which is technically 100% salt.

the new ratio should be:

500 g x 1.45 = 725 g
 
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