Morton's Meat Curing Tender-Quick book


 
Bob Correll

Bob Correll

R.I.P. 3/31/2022
Years ago I had a copy of Morton's large booklet on curing meats with their products.
It got away from me, but this 1973 'Mother Earth News' article pretty well covers the way I remember it.
I subscribed to MEN back then, and this article is probably what got me started curing meat,
too many nitrites since then might be making my memory fuzzy :rolleyes:

I'm linking it in the middle of a 14 page article, since the first part is mostly about butchering.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real...-curing-meat-at-home-zmaz73mjzraw.aspx?page=9

Edit to add another link with additional info:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/curing-meat-at-home-zmaz73jfzraw.aspx
 
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Thank you, Bob, for posting that link to the MEN article. I will read that soon. Stuck on my balcony tending my Weber/Smokenator as I give some bacon a second round of hickory.

Jon Des, even though I don't use Morton anymore, I may purchase the book for reference and ideas at some point. What I do NOT like about the Morton attitude is they give almost zero guidance on using their products, they want you to buy their book instead. I find that off putting for some reason. Kind of like bean counters running the company, not people committed to their product. Maybe that is just me.
 
Thanks Jon!
I'd bet that the content has not changed since the 70's, and it's all kind of basic.
A few b&w pictures, taken in the 40's or 50's, and probably the same text as found in the MEN article.

Steve,
I agree.
Why not put a pdf of the book online, or give it away with purchase of a product?

PS, I've added another link to my original post.
 
Yes, it is a bummer that Morton doesn't include at least a tiny booklet so folks can better use their products, it would be to their advantage.

Here's a past blog post on Morton Tender Quick, it includes the links to the entire booklet at TMEN as well as some recipes from Morton's website....

"FWIW, I was told by a Morton rep many years ago that Tender Quick is approximately 97% salt, 2% sugar, 1/2% sodium nitrite, 1/2% sodium nitrate with a touch of Propylene Glycol.


Directions and Rules for using Tender Quick, from the bag and the Morton website with added tips and tidbits.....

Tender Quick is a blend of the finest quality salt, sugar and meat curing ingredients.
It is perfectly blended for fast cure action and improved flavor and color of the meats.

Use fresh or completely thawed frozen meat that is clean and chilled to 36-40 degrees F internal temperature. Pork chops, spareribs, chicken and other small cuts of meat can be cured with 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) of Tender Quick cure per pound of meat. Rub cure into meat thoroughly then place in clean plastic and tie securely. Store in refrigerator at 36-40 degrees F for 4-8 hours to cure. Rinse just prior to cooking. For brine curing, dissolve 1 cup Tender Quick in 4 cups water. Place meat in brine, refrigerate and allow to cure for 24 hours. For pump pickle, follow proportions for brine curing.
For ground meats use 1/2 a tablespoon ( 1 -1/2 teaspoons) of Tender Quick per pound of meat. No additional salt is required, or salt to taste.

Ideal for dry curing, brine curing and making a pumping pickle. Follow recipe directions carefully. Cook meat before eating.

CAUTION: This curing salt is designed to be used at the rate specified in the formulation or recipe. It should not be used at higher levels as results will be inconsistent, cured meats will be too salty, and the finished products may be unsatisfactory. Curing salts should be used only in meat, poultry, game, salmon, shad and sablefish. Curing salts cannot be substituted for regular salt in other food recipes.

Tricks of the Trade
When curing meat there are a few key points to consider.

1.The amount of time spent curing meat will depending on the thickness and amount of bone and fat. For thicker cuts of meat, you may want to lengthen the time you cure.
2. Find your curing style by experimenting with different spices. But be sure to not exceed the curing levels in the recipe.
3. As a reminder, we recommend labeling the date and time the meat should be removed from your refrigerator.
4. Cure meat at a temperature between 36 degrees – 40 degrees F. Colder temperatures will prevent you from curing properly and warmer temps will encourage spoilage growth.
5.In the case that meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt. In the future, remember to rinse cured meat or reduce curing time.
6.Cured meat is still raw meat, so always remember to cook your meat and poultry after curing. If you give a home-cure as a gift, remind the recipient that they too will need to cook it before consuming.
7.Cured meat will turn pink or reddish when cooked. For poultry, use a meat thermometer to determine when it's finished cooking.

Sample recipes.....

Canadian Bacon.....
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/38/canadian-bacon/5

Beef Salami
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/18/beef-salami/

German-Style Cured Pork Chops (GEPOCKELTE)
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-.../229/german-style-cured-pork-chops-gepockelte

Deli Style Corned Beef
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/228/deli-style-corned-beef

Herbed Sausage
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/230/herbed-sausage

Pepperoni
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/231/pepperoni

Morton Salt's "A Complete Guide To Home Meat Curing", online and free for your enjoyment.......

(1) How to Butcher Pork....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1972-09-01/How-To-Butcher-Pork.aspx

(2) Cutting and Curing Pork.....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1972-11-01/Cutting-and-Curing-Pork.aspx

(3) More from the Morton Salt Book....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1973-01-01/Home-Meat-Curing.aspx

(4) MORE FROM THE MORTON SALT BOOK...
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1973-03-01/More-From-The-Morton-Salt-Book.aspx

(5) FINAL INSTALLMENT FROM THE MORTON SALT BOOK....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1973-05-01/Final-Installment-From-The-Morton-Salt-Book.aspx

That should be enough information to keep anyone who's interested busy for a while."

Have fun!!!

~Martin :cool:
 
Steve_A (Tatoosh) said:
Jon Des, even though I don't use Morton anymore, I may purchase the book for reference and ideas at some point. What I do NOT like about the Morton attitude is they give almost zero guidance on using their products, they want you to buy their book instead. I find that off putting for some reason. Kind of like bean counters running the company, not people committed to their product. Maybe that is just me.
Click to expand...

Bob Correll said:
Steve,
I agree.
Why not put a pdf of the book online, or give it away with purchase of a product?

PS, I've added another link to my original post.
Click to expand...

I've finally graduated from MTQ to real pink salt in the hopes that I can control the salt levels a little bit better in my curing. I also find it flabbergasting that Morton doesn't either give that book away or post it online for free.
 
MartinF, thank you very much for those links! I did not see them when I visited the website. And Morton discussed the combination approach to dry rub and wet brine injection for doing ham, something I asked about on a different forum (I think) and did not find any answer. That tells me it is possible, though I will probably try doing a submersion brine for my first ham to be on the safe side.

I am making my own replacement for Morton TQ using your recipe. I like not having Nitrate as part of my mix. I thought I had escaped the Propylene Glycol component as well until I looked more closely at the ingredients of my Cure #1. Sure enough, there was Propylene Glycol. Oh well, so it goes. Out of curiosity, in your opinion,would using Cure #2 in the recipe more closely resemble the actual Morton TQ since it would contain sodium nitrate as well? I ask mainly if I start formulating it for hams. With bacon I want to steer clear of the nitrates.
 
Steve_A (Tatoosh) said:
Out of curiosity, in your opinion,would using Cure #2 in the recipe more closely resemble the actual Morton TQ since it would contain sodium nitrate as well?
Click to expand...

No, the proportions of nitrite and nitrate are very different.

Steve_A (Tatoosh) said:
I ask mainly if I start formulating it for hams. With bacon I want to steer clear of the nitrates.
Click to expand...

Cure#2 should only be used when one is dry curing for and extended period of time, not in short term curing.

HTH

~Martin
 
Okay, well thought I'd check. I was under the impression that Cure #2 has the same amount of sodium nitrate as it does sodium nitrite. The same with Morton Tender Quick, that it was the same percentage of sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate in its composition. But I was not sure about that at all. Thought it better to ask. Thanks.
 
Cure #1 is 93.75% salt and 6.25% sodium nitrite.
Cure #2 is 89.75% salt, and 6.25% sodium nitrite, and 4% sodium nitrate.
Morton Tender Quick is ~97% salt, 2% sugar, .5% sodium nitrite and .5% sodium nitrate.

HTH

~Martin
 
I see now, so if someone tries to "cobble" it up, they end up with either too little sodium nitrite or too much sodium nitrate, depending on which they "balance" their mix for. I appreciate you pointing it out. I suppose if they had food grade sodium nitrate, it might be do-able, but not with cure #2. I'll be sticking with your replacement recipe using Cure #1. That works very well.
 
Hello I'm new to this sight which I found due to this thread and thought I'd share the following: docuri.com_morton-salt-div-of-morton-thiokol-home-meat-curing-guide-morton-salt-div-of-morton-thiokol-1988
 
sorry I copied and pasted it on google and the first choice brought it it right up. I got it back in 2018, I thought some may enjoy it.
 
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