Bacon cured with salt and Pinapple juice

[D Thomas]

Hi all,

I dropped into a shop on the way home that sold freerange pork among other things like cured meats poultry etc. I asked him about getting me a bacon loin, he then was telling me that the best way he has found to cure bacon was with salt and pine apple juice and nothing else he reckond that the natural enzymes turned the meat pink? I was a bit skeptical and still am I bought a little bacon that he said he cured in this manner to try and commented that it felt very soft and squishy.

Have any of you heard of doing this?

The Bacon looks like thinly sliced slightly pink fresh pork loin.

 

[Dave from Denver]

Raw pineapple juice has enzymes that make meat squishy. Cooked (or canned) pineapple juice has had those enzymes deactivated by heat. However, pineapple juice is still very acidic and will denature protiens in meat if left to marinade for a long time. That's probably why you experienced the squishy texture.

I love pineapple with pork or chicken, but more as a glaze or a sauce or a short term marinade than as something to cure in for 7-10 days.

 

[j biesinger]

I don't think the enzymes in pineapple work at fridge temps

acid doesn't really penetrate much into a muscle. From what I read, it'll denature a few mm of surface proteins, which kind of get in the way, and prevent further penetration.

It's quite common for bacon makers to cure their belly with celery juice so they can label it "all natural" or "nitrate free." What they fall to mention is that celery juice has a high concentration of nitrite, which certain bacteria happily turn into nitrate, which in turn cures the pork. The pork will turn pink, but the quantity of nitrate in the pork is impossible to determine, so safety is an issue. Sure it's "nitrate free" (well, not really) but it isn't "safe."

It's a long shot, but it's possible pineapples have a bunch of nitrite in them. If pineapples need a lot of fertilizers, then it's likely they are high in nitrite.

The reason the bacon was squishy, was most likely because it wasn't cured and cooked properly.

 

[D Thomas]

Thanks Guys,

I will fry some up in the morning and give it a go. might even get some pork and mix some salt n juice and se what happens.

 

[D Thomas]

I tried this and it was pretty ordinary so salty that my wife wouldn't eat it and my 5 year old son bit off a tooth full and said yuk it just tastes like salt. He loves the bacon I made using MR's panchetta reciepe.

Also I don't think it was cured properly. I think it was just soaked in salt and pineapple juice briefly. just seemed like fresh slightly pink fresh pork. I think I will be tring to find an alternative supplier of pork.

 

[Larry Corall]

I'm intrigued! May be an experiment the next time I can get some pork belly. Don't think I'd do a full 7 day cure because of the enzymes but maybe cure for two, maybe three, days. Wouldn't do all the pork belly I'd buy but a 1 1/2 - 2 lb. hunk might be worth the effort. Maybe some coconut shell for smoke. Pina colada bacon - pineapple cured smoked on coconut.

 

[Larry Corall]

I have about 2 lb. that I'm going to put into a pineapple juice, sea salt, ground ginger, and fresh cracked black pepper cure on Thursday night when I get home from work. Should only be in the cure for about 36 hours before I start to dry. Still thinking coconut shell for smoke but might use white oak or grapevine. Not sure how this will turn out - just curious to find out.

 

[Larry Corall]

I put about 2 lb. in to cure last night around midnight.
I used 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup blue agave syrup, 1/4 cup soy sauce (forgot I was out of salt and at midnight did not feel like running back out to the store), 1 tbs. ground ginger, and 1 tbs. fresh cracked pepper.
Mentioned earlier that I was intrigued and this would be an experiment. Only doing a 36 hour cure due to enzymes in pineapple juice and the "mushy" factor.
Will dry tomorrow and smoke Sunday. I will use white oak. Know this will be different but I think it will be good. We'll see!

 

[Marc]

Unless your juicing your own fresh pineapples, the enzymes (bromelain) have been rendered inactive by the canning process.

 

[Larry Corall]

36 hour cure was just about perfect. Fried a couple slices when I was vac packing Sunday night. It is different but really good! i will make it again.

 

[Geir Widar]

Mr. Corall, I would be glad if you could take the time to try to describe the result a bit, compared to a more traditional approach? Texture, taste or other details, anything..