Any suggestions on Cure 1 amount for a 5 pound pork belly ? I have seen many recipes lately calling for 2 tsp instead of the 1 tsp I am familiar with for 5 lbs.....thanks for your comments.
The extra cure is to make up for the cure that is suspended in the liquids that might not come in contact with the meat.
I have always went by 1 tsp for %# of meat. You might want to wait until someone with more experience comes along. Seems to me I read in Ryteks book to much cure is not good for your blood. Maybe Nepas will check in.
Wet or dry curing?
Dry cure.
If your curing 5 lbs of pork belly for bacon 2 tsp is about right. Here is a recipe to guide you.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?542-Maple-Cured-Bacon
Yep, 2 tsps for 5 pounds of pork belly. You are correct about 1 tsp for 5 pounds of meat but for pork belly it is 2 tsps if you're making bacon.
If you are not following a recipe the easiest way is to make a batch of Basic Dry Cure and apply that at 1 tablespoon per pound. That way the cure and the salt are premeasured for you.
You can also use the Basic Dry Cure for curing other meats such as corned beef/pastrami, Canadian bacon which you can also cold smoke and cut into chops. When you use the Basic Dry Cure, you don't add any of the salt the recipe calls for, and since in contains some sugar; if you don't like you bacon too sweet, you may want to cut down on some of the sugar that is in the recipe. It is a good substitute for Morton's Tender Quick.
It makes about 3.5 cups, which is enough to cure about 56 pounds of meat, but this recipe can be easily halved or quartered. Keep it in a tight lid jar (dark or opaque jar preferred) and it will last indefinitely. This way you will have plenty on hand and ready to use. Start with a small batch, some members have had problems with it lumping up over time. If you find it stores well, then go ahead and make a larger batch.
Basic Dry Cure (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?441-Basic-Dry-Cure-Morton-s-Tender-Quick-substitute&p=691#post691)
Thanks so much guys. :D
I made up a batch of the basic cure and you can't go wrong with it for any type of bacon.