BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Smoking Techniques => Curing => Topic started by: Toker on August 12, 2008, 02:42:53 PM

Title: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: Toker on August 12, 2008, 02:42:53 PM
Hi guys im doing bacon right now its in his cure since sunday morning but never made some before so pls can someone could tell me how do i know when it will be fully cured? I know the time it should take but how do you reconise a fully cured piece of meat ( with your eyses) thx
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: KyNola on August 12, 2008, 06:45:15 PM
Toker,
Help us out.  Belly bacon or Canadian bacon?  What type of cure are you using?  For me it is not so much eyes as it is the feel.  Either way, belly or Canadian if it has been in since Sunday, it's not cured.  The bacon will get firmer as it cures.  Belly bacon minimum takes 7 days, Canadian bacon maybe a day or two less.

Don't rush it.  The real bacon experts will be along to give you much more advice.

KyNola
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: Toker on August 12, 2008, 07:03:27 PM
its canadian bacon with habs basic cure. hope it helped
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: Habanero Smoker on August 13, 2008, 03:42:44 AM
If you are using the loin 6 days should be enough, if you are using the tenderloin 5 days should be enough. As KyNola stated the meat should be uniformly firm. If there are any soft spots in the meat after the curing period, you can let it cure for 1 to 2 days more.
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: KyNola on August 13, 2008, 06:18:58 AM
Among other things Habs IS the canadian bacon expert!

KyNola
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: FLBentRider on August 13, 2008, 07:01:20 AM
I defer to Habs on all things curing.

In addition, most of us are curing for flavor, not preservation, so noone is going to get sick if it is not fully cured.
Title: Re: How do you know if its fully cured?
Post by: Toker on August 14, 2008, 05:32:26 PM
thx everyone.