Curing with Morton's Tender Quick

[KyNola]

Ok Guys, I need your help.  I am familiar with all conventional smoking recipes, ribs, chicken, butts, etc.  I want to venture into pastrami, canadian bacon, andouille sausage, pork belly bacon, etc.  I have access to plenty of Morton's Tender Quick but frankly don't know how to use it.  I am looking to your vast knowledge to tell me how to successfully cure meats with Morton's Tender Quick.  Thanks in advance for your expertise.  Once again I stand in awe of your vast information.

KyNola

[Gizmo]

On the bag of Morton TQ, there is instructions for its use for curing.  There are 2 methods, Wet (brine) and Dry.  I have not done the wet brine, only the dry.  For dry, use 1/2 oz or roughly 1 TBL spoon per pound.  You can also add other ingredients like brown sugar.  It is not rub so it doesn't get caked on.  It won't look like there is enough but once you start to sprinkle it on, you will see it will be enough to cover.  The skin side of belly does not take as much as the skin is tough.  Rub the TQ in and then place the belly in a ziptop bag.  Place in the refrigerator (38 deg ideal, below 36 and above 40 they say the curing process starts to slow down or stop).   I have a drawer in the refrigerator that has different settings for temperature control.  One of the settings gives me 38 degrees.  Everyday, take the bag out, mush it around to redistribute the mixture and return to the fridge.  Cure for around 10 days and then smoke.

[KyNola]

Giz,
I knew you would be there for me.  What do you add to your cure mix for flavor?  As hot as it is where I live I will have to wait for late fall to try makin' bacon.  Today with only the puck burner on line my Maverick Et-73 called it at 160 degrees.  Thanks so much for you expertise.  BTW, here's how I did the olives, 2 hours of apple smoke, puck burner only and once cooled dust with chili powder.  Just unique enough that my wife and I love 'em.  You should see the chicken wraps I have in the frig for tomorrow's smoking.  14 chicken breasts pounded and rolled with proscuttio ham and provolone cheese and wrapped in only 4 pounds of bacon.  Here's the neat part, there are only 2 of us in my house.  Boy do I have some friends who are going to love seeing me at their door tomorrow. ;D

Thanks for all your help and support!

KyNola 

[Gizmo]

I mixed in brown sugar for the 2 bellies I have right now.  I forgot to mention that you have to rinse off the cure before smoking.  Rinse, soak for 20 minutes, rinse, might want to soak another 20, then rinse.  This will eliminate the saltiness. 

In previous smokes I have used the B&P maple cure, and I have also added maple syrup to TQ in the past as well.  Just plain TQ cure, smoke then slice and fry is extremely good.  The added sugar in the others do need a bit of caution as sugars burn easily so when you fry your bacon you will need to keep the temps lower and watch it carefully. 

Another real good tasty treat is to grill the bacon and add brown sugar to carmelize on it (pig candy).  Make sure you have a drip pan under the bacon or else you local fire department will be wishing they were on your guest list before the 1st alarm and could have saved themselves a great meal.

Now 4 pounds of bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That has got to be a tasty treat even if it were shoe leather inside. 
For some unknown reason, I still have not done the stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon yet.  I have a chef friend coming over tomorrow.  I'm tempted to rethink the menu, except for the grilled shrimp we will be making with one of his recipes, the pancit I already have made and the bread cooking up as I type.  But I think Kevin wants some nice grilled steaks along with the grilled shrimp.  I'll be putting Duraflame's real wood briquets to the test on the Webber Ranch Grill.  I suspect it will get up to 110 again tomorrow so the smoker will take the day off.  It deserves it.

I had some raw shrimp that I used for the Pancit today and the leftovers got a quick run on the griddle in the fat from a few slices of fresh bacon I tested.  Cooled them off quickly and will use them for some tasty shrimp c0cktail with home made tail sauce.  Should be a fun day.

[Habanero Smoker]

KyNola;

Try using the cold smoke setup, that is what I do when I smoke bacon or sausage. You will be able to control the cabinet temperature much better and keep it way below 160°F.

[KyNola]

Thanks for all your responses.  Curing doesn't seem nearly as frightening now as it did.  Have a great holiday. Got chicken breasts to smoke!

KyNola