Buck Board Bacon

[terry08]

I cured and smoked it a few weeks back for the first time, using High Mountain Cure. Great results.
Then I cured and smoked twenty pounds of bellies using TenPoint 5's recipe and was fantastic. Now I have been curing 20# of butt for five days using phoneguy's recipe, the one using Morton Sugar Cure. Big mistake, I Think. It has been curing for five days now and most of the meat is still red in color and not firming up as the other cures did. No foul odor so I assume it is fine. Just not real happy with the results of the Morton. I will let cure until Sat. and then smoke but, I will cook to an IT of 165* just to be sure.

Anyone else have this problem with the Morton Sugar Cure ? Can't say enough abot TenPoint's bacon. It was some kind of fine....

[RAF128]

I've never used the Morton Sugar cure.  When I've done bacon or back backbacon I've used Morton Tender Quick.    Don't know it that makes a difference.

[Habanero Smoker]

Sugar Cure and Tender Quick are interchangeable in their use and are measured the same. The Sugar Cure has more sugar, and includes a spice packet that is optional to add.

I hope you didn't purchase  Morton Sugar Cure Smoke Flavored, that only contains sodium nitrate, and should only be used for dry cured sausages, or dry cured meats. If you did that may account for the slow curing times. Nitrates are slow acting and must first break down into nitrites before any curing action begins.

[terry08]

No Hab, I know the smoke flavor can not be substituted. Although they did carry it. I understand that the Tender Quick and Sugar Cure are about the same, except for the added spice pack, which I did use on half of the meat. I mixed each batch separately for each five pounds and I forgot it was twenty pounds not ten. So I was working with four bags, five pounds to each bag. I boned and sliced them horizontally each was about three inches thick. One zip lock bag looks as it should but the rest are still red and soft. But as I stated they smell fine, with no discernible difference except for color and firmness.

[Habanero Smoker]

If you measured correctly, then there are few reasons why they may be redder then the other pieces.

[terry08]

Been gone due to computer issues.

OK I started out with four Boston Butts, ten pounds each. After boning, each weighed about 9 1/4 to 9 1/2 lbs. I sliced them horizontally and made one batch of phone guy's recipe for each butt. The only thing I can see is that Phone Guys, recipe does not give weight of the butt he used.
All is well now. After seven days of curing most had made the color change, all but one. None were real firm but, I went ahead and smoked them Sat. at a temp of 200* until IT reached 165*. Placed in refer over night and sliced Sunday. What a bunch of bacon. I must say, the flavor was perfect and we are still alive. The folks who were waiting for theirs have already called wanting to know when the next will be ready as they don't want to run out. And this has been only after two days. All is well that ends well. The only thing I think I will do different, is let them cure for ten to twelve days. I feel this was the problem. Morton's sugar cure needs more time in the curing stage than using your own mix with the Nitrite. This is only my opinion cause am am no expert. But learning fast. Everyone seems to like the Buck Board Bacon over the Belly Bacon. As for me as long as it has bacon in the name I am fine with it.