Can I Kill Two Flying Pigs With One Stone?

[punchlock]

I am going to be brining a fresh ham soon; I was wondering if  I could throw some pork bellies into the brine, and make bacon at the same time? If this is possible, how long would I leave the pork bellies in the brine? Am I way off base here? I sure miss this place; it has been far too long.....

[GusRobin]

I'll let the experts respond but my gut feeling says each item shoudl have its own brine.

[squirtthecat]

I think I would do them separate as well...   Otherwise it will be difficult to calculate how much cure will be needed, and how long they will soak.

[Habanero Smoker]

It can be done that way. How much brine will you be making, and what is the total weight of the meat? As long as the wet cure is mixed properly, you will need at least enough brine to equal 50% of the total weight of the meat. The amount of brine needed, also depends on the size and shape of the container, because all the meat has to be fully submerged.  Do you have enough room to wet cure everything without packing the meat? Also the bellies will cure faster then the ham.

[punchlock]

I have a 15 gallon Rubbermaid container that will fit into my man-cave refrigerator. If I calculate the volume and concentration of my brine, for my 15 lb ham, and adjust the volume for the additional pork bellies; do you think it will be ok? Any idea how long a wet cure like this might take to cure a 2" pork belly?

I really appreciate all of your feedback; it's nice to see this forum hasn't changed

Punch.

[Habanero Smoker]

The bacon should cure in 4 - 5 days. I wasn't fully awake yesterday  :) . In this type of curing it doesn't matter if you go a few days over.

The ratio of cure to liquid is more important then the volume; as long as the brine solution is at least 50% (it's actually around 45%, but 50% make the calculation easier) of the green weight of the meat. You can use 1, 5, 10 gallons of brine solution for the same amount of meat and still achieve the same results with the same brining times; but it is a waste of supplies. One gallon of water weights a little over 8 pounds, so it will cure up to 16 pounds of meat. I generally will use 3 ounces of cure #1 per gallon of water, often I will go up to 5 quarts of water.

I'm not familiar with that container. The best way to calculate how much brine you will need is to place all the meat you are going to cure into the container, then add water until all the items are covered with water. I like to go about 1 inch above. Remove the meat then measure the water; generally that is all the brine you will need; but remember if the brine doesn't weight at least 50% of the green weight of the meat, you will need to increase the amount of brine to make.

When I measure the water, I make it easier on myself when I measure the water; if the amount comes out to 2 gallons, 1 quart and 3 pints, I round off to 3 gallons (it just makes it easier to calculate the ingredients). Another way to measure the volume of water, is to add 1 quart at a time, until the meat is covered. That way you don't have to measure what is in the container, because you measured it as you poured the water in.

Here is a recipe I often start with. Note it uses 5 quarts of liquid per 3 ounces of cure. To this recipe you can add your spices etc. You can also increase the sugar to 1 cup if you like it sweeter. If you are using a commercial cure mix like Sausage Maker's Maple Ham Cure; follow the directions that came with the mix.

Simple Wet Curing Brine (pickle)
5 quarts Water; divided (See note under curing)
1 cup pickling salt (10 ounces)
1/2 cup white sugar;
3 ounces Pink Salt (aka InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1; Modern Cure #1; T.C.M.)

If you heat your brine to make it easier for the ingredients to dissolve, do not add the cure until the brine has cooled down to at least 100°F.

If any of the above is confusing, just let me know.

[punchlock]

Perfect! Thanks so much Habs....

Punch