Curing Newbie

[rajzer]

For the sake of better understanding each other, the "bacon" you are making out of the pork butt is known as buckboard or cottage bacon.  Good option these days since bellies are now quite pricey.  Post pics when it's ready.

[Habanero Smoker]

It's cured.  I cut a piece off the end and fried it and it stayed red.  I am putting it on the smoker today, thanks everyone for bearing with me with all my questions.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Though I am sure your cut is fully cured; if you are using the slice test to determine if the meat is fully cured, the way you did it will not provide accurate results; though it will give you a good indication of flavor. When you are cooking a piece to see if the whole cut cured properly, you need to take the slice from the thickest part. The ends are the first areas to be cured, the center of the thickest part is the last area.

[DaveT261]

It was fully cured, I followed directions to the tee, when I took it out of the smoker it was red all the way through.  Now for the bad part, even with the maple syrup it had a bitter taste.  Looks I would give it a 10, taste I would give it a 4.  Maybe it was the basic cure I used, I don't know.  It looked good coming out of the smoker, looked good sliced and fried, but taste was not there. 

[Habanero Smoker]

I use a recipe very similar to Phone Guy's and I get great results. The only difference is that I use the basic cure instead of Morton's TQ, I add rosemary and thyme to the cure mix, and use an infused rosemary/thyme honey.

The basic cure would not leave a bitter taste. Was the bitterness there when you did the test slice prior to smoking it? The bitterness may have come from the smoke. How much smoke did you apply, and what type of smoke did you use? If the bitterness is from the smoke, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and allow it to age a few days in the refridgerator, then try it again. That should mellow out the taste.

[DaveT261]

I used hickory (it was the only type I had left) for 1hr 40 min.  I looked at the original recipe and it called for brown sugar plus the Morton's tender quick, and I never added any brown sugar since the basic cure called for granulated sugar.  I have over smoked pork before and it never had this taste, but it did taste better before I smoked it.  I will try to wrap the piece that I have and see if it makes it taste better in a few days. 

[Habanero Smoker]

1:40 hours is about the amount of smoke I use. The basic cure would be the substitute for Morton TQ, so the sugar in Phone Guy's recipe should have been added, but leaving the sugar out should not make it bitter, just the salt taste would be stronger.

Did you use an iodized salt? That can create a bitter metallic taste. Also salts that are branded sea salt, have minerals and metals that may alter the flavor when curing meats.

[DaveT261]

I used pickling salt.  I did let it soak for about 2 hours, I think you may have hit the nail on the head, a mineral taste better describes how it tasted.

[Habanero Smoker]

Pickling salt is pure salt, so that would not have produced that mineral taste. Hopefully the taste was caused by the smoke, and the flavor will mellow out.