Pink Salt Substitue for Morton's TQ

[Habanero Smoker]

I’ve been converting my recipes that I use Morton’s Tender Quick. I’ve converted them into recipes that use pink salt (AKA InstaCure #1; or DQ Powder; or Prague Powder #1; or Cure #1).  This recipe/formula comes from Charcuterie, by Ruhlman and Polcyn, and I’ve found it to be a good substitute for TQ.  For cuts of meat 4 pounds or less, I measure the cure the same way I measured TQ. My first impression is that it cures within the same time period as TQ, but it does not have as “strong” of a cure taste that TQ has.

Basic Dry Cure (make about 3 1/2 cups)
1 pound pickling salt
8 ounces granulated sugar
2 ounces InstaCure #1; or DQ Powder; or Prague Powder #1; or Cure #1

Mix well. I used a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. I mixed the ingredients at speed #2 for two minutes. Scraped the sides and mixed for two more minutes.

The actual measurement should be 2 ounces per 5 pounds of meat. Which comes to about .4 oz/pound or  2.25 teaspoons/pound (if using pickling salt), but you don’t have to be exact when using a dry cure. I just made some Canadian bacon, and used 1 tablespoon/pound and the lion was fully cured, and it was not overly salty.

When you make your Canadian bacon, slab bacon, pastrami, after measuring the dry cure you can add you other flavoring. Such as additional sugar, garlic powder, herbs etc.

If you used kosher salt instead of pickling salt, your volume measurement will be different, so you should weight the cure. No matter what salt you use in the cure, I would recommend that any meat over 4 pounds, you should weight the cure.

If you have some patients, you can use Turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar. Turbinado sugar has more of a molasses taste, but comes in large crystals. In a dry cure you want all ingredients about the same size so that they evenly mix. So you need to grind the Turbinado sugar to granular size, without turning it into powder form. I have a small blade grinder and the best way I’ve found to do this is to pulse 2-3 tablespoons at a time until you get the right uniformity.  There are about 8-10 tablespoons in 8 ounces of Turbinado sugar.

[Tiny Tim]

Very infromative...printing for future reference.

Thank you.

[hillbillysmoker]

Thanks Habs.  Good information for the future. I have added it to my recipe files.

[HCT]

Great post Habs, thanks again, it's in my files.

[bunnydude]

Why the change?

[Habanero Smoker]

Why the change?

In the past, because of it's premixed state Morton's TQ was easier to use until I found the basic cure recipe. I've been curing more lately, and most recipes call for pink salt (aka the brand names mentioned above). TQ in my area is getting harder to come by. Wal-Mart used to sell it, but no longer stocks it. So pink salt is easier for me to purchase, real inexpensive, and more versatile because so many books and recipes calls for it. I still have and use Morton's TQ, but this cure adds another option for those that see a recipe with TQ in it, and only have pink salt.

Oh! I forgot to mention that the cure lasts indefinitely. So you can make huge amounts, and place it in a moisture tight container and store it in your cupboard.

[whitetailfan]

Looks pretty straight forward - thanks Hab

I wind up going through TQ pretty quick when I mix their brine to spec, this might be a cheaper substitute, I'm assuming I can build a brine from your dry cure.

Just for curiosity and safety, I wonder if all the concentrated cures (of various names) are consistent chemical compounds?  Can you post the percentage nitrite quoted on the pink salt for me to compare to the prague#1 I can find, as well as the amount of cure per pound on the original pink salt, and not your recipe.

[Habanero Smoker]

All those cures are considered Cure #1; and their formula is the same; 93.75% salt and 6.25% nitrite. I'm not sure about the amount to use for making a brine (pickle); but I will look that up.

[Bad Flynch]

These numbers from memor for Morton's TQ:

Nitrate and nitrite, each are 0.5%

Salt about 79%

Sugar about 20%

I use TQ regularly at about 50 percent of what Morton's recommends, both as a dry rub and as a brine ingredient, that is as a general rule: 1 Tablespoon full of TQ per pound of meat or 1 Lb. of TQ per gallon of brine. I think that this compares favorably with what I see written here.

My Morton's book was written 30 years ago and is concerned mostly with meat preservation, not the creation of fancy, cured meats as specialty items. Therefore, the recommendations for the amounts of cures (TQ, Sugar Cure, Smoke-flavored Sugar Cure) are quite generous. That makes most meats come out well-preserved, but too salty.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Bad Fynch;
Thanks for the information. One of these days I am going to order that book; because I will still use TQ. It's a good product, but expensive and often hard for me to get. Maybe the next time I place an order with Allied Kenco.

If I did my calculations right.

The basic cure contains:
Nitrite 1% (that equals TQ's combination of nitrate and nitrite)
Salt about 68% (11% less salt)
Sugar about 30% (10% more sugar)

So you are correct; the brine (pickle) should also measure the same. If any adjustment is needed, it would be to add about an additional 1.5 ounces of salt per gallon when using the basic cure to replace the TQ.

[Bad Flynch]

I forgot to mention that I am able to purchase TQ from small, local grocers. You know Wally World: if it does not sell like crazy, they will simply remove it from the shelf and replace it. TQ is also available directly from Morton's Salt on their website. Being in upstate NY, you should be close to The Sausagemaker www.sausagemaker.com a place where one can get almost anything related to these processes.

[Habanero Smoker]

Our local Wally World used to carry it, but no longer does. The problem is that not that many places sell it on the Internet or stock locally. The problem with ordering it from Morton's site, is that I don't like buying on item and having to pay huge shipping cost. I prefer placing larger orders, that I can include TQ within the order.

I do most of my ordering for Sausage Maker, but I don't recall Sausage Maker every selling TQ. Sausage Maker is all the way across state from me, a good 6 hour drive. Upstate is a relative term, to some it means anything above NYC, to others it means anything above your location.

[NePaSmoKer]

Dang

I could make a killin sellin TQ on the forum. Lots of stores here have it.

nepas

[Kamanodental]

Aloha

Can you use this substitute for curing or drying sausage? If so, how long to dry or cure the sausage with a good temp? Im using 40-50 deg with 60-70 humidity. The problem is using so much salt to cure!!!!!!! any suggestions...I also use the sausage makers book.

Aloha
Kamano

[Habanero Smoker]

Dry cure sausage is difficult. I congratulate you for making them. What are you currently using for a cure?

This recipe/formula contains a nitrite (Cure #1), and is mainly for the use of applying a dry cure to bacon, pastrami, Canadian bacon etc. Using a dry cure method, the measurements do not have to be exact, so you have some room for error.

It cannot be used for sausage that are traditionally dry cured; which is air drying the sausage at a warm moist temperature, over a long period of time. Which is what you want to use it for. For that you will need a recipe/formula that contains both nitrites and nitrates, or more commonly called Cure #2. Morton TQ is similar to Cure #2, but since dry curing sausage is so difficult I would not assume that you could substitute one for the other.

I have the book "Charcuterie", by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn. They have a few recipes for dry cured sausage and with the use of Cure #2, their salt contents look reasonable. Before you decide to purchase this book you should know that only 12 recipes are devoted to dry cured sausage.

Here is a link to a site that will provide a lot more information:
http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage%20recipes.htm