Pork Belly
Moderator
Everybody doesn't have a scale so I listed different measuring options.
Basic Dry Cure
1Pound or 450 grams Kosher Salt
8 oz. or 225 Grams Sugar
2 oz. or 50 grams or 10 teaspoons Pink Salt- Sodium Nitrite
After assembling your Basic Cure you need to decide on your cut of meat. Are you doing Bellies, Loin or Boneless Pork But? It doesn't matter all these steps are the same. Take approximately two cups of you cure and pour it onto a cookie sheet. Spread the cure evenly and begin rolling and patting you choice of meat in the brine as if you were dredging meat to fry it. The cure will adhere to the meat. Continue to coat the meat until it cant hold anymore cure, adding more cure ass needed. Discard any cure that made contact with meat, store remaining cure in an airtight container.
My preferred method for the next step is take a zip top bag large enough to easily hold your cut of meat without loosing its seal. Place 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar inside the bag. Using your hands rub the bag mixing the sugar and syrup to coat the inside of the bag. be careful not to get sugar in the zip seal. Add your cured meat to the bag, remove as much air as you can and add the meat. Insure you have a good seal and place in a container large enough to hold any leaks. The container of bagged meat should remain in the fridge for seven days. Each day visit the fridge admire what you crafted and flip the bag over. Multiple bags can be stacked if needed. On The seventh Day remove the meat from the bags, rinse it well under cold water and immediately pat it dry with paper-towels. Return the meat to the fridge and place it directly on the racks of without covering it. There wont be any leaching or dripping don't panic. The meat should remain in this step for at least 24 hours longer is not harmful. The meat is cured, it is preserved now. Leaving it in the fridge allows for it to dry enough for the smoke to adhere. Continued storage in this manner just removes more moisture and concentrates the flavors.
I prefer to load cold meat in a cold smoker then Cold smoke at 100 for 2 hours minimum. I then bump up the heat to 200 and cook to an internal temp of 150 on a probe thermometer. Remove from the smoker and remove the skin from the belly if there is one. I always leave the skin on until this stage. Now place the meat on racks and cookie sheets place in fridge covered loosely with wax paper for 24 hours before slicing. Use a slicer if you have one if not an extremely sharp knife works also.
Basic Dry Cure
1Pound or 450 grams Kosher Salt
8 oz. or 225 Grams Sugar
2 oz. or 50 grams or 10 teaspoons Pink Salt- Sodium Nitrite
After assembling your Basic Cure you need to decide on your cut of meat. Are you doing Bellies, Loin or Boneless Pork But? It doesn't matter all these steps are the same. Take approximately two cups of you cure and pour it onto a cookie sheet. Spread the cure evenly and begin rolling and patting you choice of meat in the brine as if you were dredging meat to fry it. The cure will adhere to the meat. Continue to coat the meat until it cant hold anymore cure, adding more cure ass needed. Discard any cure that made contact with meat, store remaining cure in an airtight container.
My preferred method for the next step is take a zip top bag large enough to easily hold your cut of meat without loosing its seal. Place 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar inside the bag. Using your hands rub the bag mixing the sugar and syrup to coat the inside of the bag. be careful not to get sugar in the zip seal. Add your cured meat to the bag, remove as much air as you can and add the meat. Insure you have a good seal and place in a container large enough to hold any leaks. The container of bagged meat should remain in the fridge for seven days. Each day visit the fridge admire what you crafted and flip the bag over. Multiple bags can be stacked if needed. On The seventh Day remove the meat from the bags, rinse it well under cold water and immediately pat it dry with paper-towels. Return the meat to the fridge and place it directly on the racks of without covering it. There wont be any leaching or dripping don't panic. The meat should remain in this step for at least 24 hours longer is not harmful. The meat is cured, it is preserved now. Leaving it in the fridge allows for it to dry enough for the smoke to adhere. Continued storage in this manner just removes more moisture and concentrates the flavors.
I prefer to load cold meat in a cold smoker then Cold smoke at 100 for 2 hours minimum. I then bump up the heat to 200 and cook to an internal temp of 150 on a probe thermometer. Remove from the smoker and remove the skin from the belly if there is one. I always leave the skin on until this stage. Now place the meat on racks and cookie sheets place in fridge covered loosely with wax paper for 24 hours before slicing. Use a slicer if you have one if not an extremely sharp knife works also.
