- Joined
- Sep 3, 2009
- Location
- Springda...
Yes. Pop's Brine can be used to cure a variety of meats. It's been around quite some time. Pop's Father owned a custom meat store that sold bacon and hams using this recipe, only in much larger volumes... like 55 gallon barrels. I came across it online 10+ years ago while doing research for low salt or LiteBrine I was experimenting with. For dietary reasons, Pop's was experimenting with lower salt and sugar versions, so those are out there as well. Below are the suggested curing times for other meats. As a discussion point, there are stronger curing brines which do require weighing of water and meat as well as precise calculations and measuring of Cure #1. I prefer dry curing of bacon and corned beef, so that option is on the table as well.
Curing times vary with meat, but generally overnight to 2-3 days for chickens and turkeys, 8-10 days buckboard bacon, 10-14 days belly bacon, pork shoulder, whole butts, 3-4 weeks whole hams, 10-20 days corned beef (fresh beef roasts, briskets, rolled rib roasts, etc.) If whole muscle is more than 2" thick, then inject so it can cure i/o as well as o/i, and/or in and around bone structures, etc. These times can be extended as over-curing will not begin for 30 to 40 days, and the result would be mushy meat.
Please describe you dry curing method if you don't mind.
Thanks,
Robert