Tips and Recipes
The featured recipes were developed by meat curing experts at Morton and made easy for everyone to enjoy. As you begin, please keep in mind that home meat curing is not an exact science. If you should experience difficulty in the preparation of an individual recipe, refer to the following meat curing tips to help ease the process. Remember patience is the key to perfection!
Morton® Sausage and Meat Loaf seasoning mix is not a curing salt. It is a
blend of spices and salt that imparts a delicious flavor to many foods. The
seasoning mix can be added to sausage, poultry dressing, meat loaf and casserole
dishes or it can be rubbed on pork, beef, lamb, and poultry before cooking.
Just follow the instructions on the package, use in recipes, or add to taste.
The Morton® Sausage and Meat Loaf seasoning mix can be found in the Spices and
Seasoning section of the on-line store.
The Morton Salt Meat Pump is made of stainless steel and holds 4-ounces of
curing pickle. The six-inch needle unscrews from the tube for easy storage.
When attached, the overall length is 15 1/2 inches. There are 12 holes drilled
into the needle so the curing pickle will have good distribution when pumped
into the meat. The pump is available from the on-line store.
Tips
1. Dry Curing - After applying the cure, place meat in a plastic food storage bag and tie end with a twist tie. For large cuts of meat and poultry, use large-size food storage bags which are available in most grocery stores. Do not use garbage bags.
2. Brine Curing - To prepare the brine, use non-corrosive bowls, such as plastic, glass or stainless steel. Crocks work well, too, but will take up more space in the refrigerator. Prepare enough brine so that meat is fully submerged. Use a bowl or plate as a weight to keep meat fully immersed in the brine.
3. Meat cuts differ in thickness and amount of bone and fat which affect cure penetration rate. You may have to lengthen curing time if using a thicker cut than specified in a recipe.
4. Feel free to experiment with spices when curing to suit your family's taste. However, do not exceed the curing levels indicated in the recipes.
5. To eliminate guesswork, label and date meats before curing. We recommend labeling day and time the meat is to be removed from the cure.
6. If meat is too salty, soak or boil in water to remove excess salt. Next time, remember to rinse cured meat under running tap water to remove excess salt or reduce curing time slightly.
7. Cure meat in the refrigerator (36° - 40°F). At colder temperatures, meat will not cure properly. Warmer temperatures encourage growth of spoilage microorganisms.
8. After curing, meat and poultry are still raw and must be cooked before being eaten. For your convenience, most recipes include suggested cooking instructions. Should you decide to give a home-cured delicacy as a gift, let the recipient know if you have cooked it.
9. Cured meat turns a pink or reddish color when cooked. If meat is fully cured, it will be pink throughout the cut. For poultry, use a meat thermometer to determine doneness, as meat will appear light pink when fully cooked.
Canadian Bacon
Preparation Time: 20 minutes; refrigerate 3-5 days
Cooking Time: 8-10 minutes per slice
Servings: 1 pork loin, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin
1 tablespoon Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) mix per pound of loin
1 teaspoon sugar per pound of loin
Preparations
Trim fat from pork loin. Mix Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) mix and sugar. Rub mixture into the loin. Place loin in plastic bag; tie open end. Refrigerate and allow to cure for 3-5 days. Remove from cure. Soak loin in cool water for 30 minutes; pat dry. Refrigerate uncovered to dry slightly before cooking.
Cooking
Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices. Preheat skillet; brush with oil. Fry over low heat, turning to brown evenly, about 8 - 10 minutes.
Pea Meal Bacon: After loins are dry, rub liberally with a mixture of cornmeal and black and red pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Before frying, sprinkle slices with additional cornmeal.
Beef Salami
Preparation Time: 20 minutes; refrigerate overnight
Cooking Time: 50 - 60 Minutes
Servings: 1 pound
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 1/2 level teaspoons Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) mix
1 teaspoon Morton® Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Few drops liquid smoke, if desired
Preparations
Combine all ingredients mixing until thoroughly blended. Divide in half. Shape each half into slender rolls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic or foil. Refrigerate overnight. Unwrap.
Cooking
Bake on broiler pan at 325 degrees F until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a roll reads 160 degrees F, 50 to 60 minutes. Store wrapped in refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days or freeze for later use.
Spicy Beef Salami: Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton® Sausage and Meat Loaf seasoning mix for 1 teaspoon Morton® Table Salt.
Pepperoni
Preparation Time: 20 MinutesRefrigerate Overnight
Cooking Time: 50 - 60 Minutes
Servings: 1 pound
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 level teaspoons Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, slightly crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparations
Combine all ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Divide mixture in half. Shape each half into slender roll about 1-1/2 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic or foil. Refrigerate overnight. Unwrap rolls and place on broiler pan.
Cooking
Bake at 325°F until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a roll reads 160°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Store wrapped in refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days or freeze for later use. If Morton Meat Curing products are not available at your local grocery store, the products can be ordered throught the Morton Salt online store
Herbed Sausage
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes(Refrigerate overnight)
Cooking Time: 50 - 60 Minutes
Servings: 1 pound
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 level teaspoons Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain) mix
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dry oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Preparations
Combine all ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Divide mixture in half. Shape each half into slender roll about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic or foil. Refrigerate overnight. Unwrap rolls and place on broiler pan.
Cooking
Bake at 325°F until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a roll reads 160°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Store wrapped in refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days or freeze for later use.
German-Style Cured Pork Chops (Gepockelte)
Preparation Time: 2 Hours
Cooking Time: 45 - 60 Minutes
Servings: 4-6 pounds
Ingredients:
Loin or rib chops, 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick
1 tablespoon Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain) mix per pound of chops
Preparations
Rub Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain) mix throughly into pork chops. Place meat in plastic bag. Tie open end. Let cure in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Before cooking, rinse chops under running water to remove excess salt.
Cooking
Brown chops in lightly greased skillet. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover tightly and simmer until done, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Deli Style Corned Beef
Preparation Time: 5 days
Cooking Time: 3 - 4 Hours
Servings: 4-6 pounds
Ingredients:
One beef brisket, 4-6 lbs
5 tablespoons Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain) mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparations
Trim surface of fat from brisket. In a small bowl, mix Morton® Tender Quick® mix or Morton® Sugar Cure® (plain) mix, remaining ingredients and spices. Rub mixture into all sides of brisket. Place brisket in plastic bag and tie end securely. Refrigerate and allow to cure 5 days per inch of meat thickness.
Cooking
Place brisket in Dutch oven. Add water to cover. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer until tender, about 3-4 hours.