Sodium nitrate help

(David Pegg) #1

Hi everyone. So I think I have discovered a huge reason to why my bacon adventures have not gone very well.
Here is what I was using for curing salt:

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It says it is 99.6% NaNO2. But everywhere I look says I should be using curing salt which is only 6.25% sodium nitrate + 92.75% table salt. Does that mean when I use this product that I should be heavily reducing the amount of curing salt required?
Eg: if I have 2lbs of bacon and the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of curing salt #1, then I should be only using 1/16th of a teaspoon of this product + 15/16ths of table salt?

…totally could have overdosed on NaNO2… :confused: :grimacing:

#2

Nitrate NO3
Nitrite NO2

Not sure if you noticed this, too.

(David Pegg) #3

My bad
After posting on a curing facebook group I have found I have used this product incorrectly. Heads up for anyone else. Be very careful with this stuff

(Danielle) #4

@peggaloon let me know what you end up using and how you use it.

I am hoping to cure and smoke my own bacon soon and will be looking for some tips.

Did you end up doing the smoked lamb and pork for Australia Day?

(David Pegg) #5

@Dandoesketo
Thanks for asking! I threw 2x pork shoulders, 1 lamb shoulder, 1 leg of lamb into the gas smoker at 250F and just let it run until they reached 160 degrees F, wrapped them in foil and kept cooking until they went mooshy. Probably about 195-205 F internal temp.
They all completely fell apart, I had LOADS of keto-fat juice from the cooking and it was glorious. I do not know why people only take lamb to medium rare of 150F and slice it… Lots of left overs now in the freezer!

I will purchase specific curing salts #1, (6.25% sodium nitrite) and start all over. So far I have learnt I like to do the dry cure method and smoke it with the skin on. Then remove the skin after smoking, chill and slice.
However it is hard to find the curing salts in Campbelltown NSW. Buying it online was what got me into the miss to begin with!

(Doug King) #6

Wife hates lamb…something to do with green jell sauce…
I’m curious as to lamb/sheep. Is there an age at which the lamb is slaughtered for meat? And how is it cured or is it…compared to pork?

#7

What? You don’t have to reject lamb because of that weird green jelly. I too think that jelly is gross.

Do this instead…

Extra virgin olive oil
Crushed garlic finely minced to paste
Lemon juice
A few leaves of fresh mint, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine in a blender the above ingredients in the proportion you desire. Use that in place of that freaky glow-in-the-dark neon looking green jelly.

(Doug King) #8

thank you much!