Mad man that's outstanding. I've never made bacon but have done lots of sausage, corned beef pastrami and have usually used tenderquick dry recipes. Surprising now that I looked at the sugar ratio how close several of my recipes are to your formulation. Great suggestion to weigh all ingredients. Guessing leads to over salted or brown looking product of health concerns. Curing is a science and needs to be taken seriously!
I suggest bookmarking this formula. I sure will.
I want to clarify this formula is for a dry cure only. A wet cure is mixed in different ratios according to the amount of water used when "WET" curing things like ham. A dry cure is simpler, takes up less space, and will not cause nitrite burn if left to cure a little longer due to one's busy schedule.
Curing should take place between 36 -39 degrees for best results. Colder will slow the curing process, while warmer temperatures (40 -149) are outside the food safe temperature ranges.
Salt and sugar can be adjusted to taste as described below.
I am a firm believer that anyone making Bacon, Sausage, Jerky, or other cured foods for the first few times should use either a pre-mixed kit or Morton TenderQuick to avoid issues with an improper formulation with too much or too little of any item, especially with the cure. It makes the process easy for those who do not have a scale to accurately measure the items. Accuracy results in consistency, quality, and safety. I also want to note that Morton TenderQuick is not directly interchangeable with Cure #1 (pink salt), they are different formulations. TenderQuick already has the cure and the salt mixed together as one product to make it safe for measuring by volume (Tablespoons) rather than by weight (grams).
Salt is necessary to transport the curing agent into the meat and the salt ratio content can vary anywhere from 2.5% to 4% when curing. The higher end of that scale produces a very salty product, while the low end is much lower in salt. Salt content can vary anywhere within that range, but I prefer a 3% ratio. In commercial meat packaging a salt solution is added to meat to help prevent Listeria and some other bacteria from growing. This is done with a 3% solution and is probably the real reason commercial packagers sell enhanced meat, not so much for a tender product but more so to slightly extend shelf life. Less than 3% and harmful bacteria, if present, can still colonize and grow. Some processors add much higher salt ratio, which over time can give the meat that salty/hammy texture and flavor which we all detest when we BBQ.
Sugar helps to cut the salty edge in taste of the final product and can vary greatly in any recipe. Sugar can slightly slow the curing process if used in large ratios, but is not necessary for curing. It is strictly for rounding out and balancing the flavors (salty, sweet, savory). Sugar levels can be adjusted to an individuals personal taste without affecting the curing process.
However the cure #1 (pink salt) is not variable. It is the ratio prescribed by the USDA and other food safety organizations. Too little cure and you may still have a chance of getting ill from food-borne illnesses, while too much can cause health problems and even death. Cures are completely safe when used in the proper proportions.
After the basic mixture is weighed and mixed you can add your other spices and flavor components.
