Corned Beef Cure help........

Pstores

Pstores

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I lost the link to this recipe I am trying. It’s a cure and not a brine. I am going to smoke it. Just curious what you guys think. Do I rinse it well then smoke. Or smoke without rinsing? Or does anyone recognize the recipe? Been searching online for hours. I give up.... lol

Try this with a brisket flat.

3/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon pink curing salt (Prague powder #1, NOT Himalayan pink salt, which is entirely different)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
6 bay leaves, roughly torn


INSTRUCTIONS

Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
Combine the salt, pink (curing) salt, and sugar together in a bowl.Corned beef curing mixture, slat, pink salt, sugar
Place the brisket in a rimmed baking sheet.
Rub the brisket all over with the salt/sugar mixture. If there is any extra salt mixture, pile it on/under the brisket in the pan.APplying the cure to the brisket for corned beef
Combine the spices in a bowl.Spice mixture for homemade corned beef
Rub the spices all over the surfaces.Corned beef ready to refrigerate with spices on it
Cover the brisket and pan tightly with plastic wrap.
Place in the refrigerator.
Unwrap it, flip it and rewrap it a few times over the next 7-10 days.Cure the corned beef for 7-10 days, flipping occasionally
That’s it! homemade corned beef is just 7-10 days away! Tune in next week when we tell you how to cook your amazing corned beef and cabbage!
 
1 tbsp cure seems like a lot. How much does the brisket weight?
 
I agree

mowin said:
1 tbsp cure seems like a lot. How much does the brisket weight?
Click to expand...

Although I don't agree with measuring, here is a reference that might assist you.

Usage for Prague Powder: Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lb. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lb. of meat. 3 tsp = 1 TBS which would be for 15 pounds of beef.
https://www.americanspice.com/prague-powder-no-1-pink-curing-salt/


Cures are typically measured according to the weight of the meat being cured in the recipe.

Cure #1 - the ratio is 0.25% (Multiplier .0025) x weight of meat in grams
Salt - the ratio is 3% (Multiplier .03) x weight of meat in grams
Sugar - the ratio is 1.25% (Multiplier .0125) x weight of meat in grams

Weigh the brisket/flat in grams, record the weight and multiply using the above Multiplier to get the exact ratio for each ingredient.

EXAMPLE:
If you have a brisket that weighs 1 Kilogram (1000 grams) the results would be as follows...



Weight of brisket = 1000 grams

Cure #1 - 1000 X .0025 = 2.5 Grams of Cure #1

Salt - 1000 X .03 = 30 Grams of Salt

Then add your aromatics (spices) as indicated above.
 
Last edited:
It was a 6 pound..... The butcher I buy my curing salt from also suggested the same amount. But that’s not the issue. It’s already been in the refrigerator for 7 days. Question is do I rinse or not?
 
The question I'd be asking, is the amount of cure #1 you used safe?

But if you want to go forward, slice a piece off and fry it up for a taste. If too salty, soak it.
 
Pstores said:
It was a 6 pound..... The butcher I buy my curing salt from also suggested the same amount. But that’s not the issue. It’s already been in the refrigerator for 7 days. Question is do I rinse or not?
Click to expand...

I would be concerned with the amount of cure used, it's 300% of the recommended usage amount, and well outside of USDA guidelines.

Extreme caution must be exercised in using these cures; never use more than the amount called for in the recipe. All curing agents are designed to be used at the rate specified in the formulation or recipe. When used as directed, curing salts are completely safe for home use.

It is also important to remember that more is not better because it can be toxic. Nitrites can change normal hemoglobin (the chemical in the blood responsible for oxygen transport) to methemoglobin. Nitrates increase the methemoglobin count, thus reducing the ability of the blood to transport oxygen to cells and organs. Oxygen starvation can lead to a bluish tint of the lips, ears, and nose in slight cases and severe cases can lead to respiratory problems, and heart problems.

.
 
I'd soak it. I'm following amazingribs.com recipe. He called for 2tsp of #1 for 4lbs of meat. Next part is to rinse and then simmer, not boil, for 30 minutes. Empty the pot and add new water. Then, cook with all the veggies.
 
Last edited:
I’ll check with the butcher again tomorrow before I cook it. He gave me enough to do what he said was 12 pounds. I used less than half.
 
IamMadMan said:
I would be concerned with the amount of cure used, it's 300% of the recommended usage amount, and well outside of USDA guidelines.

.
Click to expand...


Has the USDA fairly recently reduced their guidelines for curing salt? I have ruhlman's charcuterie book and his recommendations are pretty high as well compared to the current standard of 200ppm. He suggests 2 tsp per 5 pounds of bacon. I like the following calculator:

http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/calculator/dry_cure_bacon/

Look at what I found with a little googling:

By contrast, the amount of nitrite allowed by
USDA to be added to cured meats is miniscule at no
more than 156 parts per million. In most cases, the
amount added is 120 parts per million or less and aft er
processing the amount remaining in the fi nal product
is typically 10 parts per million or less. This amount is
approximately one-fift h the level of 25 years ago

https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/44170
 
Last edited:
-Chris- said:
Has the USDA fairly recently reduced their guidelines for curing salt? I have ruhlman's charcuterie book and his recommendations are pretty high as well compared to the current standard of 200ppm. He suggests 2 tsp per 5 pounds of bacon. I like the following calculator:

http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/calculator/dry_cure_bacon/

Look at what I found with a little googling:

By contrast, the amount of nitrite allowed by
USDA to be added to cured meats is miniscule at no
more than 156 parts per million. In most cases, the
amount added is 120 parts per million or less and aft er
processing the amount remaining in the fi nal product
is typically 10 parts per million or less. This amount is
approximately one-fift h the level of 25 years ago

https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/44170
Click to expand...

Yes I did some googling also. And found a few recipes call for 2 teaspoons per 5 pounds of meat. That's 1 teaspoon away from this recipe. 3 t=1 T...... Ummmm, so what do you guys think about that? And keep in mind this is a dry cure. Is more used in the dry curing process vs wet brining?
 
Pstores said:
Yes I did some googling also. And found a few recipes call for 2 teaspoons per 5 pounds of meat. That's 1 teaspoon away from this recipe. 3 t=1 T...... Ummmm, so what do you guys think about that? And keep in mind this is a dry cure. Is more used in the dry curing process vs wet brining?
Click to expand...

I think not all the recipes that you find online are up to the latest USDA standards. You are probably just fine. Can you weigh your cure? I know my cure only weighed 5 grams per tsp vs 7g that was suggested in the cookbook. When curing, you should weigh everything, not rely on volume measurements.

Chris
 
It was 12 grams per tablespoon. So about double what the formula above calls for at 6.25 grams.
 
Last edited:
With a wet (brine) cure, you account for the weight of the water as well, correct? For example, 1000 g of meat + 3000 g of water, you would use 4000g to calculate?

IamMadMan said:
I agree



Although I don't agree with measuring, here is a reference that might assist you.

Usage for Prague Powder: Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lb. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lb. of meat. 3 tsp = 1 TBS which would be for 15 pounds of beef.
https://www.americanspice.com/prague-powder-no-1-pink-curing-salt/


Cures are typically measured according to the weight of the meat being cured in the recipe.

Cure #1 - the ratio is 0.25% (Multiplier .0025) x weight of meat in grams
Salt - the ratio is 3% (Multiplier .03) x weight of meat in grams
Sugar - the ratio is 1.25% (Multiplier .0125) x weight of meat in grams

Weigh the brisket/flat in grams, record the weight and multiply using the above Multiplier to get the exact ratio for each ingredient.

EXAMPLE:
If you have a brisket that weighs 1 Kilogram (1000 grams) the results would be as follows...



Weight of brisket = 1000 grams

Cure #1 - 1000 X .0025 = 2.5 Grams of Cure #1

Salt - 1000 X .03 = 30 Grams of Salt

Then add your aromatics (spices) as indicated above.
Click to expand...
 
In a wet brine the amount of cure #1 is usually 1 tabs for every gal of water. Dry curing uses less cure.
 
I just got a message back from the Owner of the shop. Your all correct at 6 grams for the 5.5 pounds. So, I have 11-12 grams about double. Ummmmm...... Question really is safe or not?
 
Yes that’s correct. I was using round numbers. So the question is now. Since I used about 196.7% too much. Is it safe to smoke? Or would you toss it?
 
I consider Mad man the expert in this area.

I would soak it in water changing the water several times and cook a slice to check for how salty it is.
 
Smoke Dawg said:
I consider Mad man the expert in this area.

I would soak it in water changing the water several times and cook a slice to check for how salty it is.
Click to expand...

That will help reduce the salt, but not sure it would reduce the cure the meat absorbed. The salt in cure #1 is only added as a carrier so to speak, and to make it easier to measure.

Don't know how to figure out PPM. That would tell you if your in the safe range. Believe the safe amount for a dry cure is 100 ppm, and 200 for a wet cure.
 
I agree you used a recipe calling for way too much pink salt. I would toss it as curing salts should be weighed as accurately as possible (I go by weight), but the point is with pink salt, you don't have much room for error, and we're talking food safety here.

That said I've seen numerous recipes that called for incorrect amounts of pink salt, one in particular referred to it as sodium nitrite (which is the active ingredient), and if a user did happen to purchase it and use it full strength the results could have been disastrous. A message to the publisher and author went unanswered. An entry level product for home curing is Morton's Tender Quick. It was specifically designed for home use and is a tick more forgiving than pink salt.


Here are the two sources to that recipe you posted. It appears the first one used the second as a reference.

https://blog.thermoworks.com/2018/03/homemade-corned-beef-with-temperature-tips-for-success/

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes...es-cabbage-carrots-recipe.html#comments-28232
 
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