MortonCuring Salt, Tender Quick Home Meat Cure, 2 Pound

THE RECIPE I USED2 tbs curing salt (leveled, not mounded)2 tbs kosher salt (non-iodized)1/4 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)1 qt water (warm to hot, tap)Curing solution:I've had several different people give me different suggestions on this one, but I use warm/hot tap water to dissolve the solids (I don't use boiling water), then whisk until completely dissolved. I also allow the liquid mixture to come to room temperature prior to putting the meat in.To minimize risk of contamination by other things in the fridge/ off flavors, I always put the mixture+meat in a liquid safe container that has an air tight lid, but I think this is more personal preference than anything.Meat Used:19oz (wet weight prior to curing) pork tenderloin (comparison of before and after weight to come soon)TimingAllow to cure for ~3-4 days in the refrigerator, submerged in liquid (doesn't cure if it's not in the liquid). If you have problems with the meat staying submerged, put something heavy and water safe like a bowl or small plate on top of the meat prior to closing the container. I might reduce this by a day next time to bring down the salty flavor just a bit, though it was good "as is," my husband prefers slightly less salty pork compared to my preference. You'll feel the meat is firmer when it's cured.Smoke at 250F with hickory chips for about 2.5hrs. Make sure the smoker is preheated prior to adding the meat. Time depends on cut of meat, but this gave a wonderful flavor for the tenderloin we had.RESULTSThis solution gave the meat a beautiful color and the firm but not overly dry texture you'd expect from a nice piece of smoked meat. I unfortunately don't have pictures from this last batch because everyone loved it so much we ended up eating the entire smoked tenderloin at one dinner! Pictures to follow the test described below.TIPS FOR ADJUSTING FLAVORI've had several people tell me that you can slice a small piece off the meat and cook it to check the flavor as you go, so you can fine tune your recipe and the salt content of the meat. The timing above has worked pretty well for me so far, but I'll likely do this on the next run to see if it changes the final product. I'll post the comparison when it's done.You can see a little bit goes a long way when curing meat, so this pack should last us for a while.USES/ WARNINGThis product is used to cure meats and should not be used in place of regular table salt as it contains preserving nitrates and nitrites. This is NOT a meat tenderizer to be sprinkled on food just prior to cooking.CONSThe price is good for the quantity, but I use such a small amount since we live in a city and don't have space for a large smoker or storage for large amounts of meat while curing, having a smaller package option would be nice.WHY THIS BRANDI chose this particular brand over others because it's what my family used to prefer when they wanted to brine or cure meat to smoke or dry down to jerky.ITEMS MENTIONEDWESTERN 78075 Hickory BBQ Smoking Chips

I can't get this locally anywhere. I use it to make corned beef brisket and buckboard (rasher) bacon regularly (1T per pound of meat, cured in the fridge at 5 days per 1" thickness) and German-style pork chops occasionally, smoking the pork chops adds tons of depth. Not only is the end result much-much cheaper than store-bought, the flavors are far better and I have complete control of what goes into my food.If you have a problem with nitrite and nitrate then this isn't something your want to buy - you'll want to avoid celery too. But if you like good eating and want to make your own while maintaining food safety (the nitrites and nitrates are there to protect against botulism bacteria in addition to altering the texture, color, and flavor) then this is what you want for these basic curing tasks. It makes for an exceptional corned beef after 5 days per inch thick. And if you like back bacon (unsmoked) or Canadian-style bacon (unsmoked) then this gets you those very well. You can kick it up a half dozen notches by smoking your cured meat over some nice wood if that's your thing. Best pastrami you'll ever eat.If your objective is air dried, aged, cured sausages and whole muscle (copa, pancetta, etc..) then you might rather explore cure #1 and cure #2 methods. Morton TQ is similar but it isn't those.It's not "fast food" cooking! Expect to wait for your meats to cure if you'd like to do this. Getting in a hurry is a recipe for failure.

UPDATE & CORRECTION!!The seller contacted me and asked me to call Morton directly about the code on the bag, which I did. I am happy to report that I was wrong and the item is very much within the expiration period and was manufactured in July 2018.I added another picture of a code on the top folded flap of the bag which was explained to me. The RI is the location of manufacture, the fist two numbers are year of manufacture (2018) and the next set of numbers are from a Julian calendar which mean manufactured on the 1780th day of the year. And then I forget the man said after wards, but this bag was manufactured in July of 2018.So my apologies for the original post. I am changing my rating to 5 star. Shipping was very quick and product is exactly as described. I am very happy. Thank you!________________________________________________________________________________________________________Order was received very rapidly. However the salt which was received on 5-28-19 had a date to use by of 12-10-14! There is a no return policy on food items. I've left seller feedback in hopes they will correct this. Who would have thought a new product would have been so far out of date. And while I read that salt basically does not expire, some additives in the salt do expire. That's too far out of date for my comfort. This item is impossible to find locally. Very disappointed.

We make summer sausage for every annual family reunion. Recipe handed down from our mother who made it for years (usually a double batch so we could all have some to go home with us)! Bold letters on her old recipe: DO NOT SUBSTITUTE. We don't.