The first time it was almost inedible, and I honestly can’t remember the process I followed.
For the second attempt I followed a recipe from Steve Raichlen’s book “Project Smoke.” I used 1/3 cup of kosher salt, 1/3 cup of white sugar, 2 teaspoons of pink curing salt, and ~3.1 pounds of pork belly. I mixed the incredients, evenly coated the pork belly, vacuum sealed it, and let it cure for 6 days, flipping it over everyday. When curing finished I rinsed it thoroughly with water, then smoked it. (Smoked around 175° until internal temp was ~155°.) It wasn’t inedible, but still far too salty.
I’m wondering would I could/should do differently next time. The kosher salt I used wasn’t fine, but it wasn’t the coarsest available either. Maybe that’s a problem? Or maybe I need to simply use less salt? The recipe called for brown sugar, which I didn’t have on hand, but it also said white cane sugar should be fine, which I used, but I can’t imagine sugar being the issue. Or should I leave it sealed and curing for less time?
Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
