Curing Pork
Ingredients
Directions
Make the brine
In a large container, combine the coarse sea salt, sugar, saltpetre, baking soda, and water, and stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
Cure the pork
Submerge the pork in the brine and ensure it is completely covered.
Let the pork cure in the brine for at least 2 months.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the meat and seasons it, slowing spoilage during the long cure.
- Sugar
- Balances the harshness of the salt and adds a mild sweetness to the finished pork.
- Saltpetre
- Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve the meat and gives it a pink color and cured flavor.
The step that matters
Submerge the pork completely. Any part of the pork left above the brine is exposed to air and can spoil or cure unevenly. Full coverage keeps the salt and curing agents in contact with every surface.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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