# Salt pork



## bowslinger (Aug 4, 2007)

I was thinking of making salt pork and was wondering if bell pickling and preserving salt would work if I covered the pork in layers of that salt


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## dyrne (Feb 22, 2015)

This is about 20 days late but any type of salt will do. You don't need to add nitrites to preserve the meat.


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## bowslinger (Aug 4, 2007)

Thankyou


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Nitrites are used mainly for curing hams or bacon but most meats and fish can be preserved with just plain salt


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Don't you have to be careful not to use salt with Iodine in it?


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Not trying to cause thread drift, but I bought sliced belly pork, not noticing it was not thick cut bacon. Can I use the same steps that I would on a slab of belly to make it into bacon?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Nsoitgoes said:


> Can I use the same steps that I would on a slab of belly to make it into bacon?


I see no reasons why not other than the curing time might be a little shorter with it already being sliced.


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Thank you. I'll give it a whirl.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Would someone please post their results. I'm interested in learning how and what the limitations are.


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## HeavyHauler (Dec 21, 2017)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Nitrites are used mainly for curing hams or bacon but most meats and fish can be preserved with just plain salt


You don't need nitrites to cure ham or bacon. Salt, sugar and smoke will do.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

HeavyHauler said:


> You don't need nitrites to cure ham or bacon. Salt, sugar and smoke will do.


They aren't "needed" but they are most often used for that purpose.


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## HeavyHauler (Dec 21, 2017)

Bearfootfarm said:


> They aren't "needed" but they are most often used for that purpose.


That's true.


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## Springwood (Mar 8, 2017)

Are the nitrites a short cut for commercial processors? What's the purpose of nitrites if you can just use salt sugar & smoke? .....As I ask this I'm thinking it's to replace the smoking part which takes time.


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## dyrne (Feb 22, 2015)

As far as I understand it the best argument for nitrates is one more thing to throw at trichinosis and other such things. At least... in our wild game eating community that has been the rationale. Thing is, if I'm eating something likely to be contaminated I'm going to cook it 145 degrees to be safe anyway so I'm not sure of the point. You wont catch me gnawing on raw cured bear jerky no matter what it is treated with.

I've always dried and aged beef only with salt only. I don't use sugar or smoke. I'm still alive but I don't know enough to assure anyone 100% of it. The problem is our CDC and FDA go into worst case, nuke it from orbit mode when it comes to this stuff -which is understandable when dealing with commercial producers I guess but everyone cites their guidelines and you can't tell what is irrational and what is perfectly reasonable. 

I've seen no argument to indicate to me that when smoking meat, nitrates either in pure form or the form of celery powder or whatever are necessary for preservation and I'm not convinced they provide a ton of benefit for killing parasites and bacteria vs normal aging with salt and cool air. Include smoke and sugar in that and I'd say you're probably ahead of the game -but I'm an amateur.


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