Nice summary. If it came out alright, it must have cured alright. Sometimes they just don't have as much water in them. I've really started dry curing mine more. After I cure it for a week, I hang on bacon hangers in the fridge for five or so days, and they really gets rid of a lot more moisture. I loose about 30 percent weight from start to finish. This intensifies the flavor and texture. I can't pay that much for bellies. That's high for me. About 2.50 a pound is my limit, if I can find them. I'd probably go up to 2.75/LB for skin off if I had to. I'm really having trouble getting decent bellies here in Grove, Oklahoma. I got my last batch at Fort Leonard Wood, commissary for 2.05/LB and have a preacher friend at Fort sill getting me 50 LBs next month and we'll meet somewhere in the middle. I just cured 52 pounds of boneless Pork Sirloin (top part of the ham), that I got on sale for 1.79/Lb at the local grocery store. This is my biggest batch of ham so far, proceeded by at 36 pound batch which yielded 24 pounds when finished, 20 of which made nice sliced dry cured ham deli meat.