I cured it in Morton tenderquick as per the proportions on the bag. Also added 4 cloves of crushed garlic. It soaked in the fridge for about 20 hours. After cooking, there was a thin area in the center that didn't cure - the color difference was spectacular! So next time I'll soak it longer to let the cure go all the way through.
After soaking I rubbed it with a 50/50 mix of crushed black pepper and crushed coriander. Then into the smoker with a small piece of hickory at 225.
Well, the temperature got away from me. One minute the meat read 182, the next minute 195 (well ok, 20 minutes later, if truth be told
)End result? It was dry, but I expected that. It was also too salty, too smoky, too peppery. Other than that it was good.
So, anybody have a recipe to share? I can cut down on the wood and the pepper easily enough. And I can go to a lower meat temp., maybe 185 or so. But I don't know how to reduce the salt, since it's part of the tenderquick. Do I use less tenderquick? Will it still do an ok cure if I do? Do I soak the meat in water for a while after the cure but before smoking? If so, for how long? Or do I add sugar to mask the salt?
Helpppppp!
