Bacon using commercial rub

[Midwest_kc]

So I’m going to try making some bacon. Probably going the TenderQuick route, and adding seasonings from there. There is a (couple) commercial rubs I want to use to experiment with, and obviously those already contain salt. Can anyone provide some guidance over how to figure out the salt content of the rub, and then adjust so that the bacon isn’t too salty?

I know after curing I can slice off a piece and try it to judge saltiness, but I’d like to at least be in the ballpark at the beginning. I also thought about applying the rub after the curing process. Thoughts?

[cptnding]

Tender Quick and commercial rubs make very salty bacon.
Try this. It works well:
https://www.makinbacon.net/eq-curing

[Bob Stehlik]

cptnding Thanks for the link. I’ll use it in the future. Thanks again.

[Midwest_kc]

cptnding So using this method, how would I incorporate that commercial rub? Wouldn’t I still need to do some calculations around salt content of the rub?

[processhead]

The directions that come with Tender Quick almost guarantees a too salty product.
Given the unpredictable results, is there a reason why you want to use it? While there may be some that have figured out the amount of TenderQuick to use for good results, many of us have had excellent, repeatable results using a simple dry cure that is accurately weighed and applied based on the actual weight of the pork belly.

[Midwest_kc]

processhead The only reason is that a few years ago when I made some buckboard bacon, the site I was on at the time that seemed to be what everyone was doing. After posting this, and then after cptnding’s post, I did some more research and actually ordered some Prague #1 that should be here tomorrow.

The reason that I’m looking to use some commercial rubs is they are some of my sponsors for BBQ, and I want to get them some pics and such that they can use for their promotion, etc. It’s figuring out how to not get it too salty that will be the problem.

[johnsbrewhouse]

Midwest_kc You might want to re-think the use of tender quick in bacon after reading what they put on their own site. You don’t need cure either when using TenderQuick either, it has both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite in it already. https://www.mortonsalt.com/home-product/morton-tender-quick/

[Midwest_kc]

johnsbrewhouse Yeah, that’s why I ordered the prague powder, was to use instead of the TenderQuick. After doing some research on the link posted yesterday, plus other sources around the web, I decided to not go with the Tenderquick.

[johnsbrewhouse]

Midwest_kc Morton’s Sugar Cure used to be the product to use on bacon, but they discontinued it. The Excalibur MRT Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure at Walton’s is supposed to be formulated to be similar to it.

[mrobisr]

You only want to use cure #1 on anything that is fried. Tenderquick and Sugarcure both contain cure # 1 & 2 which will produce nitrosamines from the underutilized cure #2 when heated to high temperatures as frying does. I use them, but only in items that are to be cured more than thirty days.

[BobK]

johnsbrewhouse The problem with the Excalibur MRT sugar cure is that it has both nitrate and nitrite in it so that rules it out for making bacon.