DRY-CURE-NOTES

Note 1: The weight of meat plus fat is 100%. All ingredients to be added are expressed as a percentage of the weight of meat plus fat. Percentages can be used to standardize recipes regardless of batch size.  All weights are metric. 

Note 2: No weights are given because the weights of meats vary. Everything is a percentage of the meats weight after trimming. Example- Meat weight 2393 grams and we want to find out the amount of salt we need in grams- 2393 X 3.5%=83.755 or 2392/100 X 3.5 =83.755 grams. 

Note 3: I use .25% cure #1 & #2 for all my curing needs.  This equates to 156 ppm of Sodium Nitrite allowed by the Meat Division of the USDA for Comminuted meats. The .25% corresponds to 1 oz (28.35 g) of Cure for each 25 lbs (11.33 kg) of meat.   l lb of Meat would need .04 oz of Cure.   Percentage is .25% of the meats weight.  I.E 16 oz X .25% = .04 oz . My preference is to always use grams. 

Note 4: The percentages express below come directly out of Stanely Marianski book Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages.  I actually created the % percentages calculations based on some of his recipes/info he provided.  I used some fancy math to extrapolate the numbers. 

• .19 % = 120 ppm use sometimes for Bacon
• .25%  = 156 ppm Max for Comminuted meats
• .60%  = 347.4 ppm for larger Cut of meat that will dry for a long time. 
• .99%  = 625 ppm USDA MAX limit for dry curing.

Note 5: I used equilibrium curing instead of excess salt curing. Excess salt curing is a technique where you cover the meat entirely in salt.  Equilibrium curing is using exact amounts needed for the cure.  "This method would be the Sous-Vide cooking of the curing world". Jason Molinari

Curing Calculator 
All About curing Meat
PROCESSING INSPECTORS' CALCULATIONS HANDBOOK

Suggested Reading
Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages
by Stanely Marianski

The Art of Fermented Sausages
by Stanley Marianski 

Meat Smoking and SmokeHouse Design
by Stanley Marianski