[Modernist Cuisine] Curing Pork Belly (Bacon)

[Anonymous Modernist 4946]

I have been reading and reading and then reading the Curing section over and over and then again along with the bacteria sections (and the whole book in general).

I now understand the difference between brining, wet curing and curing and the parametric charts and the the best method charts but other than the one bacon recipe you barely touch upon it (bacon that is).

My brain is telling me from all the info that Sodium Nitrite is not necessarily needed for bacon unless you like its flavor and the color it makes the flesh. If one follows the following;

Basic cure recipe 7 days in fridge, rinse, some equilibrium time in the fridge, smoke in smoker and vac pac and store in fridge below 40f or in freezer until ready to use. Make sure its cooked to proper temp to kill any potential CB toxin if it ever had the chance the grow but should not have. Cooking over bacon 250 would render the toxin harmless. Or is it that bacon temp cooked never get high enough to render potential toxins harmless?

Am I missing something?

Which brings me to a question. The first Pork Bellies I did (Skin on Boneless) each weighed about 1.25kg were dry cured with a basic cure with salt, sugar and instacure 1. Left in for 8 days as I had to get smoker ready for a full load. Did a quick rinse and in the applewood they went. When I tried them they were WAY too salty (and I like salt). Any suggestions? They were about 1.5 inches thick does that mean even 7 days is too long? Just sucke blanching the slices in boiling water as it lost its smokey depth of flavors and became one dimensional.

Thanks for the great book!

[Anonymous Modernist 10]

You're very welcome!

About your question: which recipe did you use? The parametric recipe in the table or the house cure?