Category Archives: dry rubs

Pastrami rub #1

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Aromatic black pepper, coriander and garlic

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 6 to 8 oz Dijon mustard, reserved

Instructions

Combine dry spices in a bowl or shaker.

Coat brisket with mustard, enough to help the dry spices stick. Coat brisket liberally with dry rub, and allow to stand refrigerated up to 8 hours.

Notes on Corned Beef Cures

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General ratios by weight for dry cure

  • 4.5% salt, 45g/kg
  • 1.5% sugar, 15g/kg
  • 0.25% PP#1. 2.5g/kg

General ratios for wet cure depend on how the meat will be cooked.

  • 5% to 10% brine, 50g/l to 100g/l
  • 1.5% to 3% sugar, 15g/l to 30g/l
  • 0.32% PP#1, 3.2g/l

Anywhere from a 5% to 10% curing brine is acceptable, 50 to 100g per liter. The meat will “finish” to the seasoning level of the cooking liquid. For a roasted product, use a 5% brine. Nitrite level for the brine should be 200ppm, 4.2oz per US gallon, 0.32% by mass or 3.2g per liter.

PP#1 in grams = 200ppm × product mass in grams ÷ ( 0.0625 × 1,000,000)

Bacon, bacon, bacon!

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Our last attempt at curing bacon didn’t work out so well, coming out more like a country ham than bacon. The cure also gave the fat a kind of sickly, gamey flavor that I found mildly off putting. It was a combination of too much salt, too much time and blurring the line between a wet cure and a dry cure.

Back to fundamentals. This 10 pound belly is split into thirds and I’m working on three different recipes: a basic dry cure, a basic wet cure and a bourbon & black pepper wet cure.

Basic Dry Cure

Derived from several online sources. This is for 3.3 lbs of belly.

  • 3.3 lb pork belly, trimmed
  • ¼ cup sea salt
  • ¼ cup raw sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pink salt

Combine dry ingredients and coat pork belly liberally on all sides. Seal in a zip lock bag and displace as much air as possible. Refrigerate 5 days, turning daily. After 5 days, rinse the cure from the belly, pat dry and refrigerate on a rack 4 hours or overnight, uncovered. Smoke over 225°F until internal temp reaches 150°F. Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months.

Basic Wet Cure

Derived from several online sources. This is for 3.3 lbs of belly.

  • 3.3 lb pork belly, trimmed
  • ¼ cup sea salt
  • ¼ cup raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pink salt
  • 2 cups cold water

Combine ingredients in a zip lock bag and slosh around to dissolve. Seal belly in the bag with the brine and displace as much air as possible. Refrigerate 2-3 days, turning daily. After 3 days, rinse the cure from the belly, pat dry and refrigerate in a rack 4 hours or overnight, uncovered. Smoke over 225°F until internal temp reaches 150°F. Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months.

Bourbon & Black Pepper Wet Cure

Derived from several online sources. This is for 3.3 lbs of belly.

  • 3.3 lb pork belly, trimmed
  • ¼ cup sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1 ½ cups cold water
  • ½ cup Kentucky straight bourbon, 80 proof

Combine ingredients in a zip lock bag and slosh around to dissolve. Seal belly in the bag with the brine and displace as much air as possible. Refrigerate 2-3 days, turning daily. After 3 days, rinse the cure from the belly, pat dry and refrigerate in a rack 4 hours or overnight, uncovered. Smoke over 225°F until internal temp reaches 150°F. Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months.

Texas Barbecue Rub

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This makes a nice dry rub for meat. Also makes a decent addition to the base for soups and chili,

  • 5 tablespoons paprika (40g | 240g)
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt (38g | 240g)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder (27g | 180g)
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder (25g | 150g)
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley (2g | 12g)
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper (10g | 60g)
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (6g | 36g)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin (6g | 36g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander (2g | 12g)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2g | 12g)
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper (3g | 18g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard (3g | 18g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot chili powder (1g |6g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (½g |3g)

Combine and store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Makes approximately 1¾ cups.