Ruhlman Polcyn inaccuracies

[beardedwonder5]

How about a list - in one place - here - of these inaccuracies, (or suggested inaccuracies)

[Ianinfrance]

Hear, hear!!

For example. In our parent website, Franco describes his #1 praque powder/pink salt as being suitable for curing meats that will be subsequently cooked, like bacon. Fine, though it might have been helpful to say whether it's used in place of the salt in recipes, or with more salt. On a packet of a similar product ("sel Nitrité 6%) it says it can be used to make brine up to a maximum strength of 210g (of cure#1) per litre of water. This seems to me to imply that this salt should therefore be used (together with sugar and spices of course) more or less "as is".

However in the book they say for a "basic dry cure" use 1 lb salt, 8 ounces of sugar and 2 ounces of #1 cure. That is FAR less than the other suggestions I've seen. Is this right?

He then goes on to say that you can measure it and use it at a rate of 50 g per 2250 g or 2.22%. That's WAY less than the 4.% Franco's bacon cure suggests.

Later on, for pancetta he calls for only 2 tsp (12 gms) of pink salt per 5 lb (2.25 kg) of meat, together with 50 gm ordinary salt and 40 gms of pepper? Can these all be right?

Note [edited 20/8/09 4pm] All references to cure #2 in my original post have been changed to read cure #1 which is what I meant to say. Dumbo that I am,

[saucisson]

Hear, hear!!

For example. In our parent website, Franco describes his #2 praque powder/pink salt as being suitable for curing meats that will be subsequently cooked, like bacon. Fine, though it might have been helpful to say whether it's used in place of the salt in recipes, or with more salt.

I'm slightly confused Ian, as on Franco's shopping site it says this about cure 2:

cure 2

Warning

Please read carefully before using this product

Cure number 2

This cure is a mixture of sea salt, Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate

This is a slow acting cure that can be used for sausage that is cured and dried, and can be eaten without cooking.

Please note that Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate are toxic chemicals , used correctly this cure is very safe but utmost care must be taken to measure it accurately before adding it to your recipe.

You must follow recipes that call for Cure 2 or ‘Prague Powder number 2’ exactly.

As a general rule most recipes call for two level tea spoons (approx 10 grammes) of Cure 2 to 10 pounds (4.5 Kilos) of meat, however this is a general guide. YOU MUST FOLLOW RECIPES EXACTLY!!!!!

Cure 2 is not a replacement for salt, extra salt must be added as required by the recipe.

[Ianinfrance]

Hi there,

Doh

For cure #2 read cure #1. In other words I was talking about the salt with 5.8% nitrite that he sells as a direct sub for pink cure.

So sorry. I've edited my original.

[saucisson]

Oh, I get it now thanks.

When you buy it it generally comes with a label stating : "as a general rule most recipes call for 2.5grammes of cure 1* per kilo of meat, however this is a general guide. YOU MUST FOLLOW RECIPES EXACTLY!!!!!

Cure 1 is not a replacement for salt, extra salt must be added as required by the recipe.

etc,etc


* my label has a typo and it says 2 here, although it correctly calls it cure 1 and what it contains and is for everywhere else.