Pork Liver Pate - Nitrite

[wheels]

I am going to be making Pork Liver Pate.
I have yet to formulate a recipe but it will probably be along the lines of half bacon/belly pork to liver with some breadcrumbs, herbs, spices etc - maybe an egg?
My wife and family like a smooth pate that is nice and pink so I am thinking of using some cure #1 to acheive this.
The FDA guide gives a max of 156 ppm Nitrite in comminuted products but also mentions 40ppm as a guide in cooked products for colour fixing.
I have to:
1. Decide what ppm to use.
2. Whether to cook immediately after adding the Nitrite or to cure the meat for a couple of days first.

What would you do?

Phil

[Spuddy]

If you are using bacon in your mix then I'd say this will provide enough pinkness naturally without needing additional cure.
Otherwise I'd go for 1g of cure#1 per kilo of meat (if only from a colour point of view) and hold chilled for a day or two before cooking.
Skip the egg and breadrumbs, it'll keep (and taste) better without.)

[Oddley]

If the bacon you are using was made with 200 ppm nitrite, then with 80% reduction, that would leave 40 ppm, so a further 20 ppm would make the required 40 ppm overall required, for colour fixing.

If I were making it, I personally, would get it ready, leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, then cook it. That is why in some places cure #1 is called instacure, because it is almost instant.

[wheels]

Thanks both

That's about what I thought.
I'll go with 40ppm using only the weight of the uncured meat to calculate.
I'll omit the bread/egg and leave it for a few hours before cooking.
I've got half a pig coming on Tuesday so I want it out of the way before then!

Thanks again
Phil