How do I cure pork ribs?

**YetiDave** · 05-04-2012, 03:19 PM

This one's new to me so I'd like a bit of advice... I just smoked and promptly ate some bacon ribs and they were superb. I'm definitely going to make this again but the problem is that I don't see bacon ribs around often, how do I go about curing pork ribs to transform them into bacon ribs? I'm assuming it'll be a brine solution with saltpetre? Any tips would be awesome!

**Sterling Cooper** · 05-04-2012, 04:10 PM

Here's a start.

I'm not sure how the bone factor may or may not change the curing time. A basis cure (by weight since different salts weigh different amounts for the same volume) is 8:4:1.2 Salt to Sugar to Curing Salt. Use 4-5 percent of the meat's weight in cure.

**jkh** · 05-04-2012, 04:15 PM

I was unaware there was a known cure for pork ribs!?!?!?!

**YetiDave** · 05-04-2012, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by jkh

I was unaware there was a known cure for pork ribs!?!?!?!

When I bought them I thought it was just another name for pork ribs - apparently not!

Sterling - I don't know why I didn't just look at that thread in the first place, cheers!

**Hair apparent** · 05-04-2012, 10:13 PM

Bacon ribs? Bacon ribs? Seriously,bacon ribs? You have my attention.

**saf** · 05-05-2012, 08:19 AM

My butchering terms are not as good as they once were, but I assume that you are just buying the lower part of the rib cage that goes in to the belly. A butcher should be able to clarify this. A picture would be really helpful.

The cure should be the same as in the other thread. Now are you trying to mak American bacon or Rashers? I believe that Rashers are brined and not smoked and Bacon should be cured and smoked. They are also different cuts of meat. The American being belly or back and I think that Rashers are the end of the loin.

After all that I found this which is a much more complete description.

http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/...h-rashers.html

**Jim** · 05-05-2012, 09:38 AM

If you are hot cooking them directly after the cure, you really don't need to use curing salt. Salt,sugar and spices rubbed on dry will do the trick. I would think 2-3 days would do it as the meat is so thin around the ribs. I have done this "by accident" when I had ribs prepped and had an emergency and not gotten to smoke them for a couple of days. Keep us posted.