Can a rub be made into a cure?

[ddog27]

I have been reading a lot about making buckboard bacon and I was wondering is it possible to take a BBQ rub and turn it into a cure? If it is possible how do you do it?

[Papa Tom]

I would certainly think it's possible. Cures contain potassium nitrate (salt peter) or sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite or a combination. The amount is quite small (.6% or less) and is usually mixed with sodium chloride salt to disperse it. The curing salts are a little different for wet curing versus dry curing and I haven't studied the chemistry so I don't know why. I believe that wet cures contain Sodium nitrite and dry cures Sodium nitrate.
Care would need to be taken from a producer standpoint in that curing takes time and procedures must be followed to prevent spoilage.

[DATsBBQ]

This from the Morton Site:
http://www.hot-salt.com/products/meatcu ... cemix.html

Spice Mix
The spice packet found in both Morton® Sugar Cure Mixes (plain and smoke flavored) is formulated for curing hams or bacon. The spices are packaged separately from the other ingredients. This is to prevent any chemical change that may occur when certain spices and the curing agents are in contact with each other for an extended period of time. If you do not need an entire package of Morton® Sugar Cure® mix for a particular recipe or must make more than one application, prepare a smaller amount by blending 1 ¼ teaspoons of the accompanying spice mix with one cup of unspiced Morton® Sugar Cure® mix. If any portion of the complete mix with spice is not used within a few days, it should be discarded. It is not necessary to mix the spices with the cure mix if spices are not desired. The unspiced Sugar Cure mixes contain the curing agents and may be used alone.

Not a chemist either, but it appears it can be done.