I know this is and old post, but I have done this before and for educational purposes I want to answer the question. If by opaque you mean white that is what cooked salt cured pork looks like. If you want red/pink you must cure pork with cure # 1/2. The only reason Prosciutto is red/pink is because it is raw and not cooked, there is a reason pork is called the other white meat. If you did add cure # 1/2 and it didn’t cook as pink then then for what ever reason your cure didn’t penetrate the meat.

@aaronf I’ve got a few things to hopefully help you here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK1CeOGxPA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIckigS7K_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be1dK0BFo8c And most of the Meatgistics University Sausage Casings category (https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/category/42/sausage-casings) will have some information for you. Blow outs (when the casing splits) are something to keep in mind but as long as your casings aren’t old and brittle it shouldn’t be that bad. If you are making a breakfast sausage (use the Fresh Collagen Casings) and it is going to be cooked in a pan I like natural casings better.