WildcatGirl
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2013
- Location
- SoCal
Anyone have a good recipe that they are willing to share??? Suggestions are much appreciated...thanks!
I really like the High Mountain kits, I always have good results consistently with their kits..
IamMadMan... any value in switching out the tenderquick for Prague Powder? would the jerky have a better texture or last longer?
Isn't Sodium Nitrite..Sodium Nitrite?
Just asking..:wink:
I go simple with mine. Buy whatever round roast is on sale, slice & cut to size, dust with kosher salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, small amount of garlic powder, and then dehydrate. I keep it refrigerated since I don't use curing salt. Has never lasted long enough to go bad.
I did all the soy sauce and crazy stuff, but found simple works great for me. Anyone smoked at 150-175? I think that's what my dehydrator is set for meat.
Yes..
Just like apples are apples and oranges are oranges.
Sodium Nitrite is Sodium Nitrite and Morton Tender Quick is Morton Tender Quick. Two completely different formulated products.
Sodium Nitrate needs to be weighed according to the weight of the meat being cured and then the additional salt weighed according to the weight of the meat to make the cure. Tender Quick is already pre-mixed with salt.
Cure #1, Prague Powder #1, and Pink Salt #1 all have to be weighed and additional salt needs to be weighed and then mixed accordingly. They are not directly interchangeable with Morton Tender Quick.
Many cooks have heard of Tender Quick but do not understand what it is and how it it used. Its purpose is to cure meat not tenderize it.
Tender Quick is a blend of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and propylene glycol. The amount of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are 0.5%.
For centuries, nitrates and nitrites have been used to cure meat. They reduce the risk of botulism/food poisoning poisoning while the meat cures and is smoked. Nitrites change the meat's color into the typical pink color we associate with cured ham and sausage.
The salt aids in flavor and delivers the nitrites into the individual cells of the meat. The sugar mellows the sharpness of the salt. The nitrate turns into nitrite, which then turns into a gas, and this is what cures the meat. The propylene glycol prevents caking and helps to keep the cure evenly distributed.
To be effective, a cure must have the correct amount of nitrites evenly distributed throughout the curing mixture. Too much or too little nitrites or nitrates is not only ineffective but can possibly be dangerous. It is very difficult for a beginner to create the proper curing mixture, because the ingredients of salt, sugar and nitrites cannot be mixed effectively if they do not understand the proper ratios and principals of curing. The lack of salt in curing also make the application of the cure very ineffective.
I highly suggest reading "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages" by Stanley Marianski and Adam Marianski (Mar 21, 2012) if you plan to cure any meats.
The biggest problem is that food poisoning can take up to a month after ingestion before the spores create colonies and make you sick. It is not something you can test today and if you don't get sick tomorrow it must be ok.... Far from it.
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