OK after reading a lot of recipe's for jerky I am wondering why the cure?
I have been making venison jerky for 30 years and all I do is cut the venison into strips about as thick as your finger only about 5-6" long. Mix up some soy sauce,teriyaki sauce,garlic powder and black pepper and marinate for 24 hours then put in oven or smoker at 180 for about 5 hours. I have had plenty of people tell me it is the best jerky they have ever had and no one over all those years has gotten sick. I usually let it sit in a jar or ziploc bag on counter until gone which is usually less than a week. I have never put any cure on it and was wondering why everyone else's recipe calls for it.
I only add cure to the jerky that doesn't have lots of salt in it.
The soy sauce and teriyaki sauce have PLENTY of salt in them.
do you think it is enough to not need cure? Like I said I have never had a problem so I am thinking it is ok.
When I made jerky in my dehydrator, I never added cure either. But since I've read some books on the subject I started adding it "just in case". I think the consequences of not using it are worse than using it.
With the soy and teriyaki and a 24 hr soak will do the same thing as cure. I wouldnt go any less than 24 hr though.
I do teriyaki the same as you but I only use teriyaki with garlic and onion salt
I use a small amt. of cure in just about everything I make. It seems to add a lot of flavour and a nice red colour. I am on a salt reduced diet and every bit helps. Piker