nitrate free cure

4blade · March 21, 2006, 11:55:18 AM

has anyone researched or found a meat cure that uses something other than nitrates in the recipe .

3rensho · March 21, 2006, 12:40:34 PM

Yes, look on the Food Network site. I've seen several recipes for corned beef that just used a strong salt solution. I've never tried one of those but they should serve as a guide.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Tom

whitetailfan · March 21, 2006, 01:28:51 PM

2whitetails...and a partridge in a pear tree.
Sorry bad joke[:I] (review handles above)
Only an extremely strong salt solution will provide an alternative to nitrites (based on what I have read)

Depends on what you are doing, as to if you want to get rid of the nitrites though. To my knowledge if you skip the nitrites, you may have flesh preservation qualities, but you will alter the color and taste. No pink ham or bacon without them. Won't taste the same either.

Perhaps you will get more responses to help clarify.

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

Foam Steak · March 21, 2006, 04:13:28 PM

How come some people don't like nitrates? Is there something bad about them? Just wondering while I am sitting here eating a nice pink homemade smoked sausage.:)

BigSmoker · March 21, 2006, 04:54:46 PM

nothing much to add cause I have never heard anything other than salt if you don't use the nitrates. Some people are allergic to the nitrates in food so I have heard. Also heard you shouldn't eat cured food constantly because of the nitrates but I don't know it that holds any water.

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

Thunder Fish · March 21, 2006, 06:55:48 PM

A friend of mine has a major reaction to one of the sodium preservatives.Odd how a nirtite will work but nitrate makes him ill [xx(] No other "real" alergies to any thing else.My nephew had a serious reaction to any meat cured products for years,he did finally out grew it.

Foam Steak · March 21, 2006, 08:02:40 PM

Allergic to cured meat? That must be what hell is like.

ChefBill · March 22, 2006, 10:48:14 AM

HELP,
Clarify this for me. Are we talking "Nitrates OR Nitrites" SALT IS Sodium Nitrate. NaCl. Which are we trying to eliminate, Table salt or Sodium nitrite here. [?][:D]

ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.

whitetailfan · March 22, 2006, 01:21:25 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ChefBill
 SALT IS Sodium Nitrate. NaCl. Which are we trying to eliminate, Table salt or Sodium nitrite here. [?][:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Bill,
Salt {NaCl} is sodium chloride, not sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is the meat cure use to preserve the flesh, kill the nasties, and turn ham pink, suasage and jerky red.

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

Foam Steak · March 22, 2006, 02:02:11 PM

I know this is getting WAY off topic. But check out this recent news from ABC:

March 22, 2006 — Angie Hausler, 33, is recovering in a St. Louis hospital after being the victim of a crime with echoes of the movie "Fatal Attraction." Hausler was allegedly poisoned by a neighbor, Tina Vazquez, who police say was in love with Hausler's husband, Brian Hausler, and wanted to get rid of her so she could marry him.

"I never led her on," said Brian Hausler, "I mean, not that I know of."

Brian Hausler says they met Vazquez, 33, six to eight months ago, a few months after they had moved to rural Terre Bonne, Mo. Vazquez's husband left her over Christmas and since then she and her two kids have been a constant presence in the Hausler household.

Vazquez, 33, is now in custody and charged with first-degree assault. If convicted, Vazquez faces a maximum of life in prison. She allegedly confessed first to Brian Hausler, and then to police.

"She said, 'well I put something in Angie's medicine,' " Brian Hausler said. "And, I asked her, when? what'd you do?' and she hesitated for a few seconds and she said, 'I put neo-nitrate in her medicine.' "

Sodium nitrate is a chemical used to cure meat, which can be fatal in large doses. Police believe Vazquez got it at the meat plant where she works and slipped it into capsules of amoxicillin, which she offered to Angie Hausler when she was feeling ill.

Left untreated, authorities say sodium nitrate takes oxygen out of the blood and could be fatal if ingested by humans. Angie Hausler collapsed about 20 minutes after taking one of the capsules of amoxicillin, and then called 911.

ChefBill · March 22, 2006, 03:49:25 PM

WhitetailFan,
Don't know which pocket I put my brain in but it sure as hell wasn't where it belonged. I have no idea what I was thinking. I know better than that. Excuse my stupidity on that one. [V] Maybe I need to go back to bed and get up again...

ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.

manxman · March 23, 2006, 06:40:13 PM

One of the companies I buy off advertises an "organic cure" which seems to be predominantly sea salt and demerera sugar, probable easier and cheaper to make your own.

This article summarises nitrates and nitrites pretty well, including the risks:

www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/cure_smoke/nitrates_nitrites.html

For more in depth information see the article by JJC on the recipe site:

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=14

Manxman.