Can I Over Cure My Meat?

[renoman]

Gonna try my first pastrami using Habs recipe. It says to cure a 5-1/2 lb piece for 4 days and let stand in the fridge for another day out of the cure. What will happen if I leave it in the cure for longer than 4 days?

[Saber 4]

As I understand it (and I could easily be wrong) as long as you have the proper amount of cure per pound or per gallon for wet cures you shouldn't be able to over cure. That being said I know with poultry you can get overly salty if you go to long so I would assume that to be the case with beef as well. Hopefully Habs will come along with a better answer since it is his recipe. :)

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm about to edit that recipe and remove the original recipe, just go with the updated recipe, and increase the bring times to 5 - 6 days. Though I have never had any problems, some have reported that 4 days didn't fully cure the flat. 

I'm assuming you are using the dry cure version. You didn't state how much longer, if you stay in the 5 - 6 day range, you will get good results. The longer you cure the more salt the meat will take on. So you may or may not have to soak longer to get the level of saltiness to how you like it.

If you are using the wet brine, if you go over 5 days, you may find it quite a bit more salty. But as far as nitrite levels, in both cases the levels will be within safe limits. If it is too salty, try soaking longer

[renoman]

6-7 days is what works for me. Prep on Sunday and cook/smoke on Saturday or Sunday. Too busy at work during the weekdays. I will go with the updated recipe though. Thanks!

[Habanero Smoker]

I updated the recipe on the recipe site to include the longer curing times, and made a few steps a little clearer.

[renoman]

Yes I see you have. I copied and pasted to a Word Doc. One more question. I have never bought a brisket before and they are hard to find around here. I finally got one at a meat market near by and they had only two. Both the same size and both looked the same. Untrimmed and in cryovac bag. It weighed 11 pounds. I trimmed what I thought was a lot of fat off of it and when I was done it was 7 pounds. Does that seem about right?

[Habanero Smoker]

You may want to edit your Word doc. I was proof reading the recipe one last time and found an error. In step #1 for the directions for "Pastrami Wet Cure", if you go to the sentence that starts with "*pink salt", in that sentence that should be 1 gallon, not 4.

If you are curing a whole brisket you should use the wet cure recipe, and inject. If it is just the flat you won't need to inject, and you can use either curing method. For injection instructions you can find that in my Smoked Cured Ham recipe step #4 in the curing sections. It also has some information on how to calculate the amount of brine you need to make. I will add the injection instruction to the pastrami recipe, for those who want to cure a whole brisket.

Though I think the brisket makes the best pastrami, because it has the most beef flavor of any other beef cut, it is getting to expensive. So at this time I have been using cuts from the chuck, and trimming and cuttings cuts from the chuck to about 2" thick. That leaves you with a lot of stew meat, and meat you can use for stir fry. :) I've tries cuts form the sirloin, but I'm not please with the flavor.

[Smokeville]

OK, I need the same kind of advice.

I had some pork belly (i.e. 15lbs!) curing for bacon. It's a dry cure with 2 teaspoons of pink salt for 5lbs of belly. The 7-day cure time ended Sunday, but I have injured my back.

How long can it stay in the cure?
If I have to remove it from the bags, how long will it be safe until I can smoke it?

Thanks, Rich

[tailfeathers]

I don't know but I will throw this put there. Would it be possible for  Smokeville to freeze the now-cured belly, then thaw and smoke it when time (and his back) permits? I think there was a thread pertaining to this not to long ago.
ps hope you feel better soon!


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[Habanero Smoker]

I wouldn't go more then 10 days, but you may get a increase in saltiness. If it is going to be a while before you get to it, as tail feathers pointed out you can freeze it until you have time to smoke/cook it. Rinse the cure mix from the bacon, and depending on how long you want to store it in the freezer, if it is only a week or two, wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and into sealable freezer bags, will be alright. If storing longer, vacuum seal, if you have a vacuum sealer. If it is only going to be 3- 4 days after you have removed the bacon from the cure, you can just wrap it up tightly in plastic, place in a sealable bag and refrigerate.

[Smokeville]

Thanks all!

I have an MRI tomorrow so I will probably rinse it and wrap it in the fridge and decide later.

Very much appreciated!

[tailfeathers]

Best wishes from one convalescing invalid to another!


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[Smokeville]

Best wishes from one convalescing invalid to another!


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:'(

[Smokeville]

Ok everyone, after almost 4 weeks in hospital and 4 weeks of physio rehab, I'm not 100% but I am now able to smoke again!!!

The bacon, which was cured longer than it should, then frozen before smoking, is in the smoker now.

I will take some photos and post the results.....

Rich

[tailfeathers]

 
Feels good to get reaquainted with your smoker again, doesn't it? ;D