- Dec 30, 2012
- 156
- 15
My head is spinning with all the different info I'm reading and I have to admit that I am confused about all the contradictory information on curing meat for smoking. some say 'always use prague salt, some don't even mention it, and I have a friend , who is a locally famous 'meisterbrief' [German certified meat processor] who told me simply add 5 grams of nitrate to 1 kilo of salt [less than .5%?] and no problem.
I look at the ingredients on Prague Pink powder and it is simply 6.75% nitrates and the other 93.25% is salt.
Then I hear that unless I use prague salt, then I'm flirting with disaster.
Now if Prague salt is that simple, then why can't I make it myself with the chems that I can get at a local chemical supply shop?? easy to mix and I usually put the dry cure mix in the blender to get the lumps out of the salt and in the hopes that it mixes the salt/sugar/nitrates.
This has probably been discussed many times before, but my searching hasn't found it, so please forgive me for asking and please enlighten me about this simple basic part of curing.
My last few attempts with a dry cure that ends up being wet after a day in the fridge were 1k salt, 1k brown sugar, 5 grams sodium nitrate, and my secret that I'll share.......black pepper, cloves and zest of orange and all my family and friends approved [and are still alive].
Thanks in advance
I look at the ingredients on Prague Pink powder and it is simply 6.75% nitrates and the other 93.25% is salt.
Then I hear that unless I use prague salt, then I'm flirting with disaster.
Now if Prague salt is that simple, then why can't I make it myself with the chems that I can get at a local chemical supply shop?? easy to mix and I usually put the dry cure mix in the blender to get the lumps out of the salt and in the hopes that it mixes the salt/sugar/nitrates.
This has probably been discussed many times before, but my searching hasn't found it, so please forgive me for asking and please enlighten me about this simple basic part of curing.
My last few attempts with a dry cure that ends up being wet after a day in the fridge were 1k salt, 1k brown sugar, 5 grams sodium nitrate, and my secret that I'll share.......black pepper, cloves and zest of orange and all my family and friends approved [and are still alive].
Thanks in advance
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