Cure #1 in jerky

[jsk53]

I am going to do a batch of beef jerky using a wet marinade. Can Cure #1 work in a liquid marinade and do I use the same 1/4 tsp per pound that I use in doing summer sausage? I want to use a cure as this will be stored for a while versus my usual immediate consumption. Thanks.

Jeff

 

[donr]

Yes, cure#1 can work in a liquid marinade.  Think about Pop's brine for ham, bacon or brining to make corned beef.  Same principle of a salty liquid.

No, you do not use the same 1/4 tsp per pound.  In Summer Sausage, all of the Cure gets mixed in with the meat.  In a marinade or brine, the meat soaks up the marinade until the salinity level in the meat matches the salinity level in the marinade.  Therefore it will not absorb all the liquid.

Martin (AKA DigginDog Farm) has a cure calculator that I believe will handle brining.  I would consult the calculator as well as Pop's brine recipe to begin with.  You will have to take into account the salt levels in the marinade ingredients also.

Don

 

[jsk53]

Thanks Don..That is all helpful. I found a link to the calculator and after looking at that and some posts regarding it's use, I had a couple questions which I posted as a reply on that thread. Getting closer! I appreciate the guidance.

Jeff

 

[bigwheel]

I dont use a cure on jerky but I only do strips. Would surely use if for ground meat efforts. I do use a curing brine for corned beef briskets and have found a cup of Morton's Tender Quick per gallon of water..matched with an equal amount of sugar seems to work well. Not sure why it wouldn't work for jerky too. Kindly keeps us posted on what you decide to do and how it turns out. Thanks.

 

[smoking b]

Yup cure #1 will work for you - I use it more often than not in jerky. It is a lot easier to control your salt levels in jerky with cure #1 than TQ. Martin's cure calculator that Don referenced & you found is a great tool to use to give you the right amount of cure #1 & salt 

 

 

[smoking b]

 
If you use the TQ it is the salt and the cure. Nothing left to control or calculate. The concept might be a bit too simple for injuneers..lol.

No need for the condescending attitude. I know EXACTLY what is in TQ & use both it & cure #1 - depends what I'm making which one I use. I stated that it is a lot easier to control salt levels with cure # 1 & this is true. For the people I make jerky for, using TQ makes it too salty for them so I use cure #1 & don't have that problem. If you use TQ for jerky & it works for you that's great 

  a lot of people like it. But it doesn't work for me to make jerky due to the high salt level. 

 

 

[jsk53]

That was one question that also came to mind. In my jerky marinade recipe, I don't add salt as the ingredients are salty enough. I have never used cure in my jerky as I usually use a top round or tip roast and slice it thin, but I generally use it up in a week or so. With all the comments on the forum about doing the cure right, I started thinking maybe I should be adding cure#1 to my recipe. I would rather not add to the saltiness if I can avoid it.

Guess that also leads to the question, do I need to cure it all. Just tryin' to do it right.....