Jerky Question

[louie d]

I was wondering if the jerky is going to be refrigerated after being smoked and eaten within a week or two would it be fine not to use the cure that is talked about.I will be using a recipe with soy,teriyaki,worcestershire and some seasonings as a marinade and smoked in my MES at 160 degrees as directed.Any info would be appreciated.Lou

 

[jp61]

I can not say if it will be fine or not.

When making jerky, I always cure the meat then dehydrate it. You should use cure, but it's totally up to you. Some people will say "I've been making jerky without cure for 20 years and I'm still here". My suggestion for you is to research the topic, then decide if you're willing to take the chance or not.

 

[daveomak]

Lou, morning..... All of the normal pathogens will be killed... Raise the internal meat temp to 160, while the meat is moist, for a minute or 2... then the temp can be lowered to normal drying temps... Cure #1 provides an extra layer of protection against botulism... It may seem "unnecessary" but if you look at commercially smoked meat products, they all have "nitrite" on the list of ingredients...
Cure #1 cost is about $5 per pound... considering you will use about 1 gram per pound of meat, that increases your cost to make jerky about $0.11 / 11 cents per pound for the added measure of safety.... Also, considering botulism is the most deadly pathogen known to mankind, you have to weigh the benefits.....

 

[unclebubbas bbq]

Dave is right with his logic and wisdom. I however I am not so smart...I have been making jerky for 20+ years and have never used nitrates and will keep jerky for up to 2 weeks in the frig and have never gotten sick. If you have a vacuum sealer that will extend the life of the jerky but typically it never makes it that long before it gets devoured.