Cure does a few things for us. In meats that will be smoked below 200°F it protects against Botulism by killing Bacteria, in this recipe not a concern. The Nitrogen in Cure reacts with the Myoglobin in meat, that which makes meat red, and Sets the Pink color we are familiar with in Ham and Corned Beef when cooked. Cure adds the Characteristic flavor to meats that it is used in. Some describe it as Hammy. In this case using the cure and other spices gives the desired Corned Beef Flavor when cooked. If you left the Cure out or Deactivated it, the Steamed or Simmered Corned Beef would taste like Boiled Beef, with little flavor and no pink color all Gray like a hunk of well done Pot Roast...JJ
This is the goal...
Not this...
Excellent Reply!
Bear