Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Curing Question

I have a question about curing meat. These are hand chopped pork sausages, made with a lot of paprika and garlic, that were hung to cure for three days at around 60 degrees and then smoked for about an hour somewhere around 120-30 degrees I'm guessing. I could handle them, so they never got very hot, but they're pretty much cooked through. They were delicious then and there and most went into a rice and veg dish, something like a paella. Luscious and smokey.

Here's my question: Can I now hang these and let them dry further? It's only instacure #1 inside, no bacterial starters or anything like that. Does the light cooking affect the cure? That is, will they go bad if I leave them to dry for a few more weeks or will they still be good to eat as a smoked and dried sausage? Or would it have been better to really cold smoke? I'm not talking industrial protocols here. I know this was done in ancient times and they were kept for a long time, but I have no idea what will happen. TKS, K
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6 comments:

  1. JeremyAugust 8, 2012 at 12:38 PM

    I've hung similarly-treated sausages for two to three months without them going bad. Caveats: I've usually used curing salt #2, and I either apply Bactoferm Mould 600 or have it develop from the now-inoculated storage space.

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  2. UnknownAugust 8, 2012 at 12:58 PM

    We have a, "Dad's not dead" protocol in our house. If I don't show signs of botulism three days after I eat the product, it is deemed safe for the rest of the family.

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  3. Gary AllenAugust 8, 2012 at 1:10 PM

    Curing salt #2 does provide an extra burst of nitrate, and is generally used with cold-smoked meats.

    I like that "Dad's not dead" protocol, James ...but how many C. botulinum spores might germinate on the fourth day?

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  4. Ken AlbalaAugust 8, 2012 at 3:33 PM

    Jamie Old Potato, I have a feeling things that wouldn't kill you and me would any other person. Do you remember downing pureed scotch bonnets once a long time ago?

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  5. Ken AlbalaAugust 8, 2012 at 3:35 PM

    Gary and Jeremy, yes. #2 would have been my choice, but I was assuming we'd eat them all immediately. My real quandry was whether cooking would have an affect. We shall see! K

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  6. UnknownAugust 12, 2012 at 8:10 AM

    Yes, I do remember. I also remember sitting a hammock for 45 minutes recovering with a few tortillas and a large glass of tequila.

    Do your remember the poison oak covered gloves I returned to you a few days after? That one came back to bite me. I ended up moving them when we moved your washing machine into the new house.

    The three days is just the maximum onset time of early symptoms --numbness in the face.

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