deer jerky and curing salt (sodium nitrate)

[JW in Ohio]

I have always enjoyed making jerky from sliced venison marinated in a solution of soy sauce, worchestershire, and various spices. I am now going to make some using ground deer and a jerky gun. Most of the commercial jerky mix powders include curing salt aka sodium nitrate. This is commonly used in hot dogs and other pork products, but I prefer not to use it if I don't have to. I don't use it in my sliced jerky and it is great.

Is there something different about ground meat that requires the use of sodium nitrate, or can it be skipped?

Also, for those who make their own ground deer jerky mix instead of buying it, what is your favorite recipe??

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

never did the ground jerky, but here's my sliced marinade. don't see why you couldn't use it. worcestershire, soy sauce, lil ketchup, garlic, onion powder, lots of cracked pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, habanero sauce

 

[campbell]

Curing salts like sodium nitrite are used because they inhibit the bacteria that cause botulism. Lots of info here.

http://www.askthemeatman.com/how_and_why_to_use_sodium_nitrite.htm

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well all salt inhibits bacterial growth, but the use of the nitrate helps to make meats like ham and bacon stay red. Otherwise they go gray when curing.

You only need to use salt, unless you want the bright color. Botulism grows in an anaerobic (air free) enviornment, and the primary source of food botulism is from badly canned home canned foods. Jerky isn't canned, it's air dried, so little worry. You have more of a risk from salmonella and e-coli (imho). So as long as the tools are clean and sanitary during production, you should be fine.

LD

 

[Ranger J]

I got a jerkey gun for Christmas but have not used it yet. I have eaten some jerkey made in one by a friend and it is OK but not as good as meat sliced from a roast or steak. Using these cuts for jerkey always seemed like a waste so I want to use the ground meat. I can't see why you couldn't use your standard marinade. Mine has soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. I am going to mix up a batch as soon as I get time.

RJ

 

[JW in Ohio]

Thanks for the replies. Good responses and a helpful link. Interestingly after much research on the web, most home recipes do not call for curing salt (nitrates), but virtually all the commercial ones I've seen in the stores contain it, whether for solid muscle jerky or ground meat.

 

[Clipper]

Grinding meat introduces room air, and since you're not working in a sealed environment, there's all kinds of 'floaties' getting safely embedded into a nice moist, nutrient rich environment, that the jerky spice manufacturer can't be certain you will get really thoroughly cooked, or properly stored, so they add salt and preservatives. Buy some fresh hamburger and a steak, and set them side by side in the fridge, and see which one gets to the 'I ain't eatin' that' stage first...

 

[moosehunt]

Some correct info given, more specifically: Nitrate (not really a curing salt) doesn't color meat red; it reacts with the myoglobin (meat pigment) to form nitrosohemochrome which forms a red or pink color when subjected to heat. The meaning being that it will make your jerky a bit red or pink. Secondly, it indeed does inhibit microbial growth, but so do salt (NaCl) and sugar. Nitrates do have a better inhibitory effect on Clostridium botulinum, but it won't grow in normal atmosphere anyway (requires anaerobic environment, i.e. no free oxygen). Another, perhaps most important effect is that it preserves flavor. Without it, the jerky (or ham or bacon or corned beef) will soon start to have flavor degradation, giving somewhat of an "old" taste.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Botulism needs 3 primary ingredients, moisure, lack of oxygen and warmth (40-140 deg. F). A smoker at low heat is the near perfect environment for all 3 of those. That is why nitrites (not nitrates) are used in all smoked meats that are smoked at low temperatures. When I'm doing jerky or suasage in the smoker, I always add Prague powder #1. This does not contain Sodium Nitrate, but Sodium Nitrite and salt. Prague Powder # 2 contains sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite and is used for dry cured sausages. If you're going to use a dehdrator, then the Prague Powder # 1 can be eliminated.

However, if the jerky is going to be stored at room temperature for long periods of time and the jerky is not dried to crumbling, the Prague Powder will make it last a LOT longer than without it. My $.02 worth.

 

[Nikdfish]

Just to be on the safe side, botulism wise, I use Morton's "Tender Quick" when prepping jerky (chosen mainly because it is easy to find in the local stores).

Since the prescribed amount for sausage making is 2 teaspoons per pound of ground meat, first dissolved in a small amount of water, then mixed into the meat, I figured this would be the way to go for ground meat "jerky".

For sliced meat I add enough to the marinande for it to act as a pickling solution using roughly the same proportions (I generally don't have a lot of excess liquid).

Nick

 

[moosehunt]

Certainly correct that it is nitrite, not nitrate that does the work, but most (not all) of the nitrite in most curing is the result of nitrate breaking down to nitrite. True, smoking provides a fairly decent environment for C. botulinum to grow, but the time is usually much too short. It is almost a certainty (not absolute) that any C. botulinum contamination would be in the form of spores, and unless one went in for a REALLY long smoke, there luckily just isn't time for growth, then toxin formation. Possible, yes. Likely, no. The biggest benefit of nitrate/nitrite will be in flavor protection. You betcha, Prague powder is the easy, good, common way to go.