Jerky Cure Screw Up

[tillastlight_jake]

Hello all, first time posting here. I need some help from the jerky/meat cure experts (I should’ve reached out before now but here I am). This is my first time making whole muscle jerky with a marinade and cure that didn’t come in a pre-measured kit. In a rookie move, I made a grossly wrong assumption that the pink cure salt I had bought was a like for like replacement for the Morton’s Tender Quick called for in the recipe, I mean they’re both “cure salts” right? I realized my error soon after I had everything in a ziplock and in the fridge, but the meat was still in the concoction for 30-45min. I pulled it out, rinsed it, made a new marinade and skipped cure salt altogether this time (figured it got a lot/enough already). My question is will the meat be safe to eat despite being in the heavily concentrated marinade for that period of time? Obviously the concern is the sodium nitrate being not so great for you. Aside from how it may taste, I want to believe that the short time it soaked and fact that there is none in the current marinade means it should be fine but am unsure. Thanks in advance.

 

[rclouse79]

I have saved many a meal via the rinse method. I am no jerky expert, but I will venture a guess that you will turn out just fine.

 

[ScottRK]

Google the meat smoking forum and your cure and jerky.Those guys have a lot of info on the differences on those cures.

Looking on here now and before your thread here most don’t use any cure for jerky.

 

[long hunter]

I do not use curing salts for jerky, and it works well.

 

[tillastlight_jake]

I have saved many a meal via the rinse method. I am no jerky expert, but I will venture a guess that you will turn out just fine.

Thank you. That’s the hope, I mean how much could it soak up in that span of time?

 

[Gbrecka]

I never used to use cure in my wet marinade jerky, but I usually packaged it in smaller batches and would freeze until it was ready to go hunting. Then it would get eaten that day.

 

[tillastlight_jake]

Google the meat smoking forum and your cure and jerky.Those guys have a lot of info on the differences on those cures.

Looking on here now and before your thread here most don’t use any cure for jerky.

Thank you, I will have to jump in there and ask some questions.

I do not use curing salts for jerky, and it works well.

A lot of guys I see don’t use cure and I was originally not going to but thought that the added ability to let it sit out a bit longer would be nice. I don’t have much worry over cure-free jerky as long as I take care in refrigerating/freezing it long-term. My concern actually lies in the fact that I over added the curing salts by about 6-times too much in the original marinade. The sodium nitrate that is in the cure is not good for people in high amounts, so I’m hoping the rinse, fresh marinade (cure-free), and small amount of time it was originally soaking means it’ll be just fine.

Thanks all!

 

[Tod osier]

Thank you. That’s the hope, I mean how much could it soak up in that span of time?

I would not worry about it. First you rinsed it and then the current marinade will leach much of the remaining out.

Thank you, I will have to jump in there and ask some questions.


A lot of guys I see don’t use cure and I was originally not going to but thought that the added ability to let it sit out a bit longer would be nice. I don’t have much worry over cure-free jerky as long as I take care in refrigerating/freezing it long-term. My concern actually lies in the fact that I over added the curing salts by about 6-times too much in the original marinade. The sodium nitrate that is in the cure is not good for people in high amounts, so I’m hoping the rinse, fresh marinade (cure-free), and small amount of time it was originally soaking means it’ll be just fine.

Thanks all!

I never add cure. The cure gets you nothing once the material is dry. If you have a good procedure to get it dry efficiently then there is no need.

 

[tillastlight_jake]

I would not worry about it. First you rinsed it and then the current marinade will leach much of the remaining out.


I never add cure. The cure gets you nothing once the material is dry. If you have a good procedure to get it dry efficiently then there is no need.

Thank you sir, that is the reassurance I am looking for.

The further thought behind using cure was I wanted a good smoke on the jerky (using pellet grill) and read that smoking can seal off and keep moisture in the inner part of the meat. This is again something I will probably need to dive into on some smoking forums as Scott mentioned.

 

[Tod osier]

Thank you sir, that is the reassurance I am looking for.

The further thought behind using cure was I wanted a good smoke on the jerky (using pellet grill) and read that smoking can seal off and keep moisture in the inner part of the meat. This is again something I will probably need to dive into on some smoking forums as Scott mentioned.

Smoking will extend the initial period where the meat has enough water for bacterial growth and depending on the temperature could encourage growth, but even smoking it I've never worried about it when making a smoked jerky.

I feel like a slacker for this, but I've given up on smoking for flavor and do put a hit of liquid smoke in my marinade.

 

[long hunter]

Basic recipe I use 1 bottle worchesticer sauce, 1 bottle Soy sauce heaping table spoon of granulated garlic powder, 1 heaping table spoon coarse ground black pepper, half bottle of liquid smoke, for sweet hand full brown sugar (dark) 1/2 cup molassas for 5 lbs. prepred jerky meat, mix well in a glass bowl cover refigerate at least 3 days mixing at least once a day, remove and squeeze off the extra remaining liquid from meat and put in dehydrator until dry but not too dry meat should flex without breaking, and tear a piece in half too make sure it is dried through if you use a smoker omit the liquid smoke. Other flavors is with your imignation just leave out the sweet stuff and use whay you like, for example BBQ sprinkle with a powdered BBQ seasoning. Been doing it this way for years, also vaccum packed it freezes very well. If the jerkey gets over dry, place in a zip lock bag while still warm and lay on counter for a few hours it will soften right up.

 

[tillastlight_jake]

Awesome things to try! Thanks all. This batch is on the grill now so we’ll see how it turns out. Heading to Idaho at the end of the week and hopefully bringing back more meat to try these different recipes on.