Someone brought up cure being bad for you in a thread about jerky. I know why but I have a few ideas/questions if there is anyone qualified/more knowledgeable than me about them. I numbered the questions in the writing so it would be easier to organize the answers. Feel free to reply to anything though since I may have a misunderstanding or a missing bit of knowledge.
Salads have lots of the same thing that we use in cures for meat. Nitrites and nitrates are good for you in salad/veggies/fruit because the nutrients in them keep them from converting to nitrosamines. In meat, the amines combine with the nitrites to create the bad nitrosamines.
1) Would using a nutrient rich brine such as OJ and beet juice prevent/impede the formation of nitrosamines?
2) Would nitrites need to be adjusted or not used if using a nitrate/nitrite rich food, such as beet or celery juice, as a brine? Would they cause the nitrites to be much higher than expected if not accounted for?
There are warnings on many "uncured bacon" that they contain no added nitrites. They have this warning when they contain celery powder, beet powder, and other things.
3)Aside from using them as a replacement for nitrites, is there some other purpose to these things being in a product such as bacon?
Alternatively, I have read that most nitrosamines are created with heat. Including on smokingmeats. Bacon would be a prime example. Cooking it at a lower temperature would prevent much of the nitrosamines from forming is what I am hearing. My understanding is going over around 266 degrees is when most of the nitrosamines are created.
With jerky, there is never a high enough level of heat that would create nitrosamines even for those who smoke or cook their jerky.
4) Does this mean that while Jerky is cured, it doesn't actually contain nitrosamines in any significant amount like food that would be fried/grilled after curing would?
I understand that nitrosamines are created in other conditions and that additions of things can stop that from happening. Vitamin C/ascorbate acid and vitamin E for instance. This leads me to believe that a marinade involving OJ or apple juice would be beneficial in preventing the formation in jerky products. However, I also understand that vitamin c at least would reduce nitrites and potentially make the cure not as effective.
5) Does anyone have any solid facts on how the addition of vitamin c would change the nature of curing?
Many of us smoke and grill things every weekend and eat 3-4 meals a week from the grill or smoker. With that in mind.
6) How does the risk of eating 4 oz of cured jerky compare to eating 8-16oz of steak, brisket, pulled pork, ect?
I appreciate any responses. If there are questions I am not asking or things I am not considering then by all means add them in.
Salads have lots of the same thing that we use in cures for meat. Nitrites and nitrates are good for you in salad/veggies/fruit because the nutrients in them keep them from converting to nitrosamines. In meat, the amines combine with the nitrites to create the bad nitrosamines.
1) Would using a nutrient rich brine such as OJ and beet juice prevent/impede the formation of nitrosamines?
2) Would nitrites need to be adjusted or not used if using a nitrate/nitrite rich food, such as beet or celery juice, as a brine? Would they cause the nitrites to be much higher than expected if not accounted for?
There are warnings on many "uncured bacon" that they contain no added nitrites. They have this warning when they contain celery powder, beet powder, and other things.
3)Aside from using them as a replacement for nitrites, is there some other purpose to these things being in a product such as bacon?
Alternatively, I have read that most nitrosamines are created with heat. Including on smokingmeats. Bacon would be a prime example. Cooking it at a lower temperature would prevent much of the nitrosamines from forming is what I am hearing. My understanding is going over around 266 degrees is when most of the nitrosamines are created.
With jerky, there is never a high enough level of heat that would create nitrosamines even for those who smoke or cook their jerky.
4) Does this mean that while Jerky is cured, it doesn't actually contain nitrosamines in any significant amount like food that would be fried/grilled after curing would?
I understand that nitrosamines are created in other conditions and that additions of things can stop that from happening. Vitamin C/ascorbate acid and vitamin E for instance. This leads me to believe that a marinade involving OJ or apple juice would be beneficial in preventing the formation in jerky products. However, I also understand that vitamin c at least would reduce nitrites and potentially make the cure not as effective.
5) Does anyone have any solid facts on how the addition of vitamin c would change the nature of curing?
Many of us smoke and grill things every weekend and eat 3-4 meals a week from the grill or smoker. With that in mind.
6) How does the risk of eating 4 oz of cured jerky compare to eating 8-16oz of steak, brisket, pulled pork, ect?
I appreciate any responses. If there are questions I am not asking or things I am not considering then by all means add them in.
