4 Hour Rule and Cured Meats

[meateater]

For Salmon I'd listen to the Alaskan members and other Bears, they have the methods and pics to back it up. 

 

[meateater]

For hot smoking, I've followed the four hour rule religiously, but now I'm getting into cold smoking and am curious about the applicability of the rule to cured meats. I've read about folks smoking cured pork belly to make bacon and having smoke times over 12 hours. Same for cured salmon. Clearly it would be difficult to keep the meat at 40* or less and at 140* or more you're cooking it. Is it safe to have cured meat/fish in the "danger zone" for more than four hours?

Thanks in advance.

PS I've got 3 pounds of brine-cured salmon in my cold smoker now with the AMNS burning hickory and a smoker temperature of 85* - 90*. I've always stopped the smoke at four hours to play it safe.

Cured properly according to mfg's spec's, cold smoke the pork bellies 10-12-18-24 hours. 

 

[SmokinAl]

I always use cure#1 to make lox.

It's the safest way.

I learned the procedure from bbally.

 

[pokey]

Quote:

For Salmon I'd listen to the Alaskan members and other Bears, they have the methods and pics to back it up. 

I'm trying to make lox and most of the methods are for other products, but thanks. I'm going to get my hands on some cure #1 and go that route.

Thanks, all, for the input and advice!
 

 

[Bearcarver]

Quote:

I'm trying to make lox and most of the methods are for other products, but thanks. I'm going to get my hands on some cure #1 and go that route.

Thanks, all, for the input and advice!

My two favorite Lox threads are:

One from SmokinAl, and the other one from bbally.

Check them out,

Bear

 

[starch]

I recommend this book. It covers cold smoking and brines very well. It talks about meats, sausages, fish and poultry. And the price is great.  In fact I recommend all the books by these authors. You wont be disappointed.