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.
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.