Made a mistake, but how bad

[rwilli]

At first attempt at curing pastrami I didn't understand what "Pink Salt" was and used "Himalayan" pink salt instead of sodium nitrite. Unfortunately, I did not realize this until my pastrami was already on the smoker. The question is: with all the other brineing instructions followed, including 1 and 1/2 cups salt, is the meat dangerous---sho_uld I just toss it and call it a learning experience, or will it be ok to finish smoking and edible?

Also, the brisket was in the brine for 7 days.

Your wisdom is appreciated.

Bob

 

[chef jimmyj]

No worries. Pastrami is Hot Smoked, 225+, so no safety issue. With Corned Beef and Pastrami, the Nitrite Cure is there for flavor and the pink color only...JJ

 

[rwilli]

No worries. Pastrami is Hot Smoked, 225+, so no safety issue. With Corned Beef and Pastrami, the Nitrite Cure is there for flavor and the pink color only...JJ

Whew, Thanks Jimmy----

 

[daveomak]

The meat has NO protection from botulism and a few other food borne pathogens.... How long in the smoker ?? 1 hour, 8 hours, and at what temperature ???

You will have to weigh the alternatives... The cost of the meat versus contracting a debilitating illness...

In the brine for 7 days is fine.. Turn the smoker up to 225 F or higher and cook it like a roast..

 

[Bearcarver]

Hmm, I would have thought without the cure, that brine was basically like a Marinade, and 7 days seems too long for brining without cure, but then I'm not a Health pro.
I did find this though:
https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/marinades.html

• Storing marinated food: If things get busy and you end up not cooking the chicken, don’t worry! You can store marinated poultry in your refrigerator for two days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5 days.

Bear

 

[rwilli]

The meat has NO protection from botulism and a few other food borne pathogens.... How long in the smoker ?? 1 hour, 8 hours, and at what temperature ???

You will have to weigh the alternatives... The cost of the meat versus contracting a debilitating illness...

In the brine for 7 days is fine.. Turn the smoker up to 225 F or higher and cook it like a roast..

I smoked the meat @ 225 until it reached 160----about 3 hours on my electric. I have now wrapped in tin foil and will cook until the meat reaches 200+

Thanks

 

[chef jimmyj]

Bear, the difference between marinades and brines is the salt content. Not that a marinade can't be salty, it's just that they rarely are. The salt makes the brine pretty inhospitable to most pathogens. There are still Spoilage Bacteria, that can handle the salt and turn the meat but they are usually harmless. 1 1/2 Cups of salt, in a Gallon of brine is pretty stiff.

I have never seen a recipe that called for cold smoking pastrami, so it is safe to assume the meat was hot Smoked. I was not concerned that there was no Cure added...JJ

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, the difference between marinades and brines is the salt content. Not that a marinade can't be salty, it's just that they rarely are. The salt makes the brine pretty inhospitable to most pathogens. There are still Spoilage Bacteria, that can handle the salt and turn the meat but they are usually harmless. 1 1/2 Cups of salt, in a Gallon of brine is pretty stiff.

I have never seen a recipe that called for cold smoking pastrami, so it is safe to assume the meat was hot Smoked. I was not concerned that there was no Cure added...JJ

OK--Thanks Jimmy. I defer to you on this kind of thing.
I just couldn't remember ever seeing anything Brined for 7 days without it having cure in it, like with Pops' Curing method.

Xin Loi,
Bear

 

[rwilli]

Learned so much my first day on the forum----Thanks Jimmy and all other who commented or advised.

Bob