Old Dog learns something new...

[indaswamp]

I have been making tasso for a long time. I started adding cure to my tasso about 12 years ago after learning more about curing meats. I did not change my recipe, only adding the cure to the liquid mixture and letting it sit in the refrigerator to cure prior to smoking. Well, this recent thread brought up something I had already known, but brought it to the forefront in my mind...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/apple-cider-cure-1.281248/

My liquid was Worcestershire Sauce. It has a high amount of vinegar in it. Here is the Ingredient list:

"Ingredients
Distilled white vinegar, anchovies, garlic, molasses, onions, salt, sugar, water, chili pepper extract, cloves, natural flavorings, tamarind extract"



When mixing the cure#1 into the Worcestershire sauce, I would notice a very slight fizzle....didn't think anything of it.

Well, while preparing a batch of tasso for the smoker tonight, it hit me...I had a duh moment.

Always knew about acids and nitrites, just never occurred to me the high vinegar concentration in the sauce. I no longer will add cure to it. Tonight, I grabbed a bottle of sherry from the cabinet to use for the liquid...

Then weighed out the cure...

poured out 1/2 cup of the sherry and mixed in the cure until it dissolved. I poured this over/ in between the 1/2" pork butt steaks and resealed the bag.

I have 4 bags marinating/curing. They hit the smokehouse saturday.

 

[daveomak]

Smart Sherlock Holmes moment...

 

[indaswamp]

When I pull the slabs of meat from the curing liquid, I will pat them dry, THEN coat with the Worcestershire Sauce and season....

 

[mosparky]

Now I have to revise the recipe I copied. One thing tho. You might want to check further into the recipe. Doesn't the hot sauce also have a fairly high vinegar content ? I was just about to make some myself and use Franks red hot instead of Louisiana brand. I know Franks is Heavy on vinegar.

 

[indaswamp]

Now I have to revise the recipe I copied. One thing tho. You might want to check further into the recipe. Doesn't the hot sauce also have a fairly high vinegar content ? I was just about to make some myself and use Franks red hot instead of Louisiana brand. I know Franks is Heavy on vinegar.

Yes, hot sauce does have a high vinegar content. I plan to mix the Worcestershire Sauce and the Hot Sauce in the proper ratio, then brush this on the meat after curing. I'll use that mixture to help hold the seasoning on.

 

[indaswamp]

Once the cure has penetrated the meat, acids on the surface should not pose a problem.

 

[indaswamp]

I'll start another tasso thread...

 

[mosparky]

I'll be watching.

 

[SonnyE]

Ya know, it has come to me we need a warning:
Those with food allergies please beware!

Only things I'm "allergic" to is Rutabaga and Lima Beans. Just don't like those, yet.
We publish stuff here that may be hazardous to somebodies health.
But OH! What a way to go!

So... the new "Cure" is Salt?

 

[indaswamp]

No Sonny, I'm still using cure #1 but instead of the wet portion being Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Sauce that contain vinegar, I'm using sherry wine. You could use water, beer, or any other not acidic liquid.

When the meat is cured long enough, I will pull them out, pat them dry with paper towels, then coat them with the Worcestershire and Hot sauce mixture, then season.

It's one extra step, but it is safer....

 

[mosparky]

Hmm... I'm thinking the wet portion could be 2 steps. step one cure + sherry. rinse. Step 2 everybody back in the pool with worchestershire, hot sauce and seasonings. Then into the smoker to get happy happy happy.
Or was that your plan ?

 

[SonnyE]

No Sonny, I'm still using cure #1 but instead of the wet portion being Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Sauce that contain vinegar, I'm using sherry wine. You could use water, beer, or any other not acidic liquid.

When the meat is cured long enough, I will pull them out, pat them dry with paper towels, then coat them with the Worcestershire and Hot sauce mixture, then season.

It's one extra step, but it is safer....

Beer, oh yeah, there Ya go, add beer to anything, I'll follow.
I donno about Sherry, but hey, if you like it, do it.
(Kinda like Scotch. The only thing I want to add Scotch to is the outhouse. But that's my personal opinion.)

Your "cure" Inda looked like Kosher salt. Sorry for the cornfusion on my part.
Twern't pink, threw me off.

 

[indaswamp]

You could do that, but the seasoning will be very strong and overpowering. You will only have a tasso for use exclusively as a seasoning meat. If that is what you want, then it will work. What I plan to do is coat the meat with the Worcestershire and Hot Sauce mixture then sprinkle the seasoning on to my liking, then hang and smoke.

 

[indaswamp]

New Tasso thread:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/tasso-recipe-change.281466/

 

[zwiller]

Sherry is quite acidic and more so than apple juice. Beer is acidic as well but less so than sherry or apple juice. I've not given up on acids and cures yet and plan to do some testing. Interested in your results. BTW sherry is ALWAYS in our beef dishes. Learned that from a friend you was a cook at a popular restaurant known for their french onion soup.

 

[SonnyE]

I almost always put in cure.
Good, Bad, or otherwise... Hey, I'm still kickin. ;)