How to Cure Meat
Whether you're out in the wild or just hungry at home, use this recipe and ordinary household ingredients to cure your own meats for jerky.
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You Will Need
- 1 c. salt
- 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- Black pepper
- Fresh herbs
- 1/4 oz. saltpeter
- Cold water
- Rack of meat
- Heavy plate
- Turkey baster (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Combine dry ingredients
Combine the salt, brown sugar, pepper, herbs, and saltpeter. Make sure the saltpeter is thoroughly mixed in.
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Step 2
Make brine solution
Chill the water to 38 degrees Fahrenheit and add the dry ingredients. This is your brine solution.
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Step 3
Wash and trim meat
Thoroughly wash the meat and pat it dry. Then cut away any fat or waste.
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Step 4
Soak the meat in the brine
Submerge the meat in the brine solution. Keep the meat from floating above the brine by weighing it down with a heavy plate. Cover the meat and let it soak in the brine for four to six days, keeping it between 30 and 50 degrees.
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If you're impatient or in a hurry, you can inject the meat into the brine solution with a turkey baster.
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Step 5
Wash and refrigerate
Remove the meat from the brine solution, wash it under cold running water, and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.
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Salt containing nitrates was used as long ago as 850 B.C.E. to preserve meat.
