How to Cure Meat

DRY CURING
Curing is an age-old process of preserving meat for later use. With just a few ingredients — salt,
nitrites, and time — the meat transforms: from water-packed and pliable to dry and stiff. Over time,
the flavor develops, too. Leeched of excess water, dry-cured meat takes on an intense umami flavor
that is equal parts mouthwatering and soul-slaking. Learn how to dry- and wet-cure your own meat for
a fraction of the cost you'd ordinarily pay in a restaurant or fine foods purveyor, paying attention to
proper safety standards to avoid tainted meat.

DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MEAT YOU'D LIKE TO USE.  Ham is a popular choice for curing, but you can
use anything from beef to venison and much more in between.
For the most part, use meats with whole muscle groups in their anatomical connection. Pork loin
and belly, beef hindquarter or brisket, mutton legs and even duck breast are popular cuts for dry-
curing.[1]

IF NECESSARY, TRIM OFF ANY EXCESS FAT, TENDONS, OR MEAT.   Remember you're trying to
make charcuterie so you might buy a boneless pork shoulder, and then cut the picnic end of the
pork shoulder from the pork butt, leaving you with two distinct cuts of meat.

FOR LARGER CUTS OF MEAT, CONSIDER STABBING THE MEAT WITH A PRONG FOR BETTER SALT
COVERAGE. You don't have to stab the meat before applying the dry rub, but for certain cuts of
meat — larger cuts or cuts like pork belly, which are often covered with a lining of fat — stabbing
the meat allows the salt and nitrite mix to penetrate deeper into the meat, improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of the cure.

DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO CURE WITH A PRE-MIXED CURING SALT OR MIX YOUR OWN.
Dry-curing with salt will sap away the moisture from the meat and intensify the flavor of the meat,
but it still won't eliminate the possibility of botulism spores germinating. [2] To combat botulism,
sodium nitrite is often used in combination with salt as "curing salts. [3]
Why are pink salts pink? Manufacturers of pink salt purposely dye the salt for cooks so that they
don't confuse curing salt with regular salt. That's because, in large quantities, sodium nitrite is
toxic.[4] Accidentally using pink salt instead of regular salt in your chicken soup, for example, could
be very unfortunate. The pink dye itself does not influence the final color of the cured meat; the
sodium nitrite does.

USE A RATIO OF 2:1000 SODIUM NITRITE AND SALT, IF MIXING YOUR OWN CURING SALT.  If you
want to make your own curing salts, be sure to nail the ratio of sodium nitrite to salt.

MIX UP YOUR SPICES ALONG WITH YOUR CURING SALT. Spices add a rich dimension of flavor to
your cured meats, a good spice mix will intensify flavors and add distinct profiles to your cures. In
a small spice grinder, grind up your spices and add them to the curing salt/salt mixture. Here are
some suggestions for spices to use:
Peppercorns. Black, green, or white are essential in most spice mixes , sugar, coriander and
mustard seed, star anise, silky and slightly sweet, fennel seed, citrus zest.

WITH YOUR HANDS, RUB THE CURING SALT AND AND SPICE MIX OVER THE ENTIRE CUT OF
MEAT. Cover a tray with parchment and line the bottom generously with your curing salt and spice
mix. Place your meat on the bed of curing salt (fat side up, if appropriate) and cover the top of the
meat with your remaining mix for equal coverage . Do not use metal trays for this step without
parchment. The metal reacts with the salt and sodium nitrite.

REFRIGERATE THE MEAT FOR 7 TO 10 DAYS. Allow for adequate airflow by leaving at least a small
portion of the meat uncovered. After 7 to 10 days, a lot of the moisture should have been drawn
out by the salt.

9
AFTER 7 TO 10 DAYS, REMOVE FROM THE REFRIGERATOR AND RINSE OFF ALL THE SALT/SPICE
MIX. Under cold water, remove as much of the salt/spice mix as possible and allow to briefly air-
dry over an elevated rack. Take a paper towel, as insurance, and wipe away any excess moisture
before proceeding to the next step.

10
ROLL UP THE MEAT (OPTIONAL). Most cured meats will not need to be rolled into shape at this
point, but some will. If you are rolling the cured meat, it helps to start with an even square or,
usually, rectangle. Cut off pieces of meat on all four sides until you have a neat rectangle. Save the
scraps for soups or render off the fat separately.

11

WRAP THE MEAT IN TIGHTLY CHEESECLOTH.  Tightly wrapping the meat in cheesecloth will help
wick away any moisture that forms on the outside of the meat, keeping it dry while it ages.
12
TRUSS YOUR MEAT TO HELP IT KEEP ITS SHAPE WHILE IT AGES (OPTIONAL).  Especially if dealing
with a rolled piece of meat, trussing will help the meat stay tightly rolled and keep its shape.

13

LABEL THE MEAT AND HANG IN A COOL, DARK PLACE FOR ANYWHERE FROM TWO WEEKS TO
TWO MONTHS. It is ideal the place is cool and dark, but anywhere that doesn't get a lot of light
and doesn't exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) .

14

SERVE. After you've removed the trussing and cheesecloth, cut thin slices of the cured meat and
enjoy. Store any cured meat you don't use immediately in a refrigerator.

WET-CURING MEAT

CHOOSE YOUR PIECE OF MEAT. Wet-brining is great for ham or other smoking recipes. Try wet-
curing your Christmas ham, for example, and then finishing it off in the smoker for a delicious
recipe.
2
Mix up your brine cure. Making a simple brine, and then adding the nitrites in the curing salt
(which will cure the meat) is all it takes to wet-cure meat. Try this basic brine recipe, or research
brines with added nitrite for a different kind of taste. In one gallon of water, bring the following
ingredients to a boil and then allow brine to cool completely:
2 cups brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup of pickling spice
8 teaspoons of pink salt (not to be confused with sodium nitrite)

Place your meat in a brining bag.  A brining bag is essential for larger cuts of meat, like a Christmas
ham. Smaller cuts of meat can simply go in resealable freezer bags, but make sure that there's
enough room for the meat and brine to rest comfortably in.

In the refrigerator, brine your meat one day for every two pounds of meat.  If you have a five
pound piece of meat, brine for approximately two and a half days. Turn the meat every 24 hours if
possible. Change the brine after 7 days during the curing process to help prevent spoiling.

Rinse the cured meat thoroughly in fresh cold water to get rid of the crystallized salt on the
surface of the meat.

Set the meat on a wire mesh screen to drain for 24 hours in a well ventilated area and store in
the refrigerator for up to 30 days.

Smoke the meat. Wet-cured meat, such as ham, is great after smoking. Smoke your wet-cured
meat in a smoker and serve on a special occasion.
Warnings
Nitrates and nitrites are dangerous if used in large quantities. There are FDA regulations on nitrites
amounts in parts per million. Most recipes have exact specifications on the amounts needed. And
general advice is not to add more than suggested.