Module 3: Cured and Smoked Food

Curing Ingredients

• Salt
• Nitrites
• Nitrates
• Cure accelerators
• Sugars
• Herbs, Spices, and Other Flavorings

Salt

• Most basic & important food preservative
• Changes food by drawing out water, blood & impurities
• Plays an important role in the following processes:
Osmosis, Dehydration, Fermentation, Denaturing proteins

Salt Osmosis

Salt on meat draw out moisture from the inside
• Dilute salt on the outside
• Moisture returns inside the meat taking with it dissolved salt
• Salt inside the cell kills harmful pathogens
• Food with less moisture
and saltier = less susceptible to bacteria + flavor and texture changes

Salt Dehydration

• Removal of excess water in food
• Salt dried food effectively draws out water, preventing microbial growth

Salt Fermentation

• Enzymes feed on food
• Breaking down food into gases and organic compounds
• Left unchecked = higher acid level & flavor changes on food
• Acts as a control
• Prevents fermentation from getting out of hand

Salt Denaturing Protein

• Changing protein structure of food
• Protein strands = lengthen or coil, open or close, recombine or
dissolve
• Soft – firm, smooth – grainy, translucent – cloudy, firm – soft

Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2)

• Safe from botulism infection
• Strong preservative power, even in very small quantities
• Keeps meats red or pink
• Gradually breaks down inside cured food

Safe from botulism infection
Stronger chemical the nitrite
Added to raw and air-dried food
Break down more slowly than nitrites = effective for longer time

Prague powder 1

“curing salt”, 6% sodium nitrite and 94% sodium chloride
Pink in color, may be sold as InstaCure 1

Prague powder 2

Contains nitrates in addition to nitrites
Used for longer curing and drying, InstaCure 2

Cure Accelerators

Sodium erythorbate and ascorbate
Enhance color development & flavor retention
Inhibit nitrosamine formation in cooked bacon
Not a substitute for nitrites or nitrates

Sugars

• Dextrose, sugar, corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup
• Modify flavor of food
• Adds perception of moistness in cured product
• Dextrose = mellow harsh salt, increase moisture, without adding sweetness

• Help mellow harshness of salt in the cure
• Balance overall flavor
• Counteract bitterness in liver products
• Help stabilize color of cured meats
• Increase moisture in finished products
• Provide good nutrient source for fermentation

Herbs, Spices and Flavorings

• Any spice/flavoring used in cooking can be used in curing
• Spices & herbs = flavor & character
• Dry/fresh chilis, wines, fruit juices, vinegars

Cure

dry cure, brines, pickling or corning solutions

Dry Curing

• Cure mixture are packed/rubbed over the food product to coat it completely

• Curing meat: 227g of cure for every 4.54kg meat

• Curing time depends on the thickness of
  meat (1 inch = 3-8 hours; whole ham leg =
  45 days)

• Long cure = food repeatedly turned and rubbed with mixture to maintain uniform contact
  • Overhauling = turning/rotating every other day
  • Sausages uses dry cure

Brine Curing

Brine = solution of salt and other ingredients in water
✓ Primary use: moisture retention
✓ Meat is immersed in brine
✓ Useful for small meat items and poultry items

✓ Larger items = brine can be pumped or injected
✓ Brining time depends on size & thickness of item
✓ Brines add moisture and flavor
✓ Tip: Do not reuse brines

Smoking

✓ Used to dry and preserve food
✓ adds flavor
✓ Cure first before smoking for food safety
Drying = pellicle formation
➢ Pellicle - protective barrier for moisture retention, keep fat
locked inside the flesh, better smoking result

➢ Food arranged on racks or hung with spaces between them
➢ Hickory, oak, mesquite and fruitwood such as apple and cherry
➢ Soft wood like pine is not used
➢ Order of steps: Cure – Dry – Smoke
➢ 2 types: cold smoking & hot smoking

Cold Smoking

Temperature below 70-100F (21-38C)
✓ Prevents protein from denaturing
✓ Food take on smoke flavor, develop color, retain moist texture, but does not get cooked
✓ Flavor enhancer

Hot Smoking

Temperature as high as 165F (74C) sausages & meats, 200F (93C) fish & poultry
➢ Temperature high enough to cook
➢ Internal temperature of 150-165F (65-74C)
➢ Smoke for shorter period then poach = less smoke flavor

Smoke Roasting

Combined roasting + smoking attributes
Barbecuing or pit roasting
Smoke roaster, barbecue pit, oven

Pan Smoking

Produce smoked food even without a smoker
Simple, inexpensive method to give smoke flavor quickly
Smoke hard to control

Drying

✓ Preservation method
✓ Normally for cold smoked food
✓ Air drying = balance of temperature & humidity control

Confit (Preserving in Fat)

Cured animal parts simmered in rendered fat, packed in crocks,
completely covered in fat

Rillettes (Preserving in Fat)

Stewed meats in broth or fat, blended with fat, stored in crocks/pots, covered in a layer fat