fundamentals of meat curing (7)

curing

addition of salt, sugar, nitrite or nitrate for the purposes of preservation, flavor, and color

salt fxns

salty flavor

antimicrobial to preserve product

enhances cure transport through meat (through osmosis)

sugar fxns

sweet flavor

counteracts harshness of salt

energy for bacteria that change NO3 to NO2

nitrite or nitrate fxns

gives cured flavor

prevents warmed over flavor

retards the rancidity (off flavors from fatty acid breakdown)

cured-pink color

anti-botulinal effect (reduces botulism chances)

curing rxn

myoglobin + nitric oxide (binds to site of myoglobin) => nitric oxide myoglobin + heat => nitrosyl hemochromogen

generation or nitric oxide

NaNO3→NaNO2→HONO→NO

what are the present-day ingredients for uncured meats? (non traditional way)

celery powder and cherry powder

celery powder

natural source of nitrates/nitrites

cherry powder

natural source of vitamin C and used to speed up curing rxn

dry curing

oldest and slowest way of curing where curing ingredients are rubbed on surface of meat

stitch pumping

long needle w/multiple holes around shaft is inserted into meat and curing sol’n is pumped into product

artery injection

large needle w/one hole is inserted into brachial or femoral artery and cure sol’n is injected into arterial system

needle injection

machine w/multiple needles that injects meat cuts w/curing sol’n; most common way to cure meat today

dry cure amnts

10 lbs of salt, 10 lbs of sugar, 10 ounces of nitrite for 100 lbs of product

dry cure time

5 wks

dry sugar cure amnts

5 lbs salt, 3 lbs sugar, 1 ounce/lb nitrite

dry sugar cure time

7days/in

cover pickle cure 80° pickle time

9 days/in

cover pickle cure 45° pickle time

12 days/in

sodium tripolyphosphate fxn

increases water-holding capacity

what percent of pickle is allowed?

up to 5%, no more than 0.5% in finished product; too much gives soapy flavor

protein-fat free basis (PFF) ranking

common and usual

(common and usual) w/natural juices

(common and usual) water added

(common and usual) and water product — X% of weight is added ingredients

prerequisite for USDA label approval of (product name) and water product —X% of weight is added ingredients is a:

USDA approved quality control program and the max percent of added ingredients in the finished product on a total weight basis would be inserted as X value