Difference Between Sodium Nitrite, Nitrate & Pink Curing Salt

In this video I answer Allen's question: "What's the difference between sodium nitrite, nitrate & pink curing salt?" For more information on where to get these products, check out this episode's show notes: www.stellaculi...

[@stagefodder]

Without a doubt one of the most intelligent and well-presented charcuterie videos I have seen on youtube! Grazie!!

[@rastafam1146]

I agree still in 2017. Thank You

[@zaidbaig8182]

Indeed!

[@danemmerich6775]

2 Guys and a Cooler does a very nice job as well.

[@JacobBurton]

Personally, I'm not worried. I don't make cured meats a large part of my diet, and my understanding is that in moderation, the amount of nitrites found in cured meat will not be enough to adversely effect your health. I would encourage anyone who is concerned to do their own research and use their best judgement, since I approach this topic from the perspective of a cook, not a medical researcher/practitioner. Plus, who wants to live life with out the occasional piece of bacon? ;-)

[@jeffreypalmer2321]

Sir, my understanding is that Saltpeter or Saltpetre as it is spelled is actually Potassium Nitrate not Sodium Nitrate as mentioned in your show. Could you comment?

[@josh2045]

@Jeffrey Palmer garden saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Curing salt is sodium (meaning salt). They are two different chemical compounds and sodium nitrate is often distinguished as "Chile saltpeter".

[@josh2045]

Don't go buying your saltpeter at a garden centre 🤣

[@marieindia8116]

No one needs any of these things to male bacon. The Amish never use it.

[@JacobBurton]

Sodium Nitrate will oxidize into Nitrite over time. But for most curing applications (unless you plan on dry curing something for more then 6 months), Nitrite will work the best, and in the examples you give, is what you want to use. I buy pure sodium nitrite online which is a fine, white salt. When I make my own curing mix, I'll weigh kosher salt in grams and multiply by .002 (.2%) which will give me the amount of Nitrite I need to mix in. This is good for dry curing. Continued...

[@JacobBurton]

There are some forms of ham, especially in Spain, that don't use sodium nitrate at all; just pure salt. Glad this video helped you understand the concept a little better.

[@marysmith1757]

Pure salt works just need to know the actual process

[@OptimusWombat]

Finally, a detailed but understandable explanation. Thank you!

[@MoonberryJam93]

Thank you! It was shocking difficult to find an actual informational video about curing salt that isn't just speculating about health effects

[@Conundric]

Glad you are making videos again! Your channel is by the far the best educational cooking channel here.

[@pittsbyeplane]

Thank Jacob for not talking down to us, I got pissed when told to look a word up but those teachers knew how to teach.

[@hazelmaecasas9737]

I'm a food technology graduate and is about to start my job as part of the research and development team in a meat processing company. I'm currently trying to refresh my memories for some knowledge and this video helped me a lot. Thank you very much!

[@A-Aron118]

Will you please do the human race a favor and reject all forms of lab grown meat since you would be in a position to do so. Thank you!

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks. It feels good to get back into the swing of things after a few really busy months. My New Years resolution is more videos, lots and lots of videos!

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks GigaBoost. I think these Q&A segments will be a nice addition to this channel's recipe and technique videos which I will continue to produce. As this channel and the Stella Culinary website continues to grow, I get a lot of people asking me the same questions through various outlets. These video Q&As will allow me to quickly throw the camera on in my office and get questions answered. I'm also looking into buying a better web cam so we can do some live Q&A sessions as well. Cheers.

[@jonathangarzon2798]

So "curing salts" are more precise version as compared to coarse salt that could contain all sorts of trace minerals right?

[@johnbladen4931]

Thank You, for your comprehensivedescription of the various Salts. Regards Johno

[@norlure]

Jacob Burton....That was the answer, thank you very much. Beside the point...... what I hate the most on You Tube is the number of "Coffee shop expert" giving advice when they don't know sheet about the subject.Keep up the good work. Merci beaucoup.

[@JacobBurton]

Himalayan and some forms of Hawaiian Salt are pink because of the surrounding area they are removed from (the unrefined minerals in the salt are what turn it pink). Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate are white in their pure form, however they're commonly dyed pink so they don't get confused with regular salt. This form of salt will be labeled as "Pink Cure Salt" or something similar. So you have nothing to worry about.

[@GR8APE69]

Great straightforward, to the point, and clear to understand explanation! I love it when I happen upon a KZbin channel like this one that makes their content well explained and to the point, AND does so without all of the extra gimmicky videographer flair that has come to define the more popular channels with high production values here on KZbin. Being able to overly animations and more high production features definitely has its place as it can help fill the gaps to fully understanding what is lesser seen on video, but I feel like something about a more barebones KZbin vlog or tutorial goes a long way toward making videos easier to watch and more personable like these videos are. I think after becoming so heavily bombarded with animations, overlays, and overused cliché video trends it's nice to just get a guy in front of a camera pressing record as if I were back watching KZbin tutorials in 2008 with shitty block letter title frames made in a free downloadable video editor and a 1-5 star based rating system, when nobody had professional mics and just recorded using a $100 digital camera. It's not until you see a more down to earth channel like this one that you realize just how hackneyed the whole "Like, Share, Subscribe, and Ring that Bell!" KZbin culture has become over the years. The ONLY thing I would recommend to make this channel even better would be a second camera angle fixed where the hosts head is, and aimed directly downward to capture his cutting board and workstation in a way most similar to how he himself sees the techniques he's explaining in the videos. A camera mounted directly above him looking down at what he's doing would be the perfect shot to show exactly what chef sees as if you were looking through his eyes. That shot is so helpful with learning the finer points of techniques that are hard to capture on camera. It would allow him to do the techniques as he normally would when not filming a video, but still catch all of it perfectly as if watching it as him. It makes it so much easier to put yourself in his shoes and see EXACTLY what it's supposed to look like when doing a certain technique, and not what it looks like when trying to perform the technique for a fixed camera that might not have the best angle on the shot.

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks. I agree on the gimmicks and overly produced KZbin videos. It's like an arms race, and as a creator, it can become overwhelming to keep up with all the catchy new trends. Interesting you mention the overhead cam. I completely agree. I just set up an overhead camera in my home kitchen. I plan on shoot a lot more content in the future with a multi-camera set-up so you can more easily catch the visual. Glad you're enjoying the content!

[@JacobBurton]

When making something like a pate or terrine, I will take the total weight of my meat, and multiply that by .002-.004 which will give me 0.2-0.4% sodium nitrite by weight. This is then mixed with kosher salt and other spices, and then added to the meat mix. This way, I can control the salt content of my terrines and pates, whereas the curing salt mix I talk about above, is good to dry curing items where the surface is salted such as pancetta, duck confit, etc.

[@A-Aron118]

Great job explaining. I'm getting ready to make some deer jerky and did not want to use celery powder/salt to cure as I would be paranoid about getting sick. But thank you for breaking it down, now I know I don't need "pink curing salt" that my sodium nitrite/w-salt packet will be just fine!

[@Mspeterpiper123]

Very informative Jacob, thanks a lot.

[@jimbeaux1442]

Great video, very clear. The only problem that I saw was that you said that saltptre was sodium nitrite, while it is actually potassium nitrate.

[@jimbeaux1442]

sorry, you did say sodium nitate not nitrite, but it is, of course, still potassium nitrate.

[@mouldiepops1618]

I was about to post the same reply! I suspect even the experts get confused sometimes.

[@VideoNOLA]

He also says, "I multiply by point zero zero two percent" (which would be 0.00002) when he meant "multiply by 0.002".

[@AskLovelyIgniteTheChange]

Finally‼️ A Real Human‼️ A Real Explanation‼️

[@slewfootjr2658]

Found this while trying to find ways to use all the fresh venison I’ve been so fortunate to harvest so far this year. Very well done and explained video, you have a new sub a week before Thanksgiving 2019.

[@JacobBurton]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the sub! If you enjoy this style of video, I think you'll really like my Culinary Boot Camp Lecture series found here: kzbin.info/aero/PLpkj3Cc40ZCoMAoVI9OkjzMpj0PZkq5zL Speaking of Thanksgiving, check out my Thanksgiving Playlist as well: kzbin.info/aero/PLpkj3Cc40ZCrCgP1xEO8I3OWNYrNR6qAK Hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Good luck with the venison!

[@nyanates]

You have a well-explained, if not incomplete, video on this subject. Should have addressed more of the potential short/long term adverse health impacts of using this stuff.

[@JacobBurton]

My pleasure. Thanks for the question.

[@deanm3464]

thanks I'm raising pigs this year and want to try curing some cuts this was a great informational video

[@JacobBurton]

It's hard to say because charcuterie has always been a highly respected art form among chefs. I think the idea that people can attempt charcuterie in their home kitchen has largely caught on in the last decade due to some great books on the subject and the ability for people to trade tips, tricks and recipes through online forums. Something like prosciutto di parma would be impossible to duplicate at home, but there are other great projects like confit, pates and terrines that are achievable.

[@mannvsfood]

so I just looked into prosciutto di parma. I didnt find the price too crazy, about 270 for 16lbs. If one were to buy something like this, could you pre slice the whole thing and vacuum seal portions. If you didnt do that, once you cut into it, how long do you think it would last in a normal household fridge? Thanks, I know this is an old post but... still great info.

[@GigaBoost]

I love it! This channel is immensely helpful, even for me as an amateur chef, and it's really interesting to see how things are done in a professional kitchen. You seem to have done a lot of research for this topic, I hope you keep that up, it's great.

[@adamsallur2067]

thankyou for this - an uncluttered description - really helpful. cheers.

[@GigaBoost]

Oh man, so unusual to see you in front of the camera Jacob, I like it! You're always so informative, it's great. You don't just explain the differences, but give us a nice brief history, explaining the background and explaining WHY, not just how.

[@mannvsfood]

This was awesome Jacob thanks. Looking forward to talking to my daughter about this who actually went to Culinary School and looking forward to trying to make a Pancetta.

[@StephenOwensTV]

What a great video. I have been using Saltpetre for many years in my home Charcuterie and you are spot on with it being a Nitrate. It is an area which confuses so many and this video will be a great reference. When the food industry discovered S Nitrite was a short cut to curing, it became the favorite way to speed up bacon and ham making. You needed so much less nitrite. Agh to short a text limit to discuss it but I would like to say well done ;) Steve

[@JKold]

just a brilliant explanation. thank you. theres tons of bad information out there. ive read up on this like crazy. You sir, nailed it down perfectly.

[@Theophilus200]

Thanks for this clear explanation and for all the ratios etc., One of the best videos I've seen on the subject.

[@JacobBurton]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@Forevertrue]

I remember which is which 1 or two by "two long". Instacure #2 is for ham and long term curing.

[@eneography9067]

Hello Jacob, Awesome videos, you are a great teacher! I had a question: Last night I started an EQ cure on three meats with this configuration: Beef Brisket (1.5 inches thick) Weight: .926 Kg Salt: 32.5 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) Pork Butt (3.5 inches thick) Weight: .897 Kg Salt: 31.39 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) Beef Ribeye (2.5 inches thick) Weight: .773 Kg Salt: 27.05 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) The nitrite content was calculated based on the directions of 1/3 tsp per pound of meat. I basically used the smallest meat weight which was 1.7 lbs and it gave me a rough .5 tsp. I applied this to all meats and the meats are currently vacuum sealed in the fridge. I am worried about a couple things: 1. I may have used too much regular salt with 3.5%. I probably should have used 2.5% or so. Because of this, can I somehow compensate by cutting down my cure time? The reason it is unclear to me is the whole concept of equilibrium curing requires the meat to reach a salt penetration equilibrium. Usually this is at three weeks from what I have read. I was hoping to pull the meats at say.. 7-10 days, but will this leave the middle uncured? 2. I am hoping that the amount of pink salt I used is not toxic when used in equilibrium curing (Not cut with a bunch of regular salt). I keep hearing that 4 g is a toxic level and I believe this would equate to 2.5 g.. Which is weird because I followed the exact directions and used the lowest possible amount per weight ratio. Question RECAP: When should I pull each meat from the vacuum seal in order to spice and hang them. My goal is for them not to be overly salty but fully cured. Thank you in advance. :)

[@2guysandacooler]

How did your project turn out? Was it super salty? Looks like a lot of salt on the front end for eq cure. I generally stick to 2.5% and sometimes 2.75% on the high end with .25% cure. This generally means if I have 1000 grams of meat there's only .15 grams of actual nitrite give or take.. or 2.5 grams of pink salt. I don't think you entered into toxic territory. Can't wait to hear about what happened. Generally if you over salt your meat all you have to do is soak it in water and refreshing the water for a few hours. This greatly reduced the salty taste without compromising the cure....

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks breertobee, glad you found the info helpful. If you're just getting into charcuterie, I would try your hand at some duck confit. I have a video in the charcuterie playlist if you're interested.

[@adamdegraff]

Great video! Thank you for clearing all that up. One quick question: where do you get your pure sodium nitrite? I like the idea of making my own curing mixes and you are the first person who I've seen that does this. Very cool!

[@JacobBurton]

Adam DeGraff Amazon for the win! Here's the stuff I use at the restaurant. Full disclosure, the following link has my affiliate code in it, which means I'll get a small percent of the sale as a commission, but it won't cost you anything extra: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L74HO5M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00L74HO5M&linkCode=as2&tag=freeculischoc-20&linkId=VBZG2BB42LJ3PQMGYou can easily bypass this affiliate link by going to Amazon.com and searching for "pure sodium nitrite." Let me know if you have any more questions, and best of luck in your upcoming charcuterie adventures.

[@rosswaters1520]

Very helpful videos - thank you. I have a smokehouse in the UK and I make bacon. One week cure before a 24hr cold smoke. Some of my customers don't like the use of refined sodium nitrite so I use celery salt (which of course I know is rich in sodium nitrite) as a substitute. Don’t you have any opinions on this?

[@bonsummers2657]

The celery powder has the 'healthy spectrum' of substances which the isolated sodium nitrate/nitrite doesn't, and which causes the celery powder to be vastly healthier for ones body.

[@poleline111]

Thanks Chef for taking the time - great job too.

[@cbfreder]

Great to see you back. Got some questions: Has charcuterie been becoming much more popular in the last decade? or was it always popular, and I was just a student? Is a lot gained from making charcuterie yourself vs prosciutto di parma or things of that ilk?

[@dmitriy.boston.realtor]

Great video. Thank you. I have a question - how to reduce the risk of formation of nitrosamines? At high temperatures sodium nitrite has been shown to combine with amines and form toxic compounds known as nitrosamines. Thanks again!

[@PyroRob69]

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate, not sodium nitrate.

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

Yup.

[@markbrosius5528]

That's what I said too.

[@markbrosius5528]

Trivia anyone? Aqua Regia is used to dissolve pure gold. It is hcl hydrochloric acid and nitric acid however you can substitute nitric acid for any nitrate. Including sodium nitrates. Anyone? What is the chemical in our stomach that dissolves our food. Yes. Hydrochloric acid. Now add some of these meats like ham,hotdogs and such and it seems like this is why studies showed sodium nitrate is cancer causing .

[@glensaussiebbq4823]

Mate, this video was so informative, I loved it!!!

[@JacobBurton]

No. Everything in moderation. Nitrite is commonly found in nature, with a very common natural source being celery. If you eat a balanced diet, you should be fine unless your doctor tells you specifically to avoid nitrites. Michael Rhulman has a couple great articles covering this subject on his blog if you're interested.

[@derrickwms2000]

Thanks for sharing Jacob.....why do ignorant people exist? You share your knowledge and get attacked by idiots! We have a wealth of knowledge at our disposal, it's your responsibility as a consumer to educate yourself and not fall for the latest "scare tactic". " You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think"

[@tidieu008]

Yay 👏

[@seanmaggi1119]

Good info too, nice historical tidbits thrown in. Well put together.

[@JacobBurton]

Sean Maggi Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@carlcisc1706]

Just found your site what a great job. I am looking to making my own bacon. Your site has so much great info

[@RichK586]

Jacob, WOW... Excellent explanation, thank you. Your trollmanship is impeccable however, I believe you spent far too much time addressing the mentally undressed. I am your newest subscriber, thanks again.

[@Chef316]

My office when I was an Exec was in the dry storage room...yours is in the wine room!?!?!? sweet! hahaha Nice to see you back Chef!!!

[@christopherbaas1774]

Very educational, thank you for the great video.

[@xxbananaclipp]

I am trying to make curing salt for pastrami meat . what is the measurements of salt and sodium nitrate that i should use?

[@pennymorrissey4462]

Did you ever find the recipe?

[@pamelamyrie7658]

Thank you, very good presentation.

[@garykentner7557]

Very informative explaining it simple thanks

[@MrJasperjoe]

I've seen some recipes for salami without the curing salt at all but instead just use regular sodium chloride, any thoughts?

[@ThomasWill-ln3vk]

Have a couple cure #1 questions. When I cure meat for sausage I first cut it into 1” to 2” cubes weigh it then add the appropriate amount of cure and the salt the recipe calls for then cover with a towel and refrigerate for 2 days. Then grind, mix, stuff and smoke to ~ 155° F. I have noticed that some recipes such as kabanosy after smoking say to hang at room temp. for 20 days and others say to bloom for 2 hrs. then refrigerate and if not consumed within a few days to freeze. So my questions are how long can I safely hang sausage prepared as above to dry before smoking and how long after smoking? also does the cure penetrate the fat or just the meat? Thanks in advance Also I have read many cure related subjects and watched countless videos and found a lot of useful information on witch cure to use, when and how but nothing definitive on what the time limitation is at room temp

[@dotnb]

Great video! Thanks for the explanation

[@MegaDieyoung]

Thank you very much Jake.

[@luigigrottola2730]

when curing pork at home with just regular salt, what caused holes in the soppressatta?

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I'm always down to geek out on charcuterie. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you ever want to discuss it with more than 500 characters.

[@henningradasewski6172]

On the spot information , accurately presented. Thanks for sharing. From what drying time on would you recommend #2 over #1?

[@JacobBurton]

If I'm going to hang something for longer than a month, I'll consider using #2 (sodium nitrate) in my formulation as well.

[@henningradasewski6172]

Jacob Burton thanks again Chef.

[@onlineculinarycoach3771]

Thank you so much for the information! This is a great video!

[@wrthrash]

Thanks Jacob, great info and clarification on what could easily become a poisonous use of nitrite to the uninformed. AAAA++++

[@johnweaver4564]

Nice video. Saltpeter is Potassium Nitrate.

[@BWaustinTX]

Thumbs up.. Recently just made my first bacon and pork butt ham at home with #1 prague, so been looking for more info. Will check out your other vids too.

[@NoahSpurrier]

Kosher salt means that it does not have additives such as potassium iodide or potassium iodate (to fortify with iodine), iron, and other nutrients.Table salt is commonly iodized for nutritional purposes. Iodized salt is not so good for cooking because the iodine can affect flavor, especially in brined and pickled foods where the iodine will not cook off. Canning and Pickling salt is also not iodized or fortified. [edit: actually, the term is used inconsistently, but in general, Kosher salt does not contain additives like iodine.]

[@AntonSamokat]

Thanks

[@martintyler4962]

I understand that consumption of vitamin c helps to counteract the carcinogenic effects of the nitrites,is this true?

[@TheGilberto50]

Thank you so much for this youtube series

[@jstein1172]

Did the pink panther used to consume a large amounts of pink salt? That's why he turned pink or it's a myth made by the table salt companies?

[@9hundred67]

very useful information

[@richardnone5644]

hi jacob thanks for the information you did a great job explaining salt i have no plans to ever cure my own meat but its nice to know how its done and why the different salts richard in the tropics

[@ggggggcaipad]

Very informative video. Thank you.

[@KimSchulz]

Interesting that Pink salt has such a high amount (6.25%) of Sodium Nitrite. Here in Denmark the highest amount allowed to have in curing salt is 0.6% which is still considered an unhealthy amount in EU.

[@johnmager9364]

please correct me if im wrong but I was under the impression that nitrites are oxidized into nitrates, not the other way around. That is in the circumstances of a fish tank at least where nitrifying bacteria "fix" ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and from there a second similar type of bacteria oxidizes further into nitrate (NO3-). im not clear on this next part but the NO3- either functions on its own or bind binds with ammonium to produce NH4NO3 (which is literally garden fertlizer, which is why planted aquariums are more stable and require few to no water changes to prevent toxicity to fish, as the plants will consume all the converted waste products) im not sure quite what form the nitrate takes to be absorbed by plants but the outcome is the same. is this process reversed in aerobic conditions such as curing meats, opposed to the anaerobic systems that occur in fish tanks? of course, in a fish tank, ammonia is the starting point whereas curing starts directly with nitrites, so it could be an entirely different chemical process. p.s just realized this video is seven years old, but the information is of course still relevant today as it has been throughout centuries of curing. Thanks in advance for any insight on this.

[@drmarine1771]

Thank you , well explained. i'm going to try a ham for Xmas. we'll see how it goes ?

[@JacobBurton]

Cure #1 contains sodium nitrite and Cure #2 contains sodium nitrate.

[@mangosorbet8183]

Great information

[@blokefromthebush]

Cheers for the video mate very informative and useful thanks

[@drepalla]

great presentation, thank you!

[@JohnnyC10071959]

Great educational video. Thanks

[@paulstovall3777]

Sir. My brother makes about the best schinken I've ever eaten. His baseline is simply 20 gm Pokelsalz per 500 gm meat (pork) along with whichever spices such as juniper berries, pepper, rosemary, all rubbed well into the meat. No additional salt, or sugar. It's then left to cure for two weeks in a close bag after which it is removed and well rinsed, dried then smoked and then hung to dry for another 3-4 weeks or such time as the right textureuntil and proper consistencies are reached. It comes out perfectly every time. It comes directly form an old German recipe and we been making eating it ever since. Any thoughts Sir? As I've had a urge to cure up a couple chunks of dead hog myself. Any input from you would be very well appreciated. Thank you.

[@bg-id1uo]

Great job/video!!

[@bigornafilmes]

thank you,.... from Rio de Janeiro

[@ferdinandpio9535]

How will I know the effectivity of the curing salt to the meat to determine the expiry dae of the meat product?

[@mariocutajar3833]

I don’t understand much in science but what about sea salt ? In malta we have a lot of it . I preserve tomatoes and olives with it . But I never tried meat .

[@b8hovenusa]

I am interested in doing air dried sausages. One recipe calls for just pickling salt instead of curing salt. I am bit confused.

[@marieindia8116]

Do it per recipe. Nitrates and nitrites are level 1 carcinogens

[@democracy.loveusa22]

Hi Jacob what is the difference between of #1 pink cure salt and #2 pink meat cure salt? When it required using #2 pink cure salt? Thanks

[@marioperez.1795]

Greetings ... To use cure salt # 2 in a preparation such as Pastrami, Cooked Ham ... etc. there will be some way to make these preparations safe ... of course knowing that the ideal cure is # 1. Thanks in advance for your response.

[@loganwolv3393]

Still worried about Sodium Nitrate though. A substance reacts differently in different ammounts, so i'm still quite concerned. They just use it for a longer shelf life nowadays but i prefer refrigeration because it's simple and safe.

[@interestinoldschool8080]

Very informative. ....Thank you Sir!

[@marysmith1757]

My mum cures meat cause in my culture we use pure salt and let the liquid mostly come out. Pastrima it's called but it's a process like removing salt then wrapping it with clean cloth and let the water still drop out.. then add the moist spice mixture around the meat then let it air dry. The meat is cured 100 percent plus the meat is like butter.. it takes like 3 weeks or so.. never got sick.. don't know why the nitrates are used. My culture been doing it for thousands of years

[@metro6028]

interesting you know where i could find like a how too with recipe?

[@xyzsame4081]

Only curing with salt (for short time) tastes differently. With nitrate and nitrite (compared with salt only) you get a tasy product in short time and it is safer when it comes to food poisoning, so industry and authorities prefer them to be used BUT the regulators want them used in moderation (there are some concerns, likely not even justified, the only problem is searing, grilling of bacon that is made with nitrate or nitrite). The industry likes fast with a flavor that consumers expect and like. Those tasked with monitoring public health like the added safety - if something goes wrong in the industry or at home, nitrate and nitrite add another layer of safety. Sometimes amateurs at home have more enthusiasm than expertise or knowledge, and industry likes to cut corners for cost reasons. Of course if you know what you are doing and work carefully you will be safe, too and with more care and TIME you might be able to get good results. You know the saying: For the outcome of a project you have several factors: Time, effort, space / equipment, money, preparation, know-how, quality, safety You cannot have the best conditions in all areas - you have to make sacrifices at least in one area. your pastrami process for instance likely needs attention, time, some know how (you have to follow a recipe you can't just wing it), and you need a little space for it and equipment. Nothing extraordinary, but maybe the fridge must be larger or you need a cool basement room or food pantry or shed , especially if you want to produce for a family. so fast, no know-how and little time for curing pastrami will not work. For that input you get a product that is good, safe and likely also at a very good price. One advantage if you only use salt: if you fry, sear, grill ham, bacon that has been cured with nitrate or nitrite you get some problematic chemical. Not sure if frying bacon already triggers it, but you are certainly not supposed to grill it. With salt-cured you could even use that when you use the grill or sear it. I saw a side by side comparsion - that was without smoking and the curing did not last long. Raw pork belly, salt OR salt and nitrate. Ziplock bag in fridge and it was turned daily. Strips of bacon were fried after 7 - 10 days. The salt cured bacon did not have the attractive rosy color, a little brownish and the nitrate cured bacon tasted batter. If you eat a little bit of the bacon raw, the nitrate version is also safer. Of couse consumers have been trained to expect a certain taste. I think smoke and longer times for the meat to mature might also play a role to create flavor. If you have cracked the code for pastrami, all the better for you. It used to be that people had access to WOOD stoves and could cure their meat with smoke (you can't do that if you burn something else, like coal). Some had special devices for smoking, but somethimes it was quite rustic, hanging the meat into the chimney. These days most people do not have that option and then curing with nitrates / nitrites adds flavor even if the process is SHORT and they have to make do w/o smoke. The industry likes a short and SAFE process (food poisoning and even worse botulism ! which however occures more with more moisture and the poison is complex so it needs some tim. Meats where the water is extracted should be safe(r). It used to be that sausages that had more moisture (so likely not something like salami) were quite a health risk back in the day. Food poisoning (other bacteria) is bad - and botulism is worse.

[@howeswar]

Great video I'm very new to this and definitely want to start with the basics. I managed to purchase pink salt and instructions are 2 grams per kilogram finished product. How long would it take to cure 1 kilogram of ground beef ?

[@brianheidel4550]

What do you think about potassium nitrate ?

[@Michael-tr4st]

Thanks for the great explanation. Some sources suggest #2 for cures longer than 4 weeks. Is that appropriate?

[@philippowell6594]

I am a total noob at this and I have found it to be extremely informative and helpful. Extremely informative. I do have a question I was hoping you could answer for me. Even though Cure #1 is recommended for meats curing and being eaten in under 30 days, can it still be used on other applications? Specifically, before I did enough homework, I cured a pork loin to do a Lonza, but I used Instacure #1 rather than #2. Should I throw it out and start over or can this work?

[@JacobBurton]

Hi Philip, generally it would be safe to eat if you followed all the appropriate procedures, but there's no way of me knowing that unless I was in your kitchen with you from start to finish. I would use your best judgement on this while keeping in mind that nature usually makes it pretty obvious when you shouldn't eat a piece of meat. When someone is new to charcuterie, I always recommend they follow established recipes exactly until the really develop a good understanding of the various techniques and ratios. Thanks for watching!

[@philippowell6594]

@@JacobBurton Thank you for the response and the advice. I greatly appreciated your video. Thank you!

[@donaldjacobsen1504]

Very helpful video.

[@WhiteLakerrt16]

Great information, thanks.

[@danielbarbee7712]

Very good video. Thank you.

[@rongtianhuangTimmmh]

very very good

[@SteakInHouse]

thanks for the explanation!

[@TheBarryM8]

Very informative, thank you