When does a marinade become a cure?

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 03:41

Currently I have two pounds of brisket curing for March 17.
Besides the salt and the cure # 1 there is mustard seed, cracked black pepper, coriander, and bay leaf. The meat was coated as uniformly as I could and placed in a zipper freezer bag that gets turned each day in the fridge. Two weeks ago I determined that soy sauce contains 2.3 grams of salt per tablespoonful. I let soy sauce be the source of the salt in a cure for some chicken legs with mustard, ginger, garlic and sugar for added flavor. There was no vinegar or oil added. The legs were rinsed and dried and smoked to 175 degrees F.
How do we differentiate a cure from a marinade?

story28 · Post by **story28** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 06:58

Hi Ross. I think the two biggest differences between a cure and a marinade are the higher concentration of salt in a cure, but more importantly, the presence of an acid in marinades which tenderize meat by denaturing the proteins. That acid isn't so prevalent in cure recipes, but it is always needed in order to have a true marinade.

The myofibrillar proteins are sort of like coils and acid in the right concentration causes them to loosen up and unravel a bit, which gives the meat the added tenderness.

Oxide · Post by **Oxide** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 08:24

If you want to go with what is written in 'Home Production of Quality Meats & Sausages', a marinade never becomes a cure. A marinade is used to impart a specific flavor and tenderize the meat for BBQ or grilling. A cure has nitrate/nitrite, is intended as a preservative, e.g. impedes spoilage.

I just re-read that section of the book yesterday.

But I know what you are talking about ... the two can have some overlap where a marinade prevents spoilage, or a cure imparts a specific flavor.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 16:02

I think that a true marinade (one with an acid) applied for an extended period would become a pickle.