Is Nitrite Cure Necessary In Fat?

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ExhaustedSpark
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Is Nitrite Cure Necessary In Fat?

Post by ExhaustedSpark » Mon Feb 20, 2012 22:26

Ok. I use the meat calc. for amount of cure. What a great tool. However i keep reading where some write cure does nothing for fat so why do we include the fat in the wt. of the meat???????
Last edited by ExhaustedSpark on Tue Feb 21, 2012 07:51, edited 3 times in total.
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DLFL
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Post by DLFL » Mon Feb 20, 2012 22:37

That is not true. Lardo is cured back fat.
Dick

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Post by ExhaustedSpark » Tue Feb 21, 2012 00:06

DLFL wrote:That is not true. Lardo is cured back fat.
Thank you for the reply. This statement regarding the fat not curing comes from someone i have respect for but i just dont think that it is true myself as i have never read any sausage book that commented on it.
Always trying to learn. :idea:
Thanx again :mrgreen:
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Post by story28 » Tue Feb 21, 2012 04:29

Well, it depends on what you are referring to when you mention "cure". If you mean nitrite, then it does not have any need or play any role in the curing process of fat. The reason it is factored into recipes is because cure 1 & 2 are predominantly comprised of salt (90 & 96%), which goes toward the total salt content of the product.

The reason you see nitrite in recipes such as salt pork is because sometimes these parts contain scraps of meat and in that case the nitrites can play their true role.

On pg. 482 of Stanley Marianski's book Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages he says "Back fat does not contain myoglobin and there is no need to add nitrites."
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Post by ExhaustedSpark » Tue Feb 21, 2012 18:14

Thank you. I use the Marianski's book like a bible for sausage making.
I just dont recall reading that. That has been my problem with the statement i never read or recalled that from his book.
Tnx :grin: :roll:
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Post by DLFL » Tue Feb 21, 2012 21:42

Great point Story28.
Dick

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Post by story28 » Wed Feb 22, 2012 06:08

Thanks and no problem. I am about to start on some lardo tomorrow, so the topic caught my notice. I wish I had a nice marble basin, like they did in the old days to keep the fat away from oxygen and light. Maybe I will take a trip to Home Depot and see if I can find anything food grade to cure the back fat in. The traditional rosemary in lardo served a purpose as a strong antioxidant to prevent the fat from becoming rancid. No wonder it appears in almost every lardo recipe.
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Post by DLFL » Wed Feb 22, 2012 14:54

I bet you could get a kitchen counter man to to make one fairly reasonable.
Dick

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Post by ExhaustedSpark » Wed Feb 22, 2012 17:58

I sure hope you do a step X step with picts. I would like to knwo how to do the Lardo.
:mrgreen:
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