Using Prauge Powder, got a question.

[DaveNH]

Got a question for you guys. :).

I'm making some jerky using the prague powder. Can the small amount be the only salt in the recipe? I'll be using the recommended amount of prague #1 in the cure/marinade and using a salt substitute (low sodium diet) instead of the additional salt usually added to the recipe. Will not adding the usual extra salt to the cure recipe make it any less effective?

[stanjk]

Hi Dave,
"Salting is the simplest form of curing and its objective is meat preservation."
That's the short answer.
That's quoted from: http://www.wedlinydomowe.com./curing-meat.htm
Being that we have refrigeration now, our primary reason for smoking and drying is for the taste. Salt still adds taste but we don't have to use as much if we keep our meats refrigerated. The cure still keeps the bacterial growth under control. Check out the above site and it will give you alot of info and you can make up your own mind on how much salt to add. Hope this helps.

[Gunslinger]

Just the cure will be fine for low sodium, however, it may not have any salt flavor at all. That's the beauty of Prague powder. It enhances flavor, cures the meat, and added sodium is minuscule if the proper guidelines are followed (.04 oz. per lb of meat).
I think there are plenty of good alternatives to adding lots of salt to that jerky.
I made a batch for my Dad a couple of years ago and added powdered lemon peel instead of salt just to see how it turned out. See, when we use cure, it's already enhancing the flavor of the meat, so additional salt is not needed for that task. So added salt is strictly for a zesty (for lack of a better word) flavor. Well what adds zest, better than lemon or orange zest?
Think outside the box on this stuff, you'd be surprised what works and tastes good. Do small experimental batches and find one you like.
Some other ingredients that could possibly be used to achieve this would be, celery seed, cream of tartar and citric acid powder.
Although I don't use them anymore, there are many decent wines that enhance flavor. Always use table whine and not cooking wine, as it has too much sodium and tastes like...........well, you get the point. I use different grape juices and chicken broth as a wine substitute. So far, no complaints.

[Kingudaroad]

Additional salt is not necessary with your cure added per package directions.

I other words....what Gunslinger said.

[DaveNH]

Thanks guys :).

Tom...those are some great suggestions and tips.
Really appreciate the help!

[Gunslinger]

Hey, no problem, always love to help out when I can.
I didn't get to be over 300 lbs by not knowing what good food tastes like.
I quit smoking (cigs and pipes) 2 weeks ago too, so good food is starting to taste even better.

[curious aardvark]

what gunny said - salt is just one of the five main 'flavours' we can taste.
Salt, sweet, sour, bitter, umami (savoury - msg)

So as long as you've got something in the jerky to add antibacterial - and prague no1 will do the job nicely - you can use any of the other flavours to give it some kick.
I particularly like lime zest and juice with meat I don't want to use salt with.
Msg is pretty good too, then there's all the stuff the orientals use: ginger, five spice powder (the wonderful smell of which is currently infusing my workshop) honey, orange and lemon zests and juice - though with the juice for a jerky it might be a good idea to reduce it down a bit first - Garlic (of course), Hot spices: pepper, tabasco, chilli.
You can produce any number of flavour explosions without resorting to salt :-)

Currently making cured pork jerky with garlic, smoked ginger, five spice powder, celery powder, little cbp, low salt cure and honey.
Been in the dehydrator 3 hours and already feels done - gonna give it 4. But the smell is driving me mad ! :drooling:

[Richtee]

Thanks guys :).

Tom...those are some great suggestions and tips.
Really appreciate the help!

Consider a decent red wine to make the curing brine... LOTS of flavor and anti-oxidants as well as anti-bacterial :{)

[Gunslinger]

Consider a decent red wine to make the curing brine... LOTS of flavor and anti-oxidants as well as anti-bacterial :{)

I agree here too. BUT!!! Make sure it's a table wine and not a cooking wine. Cooking wines are way to salty.
Does anyone use cooking wines anymore? I still see them in the stores.

[curious aardvark]

Make sure it's a table wine and not a cooking wine. Cooking wines are way to salty.
Huh ? Cooking wine is just the stuff my dad doesn't drink :-)
You get wine with salt added ?
Now that's weird !

[Gunslinger]

Huh ? Cooking wine is just the stuff my dad doesn't drink :-)
You get wine with salt added ?
Now that's weird !
Yep. You never seen "cooking sherry?"
You'd be surprised how many recipes call for this stuff. I used it way back when to make some Chinese dishes. YUCK! Learned my lesson though. Nowadays I don't use alcohol at all.

From wisegeek:
Cooking sherry is a version of sherry which has been treated with salts and other additives to make it more shelf stable. Some cooks eschew cooking wines because of the added salt, which tends to flavor the final dish, sometimes unpleasantly. Cooking wines also tend to be inferior versions of their drinking cousins, sometimes lacking the flavor and complexity which they are supposed to add to a dish. Many stores stock cooking sherry along with other cooking wines, for cooks who want to use them.

Sherry is a type of fortified wine, meaning that a stronger liquor such as brandy is added to the wine. The elevated alcohol content of sherry makes it more shelf-stable, which was useful in sherry's early days since it meant that the wine could be shipped. The original sherry was from Jerez, in Spain, which came to be corrupted in English to Sherry. There are a range of sherry wines, from very dry fino to sweet cream sherry, and many dishes call for the addition of sherry to enhance the flavor.

True sherry can be stored in a cool dry place, unopened, for up to 15 years in some cases. Once opened, however, the sherry must be used within seven to 10 days, or the flavor will have faded and the wine will start to go sour. Sherry is traditionally opened for drinking before or after dinner, usually in small glasses since the wine has an intense, rich flavor.

The primary advantage of cooking sherry is that it can be kept after opening for quite some time. Since few recipes call for an entire bottle of sherry, cooks like to be able to open a bottle, use a small amount, and replace the bottle in the cupboard until it is needed again. However, the shelf stability of cooking sherry comes at a price. The salty sherry sometimes reacts unfavorably with the food, and it makes it difficult to control how salty dishes become.

Because of the added salt, cooking sherry is not suitable for drinking. While it is unlikely to make the consumer ill, it certainly will not taste terribly appealing. Some cooks prefer to use regular red or white wine as a replacement for cooking sherry, depending on the dish. The unused wine can be served with dinner. Other alcohol free substitutes such as vanilla, coffee, or soup stock may be used, depending on the recipe.