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Brine for cold-smoked jerky

PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:36 pm
by bbchops
Hi there,

I'm planning to make some jerky which I'm going to try drying with a cold-smoke generator, but first I want to make sure I understand the curing process correctly.

I have 1.5kg of beef that I'm going to thinly slice (4 to 5mm) and cure, then cold smoke for 1 to 2 days (or until fully dry). On that basis, have I got these quantities for a 2:1 cure correct:

636g water
1.6g saltpetre
75g salt
37.5g sugar

750g total weight

Also, how long should the meat remain in the cure? Will the thin slicing affect the cure time or is there a reaction that requires a minimum brining time?

I also have some Prague powder number 2 available, if that would be more appropriate.

Thanks for any help you can give me on this.