Cure #1 or no cure #1

[senorkevin]

I tried a recipe from the internet yesterday for Jerk sausage that has cure #1 and to be smoked without smoke. I wasn't very impressed as I was awake until 3am!
My question is, can I leave out the cure #1 and just cook them like a fresh sausage? I cant see why not but just want to make sure.

[Oddwookiee]

From a safety standpoint, if you're going to be holding a meat item at an unsafe temperature range for any length of time like smoking, then I wouldn't leave out the cure. If you want to spice them and then treat them like a fresh sausage, keep them refrigerated and cook as you would a raw item.

Also, smoking without smoke? How does that work, I've never heard of it before.

[senorkevin]

I mean just to make the sausages like normal sausages.
I dont know to be honest but I put them in my brinkmann but without wood chips.

[This Little Piggy]

As Oddwookie says, the point of curing salt (sodium nitrite in this case) is to suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, which is an issue if the meat is held at room temperature for any time as it is in a smoker.

If you just want to eat it as a fresh (unsmoked) sausage, then refrigeration is sufficient. Enjoy!