Curing Beef
Ingredients
Directions
Make the brine
In a large container, mix 4 gallons of water, 8 lbs. of coarse sea salt, 1 lb. of saltpeter, and 2½ lbs. of sugar.
Pack the barrel
Layer salt at the bottom of a barrel, about ½ inch deep.
Pack 100 lbs. of beef loosely in layers with salt, reserving enough salt for a top layer.
Let the meat stand overnight.
Dissolve 4 lbs. of sugar, 4 ounces of saltpeter, and 2 ounces of saleratus in 1 gallon of tepid water and add to the meat.
Cover the meat with 3 more gallons of water.
Cure
Cure the meat at a temperature not exceeding 38°F (3°C) for 30 to 40 days.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Beef (in the method)
- Is the meat being cured, so it takes up salt and sugar as it cures.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the meat and helps preserve it during the long cure.
- Saltpeter
- Supplies nitrate, which helps keep the cured meat's pink colour and inhibits spoilage.
- Sugar
- Balances the salt's sharpness and feeds the curing process, adding mild sweetness.
The step that matters
Cure at or below 38°F (3°C). Warmer temperatures let spoilage bacteria grow faster during the 30 to 40 day cure. Keeping the meat cold holds that growth back while the salt and nitrate work through the meat.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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