Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Nitrates nitites and nitrosamines. Help!

Options
Our Nicky
Our Nicky Posts: 44
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Is there, anywhere, an objective analysis of the pros and cons of using sodium nitrate in curing bacon, corned beef etc?

I want to cure my own bacon and have been reading "you must use sodium nitrate to give that bacon taste", "you have to use sodium nitrate to avoid the risk of botulism and listeriosis", "people have been using it (saltpeter) for years" etc.

On the other hand, I have been reading "nitrate is harmless, but it can convert to nitrite, which can form nitrosamines, a powerful cancer-causing chemical, in your body."

I note that traditional curing methods such as that for prosciutto do not use sodium nitrate.

I understand sodium nitrate contributes also to the pink color of bacon - I'm more concerned about flavor.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    Options
    Here is an interesting link. Not science but comments from folks about flavor and a comment about a taste test at America's Test Kitchen (Cooks Illustrated TV PRogram)

    http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/376177

    IMHO, you are over thinking this one. People have been eating bacon for a long time and there are no ill effects.

    I have never made regular bacon, but I use Morton(R) Tenderquick blended with brown sugar and spices for canadian bacon and it is great.

    No question it contributes to the color, I do not know about the flavor.

    It has been pretty clearly shown that grilling food forms SMALL amounts of cancer causing agents too, but I do not worry about that either.

    I say, buy a commercial cure and go for it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Our Nicky
    Our Nicky Posts: 44
    Options
    Thanks for the advice. Do you wet or dry cure your Canadian bacon?

    Yea, over thinking is probably what I do. I sort of prefer it to under thinking. Hard to find the right balance though. :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Options
    Actually sodium nitrite is the common one in many cured meats (over time it eventually changes to sodium nitrate). Sodium nitrate is used in things like hard salami which is processed without cooking, think of it as a time release product.

    Home curing products like Morton's Tenderquick contain both nitrites and nitrates (1% total) and Hi Mountain Buckboard cure contains 0.7% nitrite. Professional curing products, commonly known as pink salts contain 6.25% sodium nitrites.

    Yes, there are links from nitrates or nitrites to cancer, but they are considered small. The benefits of their use outweigh the dangers. Just google "sodium nitrate health risk" and you can find loads of information.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Options
    I do think you are over analyzing a bit. There is an association that people who eat a lot of food with added nitrites also have a higher incidence of cancer. Personally, I limit my consumption of bacon, and other cured meats (which I really like) to just a few ounces a week.

    Traditionally, I suppose the hazard of starvation or botulism poisoning was a lot higher than the incidence of cancer. While I would avoid adding nitrite, which is really toxic, a bit of nitrate would make me feel a little less uneasy about food poisoning. Just my opinion.

    I recently had some bacon that was maple sugar cured, and lightly smoked. It did have to be kept frozen, or consumed within 4 days. It was some of the best tasting bacon I have had in years. So perhaps you might want to investigate a more simple cure. Some salt and sugar, a little smoke.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Options
    http://www.medem.com/?q=medlib/article/ZZZ80XEN0IC
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Our Nicky
    Our Nicky Posts: 44
    Options
    Thanks all, for the advice and links. There is indeed a bunch of information out there on sodium nitrate/nitrite in one of three camps.

    1 It's necessary and you might die if you don't use it.
    2 It's not necessary and you might die if you use it
    3 Life's not risk free; either way you're going to die so enjoy yourself while you're around :unsure:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    Options
    Our Nicky wrote:
    Thanks for the advice. Do you wet or dry cure your Canadian bacon?:)

    I dry cure mine.

    Strictly speaking, I probably do not need to use the curing salts, because I cure for a week, do a hot smoke to 160 (250 dome temp) and then freeze the product in small packages.

    It is fantastic.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories