of them to a reasonable level. None of the
recipes in this book call for nitrates or nitrites,
as none of the sausages are dry-cured. These
days, you may see bacon, salami, and other
meats that have traditionally been cured with
nitrates marketed as “uncured” and “nitrate
free,” but it’s a bit of a misnomer: they are still
cured with salt and often with natural sources of
nitrates like celery extract.
- Smoking meat with a wood fire also aids in its
preservation. During combustion, nitrogen
dioxide is formed and released from the
smoldering wood. This gas reacts with the water
on the surface of a piece of meat to form nitric
acid. It’s this acid that inhibits the growth of
bacteria. Smoke also creates compounds that
prevent the oxidation of fat. A smoked pork
belly (aka bacon) will go rancid much more
slowly than a fresh or simply chemically cured
pork belly. Thinner pieces of smoked meat, like
jerky or thin hot dogs, can become completely
penetrated with nitric acid and other compounds
formed in the smoking process, while in larger
cuts of meat—say pastrami–these will only
penetrate the outer ¼ inch of so of meat.
Incidentally, nitric acid prevents the breakdown
of muscle pigments during cooking, which is
what creates the bright pink “smoke ring” you
see on a properly smoked brisket or rack of ribs.
- Dehydration/fermentation is the oldest form of
