Clay's Kitchen :

Subscribe to my feed for ingredients Add to My Yahoo

Prague Powder

Prague Powder No. 1
Prague Powder No. 1 is also called Curing Salt 1, InstaCure or Modern Cure. This cure is sodium nitrite (6.25 %) mixed with salt (93.75 % ). It is used any time meat is not immediately put into freezer or refrigerator -- Such as smoking, air drying, dehumidifying, etc. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to 'gas out' at about 130F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20 % of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. Use 1 oz. for 25 lb. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5lb. of meat. Mix cure with cold water.

Prague Powder No. 2
Prague Powder No. 2 is also called Curing Salt 2. It is used with dry-cured products that require long (weeks to months) cures, such pepperoni, hard salami, geonoa salami, proscuitti hams and dried farmers sausage. This cure has 1 oz. of sodium nitrite with .64 oz. of sodium nitrate to each lb. of salt. Use with products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. This cure, which is sodium nitrate, acts like a time release, slowing breaking down into sodium nitrite, then into nitric oxide. This allows you to dry cure products that take much longer to cure. (A cure with sodium nitrite would dissipate too quickly.)

Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lbs. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lbs. of meat. Mix cure with cold water.

When using a cure in a brine solution, follow a recipe. Always use plastic or stainless steel containers for your brines.

Varieties

Search for Recipes, Search using Google, or Return to Cookbook Index