Are nitrates a necessity?

[ChefSwartz]

I have seen and read about it... can anyone help me cut through all the fear inducing food regs here in America? Do I really need it or is a good cure enough?

thanks

[budrichard]

I have had several conversation with Linda Scott http://www.scotthams.com/store/ about thier dry cured hams. She made me understand that Listeria is a possible organism that is not controlled by just salt. After reviewing the FDA guidelines on curing country style hams which is what Prociutto really is, I have decided not to make any myself and certainly not tp purchase any dry cured ham for consuming raw. that is not tested for Listeria. There are always recalls for Prosciuuto listed for Listeria contamination so even the food purveyors don't always get it correct. In this case, the 'Food Police' have a point.

The other concern is the source of your venison. If not a farm raised product, contamination is always a concern. Having just shot , field dressed and boned out a whole venison, even with the strict sanitary procedures that we follow, the fact that the animal is shot and dressed in a corn field with no sanitary control or HACCP procedures, leads one to require thourough cooking and no curing.-Dick

Edited December 3, 2006 by budrichard (log)

[ChefSwartz]

The venison was cleaned in a HAACP controlled enviroment.

I understand the proscuitto's from San Danielle and Parma do not use nitrates but they also use Straight sea salt for the cure. There appears to be traces of nitrit/ates in the salt.... However the only feasible conclusion is that nitrite removes error... I have injected the ham along the bone and in several other places mainly in the thickest part of the meat with a brine made of sea salt and sugar(amongst other aromatics), it is also sitting in the brione where it will remain for 1 week... I have read botulism is the real threat here, however if properly injected with sea salt, the question remains, are they required?

[qrn]

I think there is more of a problem with trichnosis with venison than with pork.

There are some usda guidelines on wild game and trichnosis you can google up.

Bud

[jayt90]

I have had several conversation with Linda Scott http://www.scotthams.com/store/  about thier dry cured hams. She made me understand that Listeria is a possible organism that is not controlled by just salt. After reviewing the FDA guidelines on curing country style hams which is what Prociutto really is, I have decided not to make any myself and certainly not tp purchase any dry cured ham for consuming raw. that is not tested for Listeria. There are always recalls for Prosciuuto listed for Listeria contamination so even the food purveyors don't always get it correct. In this case, the 'Food Police' have a point.

The other concern is the source of your venison. If not a farm raised product, contamination is always a concern. Having just shot , field dressed and boned out a whole venison, even with the strict sanitary procedures that we follow, the fact that the animal is shot and dressed in a corn field with no sanitary control or HACCP procedures, leads one to require thourough cooking and no curing.-Dick

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I'm not sure ypu can equate air cured proscuitto with smoked country hams.