Curing Meats Guide

Master the ancient craft of preserving meats with salt, time, and technique. A full guide for beginners and curing enthusiasts.

What is Meat Curing?

Meat curing is the process of preserving and flavoring meat by using salt, nitrates, sugar, smoke, or air-drying. Long before refrigeration, humans used curing to prevent spoilage and extend the shelf life of meat products. Today, it's also valued for its unique taste and texture, especially in charcuterie.

Main Curing Methods

Dry Curing: Applying salt and spices directly onto the meat and letting it rest for days or weeks.
Wet Brining: Submerging meat in a saltwater solution, sometimes with sugar, spices, or nitrates.
Smoking: Cold or hot smoking to add flavor and extend preservation through antimicrobial compounds in smoke.
Air Drying: Hanging meat in controlled environments to dry naturally over time (e.g., prosciutto, bresaola).

Why Cure Meat?

Curing meat offers several benefits:

Enhances flavor through salt, time, and microbial action.
Preserves meat for months or years with proper storage.
Creates iconic cured products like bacon, ham, salami, and pastrami.

        Safety Tip: Use curing salt with sodium nitrite (like Prague Powder #1) for meats that will be stored unrefrigerated or smoked at low temperatures. It prevents botulism.
    

How to Dry Cure Meat at Home

Dry curing is one of the simplest and oldest techniques. Here's a basic process:

Choose meat cuts like pork belly, duck breast, or beef loin.
Weigh your meat and measure salt (typically 2.5-3% of the meat’s weight).
Add spices (e.g., black pepper, garlic powder, juniper berries).
Rub mixture thoroughly onto the meat and seal in a vacuum bag or covered container.
Refrigerate for 5 to 14 days depending on size, flipping every day or two.
Rinse lightly, pat dry, and hang in a cool, ventilated, humid area for aging.

Wet Brining Basics

Brining uses a saltwater solution to penetrate and flavor meat more evenly. Here's a quick guide:

Use a 5–10% salt-to-water ratio depending on how long you want to cure.
Add sugar, spices, herbs, or curing salts (if desired).
Submerge the meat fully and refrigerate for 2–7 days.
Rinse and cook, or optionally smoke afterward.

Popular Cured Meats

Bacon: Pork belly cured with salt, sugar, and smoke.
Salami: Ground meat mixed with spices, cured, and air-dried with beneficial mold.
Prosciutto: Italian dry-cured ham aged for months or even years.
Pastrami: Brined beef brisket, seasoned, smoked, and steamed.
Bresaola: Lean beef cured and air-dried, typically served sliced thin.

        Fermentation Crossover: Many cured meats (like salami) are also fermented using starter cultures that add tang and safety by lowering pH.
    

Storage and Aging

After curing, meat must be stored properly to avoid spoilage. Keep dry-cured items in a cool, dark place or a dedicated curing chamber at 50–60°F (10–15°C) with 65–75% humidity. Wet-cured meats should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks unless cooked or frozen.

Do You Need Nitrates?

For long curing or low-temperature smoking, nitrates (like sodium nitrite) are highly recommended to prevent botulism and improve color. For quick refrigerator cures, salt alone is often sufficient.

Conclusion

Meat curing is a mix of tradition, science, and art. It teaches patience, precision, and respect for food. Whether you're curing bacon, crafting salami, or exploring regional charcuterie, always prioritize safety and sanitation. With time, you'll develop your own flavor profiles and techniques that make cured meats a proud part of your culinary journey.

Explore More

Check our Salt Comparison Tool to pick the right salt for curing, or learn more in our Fermentation Guide for related food preservation techniques.