Curing meat preserves meat by drying, canning, salting, brining or smoking. The goal of curing is to remove water, slow spoiling and prevent the growth of bacteria. Curing is a very old technique. One of the most common cured meats we eat today is bacon, which is cured pork.

Most any meat can be cured: beef, pork, veal, lamb, poultry and fish.

Salt is the most important ingredient for curing, as it draws the water out of the meat and kills bacteria. The less moisture in the meat, the longer it can be saved before being eaten. Sugar is sometimes added to counteract the harsh flavor of the salt.

The food industry uses nitrates and nitrites to cure meat. Historically, sea-farers used salt-peter (which is potassium nitrate) to preserve meat . These compounds can be harmful in large quantities and are rarely used today in home food preservation.

Biltong is a form of curing that adds spices, vinegar, black pepper and oils to salt to preserve meat. In January 2017, a research group at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal published a study on the antimicrobial properties of coriander oil used in biltong recipes. 10 of 12 strains of bacteria tested were killed with a relatively mild concentration of coriander oil (1.6%). In the two strains that were not effectively killed, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, the coriander oil significantly reduced their growth.

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