When you go to a supermarket and peruse the vast selection that they have in their isles, there’s one thing that most items you’ll find have in common. They all have an expiration date! The importance of keeping your food fresh cannot be overstated. The fresher your food is when you eat it, the healthier it is and the less risk it poses. When it comes to meat products, this statement rings truer! Fortunately, there’s a process for this that has been passed down through generations to deal with this. We explain everything you need to know about the curing process below!
How Does Curing Meat Work?
The name of the process itself, “curing”, doesn’t do much justice as to how it actually works. Curing is a process in food preservation that is especially effective in types of meat. The goal of the process is to eliminate any excess moisture that aging creates. Excess moisture can make your meat spoil much faster, which is why this process is centuries in the making! Salt gets added around the meat to help draw in the excess moisture and keep it dry. Sugar and nitrate are also worthwhile additions to the mix that serve the same purpose.
Benefits Of Curing Meat
As we mentioned previously, curing meat is a process that has been around for a long time. Modern refrigerators weren’t exactly around a few centuries ago! There are a few benefits besides the obvious that you can get from curing meat. Preservation is a key piece to talk about, as cured meat tends to last around 2 weeks longer than uncured meat. Cured meat also sharply reduces the risk of botulism, which is a serious bacterial disease that can paralyze your muscles and affect your nerves. It also makes the flavors of your meat more apparent – the absence of moisture makes them stronger!
The Evolution Of Curing
As time passes, our technology and means of navigating everyday life have continued to evolve. Curing used to be a necessity when it was first created to stop the spread of disease and help meat from going bad. As technology has advanced, however, this process has become significantly easier. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been utilized; the process itself hasn’t changed, but the motives behind doing so have! Now, chefs and consumers utilize curing meat because it brings out the texture and flavor of each meat. You’ll be getting a tastier cut if it’s cured!
Cured Meat At Trattoria Il Panino
At Trattoria Il Panino, you’ll find the most fantastic flavors in all of our dishes! Our Italian cuisines utilize fresh ingredients that are as wonderful in appearance as they are in their tastiness. You’ll be able to find cured meat with several of our different menu selections! If you want to try out the cured meat difference for yourself, click here to make a reservation with us!