il 17 Apr 2005 21:06:40 -0700, "angkorman" wrote:

> I recently posted a topic to get advise on curing meat in temperatures
> that are refered to as being in the danger zone where harmful bacteria
> can easily form. Basically it was agreed that it was unsafe and risky
> at best.
>
> A friend has continued with curing anyway after much reading on the
> internet that seems to say that such harmful bacteria do form but are
> destroyed or renedered harmless during the cooking process of the meat
> (tempuratures over 160c). He's working on the theory that proper
> cooking will make the meat safe.

The only problem with that is that sometimes it's the toxins produced
by the bacteria that harm, not the living bacteria. Heat may not
destroy the toxins and I imagine some are tasteless.

> He put several hams in a large plastic drum of strong brine - they
> smelled really bad after 2-3 weeks but that smell left after he skimmed
> off the fat that had surfaced on the brine. He's now thinking maybe the
> meat's OK and that the smell was just the fat exposed to the air and
> out of the brine solution.
>
> Sorry to be long-winded but does anybody know if the cooking process
> indeed will make his hams harmless to eat. Or is he going to just
> uncover some rotten meat in that drum.

He could get the meat tested, to know one way or the other.

I think there's more to do than just brine when it comes to meat. And
even then there's a time time limit to storage.

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]