Page 26 - Fall2011

The blood States. Besides the parasite eggs and larvae, counteract the carcinogenicity of the nitrates.
is the tissue undercooked pork and poor sanitation are Thus, it seems a safer alternative, although some
contributing causal factors. Fully cooked pork individuals report adverse reactions to meat
most easily should effectively kill these parasites, if present. cured with celery juice. Bacon treated with celery
monitored Trichinosis has become relatively rare in the juice is typically labeled “no nitrates.”
The safest preservation of pork without any
that shows United States because cooking pork thoroughly use of nitrates and nitrite salts is simply the use
has become a widespread practice.
rapid changes of sodium chloride and a natural sweetener, such

in response to CURED, UNCURED AND as maple sugar, to treat the meat, sometimes with
nutrients. MARINATED PORK a few spices for flavor. This is the old traditional

Pork meat is highly perishable, even when method of preserving meat over the ages. It re-
refrigerated. In the distant past, curing pork was sults in a preserved pork product, a bacon or
very important to prevent the meat of the large ham that is known today as “uncured.” It does
butchered animal from rotting, so that most of the not have the pink color, nor does it have the long
meat was treated in that way in order to preserve shelf life of the cured products, but it has more
it. It is “cured” with the use of curing salts, which flavor and shelf life than raw unprocessed pork.
typically include table salt, sodium nitrite, and All of these pork products—cured and
sometimes sodium or potassium nitrate (saltpe- uncured—are typically smoked after the salt
ter) to make bacon and ham. treatment. After that, they may undergo further
Use of salts to pickle pork has also been aging in which natural fermentation in the meat
shown to kill cysts of Taenia solium after twelve develops more flavor.
hours. Such salts also inhibit growth of harm- In addition to these methods using salts and
1
ful microbes to prevent rancidity of the meat sugar, another method of treating fresh pork is
and food poisoning. Ordinary table salt, sodium to marinate it in an acidic medium. This is an
chloride, is the essential salt used in curing, but important traditional food preparation technique
nitrates and nitrites are commonly used to add that can kill or at least inhibit the growth of most
color, flavor and texture. It is not completely bacteria, keeping fresh pork from spoiling and
understood how all of these salts contribute to safe for consumption. Acidic treatment of pork
flavor, but numerous chemical changes in the may also kill parasites, too. Marinating pork may
composition of the meat occur. In addition to also be used to infuse it with herbs and spices to
salts, sugar is typically added in curing pork to enhance its flavor, as well as to break down and
improve flavor, to counteract the harshness of the tenderize the meat while improving its texture.
salts, and to provide food for desirable microor- For example, a marinade of alcohol, salt, vinegar,
ganisms to ferment and produce compounds that and garlic has protein-penetrating properties
are flavorful, such as organic acids. so that the flavors are increased throughout the
Nitrate-reducing bacteria are facilitated meat. This penetration allows flavors and spices
in the curing process. They ferment the nitrate to be delivered more completely into the meat.
and nitrite to nitrous acid, which reacts with the An example of a traditional marinade that uses
muscle protein, myoglobin, to produce a stable, acidic elements to treat the pork is a Tandoori
bright pink color characteristic of many hams and pork recipe. The pork is coated with a marinade
bacon. However, it is well known that nitrates of yogurt, a paste of pungent spices, and mango
and nitrites are weak mutagens and carcinogens. chutney for at least eight hours or overnight
Moreover, consumption of such a nitrite- or before cooking.
nitrate-containing food may lead to the produc- In this study, we compared the consump-
tion of nitrosoamines, also carcinogenic, in our tion of cooked fresh pastured pork; apple cider
stomachs. vinegar-marinated fresh pastured pork; uncured
Another way of curing pork is to use con- pastured bacon; and uncured pastured prosciutto.
densed celery juice instead of the nitrate or ni- We also investigated the consumption of cooked
trate salts. Celery juice is high in natural nitrates fresh pastured lamb, as another unprocessed
and contains other nutrients of celery that may meat for comparison with fresh pastured pork.
26 Wise Traditions FALL 2011 FALL 2011 Wise Traditions

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