It’s been said there are only two types of people in the world: people who love it…and people who love it but won’t admit it; it’s meat candy, the gateway meat for vegetarians, dogs beg for it, you either like it- or you’re wrong. Yup, it’s bacon. We live in a bacon nation, and if you don’t eat bacon, you’re a terrorist.
Sodium Nitrates and Nitrites are used in the curing and preserving of meat. Most commonly you’ll find them in bacon, sausages, and hot dogs. It has long been known that salt acts a preservative for meat, killing off certain bacteria as it reduces moisture in meat, thus making it harder for bacteria to grow. A natural form of sodium nitrate, saltpeter, was used (it is still used used today, but not as often) to preserve meat as early as Homer’s…
As a butcher working behind a meat counter, everyday I see the confused look on people’s faces as they are presented with the choices as to which meat to buy. You just want some ground beef to make tacos after a long day of work. Simple enough, right? So you walk up to the meat counter and ask for some ground beef, and then I chime in: “Do you want grass fed or grain finished beef? Would you like organic…