When salt alone is applied to meat, it draws out the meat juices and contracts the muscle fibers, making the meat very hard and dry. The action of the sugar or the molasses is to soften the muscle fibers and improve the texture and flavor of the meat, hence the combination of sugar and salt make a good cure. Saltpeter is used to preserve the natural red color of the meat. It should be used in small quantities only, as it is very astringent, and, if used in large quantities is apt to be injurious to the health. Wet and Dry Cures Compared A wet cure is more convenient than a dry cure. It is less trouble to pack the meat in a jar or barrel and pour on the prepared wet pickle than it is to go over the meat three or four times and rub in the spices. The brine method also gives protection from insects. However, in warm weather, the brine has to be watched very closely, and, if mould forms on the surface of the pickle, it should be removed every day or two. The brine also needs to be recooked every week or ten days in warm weather to prevent undesirable bacteria from growing in it. A cool, dry room is the best for either brine or dry curing. In a dry atmosphere below 60 degrees Fahrenheit there is very little danger of the meat becoming sour, although a temperature below 40 degrees is better. Recipes for Curing Meat § 37. Corned Beef Any piece of beef can be used for corning, but the cheaper cuts are the parts generally used for this purpose. The plate, rump, and parts of the chuck are generally used, although the ribs, loin, and round may also be used. The pieces for corning should be cut into pieces of convenient size, say four or five inches square. If they are cut much larger, they well not cure very well as the pickle will not work in soon enough. They should be cut as nearly the same size as is possible so they will pack in even layers in the barrel or jar. When as the meat is thoroughly cooled, it should be corned as quickly as possible. Weigh the meat and allow 10 pounds of salt for each 100 pounds of meat. Sprinkle a layer of salt a half inch deep over the bottom of the jar in which the meat is to be placed. Rub each piece of meat with good, clean salt. Pack each layer of meat closely in the bottom of the jar, and sprinkle a layer of salt one-fourth to one-half inch deep on each layer of meat before the following layer of meat is placed in the jar, and cover the top layer of meat with a good layer of salt. After it has stood over night, cover with a brine made as follows: for each one hundred pounds of meat, use four pounds of sugar, six ounces baking soda, and eight ounces of saltpeter. Dissolve in a gallon of water that has been boiled and cooled until it is tepid. Three gallons more of boiled, tepid water should then be added. Meat from fat animals makes choicer corned beef than that from poor animals. Under no circumstances should meat be corned while it is frozen.