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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: Beef jerky (Really cooking safety)
Message-ID: <10781@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 17-May-85 11:25:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.10781
Posted: Fri May 17 11:25:09 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 19-May-85 08:34:09 EDT
References: <352@ttidcb.UUCP> <376@rtech.ARPA>
Organization: USAMC ALMSA
Lines: 36

>   When I want to make lots of jerky, I make hooks out of bent
> paper clips, and hang the meat from the top of the rack.  You can get a lot
> of meat into it that way.
> Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)

I don't want to come across as a fuddy-duddy doomsayer, and I may be
totally wrong about this, but I just thought I'd mention that it might
be worth looking into this use of "paper clips". It might cause no harm
at all, but I jeep thinking of the constant warnings I recall reading
about never ever using old refrigerator shelves as grills in improvised
or home-made bar-be-que or open-fire cookery. Those shelves were often
cadmium-plated, and people using them in this fashion got large amounts
of cadmium into the food, ingested it, and suffered various terrible
fates therefrom.

I seem to recall that paper clips are also cadmium-plated (at least some brands
or types), and, even if not, are made from some low-grade metals which might
have all sorts of contaminants or impurities, which in the usage described
above might leach into food.

Now, it may well be that using refigerator grills, where the metal was
directly exposed to flame and the maximum heat, is totally different than
this use of paper clips at the top of a smoker, away from the heat
source, and embedded in the meat. But I'd think twice about using paper
clips in this application, or in any cookery. Maybe you can find suitable
stainless-steel hooks at a restaurant-supply house, or fabricate some
from stainless-steel wire of suitable thickness? That might cost some $
but they should last forever...

I don't mean to sound pedantic or officious, but people who are seriously
interested in cooking are worth preserving! :-)

Regards,
Will Martin

USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin     or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA