Salt cured pork video

[TeeZee]

Some friends have developed an interest in European canning, and now I've run across this YT video on traditional European meat curing (think biltong, but Polish) :



Fascinating stuff.

 

[SmokinEdge]

All good stuff. But I will defend curing salt, for many reasons. Grey meat though is not my favorite.

 

[TeeZee]

All good stuff. But I will defend curing salt, for many reasons. Grey meat though is not my favorite.

Yes, and curing salt can certainly be defended, as we are talking about two styles here. I appreciate his spirited approach to the differences between meats cured with nitrites and those treated with rock salt (also called 'Boston-style', I believe)--he has no difficulty speaking his mind! There are benefits in understanding both methods, esp. if I should find myself without access to refrigeration.

He really goes the extra mile in offering guidance and the tip on how to recycle salt is genius, but hey, the Europeans been doing it this way for centuries.

When I was a kid my dad made something he called jerky; it didn't resemble the store-bought stuff at all. Small hunks of venison were soaked in a seasoned brine--Dad called it a marinade--rolled in cracked pepper, and hung to dry in very light smoke for two or three days. It was outrageously good, and at the time I didn't think to ask for the recipe.

Thanks for stopping by, Smokin'.

 

[SmokinEdge]

When I was a kid my dad made something he called jerky; it didn't resemble the store-bought stuff at all. Small hunks of venison were soaked in a seasoned brine--Dad called it a marinade--rolled in cracked pepper, and hung to dry in very light smoke for two or three days. It was outrageously good, and at the time I didn't think to ask for the recipe.

We have made jerky from beef, venison and Elk in a similar way my whole life. My dad called it carne seca, though not exactly how they do it in Mexico. Simply salted and peppered meat strips hung on a line with cheese cloth over and dried in the open air and sun. It is delicious and can also be rehydrated and used in dishes. My favorite is to squeeze lime juice on it wrap in a damp paper towel and nuke it 20 seconds or so. Very delicious.

 

[TeeZee]

We have made jerky from beef, venison and Elk in a similar way my whole life. My dad called it carne seca, though not exactly how they do it in Mexico. Simply salted and peppered meat strips hung on a line with cheese cloth over and dried in the open air and sun. It is delicious and can also be rehydrated and used in dishes. My favorite is to squeeze lime juice on it wrap in a damp paper towel and nuke it 20 seconds or so. Very delicious.

Just ran across this, a demo of how to make carne seca:



Now that has to be good.

 

[Fueling Around]

Sorry didn't watch either video.
I have no patience to watch a 10-20-30 etc minute video that can be edited down to less than 2 minutes.

...
When I was a kid my dad made something he called jerky; it didn't resemble the store-bought stuff at all. Small hunks of venison were soaked in a seasoned brine--Dad called it a marinade--rolled in cracked pepper, and hung to dry in very light smoke for two or three days. It was outrageously good, and at the time I didn't think to ask for the recipe.
...

The locker in Fertile was regional famous for making dried venison from the haunch roast.
I need to track down the (retired) owner and beg his recipe.

 

[TeeZee]

Sorry didn't watch either video.
I have no patience to watch a 10-20-30 etc minute video that can be edited down to less than 2 minutes.

The locker in Fertile was regional famous for making dried venison from the haunch roast.
I need to track down the (retired) owner and beg his recipe.

Yes, famous. Good luck.

 

[mneeley490]

Cheesecloth or not, the flies are a real turnoff.

 

[TeeZee]

Cheesecloth or not, the flies are a real turnoff.

Sure, flies are always a turnoff. Biltong and carne seca are coated in some kind of acid to combat this. Then there's the salt, the sunlight, and a dry climate that will make it inhospitable to bugs and other creatures (birds?) in short order. If you like, pasteurize the end product in an oven.

This is a brilliant traditional technique for preserving that neatly gets around the problem of smoking meat in a place where firewood is hard to come by.