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wareagle69
07-28-2007, 02:51 PM
does anyone have any experince in curing meat, i was thinking of buying a large roast(which would simulate meat cut from a kill) slicing into strips and drying or could i cure the whole roast intact

trax
07-30-2007, 02:44 PM
I think it would take a long time to cure an entire roast, but it must be possible. Stores sell cured hams. I always want to ask what they were cured of...:) ...My experience with smoking meat and fish is to make like a tipi with some poles and tarps, stretch stove wire inside, use one of those old washtubs for the "fire" and lay the strips of meat or the fish across the wires and just seal it up. It works good, you can marinade the meat or fish in any kind of sauce or brine you want to before hand. It would take a while for an entire roast though, depending on the weight and density of the meat.

Go Wolfpack!

Sarge47
07-30-2007, 02:51 PM
does anyone have any experince in curing meat, i was thinking of buying a large roast(which would simulate meat cut from a kill) slicing into strips and drying or could i cure the whole roast intact

Slicing into strips is like making Jerky; I've done that before.;) Also I think Corned beef might be a smoked product, but I'm not sure on that one.:confused:

trax
07-30-2007, 04:26 PM
You can take thicker slabs of meat than you'd use for jerky, marinade and then smoke them, for not nearly as long as your jerky would be smoked and it gives it a really nice flavor. I've done this with venison and moosemeat as well as domestic meats. I kind of think that there's some smoking done with corned beef, as well, Sarge, but I don't know for certain. Anyone else?

owl_girl
07-30-2007, 04:38 PM
You guys are making me hungry. Id like to make my own smoked salmon, the stuff from the store just isn’t the same, I eat some today and when I was reading the ingredients it listed food coloring :rolleyes:

trax
07-30-2007, 04:42 PM
And...oh my God, how could I? I left out smoked sausage...mmmmm, food coloring in smoked salmon? Isn't that listed as an official sin somewhere? It should be.

rusty_oxydado
08-02-2007, 05:25 PM
does anyone have any experince in curing meat, i was thinking of buying a large roast(which would simulate meat cut from a kill) slicing into strips and drying or could i cure the whole roast intact

Slice your roast along with the grain no thinner than 2" thick. pack and rub salt over all the surface of the meat, rub it in good. Wrap the meat in brown paper, and tie the paper on and hang the meat in a cool dry place for about 4 days, remove the paper, and rinse in cold fresh water. Pat dry, and repeat the process, hang for 4 more days, after rinsing the second time give a cold smoke (under 200 f. ) The meat has been cured. Slice the meat thinly across the grain, and fry in oil.
To help perk up the flavor, add brown sugar to the cure.

rusty_oxydado
08-02-2007, 05:33 PM
I think it would take a long time to cure an entire roast, but it must be possible. Stores sell cured hams. I always want to ask what they were cured of...:) ...My experience with smoking meat and fish is to make like a tipi with some poles and tarps, stretch stove wire inside, use one of those old washtubs for the "fire" and lay the strips of meat or the fish across the wires and just seal it up. It works good, you can marinade the meat or fish in any kind of sauce or brine you want to before hand. It would take a while for an entire roast though, depending on the weight and density of the meat.

Go Wolfpack!

Fact is a lot of meat was smoked in the peak of the tee pee, but if you was going to have to use a wash tub, I fear a fire of that size would more likely cook the meat than cure it, making jerky it is of little differance but to cure a meat so it still holds some of it's original moisture, the kind of smoking application you are looking for is a small sized fire you would have in the tee pee for heat, and illumination, made up of little more than sticks and twigs.
A cold smoke will penetrate deeper in the flesh, and it is the smoke you are wanting as a preservitive more than heat to cook.

rusty_oxydado
08-02-2007, 05:41 PM
Slicing into strips is like making Jerky; I've done that before.;) Also I think Corned beef might be a smoked product, but I'm not sure on that one.:confused:

Sarge;
Corned meat takes it's name from the ancient clasification of cureing salt, as it was the size of grain = corn.
The commercial product you buy in the supermarket is made in a brine made of water, salt, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, pickling spice, sugar, and other spices by way of brand name. This product is cured by soaking in the brine till it is totally permiated by the brine.
Due to my age, and lack of teeth, I favor corning chicken, and turkey these days, the taste is the same, the difference is the cureing time is shorter, and the meat melts in your mouth!

rusty_oxydado
08-02-2007, 05:50 PM
You guys are making me hungry. Id like to make my own smoked salmon, the stuff from the store just isn’t the same, I eat some today and when I was reading the ingredients it listed food coloring :rolleyes:

Owl Girl;
I totally agree with you, I lothe the supermarket chemically brined, oven roasted imitaition of what is supposed to be smoked salmon.
What is so difficult in splitting the fish, (remove the back bone,) lace the flesh with brown sugar, a healthy dusting of pepper, and salt, it will take a lot, (you will learn,) let the fish set for a few hours to allow the salt to work the fish, you will see it will bead up sweating moisture, this is good.
Cold smoke at 200 f. til the meat begins to flake when stabbed by a fork.
Remove the fish and let it cool to room temp. Bend the flesh to make it flake, and roll off the skin.

trax
08-02-2007, 05:58 PM
Fact is a lot of meat was smoked in the peak of the tee pee, but if you was going to have to use a wash tub, I fear a fire of that size would more likely cook the meat than cure it, making jerky it is of little differance but to cure a meat so it still holds some of it's original moisture, the kind of smoking application you are looking for is a small sized fire you would have in the tee pee for heat, and illumination, made up of little more than sticks and twigs.
A cold smoke will penetrate deeper in the flesh, and it is the smoke you are wanting as a preservitive more than heat to cook.

Don't have to fill the washtub partner, I was just suggesting a cheap way to make a firepit, the washtub holds the coals intact. A person can use an old barbecue base or some firebricks..etc. This is tried and true, I've smoked sausage, meat and fish like this before.

owl_girl
08-02-2007, 06:05 PM
Owl Girl;
I totally agree with you, I lothe the supermarket chemically brined, oven roasted imitaition of what is supposed to be smoked salmon.
What is so difficult in splitting the fish, (remove the back bone,) lace the flesh with brown sugar, a healthy dusting of pepper, and salt, it will take a lot, (you will learn,) let the fish set for a few hours to allow the salt to work the fish, you will see it will bead up sweating moisture, this is good.
Cold smoke at 200 f. til the meat begins to flake when stabbed by a fork.
Remove the fish and let it cool to room temp. Bend the flesh to make it flake, and roll off the skin.

Sounds good to me but right now I don’t have a smoke house, some day

rusty_oxydado
08-02-2007, 06:08 PM
Trax;
I didn't forget you, sausage is fantastic smoked, or cooked fresh over a low smoldering fire in camp.
If you was to make your own I would suggest packing it in casings, but that is pretty intensive when you don't have a sausage stuffer.
Here is a recipe for a very simple basic sausage, For every pound of ground meat (25% fat) add 1 tsp. of salt, and 1 Tbsp. pepper. Mix these all together very good, wrap in plastic wrap, and let ist over night in the reefer, press out into patties, and fry.
For camp application set patties on a wire rack and hold in the smoke stream of the camp fire to get a nice coating of smoke, at this point you do not want heat as much as smoke. turn the patties, and once the other side takes up some flavor, cook as you wish, lower the rack over bare coals, or in a cool handle skillet.
Notice I said ground meat, it does not have to be pork to be sausage. Hamburger does fine, it just cooks brown, but the taste is unmistakable sausage.
If you want some attitude to the sausage add maybe 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes to the mix. For Italian sausage, simply add a tsp. of Italian spice to the mix.

trax
08-03-2007, 03:03 PM
Rusty, your smoking and curing recipes are right on the money.

Owl_girl, the "smoke house" I described can be put up anywhere you can make a fire, eventually that smoke is going to escape from the "tipi" but you can do the whole thing in less than half an hour and probably less than 20 bucks for firepit, cover, poles and wire. I definitely agree with rusty about doing things yourself as much as possible.

Anyway. I'm just here to clear a few things off my desk and popped in, I'm off canoing now, see you all next week.

owl_girl
08-03-2007, 03:45 PM
Ok I’ll try that, next time I get really fresh salmon. Has anyone ever tried frying salmon in butter with brown sugar on top, that’s how we usually make it, and I love the way the brown sugar kind of caramelizes. :D

rusty_oxydado
08-04-2007, 03:06 PM
Ok I’ll try that, next time I get really fresh salmon. Has anyone ever tried frying salmon in butter with brown sugar on top, that’s how we usually make it, and I love the way the brown sugar kind of caramelizes. :D

Now you are making me hungry!

Sarge47
08-04-2007, 04:20 PM
Ok I’ll try that, next time I get really fresh salmon. Has anyone ever tried frying salmon in butter with brown sugar on top, that’s how we usually make it, and I love the way the brown sugar kind of caramelizes. :D

I like dredging Morels in a milk & egg mixture, then into a flour/salt/pepper mixture and sauteeing them in fresh garlic that I've squeezed myself into a mixture of butter & Extra Virgin Olive Oil...Yum! Yum!

owl_girl
08-04-2007, 04:29 PM
I like dredging Morels in a milk & egg mixture, then into a flour/salt/pepper mixture and sauteeing them in fresh garlic that I've squeezed myself into a mixture of butter & Extra Virgin Olive Oil...Yum! Yum!
That sounds awesome. And yes I love to cook, especially dessert!

Sarge47
08-04-2007, 04:59 PM
That sounds awesome. And yes I love to cook, especially dessert!

So how's the "Moose " expert on "Chocolate Mousse"?:D I used to cook professionally many years ago. One of the best lines of Chef's knives is a company called Forsherner; owned by Victorinox. That's why I prefer their line of Swiss Army Knives, simply because of my previous experiance with their blades.;)

owl_girl
08-04-2007, 06:02 PM
So how's the "Moose " expert on "Chocolate Mousse"?:D I used to cook professionally many years ago. One of the best lines of Chef's knives is a company called Forsherner; owned by Victorinox. That's why I prefer their line of Swiss Army Knives, simply because of my previous experiance with their blades.;)

That’s awesome that you used to cook professionally. My family has a really good chocolate moose recipe but I haven’t made it yet, but yah chocolate’s really fun to play with. I did make this really good orange soufflé but then I lost the recipe. Sometimes I get carried away like when I made rhubarb bread, I made like 10 loaves in 2 days lol

HOP
08-07-2007, 07:54 AM
War Eagle there is a lot of good info out there on preserving meat and curing a large size piece by rubing with salt and spices or puting in a brine solution them cold smoking will produce some taste stuff unless you have a cool dry place to store the meat after curing most info says freeze it. I have a backpacking cook book about dehydrating meals and they even suggest freezing to store. I hot smoke trout after brining in a secret recipe and then freze and it comes out pretty good . Chery wood gives a fine flavor to fish and poultry.

trax
08-07-2007, 06:02 PM
... but yah chocolate’s really fun to play with.... lol

It can be really fun to play in, too:D

wareagle69
08-07-2007, 06:38 PM
trax welcome back to the city hpe you had a goo trip must have been cold w/o owl girl there to snuggle with.

hop
i ordered a cuple of books from amazon.com they came in today, just needed to know how to make a brine(or for that matter what a brine is)or a dry cure so now i will star experimenting by thw way if no one hears from me for a while donations will be accepted to mrs wareagle

nell67
08-07-2007, 07:00 PM
wareagle youll do just fine!:D

owl_girl
08-07-2007, 07:20 PM
It can be really fun to play in, too:D
Maybe I’ll try that sometime to then.

wareagle69
08-07-2007, 07:55 PM
owl girl did you miss trax this weekend?

Sarge47
08-07-2007, 08:20 PM
Here's the deal guys; in a real "group survival" situation all resources must be used. That means all equipment, food, water, and human resources as well. A good leader needs to be picked, duties assigned, etc.. Any thoughts?:confused:

owl_girl
08-07-2007, 08:33 PM
owl girl did you miss trax this weekend?

Yeah yeah very funny wareagle. I think your just having way to much fun now.

trax
08-08-2007, 10:52 AM
Wareagle is my friend, just keeping an eye out for my concerns, lol. It was a pretty good time alright, tent, canoe, big lake, caught a few pickerel, did a bit of swimming.

wareagle69
08-08-2007, 12:55 PM
owl girl i am hurt.
i missed trax's input on the forum , always look forward to what he has to say

owl_girl
08-08-2007, 01:09 PM
owl girl i am hurt.
i missed trax's input on the forum , always look forward to what he has to say
Of course I missed trax's input on the forum, I thought you were being sarcastic. and now I’m confused. Are you confusing me on purpose? Its hard to tell if people are joking or not over the internet.

trax
08-08-2007, 01:24 PM
Of course I missed trax's input on the forum, I thought you were being sarcastic. and now I’m confused. Are you confusing me on purpose? Its hard to tell if people are joking or not over the internet.

I think my buddy's tryin' to be a smart### with you, but just to tease, not confuse. :D {He probably wasn't hurt all that bad either :D }

wareagle69
08-08-2007, 01:32 PM
okay ppl 1st rule in dealing with the eagle is never take me seriously
2nd rule see above

trax
08-08-2007, 01:52 PM
Check rules on dealing with the eagle..above...apply same to trax

wareagle69
08-08-2007, 02:04 PM
it must be the canadian blood (natural born wise a**)because being raised up in the states and coming back ppl never understood my sense of humor till i came back home(even then not everyone)

owl_girl
08-08-2007, 02:31 PM
Ok…. lol :D

trax
08-08-2007, 05:27 PM
Here's the deal guys; in a real "group survival" situation all resources must be used. That means all equipment, food, water, and human resources as well. A good leader needs to be picked, duties assigned, etc.. Any thoughts?:confused:

My thoughts are..what does that have to do with curing meat? Or with owl_gilr missing me? (who can blame her...really) Start this as another thread and we can have it again man, so I can be my usual opinionated arrogant self :D

rusty_oxydado
08-13-2007, 03:06 AM
3 lbs. Corned Beef

Ingredients:
3 lb Beef brisket, (up to 4)

CORNING SPICE MIX
1 Tbs Pickling spices
1 tsp Ground black pepper
3 Cloves garlic, peeled and smashed flat
1/2 cup Regular grind table salt
3 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Garlic salt

SPICE RUB MIX
1 tsp Coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp Coarse grind salt
1 tsp Pickling spice

Method:
Combine all salt and spices except for spice rub mix. Trim excess fat from brisket and place on a cutting board. Rub black pepper/coarse salt/pickling spice mixture into surface of meat. Sprinkle some of the corning spice mix into the bottom of a glass container, place brisket in container, sprinkle rest of corning spice over meat, toss in garlic, and add enough water to cover meat. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 2 weeks, turning over once a day.

As an after thought, though the brisket is the traditional cut for making corned beef, nearly any fairly lean cut of meat will work fine for you.

This opens the door to sneak in some wild game meat, fowl, and what you may have on hand.

wareagle69
08-13-2007, 03:32 PM
so after the two weeks it's ready to eat as is? no cookig or nothing

rusty_oxydado
08-23-2007, 05:11 AM
so after the two weeks it's ready to eat as is? no cookig or nothing

I wouldn't eat it raw, well maybe if I was really hungry, but I like my corned meat boiled, less chewy that way, and is gumable.

rusty_oxydado
08-23-2007, 05:37 AM
Oh I suppose someone in a survival mode is going to drop a deer.
Save those intestines and squeese the contents out of them, (somewhere away from where you are going to be working,) emptied turn them inside out and rinse them off the best you can in water, then salt them down to keep them fresh.
You might want to do the same thing with it's stomach, it is just a muscular pouch, empty it out and run some water through it shaking it up to loosten and settled clumps inside.
Off fall (guts) rot first so you have to deal with them right away, you are surviving right?
Chop the off fall small enough to push into the stomach, heart, liver kidneys, and tongue, add a bit of water, and hang the gut bag over a low fire from a quick fashioned tripod. Don't forget to poke a small hole in the upper part of the bag so it will vent steam.
Not all of your meat is going to be steaks, you will even get some roasts too.
Even so you are going to have a lot of trim meat, this trim meat chopped very fine, mixed with about 1 tsp of salt 1 Tbsp. of pepper for every pound of minced meat, now is when you get the salted intestines, (casings) and gather them up like you do the tops of your socks to shove your feet into them. make a funnel from the hammered out tin from a can and set the gathered up casings to the funnel, and shove the seasoned meat through the funnel of fill the casing. It is a slow go, but it is doable.
Twist the filled casing into individual links, hang them so to catch smaoke and smoke them to a good brown color, in this case smoke is a preservitive.
When the bag of offal is done cooking eat your fill, and if you opened the stomach carefully you can store the cooked meat inside for a few days insuring the stomach doesn't run dry of water. What you never heard of Haggas?
Surely you will have plenty of fresh meat, are you going to put it all up in jerky? If you had supplies (yeah like on TV) dig a pit, line it with the hide hair side down. dissole a lot of salt in the water good spices would work good too, clove garlic sage etc, and toss chunks of meat into the brine to soak, this will hold meat all winter long, not the best cured meat but you won't starve for spoiled food.

spiritman
08-24-2007, 02:10 AM
Here's the deal guys; in a real "group survival" situation all resources must be used. That means all equipment, food, water, and human resources as well. A good leader needs to be picked, duties assigned, etc.. Any thoughts?:confused:

Did this SPECIFICALLY ever get started as a thread? I remember one that might have been it but I'm interested in what everyone has to say about duties being assigned, and have some things to put in for your consideration.

If not then start it or i will, or if so then point me at it. Group survival is an interesting subject.