meat curing at home – the setup

Wrightfood ^ | 1/21/10 | unsure

[outofsalt]

When I first started making moldy meat in my garage over a year ago I figured that it must take very specialist equipment, and a team of well read meat science boffins to make anything resembling a decent cured product. I quite frankly am not a meat science boffin, or have very specialist equipment. Nor do the thousands of other people around the globe that cure meat at home, and make a darn fine product too I should add. It turns out it is actually exceptionally easy to make a basic reliable setup at home to cure meat in, and one that doesn’t cost a pretty penny either. In fact, with a little wheeling and dealing, I reckon the whole thing can be put together for around $100 – even less if you have an old fridge already

[Randy Larsen]

Got it!

Thanks Joe!!

[PoloSec]

ping

[Raven6]

Yep... I’m gonna follow the recipe above and see how it turns out. Never had Red X jerky before... After that, I’m gonna use the same recipe on some venison and some beef. For some reason, I’m betting that those will turn out better than the Red X jerky! :-)

[outofsalt]

“Never had Red X jerky before...”

Actually..? Tastes like chicken...

[Ellendra]

I was thinking of trying to make that if I get a deer this year. Not even sure yet if I’ll be able to get out hunting this year, though.

[Ellendra]

I used to get a kick out of making toast by setting it on top of the woodstove. There was toast before there were electric toasters :p

[Manic_Episode]

bmfl

[Indy Pendance]

You need to scale back on your ping list. I’m not going to reply to your 5 or so daily threads. Pick the most important topics. Your bombardment is getting frustrating. Us preppers know what to do, you don’t need to ping us to basic crap.

[Randy Larsen]

You can still make your own, just order the breakfast sausage mix and buy yourself a pork butt or two.

www.sausagemaker.com is a good place to get the mix.

[Randy Larsen]

http://www.sausagemaker.com/

[GOPJ]

12 ounce bottle of soy sauce a 12 ounce bottle of teryaki sauce about a 1/4 cup of italian dressing about a 1/4 cup of steak sauce ceyanne pepper, black pepper

Thanks.

[Born Conservative]

When I was growing up, Italian families hung Lonza from their basement ceilings to cure.

[outofsalt]

You didn't mention what was ailing poor Lanza but, I suspect if Obamacare is not repealed, these types of home remedies will become common here too. It sounds like the cure was worse than the disease but I hope Lonza is feeling better. ;)

[Bitsy]

Yup. Thanks for the recipe. I used to make beef jerky for my son and his friends when they went racing - it was gone before they hit the state line. He loves it to this day and so do I but I never got to each much of it:-).

[Bitsy]

As I posted, I made jerky for my son and friends but it didn’t last long. How long does jerky actually last? I live in the south.

[outofsalt]

Hi Bitsy,
According to wiki it has no expiration date as it is fully dehydrated and cured in salts, bacteria can't grow.
I make batches of 10 lbs or more and my kids polish it off in a week so I can't vouch for this answer but, I will say that vacuum pouching it would extend the time and certainly refrigerating it would help too. In the old days properly cured meat could last through the winter if kept in a cool cellar but, even then, by Spring folks would have a party to finish off the previous years supply.
As a Southerner you know that country ham keeps a long, long time and when vacuum pouched doesn't need refrigeration till you open the pack.

[Bitsy]

As a Southerner you know that country ham keeps a long, long time and when vacuum pouched doesn't need refrigeration till you open the pack.

I am ashamed to say, I didn't know that. Country ham is pretty much done by dry smoke, right? And is sort of dehydrated in the process, correct? I can relate to the 10 lbs at a time jerky. I never could keep up with the demand. Now with beef prices so high Jerky is a real treat.

[outofsalt]

You have heard of grits, haven't you..? Just what kind of southerner are you?!
Country ham is cured with salts and sugar. It can be smoked but is not generally dehydrated. It’s yummy but quite salty and you'll want a bucket of tea to go with it!
You do know about tea?

[Bitsy]

You have heard of grits, haven’t you..? Just what kind of southerner are you

I’m a gator, roadkill, sweet tea drink’n southerner. I know about Country ham (with my grits) but I didn’t know the process. And, I might add, we can do a killer grits!

[Ladysforest]

Ah......grits.

I used to hate em, but not as much as hominy style. Then I was in Savannah about seven years back, and we went to this Brewery restaurant. Had the BBQ meatloaf and some cheesey grits, and those grits changed my attitude about grits forever.