SC - Mustard and tainted meat

[chuck_diters@mail.fws.gov]

Hi, Katerine here.  Adamantius writes of the recipe in Markham:

> Actually, Markham gives a recipe for salvaging spoiling venison.  My account
> is through work, so I don't have the book available, but I can post more on
> the recipe tomorrow (if I remember).

>Yes, Markham instructs one to make an ale/vinegar brine pickle, and let
>the venison sit in it for twelve hours, and then parboil and bake in a
>pasty. I suspect this has more to do with depleted supplies of venison
>in late period than with any wholesale desire to eat rotten meat
>disguised as fresh. You'll notice that mustard doesn't figure in
>Markham's recipe. 

Does Markham say anything about how far gone the joint is to allow this
treatment?  If there are only a couple of very superficial bad spots, the
alcohol and acid in the pickle will kill the bacteria, and the parboiling
will boil away most of the byproducts responsible for the taste.  It
is far better to cut the bad bit away entirely (the visible bad bit, at
least) first; does he suggest that?  Every earlier recipe I know of for
salvage does.  If he does, and if the joint was only just starting to turn,
then what you wind up with is not rotten meat.  Certainly not top quality,
but not rotten either.

Cheers,

- -- Katerine/Terry