SC - Cookbooks

[Mark Schuldenfrei]

With gracious thanks to Bear who took the time to type this whole thing into
the computer.  My lord, you are a blessing and blessings and goodness
forever fall on your house and those in it.

Dragonfyr


Corned Beef and Pork
Potted, salted and/or spiced meat -- home cured in plastic bags rather
than in a crock or pot.

Salt and Spice Mixture for 10 to 12 pounds or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 Kg Meat

1 1/3 cups (3 1/4 dL) coarse or kosher salt
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cracked peppercorns
2 tsp each powdered allspice and thyme
1 tsp each powdered sage, paprika, and bay leaf

Special Optional Aromatic Vegetable Mixture for Beef:
   for 4 to 5 pounds or 2 to 2 1/2 Kg of meat
1/2 cup (1 dL) each minced rutabaga, onion and carrot
2 large cloves garlic, minced

Special Optional Addition for Pork:
  for 4 to 5 pounds or 2 to 2 1/2 Kg of meat
2 Tbsp crushed juniper berries


The Meat -- One Kind or Cut, or a Mixture:
Beef: brisket, chuck, eye round roast, bottom round
Pork: shoulder arm picnic or blade (butt); loin, blade end (bone-in or
boneless for either shoulder or loin)

Equipment:
Sturdy plastic bags, one for each piece of meat
Secure fastenings for bags
A large bowl or other receptacle to hold meat
A plate or pan to cover meat
A 10-pound (5 Kg) weight to set in pan or plate
Washed cheesecloth

Curing the Meat
Trim the meat of excess fat (and bone it if you wish, but do not tie it
until the curing is finished).  Blend the salt and spice mixture in a
bowl, set the meat on a tray, and rub mixture into all sides of the meat
and down into crevices.  Set each piece of meat on cheesecloth, divide
remaining
salt and spice mixture among the pieces (including all that has dropped on
the tray).  Add optional ingredients. Set each wrapped piece of meat into a
bag. Close bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and pack into bowl,
cover with plate of pan, and weight.  Set in the bottom of the refrigerator,
where temperature should remain between 37 and 38 degrees F/ 3 and 4 degrees
C.  Within a few
hours juices will begin to seep into bag, showing that the curing
process is taking place.  Turn bags and massage daily to be sure salt is
penetrating all sides.  Curing takes a minimum of 2 weeks, but you may
let meat cure for a month.  (If you leave it longer or if bags leak or
break, repackage the meat, returning all of the juices and half again as
much new salt to the new bags.)

Preliminary Soaking Before Cooking
Wash off meat in cold water, and soak in a large bowl of cold water,
changing it several times -- I soak for 24 hours to be sure excess salt
is out.  As the salt leaves the meat, the meat softens and will feel
almost like its original self.  (Tie with white butcher's twine if you
think the meat might fall apart during cooking.)

Remarks
You will note that there is no saltpeter, nitrite or nitrate in the
curing pickle here:  thus the cooked meat will be turning a brownish,
rather than a store-bought reddish, color.

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