SC - Corned meat

[Devra at aol.com]

My roommate and I just enjoyed a delicious dinner of corned pork, potatoes,
cabbage, and onions, {an appropriate seasonal dinner} and I thought that I'd
share this very period way of dealing with meat (yes, yes; I know--one should
use turnips instead of potatoes---)

from Julia Child & Company, copyright Julia Child, 1978, Alfred Knopf, NY

          Corned Beef and Pork

Ingredients  

10--12 lb meat:  beef (brisket, eye round roast, bottom round, chuck) OR
                        pork (shoulder arm picnic or blade--butt, loin, blade
end)
 ---you may use one cut of meat or a mixture, and either boned or boneless
pork

1 and 1/3 C coarse or kosher salt
3 Tb granulated sugar
1 Tb cracked peppercorns
2 tsp each:  powdered allspice and thyme
1 tsp each:  powdered sage, paprika, bay leaf

[Optional addition for beef: per 5 lb, 1/2 C ea minced rutabaga, onion, carrot
                          for pork: per 5 lb,  2 Tbs crushed juniper berries]

1) Trim meat of excess fat.  Bone it if you desire, but do not  roll or tie
it.

2) Blend the salt and spice mixture in a bowl, set the meat on a tray, and rub
mixture into all sides of meat and down into crevices.

3) Set each piece of meat into a heavy-duty ziplock bag, dividing any
remaining salt mixture (including all that has dropped onto the tray) among
the bags.

4) Add optional ingredients, if desired.

5) Close bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and pack into large
bowl.  Cover with plate or pan, and weigh down with 5-10 lb weight--cans, etc.

6) Set in the coldest part of the refrigerator (the bottom).  Within a few
hours juices will begin to seep into bag, showing that the curing process is
taking place.

7) Turn bags and massage meat daily to be sure salt is penetrating all sides.

8) Curing takes a minimum of two weeks, but you may let meat cure for a month.

9)  If you leave it longer, or if bags leak or break, repackage the meat,
returning all juices and half again as much new salt to the new bags.

10) Before cooking--wash off meat in cold water, and soak in a large bowl of
cold water, changing water several times-- Julia suggests soakintg 24 hours to
be sure excess salt is out.  At this time you can roll and tie the meat if you
think it will fall apart during cooking.

11) Prepare as with commercial corned meat--place in large kettle with cold
water, stalk celery, onion (stick with 4 cloves if desired), and Julia says an
herb boquet (of 8 parsley sprigs, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp thyme, 3 cloves unpeeled
garlic)

12) Bring to boil, skimp off any skum, and simmer gently with cover slightly
open for 3-3-1/2 hrs, or until tender.  More water may be added as needed. [We
cooked it overnight in a crock pot.]

NB--  We froze our second piece of meat, and it was delicious when thawed.

          I think Deb my roommate used a whole bay leaf, but maybe she did
grind the leaf up.

           Yes, I know that paprika and allspice are OOP.  You could use more
pepper, or cubebs, or whatever you think good.

Julia Child reccomends garlic or tomato sauce with t his, but we used mustard
and horseradish sauce

NB Secundus:  Since there is no nitrate, nitrite, or saltpetre in this, the
meat will appear grey or brown, rather than red.  This is ok.

Devra the Baker (Devra Langsam)
     
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================