[Sca-cooks] Meats to go with mustard

[Stefan li Rous]

Gwyneth asked:

<<< Have a question to ask. At the Roundtable I plan on having chips and
veggies to go with the mustards but they really shine with meats. Are
there any meats that don't necessarily have to be kept cold? Sausages
and the like? Or ways of preparing them that don't require refrigeration
or cooking? Or is this too risky of an endeavor and if so, what other
suggestions do folks have for other things rather than chips and veggies
to go with mustards, that don't require refrigeration. >>>

How long do your meats need to be unrefrigerated? I'm not familiar with this Roundtable event. Do they need to stay safe from the morning until lunch? Or for a week?

If only for a morning or a day, can you use an ice chest to keep your meats safe? Substituting dry ice for water ice can keep things cooler, longer. There are also other ways to make ice chests work better or longer.
ice-chests-msg (12K) 7/21/07 Using ice chests at SCA events. Disguises.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CAMPING/ice-chests-msg.html

Master Cariadoc has a class, and maybe an article, on camping without an ice chest.

If an ice chest won't work, you can look at various preserved meats. Various smoked meats might work. Unfortunately, many smoked meats these days are smoked for taste and not for preservation. Other preserved meats come to mind such as pastrami, corned beef. I'm not sure which ones are period and which ones might stay safe long enough. Dried meats might work, but they are also more expensive. You didn't say what your budget might be.

corned-beef-msg (12K) 9/ 3/06 Corned and salted beef.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEATS/corned-beef-msg.html
meat-smoked-msg (68K) 1/14/08 Medieval smoked meats. Smoking meats.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEATS/meat-smoked-msg.html

The Calontir solution, but if you don't wish to overwhelm the mustard, you could tone down the spices some.
Calontr-Jerky-art (6K) 11/15/08 "Sex Red Wine Jerky - the Calontir Army Standard" by Bns. Jenna of Southwind.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEATS/Calontr-Jerky-art.html

Pickled meats were one way to solve this problem in period, but they often require rinsing to be used. But mustard would help cover the taste of the vinegar and other pickling spices.

Lrds-Salt-Exp-art (15K) 9/11/00 "Lord's Salt Experiment" by Lady Hauviette d'Anjou.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/Lrds-Salt-Exp-art.html

pickled-meats-msg (60K) 3/20/08 Period pickled meats. Lord's Salt. recipes.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEATS/pickled-meats-msg.html

Okay, this file, also in the FOOD-MEATS section, might have some useful ideas:
Meat-wo-Refrg-art (42K) 6/ 4/09 "Preserving Meat without Refrigeration" by THL Giles fitz Alan
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEATS/Meat-wo-Refrg-art.html

I hope this gives you a few ideas.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****