Making corned beef and bacon

[freemotion]

Check it out!

 

[abifae]

I've done corned beef before. It used celery in it. It was really good.

 

[~gd]

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy4/freemotion1/food preparation/briningbeefandbacon005.jpg

I took the plunge. I made the brine yesterday from my old cookbook from the 40's. The bacon recipe called for 100 lbs of bacon and the corned beef recipe started with "Scrub a good oak barrel thoroughly. Put as much fresh-killed beef as desired in barrel....."

I had to cut the recipes down. Way down. I was using two one gallon jars and one 2 gallon jar, since all my other big jars are occupied right now.

I made the brines yesterday so they could cool down for a day. The proportions I used are as follows:

Bacon brine:

2 lbs salt (used kosher salt)
12 oz brown sugar (I added molasses to white sugar)
3/4 oz salt peter (LEFT THIS OUT!!!! EEK!)
1 gallon water

I heated it to melt the salt and sugar and left it covered for a day.

The bacon is some stuff that accidentally got left in the kitchen freezer when the bucket of bacon went to the butcher for brining, smoking, and slicing last year. I decided to take the plunge so we can decide if we want to attempt making all of our own bacon this year. The butcher charged me $2 per pound! Looks like we could have a lot of bacon this year, too.

Corned beef brine:

1 1/2 lbs salt
1/2 lb brown sugar
1/2 oz salt peter (see above!)
1 gallon water

The corned beef will sit in the downstairs fridge for ten days and will be tested and if done, frozen for future meals. I used 7 lbs of pastured boneless beef ("peeled knuckle.")

The bacon recipe says it can be kept in the brine for a year, or taken out after five weeks and smoked. That gives me until Sept 11 to figure out a smoker...

Both required weighting the meat down...it floats and part is above the brine otherwise. My mother used to use a big scrubbed rock in a crock. With the jars that do not have a wide opening, any rock that fits in the top will slip down the side. So I reluctantly broke my no plastic rule and filled ziplocs with some of the brine (in case of a leak, which would dilute the brine if filled with water).

DO NOT expect that salt peter free Bacon to keep, look, or taste like old fashioned bacon since the salt peter prevents spoilage and gives the streak of lean pork its red color (same for beef) salt will preserve short term but the salt peter is the long term 'cure'. Frankly I would refrigate both without salt peter just like supermarket bacon and corned beef is.~gd

 

[freemotion]

Yup, I understand this and it is in the fridge now. I plan on freezing it. We had our bacon done chemical-free last winter and yes, the bacon was gray, not pink.....that was fine with me! I am far from the typical American.... I know that the food in the grocery store looks fake and that real food looks.....and tastes.....quite different.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have several links saved that calls for celery juice ( just juice some celery for it) in place of the salt peter. I can't remember all the facts right now and don't have time to lookk it up, but the celery juice acts as a preservative and also helps a bit with colour preservation. When we made our pepperoni, I did not use salt peter either, we smoked it and then finished it in the oven at a higher temp, and keep it in the freezer unti l we want some. We haven't died yet.

When hubby gets his next deer, I am going to corn a deer roast-- love corned beef, so it should be just as good.

 

[freemotion]

I can't use celery because I am quite allergic/sensitive to it. One day I hope this corrects itself....I have hope, as many of my food issues are starting to reverse, finally.

Tomorrow I plan on cooking some up for supper....can't wait to try it! I harvested the rest of my organic potatoes and it will be corned beef hash, fried up in lots of lard, tomorrow night....can't wait!

 

[abifae]

*heads to Freem's house*

 

[TanksHill]

Looking good Free!!!

 

[freemotion]

I'm still drooling, thinking about it!!

 

[CrimsonRose]

what is salt peter? I've never heard of it...