Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

[Pvt.S.D.Swart]

The title says it all. I can find good salt pork, and fresh beef. But salt beef?


S.D.Swart

[Huck]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Honest answer, make it yourself, plenty of know recipes out there, simple beef, salt and a saltwater brine.

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Here are some period recipies for salt pork and salt beef. The Salt pork that you can get in the store is NOT real salt pork. I think that you will find the stuff that you make yourself much better in quality.

From Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1861) :

1/2 round of beef, 4 oz sugar, 1 oz saltpetre, 2 oz black pepper, 1/4 lb. bay salt, 1/2 lb. common salt.
Rub the meat well with salt, and let it remain for a day, to disgorge the slime. The next day, rub it well with the above ingredients on every side, and let it remain in the pickle for about a fortnight, turning it every day. It may be boiled fresh from the pickle, or smoked.
Note: the smaller the beef, the less time it takes to salt it. A joint of 8 or 9 lbs. will be sufficiently salty in a week.

Cut pork into 3/4 lb to lb size pieces. Get a large sack of salt. Cover the bottom of some kind of container with a layer of salt, an inch thick or so. Put in your pieces of pork, not touching each other, dump more salt on, over, and between them. When you run out of pork, cover it with more salt. Now pour in a brine made of as much salt as the water will easily dissolve until the water is higher than the dry salt. You may need to weight down your meat with a rock or something to keep it from rising. Thats it. It will last a few years at least.

Enjoy!

Very Respectfully

[dixieflyer]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Tyler, what type of pork cuts do you use for making your salt pork? Many moons ago, I did have a good source for salt pork, but no more :( so I'm going to have to make my own.

Thanks!

[Silas]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

I've used the Beeton's method many times for salt beef. It looks like little black hockey pucks than something you'd really want to eat. Add it to your soups at the tail end of your cooking, not the beginning. The beef becomes gray and unappetizing by appearance. Kind of chewy, too.

It will bleed out thoroughly over the first couple days and less so after that. By day four there's little blood - or nutrients - left in the beef. When salting beef, I use the fridge for the process.

[GrumpyDave]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Make sure you are using non-iodized salt. Or Kosher salt

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Warren, I honestly just buy the cheapest pork roast I can find. It’s easy to work with and I can get enough for 4 or 5 rations from just one roast.

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

A few years ago we butchered two hogs here at the farm and I set aside two nice slabs of bacon to make salt pork for reenacting. Just add salt, add some more and then a bit more. It suppose it turned out ok...to dambed salty to enjoy,but if it is boiled a few times, one can get it down. But by all means try it !It REALLY makes one appriciate those old boys who lived on the stuff...and were glad to get it. plm

[GarrettG1993]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

I like to use a butt roast when I use the brine method for making salt pork. When I cook it I like to soak it over night if possible, or atleast boil it for a little while to blanch some of the salt out. Then I fry it. Other cuts of meat would work just as well I suppose, but the fat on the butt roast helps with the frying. If you cook enough of it there is usually enough grease left over to make some corn dodgers.

Regards,
Garrett Glover

[dixieflyer]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

My apologies for sidetracking Mr. Swart's post from the original intent, which had to do with salted beef. Now another question:

- What type of vessel do y'all prefer to use when salting down meat?

[Spinster]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

:) Rubbermaid trunks with a good tight lid.

[Marine Mike]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

One that doesn't leak. I lucked into a 3 gal. crock. Jas. Townsend and Son shows oak barrels in his videos. New wood barrels may initially leak so you may have to soak the barrel as a first step. I don't think you can get cheaper then Rubbermaid style tubs as Mrs. Lawson has suggested.
The meat needs to be weighted to stay in the brine.

[dogcompanylt]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

I would imagine a nice stone crock would work, my family has one we use to make sour krout in. I am hoping to make a batch of salt pork here in the next few weeks in it to see how it turns out.
However, I would imagine that one could use a tupperware dish that was deep enough to hold all said pork and salt/brine.
In fact I might try half of the pork im going to use in the crock and half in tupperware to see which gets better results.
Hope this works.
Ryan Gray

[dixieflyer]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Thanks folks, the plastic "tubs" by Rubbermaid had crossed my mind.

[Spinster]

Re: Trying to find a good source for Salt Beef.

Warren,

Lets make sure we are all on the same page before somebody makes an expensive mistake -there are so many styles of tubs.

The 'Roughneck' line has a lid that dips down into the rim of the tub, wrapping it inside and out. It does not just sit on top with those snap on handles. This enables you to put in meat, salt, brine, and a weight to sink, and take brine right to the rim, with a bit overflowing as you pop the lid in tight. This gives a good airless seal. Oh, and set that bad boy exactly where you want it in a cool dry place Before you load it.

Prior to using, the Rubbermaid container should be scrubbed out with soap, shocked with bleach and rinsed well. Most plastic containers are exposed to pesticide or deliberately treated in the manufacturing process. If you are ambitious, go to a restaurant supply house and purchase food-grade containers instead.

Once event time comes, a few days before, transfer the meat to a well soaked and sanitized barrel and fit the head back on, making sure you have plenty of brine.

Don't forget, the regs say you can only pack one hog head per barrel to meet quartermaster specs. I don't know how the quartermaster feels about cow heads.