Spicing/salting/curing etc.

bonkey

Just as a matter of interest....

does anyone make their own spiced/salted/dried/cured food?

My dad has made Spiced Beef as part of our family Christmas fare for nigh on 20 years now. Since moving to Switzerland, I've used the same recipe myself a bit....although I tend to use game rather than beef over here (cause its so easy to get in Autumn and early winter).

The recipe I use (without quantities) is based on salt, sugar, saltpeter, allspice, cloves, mace, white pepper, and nutmeg. Takes about 2 weeks, but damn me if its not worth the wait.

I'm just wondering if many other people still bother with this style of stuff, or is it simply perceived as being too much work?

If you're interested in the recipe, let me know. If you do anything similar, I'd love some more recipes of this type.

Cheers,

jc

Gordon

Never tried it but I'd love to know how to do it.

What does it involve roughly, airtight covering with spices packed tightly around the meat? Also whats the deal with the saltpeter - I know that name from cigarettes so I presume its a chemical, how do you buy it and from where?

bonkey

Roughly speaking...

- 1KG of a nice joint of meat.

- Rub with about 100g salt, leave in a sealed plastic container in the fridge overnight.

- Next day, take out the meat (but don't rub off whatever salt remains), and wash out the bowl.

- Mix about 100g sugar, 10g saltpeter, a teaspoon each of ground allspice and ground white pepper, and about 1/3 to 1/2 a teaspoon each of (freshly) grated nutmeg, ground mace, and ground cloves.

- Put the meat and this mix back in your bowl, mix well rubbing the spice mix well into the surface of the meat. Cover with tinfoil (so its not airtight) and put back in teh fridge.

- About once a day, take it out of the fridge and turn & baste the meat. (The spices will form a "syrup" with the remaining juice in the meat within the first day or so, and basically, you want to make sure that you don't let the top of the meat - sitting outside the syrup - get dry, while the bottom stays moist. So turn it over, and then spoon the juice over it once or twice).

- After about 12-14 days, put meat and syrup into a big saucepan. Add water until the meat is fully covered. Then bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours.

- Allow to stand until the meat (and water) is cool.

- Done.

Slice thinly, serve hot or cold....

---

As to what saltpeter is....its potassium nitrate. If you'll get it anywhere it'll be at a good* chemists...but don't be too surprised if they ask you to sign for it.

Its used for a lot of things, including the making of gunpowder, which is why in recent years the "oh so wise" Irish government have tried to stamp out its sale on the grounds that people might be making their own gunpowder with it or something equally intelligent.

jc

*good here does not equal "upmarket" but rather "well stocked". I very much doubt a flagship Boots would have it, but would be surprised to find local chemists in livestock-farming areas without it.

Gordon

Cool, I'm going to try that when my fridge is replaced and I manage to translate saltpeter into Greek.

What meat do you recommend - a nice sirloin or a big wodge of beef that one would roast or... what? Is poultry nice spiced/cured (I wouldn't imagine it would be especially)? And does lamb lose its special flavours by curing?

bonkey

Greek....hmmm....no clue.
Its chemical representation is KNO3 though.

As for what to use....I'd go for a nice roasting joint myself, although the recipe was originally for fattier cuts that you'd typically boil/stew. Shoulder, for example. TBH, anything with a bit of fat (but not too much) will do nicely.

Haven't tried poultry or lamb yet. Only done boar, beef and venison to date. Planning on doing chamois (goat) and lamb soon....but will probably wait till I get back from Ireland after Christmas before doing that.

I'll let you know how the lamb turns out.

jc

Gordon

Cool, thanks for that.
here's hoping νιτρικό άλας καλίου is potassium nitrate...

Milkman

Bonkey,
some dried juniper berries works very well with a spice mixture....
mmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm sooo hungry

M.

bonkey

Mmmm. Juniper berries......

we use thoe a lot, but not in spicing....mostly in marinading.

Good idea though.

jc

Dubl07

Is it okay to bump this thread? I'm hoping to make my own spiced beef and keen to know if any other boardsies have tried and tested recipes.

Dizzyblonde

Dubl07 there's a much bigger and very recent thread in Cooking and Recipes, complete with recipes and tips

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=86716671

Dubl07

Thanks, DizzyBlonde!

Dizzyblonde

I'm closing this thread an have moved Minder's reply to the newer thread