How To Pickle Meat with a Centuries-Old Recipe.
US CIVIL WAR PICKLING
Pickling Meat is a way of curing and preserving different types of meats and was developed before the days of refrigeration or easy access to ice to keep meats cold. Thus, we have pickled pigs feet, pickled herring,
Pickling was, during the War Between the Stets, or the Civil War, performed with saltpetre, and we don't see much of that anymore. Today's pickled meats take on special flavors of a variety of spices used to preserve them. It is more about flavor today than preservation.
Here is an early MEAT PICKLE RECIPE that my ancestor in the Civil War learned to use to his advantage. He later used the process to pickle meats on the farm back home. It was likely passed through his sons and wives and their children. My ancestor, being English-Irish, liked was partial to corned beef, another sort of preserved product.
INGREDIENTS
- One large stew pot
-
One large crockery or glass container
The Pickle:
- 6 lb. salt
- 1 lb. sugar
- 4 oz. saltpetre
- 4 gallons water
- Meat (whatever will fit in your crock)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring 4 gallons of water to the boil over high heat. This was done originally outside over a large camp file, but it can be managed on a home cook top these days.
- After the water is at a rolling boil, add all of the salt, sugar, and saltpetre.
- Boil the mixture until a large head of foam appears. Skim this head off the foam. Next, remove the pot from the fire and allow the pickling mix to cool to room temperature.
- Pour the cooled pickling mixture into a large crock and add the meat that you wish to preserve. This is usually beef, pork, or venison. In order to submerse the meat and keep it totally under the pickling liquid, place a clean cutting board on top of it and weight it down with something healthy, In the Civil War days and on the farm, they simply used a heavy, large flat, stone.
- Leave the meat in the pickle liquid for three days.
- Keep the pickling mixture!
- Use the pickling liquid again by adding additional salt, about two pounds worth, and
- Place over high heat to a rapid rolling boil. Boil the liquid until a scum rises visibly to the top and skim this off. Cool the liquid as before and re-use it to pickle additional meat.
A MODERN MEAT PICKLE RECIPE FROM NEW ORLEANS
For its usual standard use with read beans and rice, pickled pork is called "pickle meat" and reminds me of pickled pigs feet, but more flavorful. You can used smoked ham, ham hocks, or whatever pork you have handy,
INGREDIENTS
- Use a large enamel cooking pot, or any pot that is non-reactive (don't use aluminum).
- 2 lbs of pork cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces (I like the ham best)
- 1 Qt white vinegar (cider vinegar will change the flavor)
- 1/2 cup mustard seeds
- 1 Tsp celery seed
- 2 Tsp hot sauce
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and cracked. Don't mash it or dice it.
- 1 Tsp kosher salt (regular table salt won't do)
- 12 peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all ingredients except the meat in your pot. Being to the boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- When the pickle liquid is cooled to room temperature, add the meat. Stir well, cover, and set the pot in your refrigerator or put it all into a large food container of plastic first. Keep the container in the refrigerator for three days to allow the pickling process to progress and enjoy your pickle meat.
- This meat can also be preserved further by the canning process with glass jars and a pressure cooker.
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Comments
Thanks very much for the nice comment, SunSeven. I like the second recipe a bit better than the first.
In my favorite Korean restaurant here, which unfortunately closed down, complementary pickled meets were presented before your order was taken. The kind waitreses and hosts would bring over 12-18 different small dishes with pickled meats of beef, pork, several types of fish, squid and other deliacies. My favorite Indian restaurant also oved away to locate in another state. Their hot pickled delicasies are something I miss very much as well.
Thanks for stopping by -- you are so interesting in your pursuits.
Patty
Thanks Patty. You are one of the best and the most prolific Hubber here. Have a great day.
Hi
Thank you so much for the valued information. Here in India, we do not keep preserved meat, eat fresh only. But, people preserve fish , they add salt and dry it in shade. This is known as 'SUKHUA'.
DR.B.SARAF Ph.D.
Thank you SunSeven and DR.B.SARAF Ph.D. I never knew about preserving fish; thanks for that information. I must study sukhua,
Hi Patty, I would like to know if this meat can be eaten with out cooking, after it is pickled? Being it was pickled with raw meat. Thanks Joey
It should be fine after pickling is complete. The pickling processes the meat, just as citrus juices "cook" fish in cerviche.
Hi Patty ;-)
About how long will these recipes last in room temperature?
And why does it have to be kosher salt and not regular table salt for the 2nd recipe?
Regards!
I would feel safe having pickled meats sit on a table throughout an afternoon. They may last as long as cucumber pickles at room temperature (days or longer), but note whether they begin to smell "off" (discard if and when they do).
Kosher salt provides a different texture and curing process than does table salt. Similar to burying a fish in salt to cure it - Kosher salt comes in larger pieces/crystals works well, table salt makes it salty and not so well preserved - it dissolves too fast.
Wow, I never even knew this could be done - I guess I learned something new - Thx!
Fascinating. I love the tidbits of history. If there was more there for a story of its own that would be great also. I’ll be trying this soon also. As you can see from my hub I’ve been working on the whole canning art/science thing for a life style change. Thank you for sharing. DBC
list 5 methods used to preserve meat
Patty, I remember now that my grandpa used to pickle bacon, that they will eat it in the winter time. It tasted like garlic because they will boul garlic in the water. In my country (Romania) we called that "saramura". It was very good.
Thanks for sharing this antique pickling recipe and process. Voted up and awesome. Saving this one to my favorites.
sounds very tasty, i will use your tips.
Wonderful pickling ideas.Thank you for sharing them. God Bless You.
I love pickled foods, escpecially meats. great hub. i think i will have to expierment.
I stumbled onto your site and enjoyed a good read. Thanks. thehistoricfoodie.wordpress.com
I'm happy it was interesting to you!
Hi i was lookin fo ways to preserve th pork i have at home n came across this site have never pickled before so after th meat has been submerged in th pickle for three days how do i store it
I'd keep it in the refrigerator if you;re going to use it within a week. Otherwise, can it like you would a vegetable - hot water bath, glass jar and ring top.
SunSeven 4 years ago
Very interesting. I am going to try this some time soon. Thank you very much Patty, for this hub.
Best Regards