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Nutritional Values (per serving)
Ingredients:
| Qty | Unit | Ingredient | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | pounds | Bear Meat » boned, trimmed |
Bear Meat
Bear Meat, (pronounced - BAIR MEET). Long before commercial butchers stocked grocery cases, indigenous hunters and frontier cooks relied on this hearty woodland prize as essential winter sustenance. Typically harvested...
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| 8 | pounds | Salt |
Salt
Salt (pronounced sawlt) is the absolute heartbeat of everyday home cooking, found on every single kitchen table across the globe. This fine, pre-ground table version is a pure mineral crystal...
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|
| 4 | pounds | Sugar |
Sugar
Sugar (pronounced shoog-er) is the ultimate everyday companion for both sweet baking and savory balance, found in every single pantry across the globe. This classic granulated version consists of fine...
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|
| 2 | tablespoons | Baking Soda » heaping |
Baking Soda
Baking Soda, (pronounced - BAY-king SOH-duh). Long before industrial chemistry boxed this alkaline powerhouse in the nineteenth century, ancient Egyptians harvested raw natron deposits to purify and preserve. Pure sodium...
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| 2 | ounces | Saltpeter |
Saltpeter
Saltpeter, (pronounced - SAWT-pee-ter). Long before modern electric refrigeration transformed the culinary landscape, ancient Roman butchers and medieval charcutiers harvested potassium nitrate deposits to preserve winter meats. Essential for authentic,...
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| 1 | gallon | Water |
Water
Water, (pronounced WAH-ter), is the unsung hero of every single kitchen across the globe. You boil it, simmer it, steam veggies over it, and use it to deglaze those sticky,...
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| Prep Time | Process Time | Overall Time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Hours | 6 Weeks | 6 weeks 1 day |
Directions:
Substitutions: For this recipe you can substitute bear meat with beef brisket or venison roast.
1. Warning: This recipe utilizes raw wild game and chemical curing agents. To eliminate the risk of trichinosis and foodborne spoilage, maintain a strict cold-curing environment between 36°F and 40°F (2°C to 4°C). Always cook the cured meat to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) verified with a digital thermometer before eating.
2. Prep: Clean and thoroughly sanitize a 20-gallon food-grade stoneware crock or container before starting.
3. Trim: Debone 100 pounds bear meat and thoroughly slice away all exterior fat.
4. Layer: Alternate uniform layers of 8 pounds salt and the trimmed meat directly inside the prepared crock.
5. Dissolve: Whisk 4 pounds sugar, 2 tablespoons baking soda, and 2 ounces saltpeter into 1 gallon water until completely dissolved.
6. Rest: Allow both the salted meat and liquid mixture to sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
7. Combine: Pour the prepared curing liquid directly over the rested meat.
8. Submerge: Pour in additional fresh water until the liquid completely covers every piece of meat.
9. Weight: Place a clean food-safe plate face down over the cuts, weighing it down so everything stays beneath the brine line.
10. Boil: After 4 days, carefully pour the liquid into a stockpot and bring it to a rolling boil.
11. Clarify: Pour the boiling brine through clean cheesecloth to strain away all surface residue.
12. Return: Pour the hot clarified brine back over the meat in the crock, re-applying the plate and weight.
13. Cure: Keep the crock in a cold, strictly regulated storage area between 36°F and 40°F for 4 to 6 weeks.
14. Simmer: To prepare for the table, place cured cuts in a pot of fresh water, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 160°F.
15. Rest: Lift the meat from the cooking broth, let it rest for 45 minutes, then carve thinly across the grain.
16. Shelf Life: Cooked slices keep well in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 7 days, or wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 6 months.
17. Feast: Slice it paper-thin against the grain and serve it up hot!
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