New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-10-04

every 100 pounds Of meat, 4 pounds Of
sugar, and 4 ounces Of saltpeter dissolved
in 9 gallon Of tepid water. Three gallons
more of water should be sufficient to
cover this quantity. In case more or
less than 100 pounds of meat is to be
corned, make the brine in the proportion
given. A loose board cover, weighted
down with heavy stone or piece of iron,
should be put on the meat to keep all of
it under the brine. In case any should
project, rust would start and the brine
would spoil in short time.
1t is not necessary to boil the brine
except in warm weather. If the meat
has been corned during the winter and
must be kept into the summer season, it
would be we'll to watch the brine closely
during the spring, as it is more likely to
spoil at that time than at any other
season. If the brine appears to be ropy
or does not drip freely from the finger
when immersed and lifted it should be
! turned off and new brine added after
carefully washing the meat. The sugar
or molasses in the brine has tendency
to ferinent, and; unless the brine is kept
in cool place, there is sometimes trouble
from this source. The meat should be
kept in the brine % to 40 days to secure
thorough corning.
Dried beef.-The round commonly is
used for dried beef, the inside of the thigh
being considered the choicest piece, as
it is slightly more tender than the outside
OF the round. The round should be cut
lengthwise of the grain of the meat in
preparing for dried beef, so that the
muscle fbres may be cut cross-wise when
the dried beef is sliced for table use. A
tight jar or cask is necessary for curing.
The process is as follows: To each 100
pounds of meat weigh out 5 pounds of
salt, 3 pounds of granulated sugar, and 2
ounces of saltpeter; nit thoroughly to-
gether. Rub the meat on all surfaces
with third of the mixture and pack it
in the jar as tightly as possible. Allow
it to remain three days, when it should
be removed and rubbed again with
another third of the mixture. In re-
packing, put at the bottom the pieces
that were on top the first time. Let
stand for three days, when they should
be removed and rubbed with the re-
manning third of the mixture and allowed
to stand for three days more. The meat
is then ready to be removed from the
pickle. The liquid forming in the jars
should not be removed, but the meat
should be repacked in the liquid each
time. After being removed from the
pickle the meat should be smoked and
hung in dry attic or near the kitchen
fire where the water will evaoprate from
it. 1t may be used at any time after
smoking, although the longer it hangs in
the dry atmosphere the drier it will get.
The drier the climate, in general, the
more easily meats can be dried. In
arid regions good dried meat can be
made by exposing it fresh to the air,
with protection from flies.
Plain salt pork.-Rub each piece of
meat with fine common salt and pack
closely in barrel. Let stand overnight.
The next day weigh out 10 pounds of
salt and ounces of saltpeter to each
100 pounds of meat and dissolve in 4
gallons of boiling water. Pour this brine
over the meat when cold, cover and
weight down to keep it under the brine
Meat will pack best if cut into pieces
about 6 inches square. The pork should
be kept in the brine till used.
Sugar-cured hams and bacon.-When
the meat is cooled, rub each piece with
salt and allow it to drain overnight.
Then pack it in barrel with the hams
and shoulders in the bottom, using the
strips of bacon to fill in between or to
put on top. Weigh out for each 100 !
pounds of meat s pounds of salt, 2 !
pounds of brown sugar, and ounces of |
saltpeter. Dissolve all in 4 gallons of
water, and cover the meat with the brine.
For summer use it will be safest to boil |
the brine before using. In that case it
should be cooled thoroughly before it
is used. For winter curing it is not
necessary to boil the brine. Bacon
strips should remain in this brine four
to six weeks; hams six to eight weeks.
This is standard recipe and has given
the best of satisfaction. Hams and
bacon cured in the spring will keep right
through the summer after they are
smoked. The meat will be sweet and
palatable if smoked properly, and the
flavor will be good.