Ken,

Never had a problem with bacon fat and longarms. Since salt pork is rarely seen at events, that's probably not much of an issue. I'm not much on geegaws and trinkets, but a little sweet oil or armor oil in one of those repop oil containers would probably be a nice addition to the implement pouch.

Grumpy, would you draw the line at using Blind Robins for weapons lubricant?  

I put a small oily rag in the implement pouch on my ammo box. A little Ballistol goes a long way!

I know I'm big time anal about my shooting irons, but cooking grease would be about my last choice for weapons maintenance.



 

Psst, Bill O'Fencesitter, this thread is in the CPH folder....

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Charles Heath wrote : Psst, Bill O'Fencesitter, this thread is in the CPH folder....

Hey Charles,

It ain't like I bring the aerosol can!  

Quote :

Bill wrote : I made up about eight pounds of salt pork for my own use. I used the better part of a loin and packed it in a gallon crock. I cut the loin into one inch thick pieces. I put about a quarter inch of salt in the bottom of the crock and between each layer of pork and another quarter inch on top. I bolied up a salt brine and let it cool. In fact, I let it cool until the Super Bowl was over. When I went to add the brine, there was already about a half inch of water on top of the salt. I poured that standing water off and added only about a pint of the salt brine, along with a enough salt to soak up the brine. By last night, there was about a quarter inch of water on top of the salt again. I added enough salt to absorb that water. Today, there was another quarter inch of water and I'm running out of room to add more salt. My question is, should I remove the water as it rises to the surface, or just let it go? There doesn't seem to be any fat in this water, but the pork loin was pretty lean.

I usually use boneless pork loin, cut it up, braise it a little in a frying pan, then soak it in brine for three days....

Quote :

TexReb wrote :  I usually use boneless pork loin, cut it up, braise it a little in a frying pan, then soak it in brine for three days....

Jaye,

Maybe Charles will chime in, but I believe it was considered important that the pork be totally raw before salting. My guess is your method works for a short time, but would not preserve the pork for a long period.

I put up my pork last winter and it's still good. Funny, I took some of it to a Living History I attended last weekend. I didn't use the pork at the event, so I made up a stew of salt pork, potatos and onions, with a little brown sugar and worcestershire sauce on Monday night. My wife thought I was truly nuts.    

Will I do? The pork should be raw, if it to be preserved in the 19th century fashion. I'd think all you get by "browning" your meat is really salty browned pork.

I agree. Raw pork. And three days is pretty short, unless it's cut up small and stirred often. I'd give it more like a week minimum to get the salt all the way through to the middle.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.ent

"Browning the meat," only heats the center to a temperature that may actually promote the growth of bacteria. If you're going to cook, you should cook completely, heating to an internal temperature of more than 140 degrees, to kill all of the existing bacteria. Fully cooked meat will last the weekend in your haversack, no problem. And, since it's already cooked, your meals happen much faster and, you can eat the meat cold if you don't have an opportunity to cook. Heck, it's what the boys of 186x did.

Grump, that's what I do.  However, I don't think too many restaurants would like your explanation of browing meat though.

This is an excerpt from a draft of what one wag declared was "the worst Civil War magazine article ever printed."

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Salt Pork The one pound chunks of chemically enhanced grocery store meat labeled “salt pork” has almost as much in common with real salt pork as a cedar shake does with a Delmonico steak. Because of this, issuing real salt pork is a rarity even among the most dedicated living historians, so a pre-event instruction letter to the participants plainly stated, “Salt pork is salty, as the name certainly implies. You may freshen the salt meat by soaking it overnight, and then boiling it several hours prior to issue, or parboil it for 15 minutes, pour off the old water, add new, and then boiling it again. Unless you enjoy eating pure salt with a little pork flavoring, removing some of the salt is strongly suggested.” This mirrors how Augustus Kautz advised in his handbook, Customs of Service for Noncommissioned Officers: "Salt pork is usually boiled. As with salt beef it should be well soaked to extract the salt, and then boiled for three or four hours.” Why bother issue salt pork, and not the contemporary US Army field ration of boxed bacon or fresh beef? The Army was still issuing the old reliable meat staple, salt pork, when appropriate, at the start of campaigns and while in camp. We knew the troops we were portraying Friday and early Saturday were getting low on rations from their previous issue.  This appeared to be a good time to backdate their rations a few days, and give them the salt pork to represent the ration they would have received prior to being issued either bacon or fresh beef. As it turns out, Gibbon’s Brigade was actually issued hard crackers on Pageland Lane, and an attempt to issue fresh beef was aborted just prior to crossing what is now US 29. To make 100 pounds of salt pork, we used the experiments by Bob Firth of the 25th Massachusetts Infantry, as our inspiration, in addition to a period receipt (recipe), and our own experience salting fish and meat over three decades ago. Part of this salt pork challenge was a nostalgia trip to see if we could still produce an edible meat product. Energetic Nic Ellis of the 83rd Pennsylvania, and I purchased 10 gallons of spring water in 2 carboys, 20 pounds of non-iodized salt, and 100 pounds of fresh (not frozen)  Boston Butt cuts of pork from a big box retailer, who sells meat by the case. Contrary to popular belief, salt pork came in different grades back then, and the product wasn’t all fat and bone.  We intentionally provided the men with a good cut of meat. Having had some very bad experiences with fatback being issued at events, we desired a product with enough lean meat to encourage men to eat it, and not just fling the salt pork into the bushes. In the interest of modern tastes, we considered, but did not purchase a whole hog’s head or two, to add to the brine. This was a common filler item used by meat packers to enhance their profit margin.  Sometimes we walk a fine line between what history tells us to prepare and what modern reenactors will eat. The salt pork was prepared in April for the August event. We were fortunate to know our projected headcount would be capped at 65 enlisted participants, and knew this long lead time would give more than enough time for the salt to be fully absorbed into the pork. Arriving home from the store with the fresh pork, we immediately began cutting the meat into 2-4 lb chunks, and layering the meat in a sanitized plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Yes, we used a new plastic garbage can as a safety measure instead of a barrel or a crock. The container was filled with a layer of meat, a layer of salt, another layer of meat, and in the kitchen we had 5 gallons of brine cooling on the stove in a stainless steel stock pot. The brine was almost milk-like in color and consistency, and is made with gently boiling spring water and non-iodized salt. To test the saline content, we floated an egg in the solution. If the egg did not float, we would have added more salt.  After packing the container, we poured the now-cooled brine over the meat, added more salt, a pre-cut board about 14” in diameter, and three clean bricks. The bricks and board would keep any meat from floating to the surface, just as a heavy dinner plate in a crock of sauerkraut accomplishes the same mission. Three months later, the product was ready for taste testing.  When we sampled the meat, we removed a random piece, and it was surprisingly fresh looking. This was due to several factors. First, the use of non-iodized salt and spring water prevented the usual blue/gray discoloration caused by iodine and chlorine in table salt and public tap water, respectively. While our meat may have looked better than that described by Billings in Hardtack & Coffee, it was at least attractive enough to be presented at most any table. In fact, the salt pork looked a little too good.  The cooking test was preceded by following the Army’s instructions for boiling, and re-boiling meat when time was insufficient to allow for a proper freshening. The resulting product was not unlike a piece of country ham in smell, taste, appearance, and texture. Just prior to the living history, the salt pork was repackaged, or “decanted,” into a wooden barrel for better presentation. The meat was packed first, then the salt added on top to seal it, brine was added to nearly fill the barrel, and a layer of bay lard was applied to give the impression a whole lot of fat had floated to the top. In reality, fat did float to the top, but we had been skimming it off so as to prevent any mold or mildew forming on the part of that remarkably disgusting looking substance exposed to air.  If we had been smart, the barrel would have been placed in the truck bed before being loading. During ration issue, the meat was dished out with a large two tined fork for sanitation purposes, rather than the more traditional finger fetch method. The salt pork sliding from the salty goop in the barrel did indeed make the infamous sucking sound as if a shoe caught in sticky mud.  The Friday night ration issue left a large amount of meat behind, so Saturday evening found a few cooks making preparations for a Sunday morning pork and potato hash. This breakfast was deemed to be good by the troops, because we took the time to prepare it the right way. Dave Grieves, 122nd NYVI, happily gave this culinary review: "The salt pork was excellent. I'd much rather have that than bacon. Leaner, more stable, less grease. Yummy."  Comments such as this made the whole project worthwhile.

I hope this helps.

Charles,

I've been taking chunks of salt pork out of the crock as I need it and I've noticed a interesting reaction. The pork has stayed nice and pink except for the top side of the top layer, which turns a little gray. As I take pieces out, I recover the remaining pork with salt. Even if it's only a couple of weeks between events, that top layer turns gray on top.  

You're right, the stuff does make a neat sucking sound when you pull it out of the salt and brine. It's a pain to prepare for one person, but it's a big improvement over bacon, since it keeps me out of the porta-potties.

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Bill wrote :   Jaye, Maybe Charles will chime in, but I believe it was considered important that the pork be totally raw before salting. My guess is your method works for a short time, but would not preserve the pork for a long period. I put up my pork last winter and it's still good. Funny, I took some of it to a Living History I attended last weekend. I didn't use the pork at the event, so I made up a stew of salt pork, potatos and onions, with a little brown sugar and worcestershire sauce on Monday night. My wife thought I was truly nuts.

I will certainly take the suggestion, but I have a question...How do you know if you have done it correctly?
Tainted pork can kill you!

Jaye,

Just follow your nose.

Ken, could you imagine:

Take a piece of beef, sear or brown the outside, wrap it in whatever, throw it in your haversack, drive to an event in August, whip it out on Saturday around noon, again Saturday before dark, eat up the rest on Sunday morning, stop at every toilet along the road on the way home, because you poisoned yourself. A senerio easily completed. A trip home from he11.

Bein in the Pest Control industry for near 20 years, I've seen some really sick things inside restaurants. Then again, you could just watch Chef Ramsey's new show on cable. "Green Hamburgers Kill People!"

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Charles Heath wrote : Jaye, Just follow your nose.

Point Taken...hehe!

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GrumpyDave wrote : Ken, could you imagine: Take a piece of beef, sear or brown the outside, wrap it in whatever, throw it in your haversack, drive to an event in August, whip it out on Saturday around noon, again Saturday before dark, eat up the rest on Sunday morning, stop at every toilet along the road on the way home, because you poisoned yourself. A senerio easily completed. A trip home from he11. Bein in the Pest Control industry for near 20 years, I've seen some really sick things inside restaurants. Then again, you could just watch Chef Ramsey's new show on cable. "Green Hamburgers Kill People!"

Dave,

Don't laugh, my Captain at Resaca (yes I know this is the CPH folder but the story dovetails well) had a very "authentic" experience which he had to endure for the roughly 400 miles home to Florida. He says he knows every rest stop between here and there now.

Heck, if he could make it to rest stops, then the old boy wasn't really having a problem. I smile every time I think of a certain peach water tank alongside the interstate in South Carolina. Seeing how this is more of G-rated forum, I shan't go into the details, but it will suffice to say someone no doubt wondered who repainted his fence. Blame that one on a Pizza Hut in Jackson, MS.

When Pogue tells the Commie Schwartz boiled bacon story, prepare to laugh very hard.

Charles,

SC is in my area of responsibility in my job so I gotta ask where that tank is and what it si to which you refer (PM me if necessary).

As to the Captain, since I was sleeping by the fire near his tent, I know of at least four or five times during the night he had to "take a walk".

Robert,

The "Peachoid" water tank is located along I-85 near the exit for SC Rte. 11, and the nearest burg is Gaffney. They claim to outproduce Georgia, in terms of peaches.  If that sounds familiar to the Yellowhammers on the forum, a copy is in Clanton, Alabama.

Few situations are more miserable than a case of Montezuma's Revenge (hey, we needed a nice term for this not-so-nice conditions) or similar maladies whilst in the field. When all is said and done, I'd rather have it happen in a nice wooded area than in an urban environment.

I'll leave it at that. We've had some seriously long threads about this subject, complete with horror stories and comedy, on the OTB Forum.