Keeping traditions going

[Trapper62]

My family had “traditions” that were done every year and kind of were more normal activities to us than traditional I guess!

My dad always cured some of his deer every year the way he was taught and as I got older was involved with this as well as many other things we did. I’m sure at some point in our past these things were done out of necessity, now they seem like they are more of a treat!!

The venison in the photo was salt cured like we did as a kid, then hung up and aged for 4 months. It can be chipped and eaten on toast with a gravy but I really enjoy just slicing it thin and eating it. This specific piece will be three years old in February. I make a few pieces every year because my family likes it, this piece has been my experiment to see just how long properly cured meat will last.

 

[D-Racer]

My family had “traditions” that were done every year and kind of were more normal activities to us than traditional I guess!

My dad always cured some of his deer every year the way he was taught and as I got older was involved with this as well as many other things we did. I’m sure at some point in our past these things were done out of necessity, now they seem like they are more of a treat!!

The venison in the photo was salt cured like we did as a kid, then hung up and aged for 4 months. It can be chipped and eaten on toast with a gravy but I really enjoy just slicing it thin and eating it. This specific piece will be three years old in February. I make a few pieces every year because my family likes it, this piece has been my experiment to see just how long properly cured meat will last.

Traditions mean a lot to me also, as we do a dried beef summer sausage that is cold smoked and cured (usually in the April/May time frame) in and old smoke house.

 

[JMF]

My family had “traditions” that were done every year and kind of were more normal activities to us than traditional I guess!

My dad always cured some of his deer every year the way he was taught and as I got older was involved with this as well as many other things we did. I’m sure at some point in our past these things were done out of necessity, now they seem like they are more of a treat!!

The venison in the photo was salt cured like we did as a kid, then hung up and aged for 4 months. It can be chipped and eaten on toast with a gravy but I really enjoy just slicing it thin and eating it. This specific piece will be three years old in February. I make a few pieces every year because my family likes it, this piece has been my experiment to see just how long properly cured meat will last.

If this isn't a family secret, I'd love to here the recipe/process you use to make this.

 

[LBrandt]

My grandmother on my mom's side (she was from the old country as in Germans from Russia} would do all the curing of meat when they butchered. She had her own smoke house back of the main house and I think if she could have got the last oink in a quart jar she would have. Nothing went to waste on a pig, she used it all from nose to tail, top to bottom. She used corn cobs for smoking that I remember and it was a few years go that I saw some bacon that was smoked with corn cobs and I bought like 10#. Did that bring back memories. LB

 

[Davy Crockett]

My dad did that too. It was good, I would eat it till my tongue hurt from all the salt.