# My Sugar Cured Beef "Experiment"



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

A year or so ago we had a thread or two going on curing and drying meats and to the best of my recollection I said I would post how it stored in vacuum sealed bags. The cut of meat a beef round roast about 3 - 4 inches thick and it had been sugar cured then dried to the point that it resembled a very large piece of jerky.

Well, I opened one of the bags last night that I sealed up almost a year and a half ago, sliced off pieces and called the DD's in for a taste test. It tasted and looked like I had just vacuum sealed it.

The vacuum sealed bag had been stored inside a 5 gallon bucket that had been a part of a "Prepper Coffee Table" in my front room. The room temp had ranged from about 60 to 90 degrees F and I can say with a fair degree of confidence that it had been in the "dark" since it went into the bucket.

Other beef roasts that I cured, dried and left hanging inside muslin bags or pillow cases continued to dry to the point that they were hard as concrete and for the most part inedible even after being soaked in water.

Conclusion: Cured/dried meats store better vacuum sealed than being wrapped and left in open air.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Good to know. And now I am hungry, so thanks for that.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

No pics, didn't happen!

Bout the only way yall gonna eat them other ones Dave be ta boil em. How it used ta be done. Edible, but then again so be bark.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

To be honest I've never heard for Sugar Cured Beef ... pork yes, beef no ... But good to know either way.

Thanks for posting.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

We all need a sample to try.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> No pics, didn't happen!
> 
> Bout the only way yall gonna eat them other ones Dave be ta boil em. How it used ta be done. Edible, but then again so be bark.


Been looking for the camera, grandsons big enough now to move chairs around and get "stuff" es not sposed to have!lol

I have a ham thats been hanging in a pillow case for almost 2 years now and I'll try that "boiling" thing with it. If I were to drop it on my foot I'd likely be going to the hospital!lol


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

OK on the photos, I got my trail cam out and was able to get a couple descent pics with it!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

*Andi said:


> To be honest I've never heard for Sugar Cured Beef ... pork yes, beef no ... But good to know either way.
> 
> Thanks for posting.


I had been making "jerky" out of whole beef roasts but got to thinking about how much salt was in it(bad for my BP) so decided to try using sugar instead.

I liked how it came out so I kept doing it.

I've been doing sugar cured hams for a while and I dont think I'll ever buy another wet or dry cured ham from the store again.


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

Davarm said:


> I had been making "jerky" out of whole beef roasts but got to thinking about how much salt was in it(bad for my BP) so decided to try using sugar instead.
> 
> I liked how it came out so I kept doing it.
> 
> I've been doing sugar cured hams for a while and I dont think I'll ever buy another wet or dry cured ham from the store again.


those are great pics Dave but now...get ready for it....how do you do it?? Not the pics, the meat? I am clueless again., or still, or hmmm....I'm obviously in a strange frame of mind......please share, very simply and with pics, how to do this magnificent thing you have done to that piece of beef...looks really good actually! When you have time, no pressure of course...


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

neldarez said:


> those are great pics Dave but now...get ready for it....how do you do it?? Not the pics, the meat? I am clueless again., or still, or hmmm....I'm obviously in a strange frame of mind......please share, very simply and with pics, how to do this magnificent thing you have done to that piece of beef...looks really good actually! When you have time, no pressure of course...


I'll try to find the post on how I did it, if I cant dig it up I'll write up the directions and post them.



oldasrocks said:


> We all need a sample to try.


I'm going to a meeting of local "Preppers" tomorrow, if you want to show up there, I'm taking it! lol

http://www.meetup.com/ParkerPreppers/

I've never met with this bunch before so dont know anything about them.

Anyone in the DFW area, I'll post info on the meeting tomorrow night.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Davarm said:


> I'll try to find the post on how I did it, if I cant dig it up I'll write up the directions and post them.
> 
> I'm going to a meeting of local "Preppers" tomorrow, if you want to show up there, I'm taking it! lol
> 
> ...


Sure would like to see something like this going on in our area, I would also like to know how this is done, been toying around with the idea of building a cold&hot smoker for the last year just so many irons in the fire, please post recipies & methods.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I am with "Neldarez".
I would like to read the old post.
I am going to raise two pigs for meat this Spring & would love to try your experiment on a ham.
Maybe beef later, cattle are hard to handle in the back yard, unless you are set up for it.
Andi may have be able to tell a better way, then shooting the cow & cutting it up in the field,but that all I have for now.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

neldarez said:


> those are great pics Dave but now...get ready for it....how do you do it?? Not the pics, the meat? I am clueless again., or still, or hmmm....I'm obviously in a strange frame of mind......please share, very simply and with pics, how to do this magnificent thing you have done to that piece of beef...looks really good actually! When you have time, no pressure of course...


http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/meat-curing-and-pickling-salts


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Be carefull usin morton's curin salts. They do the job, but I've found usin it stuff be really salty. Ya gotta take extra time an besure ta rinse real well. I've gone bacta usin my old recipes cause a that.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

crabapple said:


> I am with "Neldarez".
> I would like to read the old post.
> I am going to raise two pigs for meat this Spring & would love to try your experiment on a ham.
> Maybe beef later, cattle are hard to handle in the back yard, unless you are set up for it.
> Andi may have be able to tell a better way, then shooting the cow & cutting it up in the field,but that all I have for now.


I cured ham all the time crabapple and to be honest nothing beats it for flavor and taste and money saving also, just follow the cured instructions and time will do the rest. I make my own cures now and I`m always experimenting with flavors, my favorite is pork loin Canadian bacon ham or a oven dry leg of pork after a honey cured.
Have fun and enjoy.:beercheer:


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

OldCootHillBilly,
Can you post the "OLD RECIPES" for us youngin to use?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Ifin Dave don't mind, I beleive this be his original post:

Sugar Cured Beef

In a 3 gallon or larger pot, measure in about 1 1/2 gallons of 
water and add 4-5 cups sugar and 1/2 to 1 cup salt. I use 
regular table sugar and coarse rock salt. The rock salt is 
cheaper than table salt and I have quantities of it stored 
for food preservation. A general rule for the curing solution is 
that it should be strong enough to "Float an egg".
.

Bring the liquid to a boil and ensure that all the salt and sugar
dissolves then let cool to a temperature that will allow you to
put your hand into without scalding or discomfort.

Place the roast into the solution, it will try to "float" and will
need to be weighed down. Canning jars full of water work well
to keep the meat down below the water level. If the "Roast 
Floats" or any part rises above the liquid,it could spoil or 
attract insects. Cover the pot and keep in a cool to cold
place until the cure "Strikes Through" the cut of meat.

The cure usually takes at least 2 full days to " Strike", you
can recognize that it is done when you can remove the cut
and it will hold its shape and appears darker in color. Its 
better to stay too long in the cure than to be taken out before
its done.

When the roast is removed, rinse it in clean water and allow
it air dry to the point that water does not drip from it when it
is held in the air, it should still be damp and tacky enough
to hold a coat of salt.Place it in a container on a bed of
table salt and make sure salt completely coats it then leave
it to air dry. Turn the cut several times a day so it will dry 
evenly.

To speed the drying, I put a small fan blowing over the
container to help evaporate the liquid drawn out by the
salt. As the meat dries you may notice the bed of salt
it is laying on becoming damp, no worries, the liquid that 
doesn't evaporate into the air will be drawn into the bed
and evaporate from there.

Drying will take about 7 - 10 days in a good cool dry area 
and when the meat can be pinched between your fingers
and no moisture surfaces, it is done. The roast should
hold its shape when held horizontally by one end.

With a sharp knife, slice a thin piece off one end to check
the color and texture. The inside should be a dark red to 
brown color and be very dense and any fat marbling should 
be solid and the color of shortening. Any loose or ragged pieces
of meat or fat should be trimmed off and any salt/cure should 
be brushed off with a vegetable brush.

Some old recipes say to dip the cured meat into a pan of
boiling water for about a minute to remove any crusted 
salt and/or cure and to kill any germs that may be present
then left in the open air to dry before storage.

Some old procedure for storage call for the piece to be 
wrapped in fresh clean paper and placed in a muslin bag 
and kept in a cool dry location until needed. It is said that 
meats preserved in this manner can remain good for up
to 5 years or more.

Personally, I'd shoot for 1 year to safe.and I have pieces
wrapped in paper, covered with a cotton pillow case and
hung from a hooks on a shelf to promote air flow and to 
help keep pests away. I also have pieces vacuum sealed 
and they seem to be doing well after about 3 - 4 months 
so far. I'm not sure if the cured cuts need to breathe yet
or if vacuum sealing is a better option but the experiment
is still ongoing here.

Pictures

SB1 - Raw washed 2 1/2 pound Rump Roast.

SB2 - Roast weighed down in the Cure.

SB3 - Roast after having been "Struck Through". Notice
the deep red to almost brown color. Important!

SB4 - Roast coated in and sitting on a bed of table
salt.

SB5 - Finished Roast with slices cut from the end.

SB6 - Cotton pillow case holding the cured roast 
wrapped in Butcher Paper(notice no grease of fat
stains on the pillow case)

SB7 - Vacuum sealed Sugar Cured Roast.

Pictures didn't copy so here be the original post, Daves starts a post 2.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/smoking-curing-meats-15219/


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I've come up with another simpler way to do the curing for the meats, no sense in all the extra steps when a simpler way works as well.

Just mix your cure, coat the cut of meat with it then pour any extra cure into a food saver bag and vacuum seal the cut of meat with the cure.

Put the bag in the fridge for about a week, the liquids from the meat will be drawn out and mix with the cure and form a liquid that it will soak in.

After sitting for about a week, open and rinse off all the excess cure, to draw out more moisture before drying and reduce the drying time you can re-vacuum seal the piece and let it sit for another day or two in the fridge. 

I have started hanging the meat in a dehydrator but drying it on a salt bed works just as well, it does take quite a bit more time and requires a little more attention though. You should dry it until you can press it between your fingers and no liquid seeps out.

Keeping it vacuum sealed in a food saver bag or vacuum sealed in canning jars seems to work a lot better than storing it in open air.

I found these 2 roasts on sale at the grocery store this weekend and I put them on to cure tonight, the picture is the 2 bags with a simple cure of 5:1 sugar salt I made up in a hurry to get curing started. Marked down meats may not have a long refrigerator life so I wanted to get them started as soon as possible.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

crabapple said:


> OldCootHillBilly,
> Can you post the "OLD RECIPES" for us youngin to use?


Good heavens it'd take a whole section. I've posted sum a my stuff here on the site. Searchin fer it be a pain, so ya can gota my blog an I got stuff there to, little quicker.

Whith winter bein here, I'll start postin up more stuff soon to.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Coots blog has a lot of good info, recommend anyone interested visit him there.


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

Davarm said:


> I've come up with another simpler way to do the curing for the meats, no sense in all the extra steps when a simpler way works as well.
> 
> Just mix your cure, coat the cut of meat with it then pour any extra cure into a food saver bag and vacuum seal the cut of meat with the cure.
> 
> ...


when you say mix your cure, do you mean the water sugar and salt that OCH shared from your previous post?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

neldarez said:


> when you say mix your cure, do you mean the water sugar and salt that OCH shared from your previous post?


No, I just used the dry mix. In the vacuum sealed bag the liquid from the meat will be drawn out and mix with the drys and form a liquid that will saturate the meat.

I tried to cut out as many steps as I could and make it as simple as possible and that seemed to work pretty well.


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## Virginia2Hillbilly (Dec 19, 2013)

Point of curing meat is not to be in a hurry look if you got a beef or hog or deer or elk or even bear to slaughter first thing is first gut and skin it then you start quartering your meat neckroast, tenderloin, ribs ,front shoulders,hams, then you take you're tenderloin inside along with your ribs and cook them then you take the neck roast shoulders and hams and lay them out on a curing table usually oak or maple never use treated wood you'll ruin or taint the meat. So lay your salt on you're curing table lay down quater of an inch of salt or sugar fielders choice has to be dry to work then lay your neck roast shoulders and hams pack the end of the bone with salt until you can't pack any more in there then start packing the meat with salt you want everything covered with salt until it's atleast a quarter inch thick on every portion of meat then come back and ckeck it every day and salt or sugar as needed you don't have to use salt you can use sugar and have the same effect do this for 3-4 weeks depending on size of meat. And type of meat some take longer than others you can do Bacon/side pork and brisket like this also.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Readytogo, no I have never used that way of keeping meat( in the fat, like you did).
But we did not make jerky or can/vacuum seal mason jars with meats.
The only way my family kelp meat was a freezer.
I do plan to learn more about off the grid meat keepers.
Mason jars seem to be the easy & safe way for now.
But we need back ups to back ups, so maybe you could start a thread on off grid meat storage & we could all learn something new.
We did smoke some meat a few times.
Ooops.. wrong thread, the post is on the canning thread, sorry.


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