Century's old method of preserving meat. - Salt Pork!

In today's video I go into the process of making salt pork.

[@docmach8794]

Just an FYI, if you use an egg to test your brine, use an egg in fresh water first to see if it sinks. Old eggs will float in fresh water. If the egg sinks in fresh water but floats in your brine, the brine is good.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Yes, you are correct! Thanks for clarifying that

[@jessicapearson9479]

They also used different kind of salt grains so that it would absorb at different rates! They often also soaked the pork in a brine first! Then dry salted and stored the meat.

[@cindybonem494]

Everyone who wants to butcher a pig should watch The Bearded Butchers, they tell you the correct knives to use and how to break down the carcass, it will help tremendously.

[@jonathanrayne]

Yeah, it was actually painful watching this guy trying to cut up that hog. I was watching like, "What the hell is he doing?" 🤣🤣🤣 He cut that meat like a vegetarian.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

He is a great resource!

[@bobt.1984]

Awesome to see a very plainly spelled-out process for making salt pork.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thank you, I like to keep things simple and practical!

[@retiredfoolsonahomestead3654]

Great informational video and great job. Thank you so much!

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thanks!

[@timelesstruth1181]

I really enjoyed seeing how to do this process. Also, the historical references are really interesting!

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thanks

[@leoncarder6279]

good information, you need to sharpen the knife. A sharp knife is safer and will cut better.

[@ryanhowe2259]

The way the knife is being used is insane, I can't even watch

[@Oxmanfarmer]

It is always good to use caution with sharp object!

[@timlewis5096]

Bloody scary. Get a decent knife for cutting the meat, not a boning knife

[@Oxmanfarmer]

@@timlewis5096 There are many different types of knives available! Historically people would have used what they have....like most people do today! Thanks for your comment!

[@lucyallan679]

I dont think he knows what knife sharpening is all about. he is tearing the meat

[@Oxmanfarmer]

@@lucyallan679 We aren't professional meat cutters, just common country folks. We do try to keep knives sharp, but they get well used around the place, so it is a constant challenge.

[@ferebeefamily]

Thank you for the video.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thank you!

[@gloriastanley2156]

Absolutely Very educational video And very practical

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thanks

[@kaianders8773]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. loved all the historical insight. please continue to do videos. One minor suggestion. Learn animal anatomy. It's really obvious, you've never butchered your own animal before. You kinda destroyed that pork loin, but I still learned a lot and would love to watch more.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thank you for the feedback. Yes, you are correct I am not a butcher...but that is what would be historically accurate. Those in history necessarily wouldn't have know all the things we know now as modern butcher cuts. Also, when people bought barrels of salt pork they got what they got, sometimes including the pigs head. My goal of the channel is to learn from our past and how it can be practically applied today. I do appreciate your insight and the encouragement to continue doing video's, especially since it doesn't come easy for me to do. blessings!

[@sweaterdoll]

Have you done the video about how to cook with salt pork?

[@Oxmanfarmer]

No, but we are doing one soon. Thanks

[@Bucky1836]

Good vid 🦝

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Thanks!

[@vanessah5260]

You never refrigerate it at all? Just leave it o. The counter??

[@frankadams2401]

How long can you store the pork?

[@Oxmanfarmer]

There are historical references like you find of the Lewis & Clark expedition that stored salt pork at there base camp on the river and didn't use it till returning nearly two years later. Ships would be at sea for months are feed the crew with salt pork that had been loaded at the time of departure.

[@unauthorizedapparel1056]

How long does it have to sit in the jars before being able to consume it?

[@Oxmanfarmer]

I have a jar that is one year old. We have opened it and eaten meat stored that long. Lewis and Clark on their journey west in 1804 stored salt pork for 3 years before opening it up to eat. I think you could consume it as soon or as long as you want. I will be doing a video of opening the stored salt pork in the near future. Thanks for your feedback!

[@denisewroblewski9444]

What kind of salt did you use? I had a hard time hearing. Or does it matter

[@Oxmanfarmer]

No it really doesn't matter. I would recommend fine table salt as to course rock salt.

[@AvidiaNirvana]

I just tried home made salt beef, not a fan. Still waiting for my salt pork to finish.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Salt beef was used in history but records show it wasn't liked real well. It got really tough is what I have read. Is that your experience?

[@AvidiaNirvana]

@@Oxmanfarmer Yeah, tough but also so salty it was pretty much inedible. I even put it in a soup to dilute it but still it was too salty.

[@alinamichalski2136]

Sorry…. I do not understand. You take the meat out of jars and soak in water or rinse? Then Cook? Or eat like that? It’s not making sense to me. Do you cook the meat in jars before storing it? I am totally lost here.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

We will be doing a follow up video of opening a stored salt pork and cooking. But, the fresh meat goes into the brine and stores.....when you are wanting to cook the meat. It was removed and soaked in water, rinsed multiple times to remove as much salt as possible. Then fry or cook the meat for eating.

[@dennyload1149]

egg???

[@Oxmanfarmer]

The egg is only to check sufficient salt content. When the egg floats, you have adequate salt in your brine.

[@Sinbadthesailor52]

Slow boring video. Could be a third of the length

[@sanciopancioahoy]

Thats way to much salt mate

[@Oxmanfarmer]

We reference a 18th century cookbook on how much salt to use. "Enough to float an egg" is the requirement. I am sure there are other ways of determining this, but we want to mix the old information with modern living. Thanks for watching!

[@joshualeffler6739]

Holy cross contamination 😮. Hand on raw pork, same hand wiped on apron, same hand stuck in salt bag... umm, nope.

[@Oxmanfarmer]

Contamination is never good. But in this situation the salt is going in with the pork so they will be mixed anyhow, so no cross contamination happened. Also, I like to remember that for centuries of time, this is how they would have done it, probably not real fearful of the modern contamination food safety standards. I have watched throughout history how "safety" has went anal and people are just as sick as ever. Interesting thought, thanks for sharing!

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

People throughout history also died a LOT. Often because of their own ignorance. And no, as much as you like to wallow in YOUR ignorance, people are not just as sick today as they were in the past. Not even close to it. Not even by the tiniest frikkin fraction. Yes, some of modern food standards can be over the top, and no mostly that is NOT to line pockets, but because it was the only way to STOP companies from lining their pockets, by cutting corners and selling inferior or unsafe foods instead of spending a few extra cents to do it right. In your quest to blindly reject these food standards you have chosen to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Ignoring those standards that are beneficial as well as the superfluous ones. If you really cant be bothered to work out which is which, then an easy rule of thumb to go by would be to look at other developed countries outside of the US. If the law is only followed in the US than you can assume that it's suspect. But if it is a rule that is followed in every developed country then that's a good sign that people actually know what the fuck they are doing, have tested it and the rule is there for good reason. If you CAN be bothered to work it out, then apply the idea of "chesterton's fence" to whichever regulation you believe to be suspect.