Potting Meats for preservation

[TWP]

Let's assume that we lose electricity (for whatever reason) and we have more meat than can be eaten before it spoils.

One method to preserve meat is known as "Potting" and it fairly simple; Fry the meat to render the fat AND cook the meat.

Pack the meat in the fat in a CLEAN, seal-able container, such as a ceramic crock.

This process is shown and described in this article:

http://www.bioprepper.com/2016/06/09/meat-potting-almost-forgotten-skill-worth-rediscovering/

NOTE:  If you lose electricity, you're going to need another way to cook the meat, such as a good camp stove or camp fire ...  This is where camp cooking experience will come in very handy...

DO note that the stated life of potted meats can be many weeks which could get you through a winter with no garden...

[230gr]

This sounds more like comfit rather potted meat but it is defiantly one way to preserve cooked meats. Depending on storage temperature, it should be safe for 1 to 6 weeks (although they keep mutton for 6 months this way in Syeria over the winter).

Comfit- meat is salted and seasoned with herbs, and slowly cooked (under 185 °F) submerged in rendered fat in which it is then preserved by allowing it to cool and storing it in the fat to preserving meat without refrigeration in a cool cellar.
Potted- meat is cooked until it falls off the bone, shredded, and placed hot in a pot, tightly packed to exclude air, and then covered with hot fat which cools, hardens and forms an airtight seal, preventing spoilage for up to 4 or 6 weeks without refrigeration in a cool cellar.

Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. has a good video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdKzWQOVET4) and recipe for making Potted Cold Beef from “A Lady's Assistant by Charlotte Mason” (1780s). Roast beef was mashed with butter then topped with clarified butter. Preferred covering was pig bladder (I would use plastic wrap!) to preventing spoilage for up to 2 or 4 weeks without refrigeration in a cool cellar. 

[TWP]

The recipe, as given, uses no spices, just the meat and rendered fat.

I would be cautious of adding any spices unless there were a way to sterilize them.  I confess I don't know of away to sterilize leaves, seed or roots that also keeps them dry.  Perhaps radiation treatment...  Got an x-ray source or UV lights?  Not an item on my BOB list.

Perhaps spices could be boiled and then dehydrated, with caution taken to keep them sterile during the process.  Some loss of flavor might occur (or a lot, depending).

Spices should, at a minimum, be absolutely dry to avoid introducing any water into the container, which offers a path for bacteria or mold.  That means no fresh spice leaves.

The primary goal in potting is to seal the meat away from any oxygen.

Since the meat, as described in the article, is NOT eaten straight out of the pot, spices can be added you're when ready to use some of the meat in a recipe.

But, yes, if you're hungry, you could eat the meat/fat mix, but...  Similar to Pemmican in this case.  Sticks to the roof of your mouth.

[230gr]

? Usually, the herbs would be added to cooking meat which would sterilize them (and the meat) or the hot fat which would do that too. Alternatively, you could just spice the meat when you re-warmed it. Most spices have preserving properties themselves but they were probably primarily for flavoring. Spiced or not, it is the hot meat and fat that sterilize the food.

Crushing the meat with fat, packing tightly then to eliminate air then heating the mix until the fat melts and topping with more hot fat for a seal worked for potted meat. Potted meat (using shredded meat) can be, and was, used as a spread (especially if butter is the fat) on bread or toast. Using lard as a sandwich spread is an “acquired taste” but was common a few generations ago. Bacon grease is not a bad butter substitute though.

Comfit meat pieces, though cooked, where generally re-heated or fried to shed the excess fat and use in various dishes.  I agree though that eating a chunk of cold greasy meat would not be a first choice.

[TWP]

We agree on this then.  Frying the spices during the preparation process solves the sterilization need.

I think my question has to do with using fresh spices, for instance home grown basil, thyme etc. I hate to fry something like this as it destroys some (most) of the flavor.  Yeah, I'm picky that way...

In my best fake German accent as the Soup Nazis from the Seinfeld Show: "No Soup For You!"

[230gr]

fresh spices, basil, thyme …..hate to fry something like this as it destroys some (most) of the flavor

Dry roasting dried spices generally enhance the flavor by mobilizing the flavorful oils and, I would think, does some sterilizing at least. Alternately, fresh spices (garlic, thyme etc) can be heated (not high temperature fried). The oil or other fat absorbs the essential, flavor oils and you use that oil to carry the spice flavor for your cooking. 

Neither potting or comfit is the most practical or efficient meat preservation method for a grid down or bugout situation, IMO. Most people will simply not have enough fats on hand to do this. Very few animals naturally have enough fat on them (even a modern breed pig) to potting or comfit much of the meat. Salting, drying and or smoking would be more practical if you are starting with raw meat. With left over, cooked meat, potting or comfit would work especially in a fixed, retreat situation. . 

[TWP]

Adding to this thread, this article gives four methods of preserving meats. including the ones already discussed.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/4-forgotten-meat-preservation-methods-of-the-1800s/

The methods are simple, although some require months of processing time (salting and drying).

Worth reading for the simple instructions.

Note the mention of using rabbit, which is notoriously LOW in fats, so you need fat from another animal, goose or duck is recommended.

[230gr]

you need fat from another animal, goose or duck is recommended.

duck, goose and chicken have excellent tasting fat and should always be rendered for schmaltz for cooking. 

[TWP]

you need fat from another animal, goose or duck is recommended.

duck, goose and chicken have excellent tasting fat and should always be rendered for schmaltz for cooking.

The only fat that I regularly save from cooking is Bacon fat.   It is an excellent starting point for many other dishes.

I need to change my cooking habits and start cooking fatty meats separately from the main dish, so that fat can be collected too.  This would reduce my expenditures for store-bought oils too.

For those who still have a concern about too much fat in one's diet, the rule of thumb remains that: 30% of CALORIES should be from fats.  In a SHTF situation, you will want all the calories you can find, so getting in the habit now, will make it easier later.

[edit] cnt spel rite

[230gr]

As long as you limit your sugar & starches, your body is designed to burn fat for muscle energy in preference. Saving your various sources of rendered grease for re-using in    frying etc is only frugal. Fats will be scarce and valuable under SHTF condition and vital for proper health and have many non-food uses. Besides overused frying  and rancid grease, bad flavored fats for opossum etc can be used for soap  and so on.

[TWP]

Re "Potting", I found this video (8:69 min.) about 18th century potting of meats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdKzWQOVET4&feature=youtu.be

I note that this recipe uses clarified butter, and not other fat.  That makes it much more palatable.

The process is simple and does not need much in the way of special tools.

Today, this could be done in pint canning jars (such as are used for jams and jellies) with a screw lid.

Note the lifetime mentioned by the author, four to (outside) eight weeks.  Keeping these cool, like in a cellar or spring house will extend the storage time, but eight weeks is about the limit without freezing.

Freezing is contra-indicated because it will cause the butter seal to shrink and open an air hole.  If you used an airtight seal, this might not be much of a problem.

[230gr]

Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. is one of my favorites. Many of their colonial period cooking has SHTF applications. Their soldier and frontiersman cooking is exceedingly simple and time proven campfire cooking has BugOut food preparation too.