Dried Beef For Summer Use

Ingredients

• thin briskets or plate of beef
• salt
• bran

Method

Curing beef with salt and time transforms muscle tissue into stable, shelf-safe protein through osmotic dehydration and the salt's antimicrobial action. This method requires planning — start in winter when ambient temperature is cold and humidity is low.

Trim the brisket or plate to lie flat; remove the long ribs and saw the backbone as close as possible so the meat can cure evenly without thick sections that won't penetrate salt. Rub it thoroughly with salt — use enough that the surface is visibly crusted. The salt draws moisture out through salting|osmosis while creating an inhospitable environment for spoilage organisms. Leave it uncovered for fourteen days in a cool place (below 10°C ideally). You'll see liquid weeping from the meat; this is correct.

After two weeks, submerge the meat in brine — saturated salt water — and keep it there for a further three weeks. The brine acts as a buffer, preventing the outer layer from drying too fast and developing a case-hardened shell before the centre cures through. Remove the meat, wipe it completely dry with cloth, and rub all over with bran. The bran acts as a physical barrier against insects and helps absorb any residual surface moisture. Hang the pieces in a ventilated, cool, dark space (a larder, unheated outhouse, or cellar works) where they cannot touch one another or any wall. Air circulation is essential — stagnant air breeds mould.

Through the summer months, inspect the meat occasionally. After prolonged damp weather, expose it to direct sunlight for a few hours to dry the surface and discourage mould growth. The meat will shrink considerably and harden as drying progresses.

To cook, soak the dried meat overnight in cold water to rehydrate the muscle fibres partially — this prevents the boiling liquid from being drawn out too rapidly, which would toughen the meat. Place it in cold water, bring to a boil, and skim the scum that rises. Maintain a steady boil until the bone begins to separate from the meat or the skin (on tongue) peels away easily. Remove, discard the skin and any surface blemishes, and slice. The meat should be tender enough to cut without resistance, with a deep, concentrated beef flavour — the prolonged curing concentrates the taste considerably.