If there was a big sale at the supermarket and you have a lot of meat on hand you may need to freeze a lot of it. There are a few things you can do prepare your meats for freezing. The first thing you will want to do is remove the meat from the store's packaging. You will want to wrap up the meat up in freezer paper or otherwise use a good quality freezer bag.
Meats such as hamburgers, pork chops, and steaks should be wrapped individually. Wrapping each meat individually will ensure that it will stay fresher. You will want to follow these steps for any meats you plan on freezing for longer than two weeks.
For more information on freezing meats visit >> Freeze Your Smaller Cuts of Meat
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Why Do We Have Ham at Easter?
Why is ham so popular at Easter? I'm sure if you are like most people, you probably have ham for your Easter dinner. It is a really common main course for most Easter dinners, but have you ever wondered why that is?
Well, the custom of eating ham at Easter is one that even predates Christianity. You see, fresh meat wasn't always that easy to come by especially in the early spring months. So, people in these times would take their fresh pork and bury it in the sand near the ocean. They would do this in the early winter.
What happened is the pork would get cured by the salt water that would soak it through the sand. This fresh pork just basically marinated in the salt water for months. After several months passed they would dig up this pork and would have a salt cured hunk of ham which would then be cooked over fire.
Are you going to buy any pork in the near future? Well, you are going to want to know what to look for. Visit >> What to Look for when Buying Pork
Well, the custom of eating ham at Easter is one that even predates Christianity. You see, fresh meat wasn't always that easy to come by especially in the early spring months. So, people in these times would take their fresh pork and bury it in the sand near the ocean. They would do this in the early winter.
What happened is the pork would get cured by the salt water that would soak it through the sand. This fresh pork just basically marinated in the salt water for months. After several months passed they would dig up this pork and would have a salt cured hunk of ham which would then be cooked over fire.
Are you going to buy any pork in the near future? Well, you are going to want to know what to look for. Visit >> What to Look for when Buying Pork
||How to Smoke Ham||
Saturday, February 23, 2013
What to Look for when Buying Pork
When buying pork there are several things you need to look for to make sure you a getting a good cut of pork. The best indicators of quality when it comes to pork is the color of the meat and also the firmness. You want pork that has light to reddish pink meat. If is looks like it is gray or pale pass it up. The fat on pork should be white and smooth also.
If you are able to touch the pork, it should feel firm. If it feels soft and watery you do not want that cut of pork. If it is prepackaged pork look at the packaging and make sure it isn't damaged. Also check the package and make sure there is no moisture in it. If there is any juices in the packaging make sure that it is clear and not cloudy.
These simple tips will have you buying better cuts of pork. If you like pork, you will probably like country ham. Find out what country ham is by visiting >> Country Ham - Salt Cured Ham
If you are able to touch the pork, it should feel firm. If it feels soft and watery you do not want that cut of pork. If it is prepackaged pork look at the packaging and make sure it isn't damaged. Also check the package and make sure there is no moisture in it. If there is any juices in the packaging make sure that it is clear and not cloudy.
These simple tips will have you buying better cuts of pork. If you like pork, you will probably like country ham. Find out what country ham is by visiting >> Country Ham - Salt Cured Ham
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Country Ham - Salt Cured Ham
If you go to your local meat market and see a ham on the shelf rather than the refrigerator case it is more than likely a country ham. This type of ham does not need to be refrigerated because they are salt cured. There are many different methods of curing ham, and salt cured is just one of the ways.
A country ham often times will have a layer of mold on the skin, do not worry this is normal. This mold can be scraped off the skin. If you do end up getting a salt cured ham know that you will need to soak it in water for several hours. After you soak the country ham it also will need to be simmered for several more hours prior to baking it.
Country hams are typically more salty than your brine cured hams. Their taste is also different than a brine cured ham, many people will need to acquire the taste for a salt cured ham. But once you do, you will fall in love with them.
A country ham often times will have a layer of mold on the skin, do not worry this is normal. This mold can be scraped off the skin. If you do end up getting a salt cured ham know that you will need to soak it in water for several hours. After you soak the country ham it also will need to be simmered for several more hours prior to baking it.
Country hams are typically more salty than your brine cured hams. Their taste is also different than a brine cured ham, many people will need to acquire the taste for a salt cured ham. But once you do, you will fall in love with them.
||How to Grill Ham||
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Letting Your Roast Rest
When you are finished cooking a roast it is important to let it rest. The same it true for any meat you cook. Letting it rest just means to let it sit after cooking for around 15 minutes or so before you start cutting into it. What this does is lets the juices of your roast redistribute through out the meat.
When you cook a roast or any meat for that matter the juices end up going to the center of the roast. Any juices toward the surface of the meat are for the most part evaporated because of the heat. What resting the roast does is lets the juices from the center spread out throughout your meat. Thus you will have a juicer roast.
Want to know how to make lean ground beef juicy? Visit >> How to Make Your Lean Ground Beef Juicier
When you cook a roast or any meat for that matter the juices end up going to the center of the roast. Any juices toward the surface of the meat are for the most part evaporated because of the heat. What resting the roast does is lets the juices from the center spread out throughout your meat. Thus you will have a juicer roast.
Want to know how to make lean ground beef juicy? Visit >> How to Make Your Lean Ground Beef Juicier
Monday, February 18, 2013
Adding Soup Bones to Stock
When using soup bones, timing is everything. I see lots people make the mistake of waiting to add a soup bone to their stock after it has started to boil. This is the wrong way to go about it especially if you want to impart a lot of flavor to your stock.
When you add a soup bone to boiling stock the boiling water will seal the bone. Thus all the delicious flavors will not get released into the stock. The best time to add a soup bone to your stock is right away. You should add the bone to the water when it is still cold and first placed on the stove.
What this will do is allow all the flavors, and nutrients to be released from you soup bone. Plus all the gelatinous portions of the soup bone will be release, and this helps to thicken up and add body to your stock.
When you add a soup bone to boiling stock the boiling water will seal the bone. Thus all the delicious flavors will not get released into the stock. The best time to add a soup bone to your stock is right away. You should add the bone to the water when it is still cold and first placed on the stove.
What this will do is allow all the flavors, and nutrients to be released from you soup bone. Plus all the gelatinous portions of the soup bone will be release, and this helps to thicken up and add body to your stock.
Preparing Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake is a must try if you've never had it before. It is actually pretty good eating. Preparing rattlesnake isn't too difficult once you get used to the process. Just remember when dealing with a rattlesnake you must be cautious at all times. Rattlesnakes are quick and because of their reflexes you still can get bite even after it is dead.
To prepare a rattlesnake you will want to first cut off its head. After the head is off cut a slit in the skin near where the head was and peel it back about an inch. Now take so heavy duty string or twine and tie the string around the peeled back area. Hang the rattlesnake from a tree.
What this does is frees up both hands to peel back the skin. You will need a sharp knife for peeling the skin back. Once all the skin is removed, slice open the belly of the rattlesnake and remove the guts. You can then start to cut the meat away from the bone. Once you have the meat, rinse it under some cold water that has a bit of salt in it. Cut the rattlesnake up into bite sized chunks, put a bit of flour and seasoning on it, then fry it up.
It is really simple once you do it a couple times. Like everything, it tastes a bit like chicken. If you don't have live rattlesnakes around your area, you can also purchase them from specialty shops.
To prepare a rattlesnake you will want to first cut off its head. After the head is off cut a slit in the skin near where the head was and peel it back about an inch. Now take so heavy duty string or twine and tie the string around the peeled back area. Hang the rattlesnake from a tree.
What this does is frees up both hands to peel back the skin. You will need a sharp knife for peeling the skin back. Once all the skin is removed, slice open the belly of the rattlesnake and remove the guts. You can then start to cut the meat away from the bone. Once you have the meat, rinse it under some cold water that has a bit of salt in it. Cut the rattlesnake up into bite sized chunks, put a bit of flour and seasoning on it, then fry it up.
It is really simple once you do it a couple times. Like everything, it tastes a bit like chicken. If you don't have live rattlesnakes around your area, you can also purchase them from specialty shops.
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