First published on Patreon Oct 3, 2022
Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin (c. 1553)
Schwarzwaelder Schinken - Smoked pork in the middle, behind toothpicks, Bratwurst (Bottom left) and Zervalet (Top Right) with Sweet and Spicy Mustard
How was food preserved in the middle ages?
It might be surprising to learn that many of the methods that are used today were also used to preserve food in the middle ages.
The most common methods are salting, sugaring/honeying, pickling/fermenting, smoking, and drying. Each of these preservation methods inhibits the growth of microbes, bacteria, or fungi that would make you ill.
Today's recipe features two of my favorite methods of preserving food, salt curing, and smoking.
How does salt curing preserve food?
Salt curing dehydrates the food so that moisture-loving pathogens cannot thrive on it. There are two different kinds of ways to salt cure food. This is oftentimes the first step to additional methods of curing.
- Dry curing: Food is immersed in a mixture of salt and flavorings.
- Wet Curing: Food is soaked in a salty solution. This is also known as brining.
What is "pink salt"?
Curing salt, also known as pink salt is a combination of table salt and sodium nitrite, or, sodium nitrate. It may also be known as Prague powder #1, and Prague Powder #2. These are dyed pink so they are not confused with regular table salt. They are highly concentrated and should be used correctly. In addition to slowing the growth of pathogens, it is believed that pink salt inhibits botulism.
- Prague Powder #1 - 93.75% table salt & 6.25% sodium nitrite - Best used with wet curing, short-term curing times, and with food that will be cooked.
- Prague Powder #2 - 89.75% table salt, 6.25% sodium nitrite & 4% sodium nitrate - Must be used with food that is dry cured for a long period of time.
What about saltpetre?
Also known as saltpeter or nitrate of potash, potassium nitrate was a common ingredient in food preservation. The use of saltpetre has declined because of inconsistent results. It is an ingredient of gun powder and has been in use since the 15th Century.
How does smoking preserve meat?
Meat that has been exposed to wood smoke develops an acidic coating that inhibits the growth of bacteria. As with curing, there are two different ways to smoke meat.
- Hot Smoking - involves temperatures in excess of 150 degrees and cooking the food in addition to smoking it. This process should be used when longer periods of smoking are required.
- Cold Smoking - involved temperatures lower than 100 degrees and is used when you want to flavor the food and create a smoke barrier without cooking it.
Original Recipe
Schweinin flesch digen machen
So nempt ain fiertel von ainer saú vnd saltzen es fast woll,
das es gleich weisß werd vor saltz, vnnd land das saltz daran
ergan jn ainem keller, vnnd wan es ergangen jst, so segen das
wasser herab/ vnnd giessen es wider dariber, das thent ain
tag 2 oder .3. mall, vnnd wan es vier wúchen jn dem saltz jst
gelegen, so hengt es aúff vnd rechen es fein gemach/ bis es
woll drúcken wirt vnnd fein resch/ last es achtag jm rach
hangen, darnach hengt es jn ain kamer, da der lúfft zú kan,
es bleibt eúch das ganz jar.
Interpreted Recipe
To make smoked pork.
Take a quarter of a pig and salt it especially well, so that it is entirely white with salt, and let the salt dissolve in a cellar. And when it is dissolved, then skim off the water and pour it over again, do that two or three times a day, and when it has laid in salt for four weeks, hang it up and smoke it fairly slowly, until it becomes thoroughly dry and fairly hard. Let it hang in the smoke for eight days, after which hang it in a chamber into which air comes. It keeps for the entire year.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds pork ( I prefer loin)
4 ounces kosher salt
2 ounces sugar
1/2 tsp. pink salt #1
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons juniper berries
10 whole bay leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1-quart water
Instructions
- Place your black peppercorns, juniper berries, and coriander seeds into a small pan, you want to warm them enough to release their fragrance. Remove the spices from the pan and coarsely grind them in a mortar.
- Put your pork into a ziplock bag and add the coarsely ground spices, crumbled-up bay leaves, dried marjoram, sugar, and salt. Slowly pour in water being sure to cover the pork completely. Note: The pork needs to brine for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of five to seven days.
- Soak wood chips for a minimum of three hours the day you are going to smoke your pork. I use a mixture of apple and cherry.
- Remove the pork from the brine, rinse off the salt solution, pat the pork dry and place it into a tray for your smoker. Note: You can lightly oil the pork if you wish.
- Smoke the pork for a minimum of 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 225 degrees, or until the internal temperature reads 150 degrees. Remove from smoker and allow to cool before cutting into thin slices.
Thoughts
This is a very forgiving recipe with great returns. The pork was moist and smokey and very flavorful after marinating in the brine overnight. Note: I did not use the pink salt for this because the time I was planning on marinating it in the brine was so short. It was enjoyed by many of the guests. It also kept well and I enjoyed the leftovers for several days afterward. This marinade would also do well with chicken if you choose. If you do not have a smoker, simply cook the pork in the oven. Highly recommended for camping events as well as dayboards.
Sources
"Das Kochbuch Der Sabina Welserin (C. 1553)". Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 2022, https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb05/germanistik/absprache/sprachverwendung/gloning/tx/sawe.htm. Accessed 3 Oct 2022.
"Medieval Food Preservation Methods". Thoughtco, 2022, https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-food-preservation-1788842. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.
"Sabrina_Welserin.Html". Daviddfriedman.Com, 2022, http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html. Accessed 3 Oct 2022.
"Saltpetre And Salt Prunella". British Food: A History, 2021, https://britishfoodhistory.com/2021/06/29/saltpetre-and-salt-prunella/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.
Sloan, Alisha. "Preserving Meat Long-Term, The Old-Fashioned Way - Off The Grid News". Off The Grid News, 2014, https://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/preserving-meat-long-term-the-old-fashioned-way/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.
"What Is The Difference Between Prague Powder #1 And #2? - Bradley Smokers North America". Bradley Smokers North America, 2021, https://www.bradleysmoker.com/blog/2021/08/19/what-is-the-difference-between-prague-powder-1-and-2/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.
