Hamburgh Pickle for Beef, Hams, and Tongue
Ingredients
Directions
Make the pickle
Boil together for twenty minutes two gallons of water, three pounds of bay salt, two pounds of coarse sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, and two ounces of black pepper bruised and tied in a fold of muslin.
Clear off the scum thoroughly as it rises.
Cure the meat
Pour the pickle into a deep earthen pan.
When it is quite cold, lay the meat in it, ensuring every part is perfectly covered.
Turn the meat occasionally in the brine.
A moderate-sized round of beef will be ready for table in a fortnight.
Substitution note
Five pounds of common salt may be substituted for the quantity of bay salt given above; the meat will not be so finely flavoured.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Bay salt
- Seasons the meat and helps preserve it during the cure.
- Coarse sugar
- Adds sweetness and softens the saline edge of the brine.
- Saltpetre
- Helps the meat keep its pink colour during curing.
- Water
- Dissolves the salt, sugar and saltpetre into the brine that covers the meat.
The step that matters
Keeping every part of the meat submerged. Any part of the meat left above the brine can spoil or cure unevenly, so the meat must stay fully covered. Turning it occasionally helps the brine reach all surfaces.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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