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Cooking Thread~ Recipes & Things

How would one make bacon in a medieval-level-tech setting?
Bacon is a form of preserved meat that dates back at least to then. It also, in modern usage, refers to several different things, so it gets a bit complicated to talk about.

The thing we most commonly think of when we talk about bacon is simply cured and often smoked pork belly that is then cut into the familiar thin strips. So, for simplicity's sake, I'll assume you mean that.

The easiest way, IMHO, to do this is to dry-brine (or salt) and then smoke the meat. Dry-brining involves packing the meat in salt (and maybe a spice mix) and then letting the salt draw out and mix with the juices from the meat. This is what makes it dry brining, as you're not adding any water -- if you add more salt and the juices aren't enough to make things into a proper brine, that's salting (which was also a common medieval food-preservation method).

As the Knights Templar (of all people) put it:

Dry curing was a popular method of preserving meat with salt during the Middle Ages. To dry cure meat, a generous amount of salt was rubbed onto the surface of the meat, ensuring it was thoroughly coated. The meat would then be left in a cool, well-ventilated area for an extended period to allow the salt to draw out moisture from the meat, effectively dehydrating it. This process also helped in inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

Then, once dried, the meat can be smoked -- or, in other words, hung over a smoky fire or in a smoke chamber to let the smoke permeate and maybe partially cook the meat.

Then, once that's done, you have bacon -- just slice and fry away.

There are, of course, a number of finicky details in this and a number of ways it could go wrong. Medieval cooks had to be aware of and carefully consider many of them (and should have been aware of and carefully considered more, which is part of why various forms of food poisoning were so common back then). The articles I linked above have a good bit more on that.
 
Thanks for the help guys, I think I have an idea of how to write it now- whenever the character gets to some place they can actually do it.
 
How I stumbled on this wholesome thread in QQ, I don't recall.

Anywho, I'd like to ask, does someone have a good Chili con Carne recipe? Hopefully inexpensive. I always wanted to make my own!
 
How I stumbled on this wholesome thread in QQ, I don't recall.

Anywho, I'd like to ask, does someone have a good Chili con Carne recipe? Hopefully inexpensive. I always wanted to make my own!
Oh, easy. So you'll want either a pot or a crock pot for this, obviously. The second is much easier to use because it's very set and forget.

You'll want a can of black beans and a can of red beans.
1 can of tomato sauce.
Sliced green chili peppers (technically optional? Can be swapped for chili powder, but that's worse)
1-2 pounds of ground OR diced meat (beef best, others usable)
Worcestershire sauce or Vinegar
Diced onion or onion powder (optional)
Paprika (optional)
Chili powder (optional)
Hot sauce or spicy peppers (optional)
Olive Oil (optional)
Chopped Bacon (optional)

Put literally everything into your pot. If using worcestershire sauce add and mix until the red tomato sauce turns a darker color, approaching brown. If vinegar, use about 1/4 of a cup. For olive oil, 1 or 2 tablespoons.

Sprinkle the paprika and any other powders you're using across the top and spice to taste.

If using a crock pot, start making it earlier in the day if you can, between 12pm and 2pm, and cook on low heat; stirring every half hour to hour after the first 2 hours of cook time. It should be done cooking in 4-5 hours. If you want a faster cook, use High heat for the first hour while stirring regularly.

If a stovetop pot, cook covered at medium heat while regularly stirring every 15 to 30 minutes, stirring more frequently as it approaches being done. It should be done in an hour to two hours.


Will this make the world's best chili? No. Will it be good? Absolutely. And it's relatively cheap and easy. To enhance it, add cheese and sour cream after serving into bowls. Goes really well with tortilla chips and crackers.
 

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