Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Meat & Sausage Magazine

I recently picked this magazine up at our local Tractor Supply called Meat & Sausage. It is one of those special issues from the editors of Hobby Farm Home magazine. It was ridiculously expensive for a magazine but I was persuaded to spend more than I usually would by all the lovely pictures of things I hadn't tried to make yet like the picture on the cover. Unfortunately I still can't make whatever that is on the front cover because the magazine only went in depth on how to make a few things. That picture was used to illustrate dried fermented sausage in an article that told you the different ways meat could be preserved but never told you how to do any of them.
It was not a total loss however, the magazine did have those 7 recipes for sausage and they were not the basic recipes that you see everywhere online. I totally intend to try at least a couple of these recipes the next time I decide to tackle making sausage.
It also had a section on making bacon where they used just salt and brown sugar- no pink salt. I am not a big fan of bacon that is too sweet but I may try it sometime.
The magazine had a section on making jerky and told about making jerky out of any meat except bear meat. I really have never made any jerky except rabbit and beef and those used a cure and did not cook ahead of time. I was pleased to find I could make jerky from lots of different meat by cooking it before drying. However, the only recipe they gave in the book was for making....beef jerky. Still it gave me some good ideas.
One very useful article was on canning meat and another on pickling fish. I have canned meat but never pickled fish. I really never have enough fish to pickle but next time fish is on sale maybe I will try it.
Overall it was a very good magazine but really wasn't worth the $10.99 price and the pictures were a bit misleading since you think you are going to learn a lot more from the magazine than you really do.

10 comments:

  1. Too bad it was so misleading. And I love pickled fish. Well pickled herring. I don't make it though. I buy it from Costco in large jars. For me it is a real treat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I suppose if you are just starting to make bacon or sausage or smoked meats it is a great book but not if you are looking for something more in depth.

      Delete
  2. It's a pity you can't borrow things like that from a library. The cover picture looks like the French "Saussicon Sec".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our library has some magazines but I have only ever seen one there that was what I would like to read. I don't go to the library much anymore.

      Delete
  3. OH! thats a shame but keep us posted on your progress.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hate the bait and switch of magazine covers... But, you did get 7 new recipes and if they are good perhaps it'll be worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have picked up magazines like that too and later wondered why. I love pickled fish too and occasionally buy a jar. I have not noticed it around here but maybe at Walmart. We grew up on it, I think it was one of my Dad's favorite snacks. I have looked at canning fish but haven't tried it yet. Most of the instructions for canning are for fresh caught fish but I don't see why thawed frozen wouldn't work. I am thinking about the times when Food World has the buy one get two free 2 lb packages of Pollock. I may experiment one time with that fish. It may be too soft a fish to hold up to the long process time. But I use it in a Creole fish recipe that bakes in the oven for 1 1/2 hours and it's still in pieces, not mush. Hmm. I have some in the freezer, maybe I'll do that recipe for supper tonight. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually have never had pickled fish and I don't think I have ever had Pollock either. Will have to look for that. Just about the only fish here on sale lately are tilapia or catfish. I prefer perch myself but, of course, up North we had trout and haddock.

      Delete
  6. Pollock is the fish that most fish sandwiches are made of. At least that's what I've heard. It's a larger fish and is very mild so it can be used for lots of things. And I can get it buy one get two free sometimes. That's the main reason I buy it and the only time I buy it. LOL

    ReplyDelete