Steven Lamb

When I ordered this book I wasn’t sure if it was merely a procedural for experienced people or something I could understand and attempt. Turns out this will go on our shelf with other useful books we collect in case we ever homestead or move way out in the boonies. It’s a crazy dream we have had – moving further into a rural environment and being a bit more self-sufficient. We have bantered about moving off to Wyoming but that is a conversation for another day!

This isn’t a cookbook but a handbook detailing the steps to curing and smoking meats. It features a chapter on meat preparation and storage, an overview on very important issues such as fats and molds, bacterias to look for and how to use salt in the process. Very comprehensive! The equipment needed isn’t all that expensive but of course as you get more involved you can spend more on better equipment. That’s true of any hobby or food preparation.
I like the section detailing the different cuts of meat which cuts you use for specific reasons. Also the visual aid of the photographs and illustrations. It would be a challenge to me as I have never cured or smoked meat but it’s a valuable skill and I would love to be proficient in this area.

A+ to the author for writing a comprehensive handbook that is super useful.… (more)