hey Stan Just wanted to say I read your book and it is amazing. Makes my wife and I jealous that I missed those times. What is your recipe for bear bacon if you dont mind sharing?[/quote]
I had two big boxes (about 4'x2'x18" deep) of rough cut boards that did not fit together well so the juices of the meat would drain out of the box easily. Bear meat that was mostly or all fat went for bacon and lesser fat pieces went for hams - all made the same though and mixed together. Pieces were cut about softball size to gallon jug size. A mixture of say 3/4 salt and 1/4 sugar was spread on bottom of box and around each piece of meat thoroughly to fill the first layer of meat in bottom. Then a layer of salt/sugar and another layer of salted/sugar meat and so on till box was almost full. The boxes were filled down in my root cellar which was 32 to 34 degrees all the time. A wooden cover that fit inside the perimeter of the box top and acted as a press was placed over the meat and heavy rocks placed on top flattening the meat over time and pressing out some juices which leaked out the ill fitted boards on side and bottom. After 10 days the meat and box layers were all salted again and bottom meat put on top and left another 10 days. If meat was not completely fresh I would do two 7 day periods instead of two 10 day ones but mine was always fresh. After that second 10 day stretch the meat all came out and strings etc. were tied around meat and then hung in air and smoked till a dry coat was put on meat. (Couple of days). Nights were freezing by then and meat would keep because of salt and cold. Often meat was soaked for a night before being cooked next day in water to remove some salt. Tasted surprisingly just like store hams and bacon. Never did a black bear but sure it would be good just not that great flavorful grizzly fish taste
. A bear or so meant it would be a fat winter over a no bear winter.
