Simple Survival Cooking

Remove most or all of the fat from the meat you are preparing. Then, cut the meat cross-grain in slices no wider than ¼ of an inch if possible. Actually, the thinner the meat the quicker it will cure. If you have salt (if you are near the ocean you can boil saltwater to produce salt) rub the meat with salt. Salt will speed up the drying process. Once the meat has been cut, place it on the cooking platform allowing individual pieces to touch, but not overlapping. Do not place the meat in a pile on the platform. There has to be space around the meat for it to cure properly.

To smoke the meat, add green hardwoods chips or chunks of wood to the coals. Chunks of wood or chips may be soaked in water first if you prefer. This water treatment will give off a lot of smoke and allow the “chunk” to last longer. Leaves from hardwoods may be used as well. Avoid grasses or pine boughs, they will just flare up and burn away. Keep in mind, you want smoke and heat, not direct flame. Also, pine or fir will make the meat taste bad. Use hickory, cherry, or oak for the best flavors.

Once the fire is smoking, is when I add the sides to the tepee. Using cloth, aluminum, or even pine boughs, cover the sides of the structure. Allow a small opening at the top for the smoke to be released. Now comes the hard part, you must wait approximately 18 hours for the meat to be “jerked.”

However, once the meat is cured in this manner it will last a very long time. Just remember to keep it dry and wrapped to keep it clean. I usually crumble up a couple pieces of jerky and add it to soups or stews for a very unique flavor! When jerky is added to other soup contents (insects or blood) it may make the meal easier for some to eat. I have also found taking a handful of rice, then adding some jerky, make a great camping soup. I always carry a cup of dry rice in my survival kit.

Survival is never easy. It is a constant battle to find enough foods to keep our psychological needs satisfied as well as our bodies. Remember, you can snare small game, net birds, catch fish or find shellfish, then prepare them as I have suggested in this article. Also, try your hand at making jerky so you can preserve you meat for later use. All of the cooking methods I have discussed here do work. I know because I have used them. But, the taste may not be to your liking. In survival our goal is to live and we must eat what nature provides us to do this.

Take care, stay safe, and I will see you outdoors!

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