The SWAMP! - Volume One

**Fincave** · **09-05-07, 01:33 AM**

My reason for building my contraption is because the end product is one of the things I really miss from back home, there is also nothing similar here in Finland though you can buy dried reindeer but it is not the same. The most common meat to use is beef though game/venison is also vey popular. We also dry our traditional sausage which I may do at some stage but it is quite a bit of work as I would first have to make the sausage and getting hold of sheep's intestines is not always all that easy here. My contraption does seem to be working, the thinner strips of meat are drying quite nicely and I should be able to have a taste tomorrow, the proof will definitely be in the eating. We normally make the stuff in the winter months as it is not very humid and the meat does not spoil, the light I have installed at the bottom should take care of any humdity and also spped up the drying process. Here is a pic of the raw meat drying.

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**drf** · **09-05-07, 04:35 AM**

It's a device for punifhing chickens that don't lay square eggs!!!

I think the name your asking for is biltong? a dried meat product made in Sth Eefrica.

I always wondered whether dried meat was good for you or not? I mean it is essentially raw isn't it?

**Fincave** · **09-05-07, 04:51 AM**

Quote:

drf wrote:

biltong

That is the word!!

Not too sure how healthy or unhealthy dried meat is? Basically it is 'raw' but it is cured, salt and spices first for a few hours, then a vinegar solution and then hung up to dry so it is not really raw anymore. Cold smoked salmon is a delicacy in Finland and it is not cooked at all, warm smoking cooks the fish with heat and adds the smoky flavour, with cold smoking the smoke is cooled down and so there is no heat/cooking involved but the fish is not quite raw? Gravlax (salt cured salmon) is also popular here and very good, the fish is basically covered in salt, masses of dill, some sugar and mixed pepper and left to cure in the fridge, it does make for a very tasty treat.

I really like 'beef tartar' which is raw, fillet steak that is finely chopped and you then mix in some freshly ground black pepper and some sea salt and maybe capers, often served with a raw egg yolk as well, delicious on toast.

I think I may well have to make myself a snack soon, starting to get hungry all of a sudden.

**SLAYER** · **09-05-07, 05:13 AM**

Hi folks,
very nice fincave,
yes i was trying to remember the name but would not come to me, and like i said we also build something very similar in cuba for the same / similar purpose , horse meat cures quite well in there.
also we use marinade "sour orange" with onions garlic etc
dont know if you ever use it or familiar with it.
i have not seen one of those for over 10 years so it is quite a privilege.

**lcaillo** · **09-05-07, 08:05 AM**

Greetings, Slayer, from Gainesville. How do you deal with the humidity? I come from Louisiana and don't recall ever seen anyone tyring to dry meat. We always smoked everything. Products like Andouille and Tasso are common smoked meats.

**Fincave** · **09-06-07, 09:17 AM**

Greetings everyone!

How is everyone doing?? I cannot believe that my three week holiday is almost over, I wish that time flew by just as quickly when I am at work.

I am happy to report that my contraption ie. biltong box works! I have sampled the first two thinner slices and it does taste like what I remember. I now have to wait for the rest to dry enough and then will probably try out a few different recipes. Google is my friend at the moment.

Here is a pic of the nearly finished product.

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Name: biltong.JPG
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**Sonnie** · **09-06-07, 10:59 AM**

Good morning from Alabama!

Let's eat...

**SLAYER** · **09-06-07, 12:33 PM**

Hi folks,
LCaillo, salt usually takes care of it.
very nice fincave .

**SLAYER** · **09-08-07, 04:08 AM**

Hi folks, whats eveyone been up to?

**Fincave** · **09-08-07, 05:52 AM**

Hi all. Currently enjoying the my last weekend off, back to work on Monday for me. Busy sporting weekend ahead, final practice before qualifying ahead of the formula 1 grand prix held at Monza. Also trying to follow the final ODI (one day international) cricket match between England and India, the series is currently tied at three games a piece. On top of all that there is the rugby world cup which I am planning on following. Am going to kind of overdose on sport this weekend, suppose I will have to find some time to do some cooking as well, maybe go and look for some wild mushrooms in the forests if there is time!

You did ask!

**Sonnie** · **09-08-07, 11:04 AM**

I've been nursing a summer cold... eckkk! I've enjoyed the last few days off work myself, but I wish it were for other reasons than a stinkin' cold.

Today will be fun with college football getting really cranked off.

**SLAYER** · **09-09-07, 12:16 PM**

Hi folks, wow Fincave thats one busy weekend

,yes i did

hope you feel better Sonnie

**Chrisbee** · **09-09-07, 02:26 PM**

Can one catch a summer cold from an online contact?
Our noses have been bunged up for at least a fortnight.
Deaf as well. Which is worse.
Not sure if it's caused by the new Ikea mattress.
It still smells like a barn but is wonderfully comfortable.
Do you have Ikea in foreign lands?

Finally summed up the courage to dump ZA Suite.
Now I have moving smiles after months of frozen faces.
My computer is behaving normally at long last.

They do a lot of smoking in Denmark despite the smoking ban
We avoid it and choose organic meat products.

Am I babbling?

**Sonnie** · **09-09-07, 03:45 PM**

What is Ikea?

I suspect I catched my cold from greeting at worship service... I hug just about everyone, which leaves me open to catching a cold. However, I stayed at home today so that I would not give it to anyone.

So... Denmark has a ban on smoking? It should actually be banned worldwide. In the U.S. alone, second-hand smoke kills 70,000 people a year... not to mention the hundreds of thousands of smokers that die each year from smoke related illnesses.

**Chrisbee** · **09-09-07, 05:27 PM**

Ikea is a chain of Swedish (?) stores which sells relatively inexpensive furniture and home furnishings. They have a clean and simple style which is much admired in Scandinavia.

http://www.ikea.com/

Smoking has been banned indoors across the European Union.

**drf** · **09-12-07, 05:14 AM**

hello everyone, been a while since I was last here. They keep talking about banning smoking in cars and house here in Oz but I can't see how they can enforce it as smoking is still legal. I can't understand why people smoke in cars with children on board anyway and I think that should be a very punishable offence.

listen to the ex-smoker

I know what I am talking about.

they have just banned it in pubs and this has caused some to gain more clients while other (more country) pubs are going out of buisness.

So Fin, one question; In this marvelous meat drying contraption of yours, where do the speakers go? and is it HDMI compatible?

**SLAYER** · **09-12-07, 07:27 AM**

Quote:

drf wrote:

So Fin, one question; In this marvelous meat drying contraption of yours, where do the speakers go? and is it HDMI compatible?

**Sonnie** · **09-12-07, 11:32 AM**

Yeah... I got a good chuckle out of that myself.

Good moaning, evening, night... depending on where ya at!

I use to be a smoker myself... of more than just cigarettes. I finally figured out it was killing me and others as well, so I wised up. Wasn't a big deal at all really, I just quit and haven't given it a second thought since.

**Fincave** · **09-13-07, 03:43 AM**

Quote:

drf wrote:

So Fin, one question; In this marvelous meat drying contraption of yours, where do the speakers go? and is it HDMI compatible?

Back to the drawing board for me, I knew that I forgot something while coming up with my contraption. Would 5.1 or 7.1 be the way to go, and dare I use a 'toppled centre' as I would hate to introduce the plague to the meat.

I will have to admit to being a smoker, cigarettes only these days. Smoking is banned here in pubs etc which does not particularly bother me, am quite happy to go outside. I also do not get people smoking in cars, especially with children in the car, same goes for smoking at home. One day it would be nice to call myself an ex-smoker, gave up once for seven months and then very stupidly found myself smoking again.

**Sonnie** · **09-13-07, 12:10 PM**

Smoking is a tough habit to break for most people. I'm not sure how it was so easy for me.

You can use a "toppled centre"... but it cannot be MTM...

**Ayreonaut** · **09-13-07, 05:15 PM**

I smoke my pipe once a day, as I drive home. "All things in moderation" for me. Cigarettes never appealed to me, so I never smoked one.

Sonny, I have a co-worker who smoked cigarettes for years. He decided to quit, dropped it cold turkey, and never looked back. It's strange how easy it is for some people and not for others.

**drf** · **09-14-07, 10:15 AM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

You can use a "toppled centre"... but it cannot be MTM...

I would say it would need a "plate" amp aswell, other wise you'd have nowhere for the meat to go after it is ready.

I needed drugs (zyban) to help me quit smoking. Otherwise I would never have quit. It was like a last chance effort as I had tried and failed using every other method available to me.

**Sonnie** · **09-14-07, 10:29 AM**

Good Morning! So glad it's Friday!

I've heard that Zyban really does work very well.

**Sonnie** · **09-14-07, 10:31 AM**

We've been tossing around the idea of opening up a video game store, maybe with DVD sales as well. We have a Game Stop store here in town, but it's inconveniently located, whereas our location is excellent we believe.

You guys know of any good franchises?

**Sonnie** · **09-18-07, 10:13 PM**

Wake up everybody...

Who wants a flip?

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