American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 24 Simple Smoked Meat Room
Back in the warm stone shelter, Lin Yu'an first found a well-ventilated and shady spot outside the shelter and propped the two beaver pelts apart with wooden sticks.

He laid them out to dry, awaiting the subsequent fat removal and tanning. Then, he began to prepare the main ingredient of the day—beaver meat.

"To ensure food safety, I plan to boil all the meat from these two beavers to completely kill any potential parasites."

As Lin Yu'an spoke, he dragged out the large ceramic jar, which he had painstakingly fired but which wasn't very attractive, from the corner.

This earthenware pot was much larger than the earthenware pot he usually used for cooking, and it was big enough to cook quite a lot of meat at once.

He placed the earthenware pot securely on the stove's opening, then fetched clean water from the stream and poured it into the pot until it was more than half full.

Next, he placed the cut beaver meat pieces one by one into the earthenware jar. The meat from the two beavers almost filled the large earthenware jar to the brim.

Lin Yu'an added more firewood to the combustion chamber of the stove, and the flames quickly blazed up, licking the bottom of the earthenware pot.

While waiting for the water to boil and the meat to cook, Lin Yu'an didn't sit idle; he started building a simple meat-smoking room outside the shelter.

He found some relatively thick tree branches and built a triangular frame, about one meter high, about ten meters downwind of the shelter, resembling an Indian tent.

Then, at the top of the frame, several thinner branches were fixed horizontally, ready to be used to hang the meat pieces.

Lin Yu'an explained, "A smoking room doesn't need to be completely sealed, but it also can't be drafty. As long as it can gather smoke and allow a small amount of air to circulate, it's a successful smoking room."

He took out a spare waterproof tarpaulin and covered the triangular frame with it, securing it with paracord and stones, leaving only a few gaps at the bottom near the ground.

With a small opening to facilitate his entry and exit and control of the smoke source, a simple but practical smokehouse was taking shape!

After about an hour, the water in the large earthenware pot had boiled completely, and the beaver meat was churning in the boiling water, with white foam constantly rising to the surface.

Lin Yu'an used a wooden spoon to skim off the foam, and then continued to cook it over high heat for a while to make sure all the pieces of meat were thoroughly cooked.

Then, using two thick wooden sticks, they carefully lifted the scalding hot earthenware pot off the stove and set it aside to cool.

The cooked beaver meat is grayish-white and has a rich aroma. Once the temperature has cooled down slightly, the meat pieces are scooped out of the earthenware pot with homemade wooden chopsticks and drained.

He strung the cooked meat pieces together with wire and carefully placed them into the makeshift smokehouse, where he hung them on the horizontal bar at the top.

Lin Yu'an built a small fire pit with stones in the center of the bottom of the smokehouse.

Some slightly damp birch wood was lit, along with some damp pine needles and oak leaves, to produce a large amount of thick smoke.

He controlled the fire, keeping it smoldering without producing open flames, only a continuous stream of thick smoke rising upwards, completely enveloping the hanging pieces of meat.

"The smoking process is quite lengthy, and may take a day or even longer to allow the jerky to completely dehydrate and fully absorb the flavor of the smoke."

Lin Yu'an closed the small door of the smokehouse, leaving only a few ventilation openings at the bottom.

While waiting for the smoke to finish, Lin Yu'an returned to the fireplace in the shelter and began preparing today's dinner—cooking the two fresh beaver entrails.

He set up a stainless steel pot on the stove in the shelter, and once it was hot, he put in a small piece of previously rendered fat to melt.

Then, he put sliced ​​portions of beaver heart and liver into the pot and stir-fried them.

It was quickly cooked and ready. After being shown to the camera, it was eaten, and then the camera was turned off to start another version of stir-fried beaver liver!

He put most of the remaining offal into the pot and waited for the surface to change color slightly.

I secretly added a piece of beef tallow hot pot base, and the spicy and numbing aroma was instantly released, filling the air.

Next, he added a small amount of water, covered the pot, and simmered it over medium-low heat. During the simmering process, he added a little bit of coarse salt for seasoning.

A few minutes later, a fragrant hot pot of beaver heart and liver was ready!

The deliciousness of the offal blended perfectly with the spicy and numbing flavor of the hot pot broth, making Lin Yu'an's mouth water.

The unique flavor of Chinese hot pot comforted his lonely heart after many days, making his heart more determined!

With a few roasted Jerusalem artichokes freshly dug out of the embers of the stove, we sat by the fire and enjoyed this sumptuous and spicy dinner.

Unfortunately, this footage is destined not to be shown on camera.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, and with night already deep, Lin Yu'an couldn't fall asleep at all. He kept replaying the taste of the hot pot in his mind, and at that moment, his longing for home was gradually amplified!
Although hot pot temporarily dispelled his loneliness, it amplified his homesickness afterwards!
Lin Yu'an warned himself that he must never use these products of modern civilization again, as they would constantly erode his mindset!
And it made him unconsciously yearn for everything in civilized society! Family, delicious food, hot baths, supermarkets.
In the wilderness, supplies may not be the biggest challenge, but mental state is definitely the ultimate challenge!

He sat by the warm fireplace, set up his camera, and began to take stock of his current food reserves.

"Tonight is going to be another agonizing night. Let's take a look at our current situation."

He opened a simple pocket sewn from a short-sleeved shirt, took out its contents one by one, and showed them to the camera.

"First, there's the dried rainbow trout we had smoked earlier. We still have four whole ones left, enough to supplement our high-quality protein."

He pointed to the willow baskets piled with Jerusalem artichokes in the corner.

"Then there are these Jerusalem artichokes, at least forty pounds, which will be our main source of carbohydrates for some time to come."

"Of course, there's also today's biggest haul—two beavers! After being smoked into jerky, they'll probably weigh over 20 pounds and can be stored for a long time."

He then poured some more things out of another small bag.

"There are some nuts here that we collected earlier, mainly pine nuts and hazelnuts. There aren't many, but they can provide extra calories."

"And these dried berries can be soaked in water to make a drink, or eaten as a snack to supplement vitamins."

"Overall, our current food reserves are quite sufficient. With these, I won't have to worry about food for the next two weeks!"

Inside the smokehouse outside the shelter, over twenty pounds of beaver meat were being treated with smoke.

This process requires him to constantly monitor the heat to ensure the quality and safety of the smoking process, and to prevent other animals from damaging it.

Lin Yu'an would occasionally step out of the shelter to check the burning of the fire pit at the bottom of the smokehouse.

Just like that, it was a night without words.

Lin Yu'an barely slept a wink, because he had to keep an eye on the smoked meat room.

This method of smoking takes at least twenty hours. It involves shuttling between the shelter and the smoking room.

As the sky gradually turns a pale white, the meat inside should have undergone significant changes after a night of smoking.

As he approached the smokehouse, a rich and unique smoky aroma wafted towards him, a distinctive scent of burning wood and meat fat that made his mouth water!

Lifting a corner of the waterproof tarpaulin, the beaver meat hanging on the crossbar already showed a beautiful deep reddish-brown color.

The surface is also drier and harder, producing a sound similar to striking hardwood, and each piece of jerky exudes a unique aroma of smoke and meat.

This is the result of phenolic compounds in the smoke reacting with meat proteins and fats, causing the surface to become dry and firm, and you can feel that the internal moisture has almost disappeared.

He completely removed the waterproof tarpaulin and took down all the hanging pieces of meat.

Lin Yu'an picked up a piece, cut off a small slice with a multi-functional knife, and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Um--!"

Lin Yu'an's eyes lit up instantly, and an expression of extreme enjoyment appeared on his face!
"This is amazing! The flavor is incredible! The smoky taste has completely permeated the meat, and it's firm and chewy, getting more and more fragrant the more you chew!"

"Moreover, because it is boiled first and then smoked, the texture is not too dry and hard, but rather has a hint of the meat's own freshness."

"These dried meats can be eaten directly, or they can be soaked in water and cooked again, and they can be stored for a long time."

"Now I can explore more distant areas or undertake some more time-consuming large-scale projects with greater confidence!"

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(End of this chapter)