How to Preserve Slaughterhouse Meat Long-Term
If you’re like us, then you appreciate the wholesome, authentic taste of meat straight from your local butcher. Unlike buying your meat at a big box store, buying from your local butchershop is an amazing way to get delicious cuts of meat at an affordable price while supporting local business. Not to mention, a proper butcher always knows how to get you the finest cuts.
However, buying bulk cuts of meat from a butcher means you need to have a method of storing it long enough to keep. In this month’s blog post, we’re discussing how you can preserve slaughterhouse meat in the long-term.
How Long Can Butchershop Meat be Safely Stored?
According the USDA, frozen beef can actually be safely stored indefinitely. You read that right—as long as you’re responsibly preserving your meat, the haunch of beef you bought when Halley’s Comet flew by in 1986 would still be good to eat when the comet flies back around in 2061. That said, it probably won’t taste as good.
If you want to make sure the meat you store still tastes about as good as the day you froze it, then we recommend serving it within 4-12 months of freezing. That way, you can still enjoy the complexities of the flavors.
Methods for Preserving Slaughterhouse Meats
Now that you know your slaughterhouse meats can be stored for shockingly long periods of time, your next question may be this: how can you go about storing your purchase safely?
Well, depending on the type of meat you prefer and what you want to do with it, you have a few options.
Freezing Meat
One of the easiest and most popular ways of preserving meat since the invention of refrigeration is simply by freezing it. For meat that’s been freshly slaughtered, we recommend chilling it at 33-39 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours before freezing. This may help with texture in the long run, making it so your cuts of meat taste better when you take them out to thaw.
If you’re preserving beef or venison, we even recommend refrigerating it for an extra few days before freezing. That way, you can age the meat before preservation, making it more tender.
Alternative Storage Methods
If you’d rather not (or cannot) freeze your slaughterhouse meat, then you have a couple other options available. Since these aren’t as effective as freezing, none of them will last you indefinitely, though they will last quite a while.
Jerky. Humans have probably been making jerky out of their meat since the discovery of fire. And why not? Jerky is delicious, nutritious, and can last for 1-2 months if stored in a cool, dry place. However, making it is a little complicated, so check out this guide from Penn State for more information.
Canning. Canning is a good middle ground between freezing and making your meat into jerky. With proper canning practices, you should be able to store your meat for years while preserving much of its original flavor and texture. That said, most types of meat benefit from different canning procedures, so make sure to do your research.
Curing. If you’re really looking to break from the mold, then you may want to consider curing your meat. On top of its ability to keep meat safe for extended periods, it also helps add a distinct flavor that some aficionados prefer.
Get Your Butchershop Meat Today
Whether you’re freezing, canning, curing, or more, the preservation process is only as good as the cut of meat. To get your high-quality slaughterhouse meat, click here to contact us today and ask about our freshest cuts!
