Vacuum Packed Meat. (1 Viewer)

Snowbird

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During our extended trips we find we are constantly running out of meat, especially in Morocco. We thought about the purchase of an Engle freezer but having read JJs posts on them re, battery consumption am now leaning towards a 3 way camping fridge box. I am thinking along the lines of vacuum packed meat which am told will keep up to 3 months in a fridge. Has anyone used one of the home vacuum packers and if so can you recommend one. They seem to vary such a lot in price and my meet supplier does not vacuum pack, so I thought about getting my own.
 

vwalan

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dave . bacon and bacon joints yes .and chedder cheese keep along time . i have been doing it for years . but meat no .i would say dont do it . i try to just use the freezer compartment of my household fridge in the trailer . keeps enough for a couple weeks . steaks etc . there was a time when i worked in the meat industry i would say dont try the vacum packing . meat started to come in to the shops vacum packed its not nice . get blood soaked and not ideal. thats why places like st merryn meats at the end of my road .pack meat for the uk . there are others . but lots now get it already trayed up . here .wales and a couple more virtually tray up for the whole uk meat supermarket outlets . just use a small freezer dont carry alot .
 

Styx

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Many, many years ago (in a different life) when I used to do the agricultural show circuit, I always got my butcher to vac pack the meat we would need and then just kept it as cool as possible in a cold box which worked very well - I don't remember keeping any for 3 months though. Having said that, quite a lot of meat you buy from butchers or supermarkets has been commercially vac packed and has extended 'sell by' dates on so I don't see why it shouldn't...

We bought a small vacuum sealer from Lidl (I think) which I use regularly and works very well but is obviously not as robust as a commercial machine and probably doesn't extract every little bit of air - it struggles a bit with bones and irregular shapes, but I have successfully packaged chicken wings! :thumb:

Red meat will discolour slightly - even if done commercially - but it is only cosmetic and doesn't taint the flavour at all :Smile:

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vwalan

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beef or lamb will be ok for perhaps two weeks . pork which is the meat many miss when in morocco goes off very quick. best not try it with pork . thats one of the reasons pork isnt there and the koran says dont eat it . bad translation doesnt help but pork can go off within a day of being killed . thats why its a dirty meat.
beef and lamd /goat can be dried and have an extended life so much easier . in fact both last a good while just in a fridge .
bacon being salted can keep for years . but tight vacum packages do stop it getting slimey . can get a strong taste though.
 

Jim

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Buying meat abroad that looks like nothing you've eaten before is one of the big attractions of travel::bigsmile:
 
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Snowbird

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Buying meat abroad that looks like nothing you've eaten before is one of the big attractions of travel::bigsmile:
Not recommended in Morocco Jim. Am not a big lover of camel meat and there idea of lamb is not mine. If I wanted mutton I would ask for it.

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Snowbird

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Bacon is not a problem as I eat home cured and keep it in the slab, carving off what I use each day. That way it will keep months in the fridge with no problems. Its mainly beef products am looking at vac packing and possibly lamb and cheese.
 

darklord

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Have a look at tinned meats as well, especially from places like Costco, where the packs may be bigger.
 

vwalan

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normal practice is to hang the head of the kind of meat you are selling on the meat counter .
and i dont think they do lamb . lots of goat. but the beef is ok . i like the horse meat in france find that tasty.not aloud to eat children folk get upset .ha ha .

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presto

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Vacuum packed meat should be fine for three to four weeks if it is in good condition going into your fridge.I would get your local butcher to pack steaks and small packs of stewing steak ect...But be careful with lamb and pork if there is bone in it will burst the bag and break the vacuum . Presto
 
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In the past have bought a box of 6 large lamb shanks in sauce with button mushrooms and shallots and a box of 6 beef stroganof pouches from COSTCO . Very nice they were too.
I think they are the sort of thing you would get served as pub grub . Cooked in the microwave too , which i didnt expect.
But they needn't be kept in the fridge at all.

Plus they had a very long shelf life. Cant remember how much now but months . Not weeks.

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Snowbird

Snowbird

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Vacuum packed meat should be fine for three to four weeks if it is in good condition going into your fridge.I would get your local butcher to pack steaks and small packs of stewing steak ect...But be careful with lamb and pork if there is bone in it will burst the bag and break the vacuum . Presto
Thanks for that Presto. I see you are a retired master butcher. So am sure you know what your talking about. All my meat comes direct from the abattoir so I can get it still warm if necessary. Am told this is the best way to vac it, as opposed to letting it hang. Is this correct.
 

presto

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Yes Snowbird just make sure your temperature is down to 38 degrees .And your meat will mature in the vac bag presto
 

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