Originally Posted by
georgerkahn
I wish I still had the book I read many years ago, written by a person who interrogated -- in detail -- exactly what he did and it took as the "chuck-master" in a wagon train -- the job fellow's dad had, with him being there just as cook's son. I recall being surprised to learn that the small wood barrel, generally on the "sunny side" of the wagon's rear was for sourdough starter -- a most precious commodity to have. I do not recall "yeast" ever mentioned, and -- if/when lucky enough to others to provide game -- which could be anything from varmints to critters to "anything"; fish; and or birds -- it was his job to both cook it, as well as preserve it for (following) days which may not have fresh game. The cook several times noted the real preciousness of potable water, and most often extra game was heavily salted; then left for a "patina" to develop; after which it was smoked. One of the kid's jobs was to get water from the leather or canvas bags used for watering the horses and roll green branches/roots in it to mix in fire to make the smoke.
Never mentioned in the book, but I'd make quite a wager that in those days no one had a thermometer to ascertain cooking/smoking temps; or, for that matter ever looked at a timepiece to pace cooking or smoking times.
Again, I wish I had the book still -- it belonged to an English professor friend; I returned it; he died quite a few years back...
Thems were the real good ole' days. In all my readings the only "poisoning" I ever read of was from lead (bullets ;)).
geo