No, not what you think!

I guess, more accurately, I've just shot myself in the wallet whilst building a bookshelf!

Over the last few weeks, we've been building the virtual bookshelves at http://www.shakariconnection.com/bookshelf.html.

The collection of African hunting and general related Africana is HUGE and go from the modern to the very old collectables and prices vary from about US$1 to almost US$250K. - As I've been doing my part of the work, I simply couldn't resist buying a few (actually, more than a few!) books here and there for myself. - I can never resist a good book!

Yesterday I went to the postbox to check the mail and it was full of slips telling me I had things to collect from the Post Office.......... I think I got a bit carried away, because as far as I can remember, this lot is about 25% of what I've ordered, and they almost filled the boot of the car!

I've just started reading the first of the new purchases which is 'African Adventures' by Alexander Lake and if you haven't read it, I recommend you do! - The book is simply fantastic and grabs you from the first page. He writes with an uncompromising frankness that'll have you laughing your socks off!! The book also has some seriously weird camp recipes that's gonna raise your eyebrows a bit.

Here's one of the oddest recipes. - You're gonna love this one!

SMOKED HIPPO HAMS

To the fleshy side of a 120 pound hippo ham apply 4 tablespoons saltpetre and 1 1/2 pounds brown sugar, rubbing well into the hock. Now lay the ham on its side, fleshy side up in a wooden tub or cask and cover with a 1 inch layer of good salt. Cover and set away for 6 weeks. Rub off salt, and rub in black pepper. Hang up and let drain for 8 days. Smoke with any green wood for 10 weeks. Cool. Return to tub and cover with salt mixed with 1 ounce saltpetre. After 6 days put ham in strong brine to which has been added 2 ounces each of saffron, ginger, rosemary, cumin, and 4 ounces of cloves. Soak in this brine for 7 weeks, hang up, drain well, rub with pepper and smoke again with green wood. (He doesn't say for how long)

Note: Rhino, wild pig and warthog hams cured accordingly to the foregoing recipe are equally delicious.

All I can say to that one, is rather him than me!

Now all I need to do is find the time to read and the space to store all these new books!

I think I need to come visit and borrow some of those books.

I love reading quality African Hunting books.

You'd better bring a trailer!

Steve, I don't know but would guess that recipe is probaly well over 50 years old when we didn't need instant gratification ie liqued smoke etc. I just took off the brine after 3 weeks venision hams I have corned and I can tell you they will be worth the wait.

DOJ,

I don't know anything about smoking meat etc and have always fancied having a smoker in camp..... and I can understand taking a few weeks to produce a good product, but that recipe is talking about 17+ weeks........ I'd have thought that with the African climate, 17+ weeks would be enough to damn near kill you!

Hell, I detest hippo meat at the best of times and I'd have thought 17 week old hippo meat has to be bloody swful!

Steve, I got a Hippo last fall amd I thought the steaks from the backstrap were excellent. They were aged a couple of days and marinated over night in what I thought was oilive oil, white wine and some spices. They made them as chipped steaks for starters and nice 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick steaks over the open fire. As to the 17+ weeKS I would assume the meat would hang in a cool place. Your "winters" last long enough and should be cool enough, I would think a 120 pound Hippo ham would last a while for a family of 3 or 4, eh.

Yup, I guess it's last long enough for everyone to be sick of it (or on it!) one way or another!

The saltpetre is an interesting ingredient ...

Basically all the salt peter is really doing is give it a nice color. You will get the same results without using it.

Steve, the "ham" recipe isn't really all that different from many old-time American "country ham" processes.
Some have run him down (like every other writer "some" find faluts with) but I enjoyed reading him regardless. The man had quite a colorful life, going on to become the main technical adviser on the early Tarzan films and a Hollywood fixture on everything Africana. If I recall correctly his daughter was a popular actress but I don't recall the name.

OK, curiosity got the better of me and I searched before posting. here's a bio of the man from Mike Resnick.

Or you could use granular citric acid, but you would need to use more.
Having cured large hams from hogs, I am trying to imagine how you would flip around a 160 pound ham.
Think I'll go over to the Susquehanna and see if I can see any hippos popping up thru the
ice! If I get one, I'll try curing the hams!
Bfly

Oupa,

He's a great writer and I just love his honesty which had me laughing my head off!

One of the other books by the same author I ordered off the site is subtitled animals lying in wait and hunters lying in print....... can't wait to get my hands on that one!

quote:

One of the other books by the same author I ordered off the site is subtitled animals lying in wait and hunters lying in print....... can't wait to get my hands on that one!

That should be very interesting reading...

Steve,

I'll bring some of my English bacon cure with me when I come over in May and we can get involved in a bit of warthog or bushpig bacon action.

Of course that means someone will need to go out and shoot the piggies but I'm always ready to do the jobb for the benefit of the teams breakfast!!

I'f I can I'll get some ole english ham cure too and you can do some of the same as a boiled type ham. I bet it will be stunning.

FB

Fred,

The cheapest copy on there at the moment is US$8 - I can't remember what I paid for my copy, but I guess it was a similar price.

http://www.shakariconnection.c...collection.html#lake

FB,

Sounds good to me!

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
Basically all the salt peter is really doing is give it a nice color. You will get the same results without using it.

That is not why Napolion had it added to his troops dinner. It helped keep the local woman safe.

Saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate) has been used as a meat preservative for centuries.

It was also one of the principal ingredients of early gunpowder.

And, as JH mentioned, when men consume it, it's kind of an anti-Viagra.

Much of the controversy surrounding Lake's writing is in his de-bunking what other's said vs. some of the seemingly outlandish things he says himself. Basicly he throws dirt at the "popular lore" of African hunting, at least from his time frame. Much of that lore persists to this day and people with romantic ideas tend to want to beleive it all, more over they want their friends who don't go to beleive it! A man like Lake endangers such fantasy. Like all writing from a different time, one must consider the attitudes of the day when reading and only then form your opinions acordingly.

A chapter or two in "The Truth..." is set in the Magalliesberg region. You'll enjoy it and just maybe be challenged to take a drive through the area checking out landmarks. Yes, he's quite entertaining!

Oupa,

I couldn't agree more that he's certainly very controversial in some ways and certainly not politically correct, esp in the way he refers to his staff, but as you say, we have to allow for the fact that he was writing in a diffferent time.

However, I have to say, his humour and his frankness really does have me howling with laughter from time time. I also like the way he doesn't suffer fools gladly. - which is something I have in common with him!

Steve

That aint as bad as the meat i took out for the braai last year its green and smelly and you havent arrived yet.

Smoking meat is a art i like to do i prefer the cold method so come have a look sir you can do it in your camp with a 220 gallon drum.

I smoked a few sea barbel i catched in Namibia last night and i must say it was great. There still the zambia photos and video i wanna show you.

Luan

Steve, thanks for the hippo ham curing recipe! I was looking for it ever since I read about cured hippo hams in Lake's "Killers in Africa", where he tells the story of how he got into the hippo ham business on behalf of an eccentric European gourmet in 1912...

Like many of his stories, you have to laugh out before you reach the end!

Next time I have a chance, I'll give it a try.

Luan,

Now you know what's been stopping us getting over to you for so long......... now we're getting towards having the site finished, we should be able to get over to you!

Philip,

Good to hear from you and hope it's going well for you up there. If you do ever try it, and you survive the food poisoning, let me know how it was!

Shakari,

I loved Lakes books when I read them. Really excellent reads.

Hunters Choice and Killers in Africa are both fantastic reads too.
My Post

Artemis,

They're two of the books I've got on order, so will look forward to reading them.

I see you're from dahn sarf in Blighty. Where darn sarf? I grew up in the garden of England....