Deep-Boar Jerky
Deep-Boar Jerky is a beloved dwarven staple: dense, smoky, packed with protein, and able to last months in the deepest tunnels. Made from the tough but flavorful meat of the Deep-Boar (a wild, subterranean cousin of the Cave-Hog), this jerky is both provision and ritual, often spiced with regional blends and smoked over funguswood embers.
It’s chewed by miners, warriors, scouts, and even offered in shrines as food for ancestral spirits who “never stop digging.”
“If your jaw ain’t sore by the end, it wasn’t real jerky.”
Manufacturing process
Instructions
- Slice the Meat
- Trim off visible fat and slice meat into long, thin strips (about ½ cm thick and ~8–10 cm long).
- Cutting against the grain results in more tender jerky, while with the grain makes it chewier and longer-lasting.
- Marinate
- In a stone or wooden bowl, mix all ingredients to form a thick marinade.
- Add meat strips, toss to coat, and press down.
- Cover with a mosscloth and marinate 12–24 hours in a cool stone pantry.
- Dry or Smoke:
Traditional Method:
- Lay strips on a drying rack over low-burning funguswood coals.
- Smoke slowly for 6–12 hours, turning occasionally. The heat should be low—you're drying, not cooking.
- Jerky is done when dark, leathery, and bends without snapping (but tears if pulled hard).
Oven Method:
- Preheat to 60°C (140°F) or lowest setting.
- Place strips on a rack with air circulation above a tray.
- Dry for 6–8 hours, checking every 2 hours.
- Cool and Store
- Let jerky cool completely.
- Store in waxed cloth pouches, oilskin, or sealed stone jars.
- Keeps for up to 3 months without refrigeration in dry conditions.
“No forge can temper a soul like hunger in the deeps. That’s why we keep jerky in our beards.”
Significance
Cultural Notes
- Jerky is a symbol of preparedness; a Dwarf caught without it is “unmoored.”
- Used in ancestral offerings—strips are burned or left in quiet places for spirits to consume their essence.
- Flavors vary by region:
- Smokebloom Style (with fermented flower brine)
- Broyoto Black-Cured (using sulfur salt and tunnel wine)
- Scout’s Cut (ultra-thin, laced with glowcap acid)
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Raw materials & Components
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) deep-boar meat, lean cuts (or substitute: pork shoulder or wild game)
- 1 tbsp rock salt
- 2 tsp crushed emberpepper (or smoked chili flakes)
- 2 tsp ashroot powder (or ground black garlic + smoked paprika)
- 1 tbsp stone honey or mushroom syrup (optional, for balance)
- ½ tsp crushed glowcap spores (for subtle umami)
- ¼ cup dark fungal ale, stonebroth, or vinegar (for marinade base)
- Optional: 1 tsp tunnel thyme, ½ tsp fermented cave onion paste
Serving Suggestions
- Eaten as-is for quick strength underground.
- Rehydrated in Stonelump Stew or shredded into Mossbarley Porridge.
- Some dwarves chew jerky meditatively before forging or duels.
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