The Jerky Buccaneer: A Brief History of Pirates and Smoked Meat

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The origin of the word "buccaneer" leads you down the barbecue trail!


A "Buccaneer" was a type of privateer or pirate who typically roamed the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries.  The origin of the name comes from a corruption of the name used by the French to describe the hunters of wild boars and cattle in the largely uninhabited areas of Tortuga and Hispaniola. The meat from the animals they caught was slowly smoked over a low fire on a wooden framework or hurdle the native people called a “buccan” or “boucan.” The French called them boucanes which were used to make viande boucanée – what we would call jerked meat or jerky. The Spanish called the same process "barbacoa," which later became known as "barbecue." The illustration to the right is a depiction of a "Buccaneer of the Caribbean" by famous pirate artist Howard Pyle. 

The most popular meat for smoking on the boucan was pork, but any meat would do--and this even included manatee and turtle. The meat was sometimes marinated and brushed with a mixture of citrus juice, salt, and spices. The heat from the slow fire and heavy smoke permeated and dried the meat resulting is a dense, dry, chewy jerky. In a time before refrigeration, this made the meat portable and long-lasting-- which also made it a good protein food source for sailors and ships at sea. It was an alternative to the salted meats typically supplied as shipboard rations.

Eventually, some boucaniers turned to farming, while others took to the seas and plundered ships. As proficient hunters, they were already excellent marksmen. As a result, the term “boucanier” became synonymous with pirates, thus the term buccaneer.  The engraving below depicts a "Boucanier" in the process of smoking meat. You can also see them butchering the animals and laying out the hides to tan. (From Nicolas De Fer's 1698 Map L'amerique. 

Make your OWN pirate boucan!

Modern-day boucaniers have a number of ways to create their own boucan jerky. Using contemporary tools such as a smoker or dehydrator, you can easily prepare delicious, long-lasting jerky that is flavorful and satisfying in a relatively short amount of time—no need to tend to a stack of smoldering timber for days on end. Combined with your choice of spices and seasonings, along with a liquid for marinating, you can have a gift-worthy snack ready in just a few hours.  

Most contemporary jerky recipes call for the use of curing salts, which are generally a mixture of table salt and sodium nitrite, which serves to inhibit the growth of bacteria, specifically Clostridium Botulinum in an effort to prevent botulism. It also helps preserve the color of cured meat—without it, the meat would be an unappetizing gray. One of the most common curing salts is Prague Powder #1. It is also called Insta Cure #1 or Pink curing salt #1. It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% table salt (NaCl). It is recommended for meats that require short cures that will be cooked and eaten relatively quickly. (No problem there!) Sodium nitrite provides the characteristic flavor and color associated with cured meat. Following is my own recipe, which is rich and spicy with just the right amount of heat. I always make a fairly large batch so I have plenty to share—it makes a great gift!

DR. JERRY’S PIRATE BOUCAN SMOKED BEEF JERKY RECIPE                

Rich and Mildly Spicy
Prep time 30 mins; Cook time 2.5 hours; Total time 3 hours

Ingredients:
·        2-3 lbs. Lean Top Round or Eye of Round Beef or Venison Roast
(The more tender the cut is, the more tender the jerky will be. Eye of Round is my favorite cut for this.)
 Marinade
·        1/2 cup soy sauce
·        1/2 cup cold water
·        2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
·        4 tsp cane sugar
·        2 tsp garlic powder
·        1/2 tsp Cayenne Powder
·        1/2 tsp black pepper
·        1/2 tsp onion powder
·        1/2 tsp Prague Powder #1 (Curing salt, available from sporting goods stores or online)

Instructions
1.     Trim all visible fat from the beef, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze. (This makes the meat easier to slice evenly.)
2.     Combine the marinade ingredients in a tight-sealing “Tupperware” type bowl or zipper lock bag and mix well.
3.     Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips against the grain. Slice it with the grain if you prefer a chewier texture.
4.     Add sliced beef to the mixture and marinate for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. Stir/shake the mixture frequently to distribute the marinade.
5.     After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and strain away excess marinade.
6.     Pat the strips dry using paper towels.
7.     Skewer each piece with a toothpick and use the toothpick to suspend each piece from the rack of your smoker. If you don’t have a smoker, use a dehydrator following the manufacturer directions, or use a low oven.*
8.     The jerky is finished when you bend it and it cracks, but does not break. Don’t over dry it!
9.     Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Try not to eat it all at once.

*If you want a smoky taste but do not have a smoker, add 2 tbsp liquid smoke to your marinade.

It's Boucan, man!

References:

Oxford English Dictionary
The Buccaneer's Realm: Pirate Life on the Spanish Main, 1674-1688 by Benerson Little (Potomac Books, 2007)

AtlasObscura.com
Dr. Jerry Hedrick Chiropractor Board Medicine Revoke License Court Allegations Bayside Chiropractic Virginia Beach




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