I use empty factory boxes. If I’m being picky I like the boxes from norma bondstrike with the nifty little 5 packs. Holds ammo well and easy to throw in the pack.
Elk neck, shank, shoulder for tacos. Cheated and used beef tallow. Rubbed and smoke a while, braised in tallow, broth, limes, chipotle/tomato sauce, onions and peppers to 200, shredded for tacos.
It’s definitely cured after 12 days. Sliced it super thin. Also smoked a corned beef, found some at Walmart for $1 lb. I piled both on my sandwich, w/ Swiss, kraut, thousand island. It was a dang fine meal.
I have a 5 lb elk top round in the pastrami cure. Going 10 days and then the pepper rub. I have wound up with a little uncured spot in the middle in these bigger ones before…
“I dream someday of actually have to hoist a whole elk out of the truck bed.”
There is almost no reason to ever do this, accept to say you’ve done it.
Also, I’ve done it and will never do it again.
We put up hundreds of lbs every year of ground in 2 lb tubes. We use a stuffer to stuff though, not the grinder. Works a lot better.
If I was to get a sealer, I’d be interested in a chamber for steaks and roasts and such.
That neck has to cook long enough to break down the connective tissue, same with shank, etc… but it has to be kept moist.
I’ve rubbed with oil, seasoned, rolled, tied and smoked them. Smoke a few hours, then braise covered in a mixture of beef broth, tallow, peppers in adobo, and limes, either...
I have a real good load for the 139 Lrx but wasn’t impressed at all with how it performed on elk, or anything for that matter. FWIW the load uses big game powder. Shoot for the shoulder and keep shootin…