Potted meat is a method for preserving meat. The meat is cooked, placed hot in a pot, tightly packed to exclude air, and then covered with hot fat. As the fat cools it hardens and forms an airtight seal preventing spoilage by air born bacteria.[1] Before the days of refrigeration, potted meat was developed as a way to preserve meat. After animals were slaughtered, especially in domestic settings, the result was more meat than could be immediately used.[1] As a result, various methods were developed for preserving this extra meat for later; techniques included:
Often when making potted meat, only the meat of one animal was used[1]—although other recipes such as the Flemish Potjevleesch used three or four different meats. Later, cooks added herbs and spices to the meat, or made sausages from it.
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