Mark Thorson wrote:

> Doesn't the layer of fat on top create
> the anaerobic conditions ideal for botulism?
> Even though the confit is thoroughly cooked,
> a fat layer seems like an unreliable method
> for maintaining sterility of the meat.
> Doesn't that also mean that once the fat
> layer is broken (to remove a serving),
> the whole thing should be eaten fairly soon?
>

Botulism only grows within a specific temperature
range regardless of other conditions. Kept in a
cool enough place there's no risk of botulism. In
the old days confit was kept in a cool part of a
cellar, only during the proper seasons. Now it's
kept in the fridge.

> Also, I've seen it mentioned that duck confit
> can keep for months under refrigeration.
> Here, it says 6 months:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_confit
>
> That seems like an awful long time for
> meat to be kept in the refrigerator.
> I have a hard time believing that it
> would still be safe to eat, much less
> palatable, after six months.
>

That's one of the reasons confit is cured before
cooking. The time limit has more to do with the
oxidation and resulting rancidity of the fat
layer than anything else.

> This recipe says to cook it for 12 to 14
> hours:
>
> http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbookuck_confit
>
> That seems like an awfully long time,
> although the recommended temperature (200 F)
> is quite low. I'm tempted to try this just
> to find out how the meat is affected by
> such long and low cooking.

Long cooking makes it melty and tender. The fat helps
keep it from completely drying out, though you can go
too far. At some point it will become overcooked and
irreversibly dry. My cooking time for duck confit is
about half that.

--
Reg