Hey Sharkey.
You may be right about canning meat as an American tradition but it doesn't get a lot of press. You can process it with absolutely no spices at all but adding at the outset insures good absorption. I used a Montreal Steak commercial mix. A level tsp added to a jar full of cubed meat. It takes about 3 pounds of loosely packed meat per jar. The sealing lid is put on, the retaining ring put on just tight enough to hold the sealing lid in place, and it's pressure cooked at 14 PSI for 90 minutes. (My personal cooker can do 5 quarts at a time.)Let it cool for 24 hours and check the seal. If the lid is still vacuumed on tightly it's good to go. The toughest cuts will end up tender and tasty; and an unopened jar will last indefinitely without refrigeration if kept in a cool, dark spot. I had some with mashed potatoes tonight. It was excellent. I'm canning another 30 pounds of stew meat this weekend. A couple of the jars will get red chile powder, green chilies, onion, cumin, salt, and garlic in an attempt to can some chili-ready meat. Should be interesting. My hunting partner's wife has two pressure canners and he wants to take all the leftover meat from last year's elk and can it to make room in the freezer. Sounds like a plan. Elk is delicious when canned with just a pinch of salt and pepper.
Let me know if you have a go at it. It's easy.~Muir