Well, okay, from across the planet. Here's a good place to
input that "Pit-Roasted Beast with Bit-berries" recipe, or maybe Cousin
Martha's last recipe for "Scones With Stones" before the family began an
urgent dental program.
Use the guidelines in Departments / Sausage Recipes if appropriate. (Otherwise, don't. Perhaps we'll get over it somehow.)---To post a new item, click in the white "New post" area and write your li'l heart out.
To reply to a post, click on the underlined "reply" thingie, then type your comment.
---Need to add an image to your comment or reply? Use code like the following in your post.
(If you copy the last of the four "tags" out of PhotoBucket and paste it in here, it should work.) Example: [URL=http://s1164.photobucket.com/user/erlwebmail/media/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg.html][xxx]http: //i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q563/erlwebmail/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg[/xxx][/URL]
where you substitute "IMG" for the "xxx" in both places. (Evidently the 2nd copy of the path to the image, surrounded by the "IMG" tags in square brackets, does the trick.)
---Don't forget to click on "Publish" to "make it happen."
AREPAS de CHOCLO
ReplyDeleteWe were in Colombia, recently, for our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding. There, we learned of the arepa (pronounced “ah ray pah”), which is to the nation of Colombia what the tortilla is to Mexico. …or more.
It consists of white (or better, yellow) corn meal, ground very fine, formed into a cake half a centimeter or so thick, (sometimes thicker so it can be more easily split and stuffed, once grilled. The authentic form of corn meal is called "choclo," yellow cornmeal with a bit of cane sugar mixed in. (The white corn kind usually has wheat flour mixed in, because it’s cheaper. Beware!)
It is lamentable that a few years ago, due to a screw-up by a certain large chemical company that was busy genetically modifying corn, some of the FrankenCorn escaped, contaminated the yellow corn crop, and they had to buy it all up and destroy it. That, combined with our government's subsidies on corn-based ethanol (guess who lobbies for that, too) has really disrupted corn supply. ...so hold out for the good stuff, the yellow corn. Down with maiz blanca! (…although arepas made from either type of masa are delicious.)
So, uh, where were we? Oh, yeah, arepas. You can stuff an arepa corn cake with anything edible and it tastes great! The pita bread guys got nuthin' on arepas. The menu at one of the restaurants we stopped at in the mountains to the west of Cali listed 27 kinds. The one with deep-fried pork belly is to die from. No! ...die for. There are various meats, cheeses, fruits, mushrooms of various types, various hamburger and cheeseburger styles (hamburger with a fried egg is quite good), various pizza styles (one with ham and Kabanosy sausage), seafood, ...endless varieties. If you can whack a chunk of anything edible off and stuff it in, you're good to go. Add some chimichurri sauce, or maybe some of the fairly tame local pepper sauce while you are at it. You’ll love it.
RECIPE for half a dozen Arepas (pronounced “ah ray pahs”)
(Roughly translated from the corn meal package)
• One cup of fine-ground corn meal (masa arepa, sometimes “masarepa”)(the yellow type is preferred)
• One cup of water
• One half teaspoon salt
• One teaspoon butter, margarine, oil, or lard.
• (optional) shredded mild white cheese such as queso fresco, Monterrey Jack, or Swiss
Start heating up a griddle or pan to medium-high.
Gradually add the water to the corn meal, mixing as you go. Knead the dough briefly, then let it rest for 3 minutes. Mix in the salt and butter/margarine/oil/lard. Mix in the cheese, if used. Knead briefly. Let rest a few minutes.
Separate the dough into six balls. Flatten each by hand onto waxed paper or a non-stick surface. Work each into a circular shape about ½ to 1 cm thick. If you plan to add an egg or slice of cheese, leave an upturned edge around the upper side.
Grease the griddle or pan lightly. Fry each dough circle on one side until slightly brown, then either
(1) Put the cheese, egg, or filling on one, then slap the uncooked side of another onto it. Grill for a bit until browned, then flip and grill the other side until browned. Serve, or remove to a plate to cool.
(2) flip and grill the other side until browned. Top with an optional topping, or leave plain. Serve, or remove to a plate to cool.
Each arepa can be split on the edge like a pita to reveal a pocket, which can be filled with various ready-to-eat fillings such as cooked bacon, cheese, eggs, meats, vegetables. Optionally, fillings, sauces, etc. may be placed on top. ...more ideas to follow shortly.
Variation: To fix “arepa de huevo,” split an arepa (or fix halves, as described above), add a raw egg, seal the side back together with a little moistened dough, and brown until the egg is cooked.
Duk
...fixed a couple of arepas de huevo this morning, after writing about them and then dreaming about them. Delicioso.
ReplyDeleteI’ve grown particular to my own recipe Arepas con pato – corn pancakes with DUCK! They are delicious and help build strong bodies twelve different ways! There’s nothing like duck! Yup, duck, duck, duck! Shucks, I like duck poached, boiled, broiled, baked, fried, grilled, crispy, raw, underdone, overdone, barbequed, blanched, pressure-cooked, par-boiled, deep-fried, steamed, browned, blackened, roasted, or stewed! And duck seasoned with 12 gauge double-aught buck is the very best!
ReplyDeleteHmmm....
ReplyDeleteHey! Wait a minute, Bucko! (...or is it Buck-Shot-O ?) Last time we had this discussion, we were staring each other down at fifty paces, only you couldn't count ta fifty and turned too quickly fer me and I nearly got my brains blowed out with some Texas Hot Links.
They wuz delicious. Let's do it again sometime.
Lack Rat Now!
Duk
What? Who, who, who.... can't count to fifty.... you... you... unhinged turkey wannabe! I'll have you know I learned how to county to fifty by the sixth grade!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“Cowboy’s Ham Hock’s N’ Beans”
ReplyDelete(Cure And Smoke Your Own Ham Hocks For A Great Dinner Dish)
Ask your butcher for “short-shank fresh hams” more commonly called “ham hocks”. Be sure to ask for “fresh” – meaning not cured. Hocks are cured exactly like ham except they are pumped to 15% of their green weight (instead of 10% in ham) because they lose about 4% more pickling solution than does ham.
For pumping 25 lbs. of hocks at 15% of their green weight, you’ll need to inject 3.75 lbs. of brine. Using the following recipe, measure the correct amount of nitrite (Cure #1) into cold water and give the piggy’s hocks a shot in several places being sure to inject brine along the bones. What could be easier?
For 25 lbs. of Ham Hocks:
5 quarts ice water
1 lb. kosher salt
1 cup powdered dextrose
2/3 cup Cure #1
Next, submerge the “pumped” ham in the remaining brine (called a “pickle”), for five days at 38˚F. (3˚C.).
Finally, the cured ham hocks are removed from the brine, rinsed, and placed into 170°F. (77°C.) water until the center of the meat reaches 150°F. (66°C.). This “preparatory” cooking ensures the elimination of cryptosporidium paryum and trichinella spiralis. Having cured the hocks with nitrite, along with cooking them, you have also removed the threat of clostridium botulinum, campylobacter jejuni, escherichia coli O157:H7, listeria, cyclospora cayetanensis, staphylococcus aureus, clostridium perfringens, and… three pathogens in particular responsible for 1,500 deaths annually - salmonella, listeria monocytogenes, and toxoplasma.
The cooking may take several hours. Be patient and don’t try to rush the process. Use a probe type thermometer with a timing alarm to alert you when the meat has cooked. Note that at 138°F. (59°C.), any possible trichinella spiralis are destroyed. At 150°F. (66°C.), the ham hocks become fully cooked and any threat of “crypto” has been removed. Cool the hocks with cold running water and dry them. Remove them to a cold smoker using a thin hickory smoke for several days.
If you wish to hot-smoke the hocks, skip the water-cooking step described above and use your smoker-cooker. Preheat it to 120˚F. (49˚C.) and dry the hocks several hours. Increase the temperature to 140˚F. (60˚C.) and introduce hickory smoke for eight hours. Increase the temperature again to 165˚F. (74˚C.) and continue smoking until the meat temperature reaches beyond 138˚F. (59˚C.) to destroy any possible trichinae. To fully cook the hocks, allow the meat temperature to reach 152˚F. (67˚C.). Cool the hocks with cold water until their temperature drops to a point cool enough to refrigerate them overnight.
To make the recipe dish:
Ingredients:
1 lb. dried lima beans, soaked overnight, drained
4 ham hocks
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tspn. sugar
½ tspn. pepper
¼ tspn. cloves
salt to taste
Place the beans in the bottom of a Dutch oven and add 1-1/2 quarts of water. Bring the water to boil, immediately reduce the heat to simmer, and add all the remaining ingredients. Barely simmer the mixture eight to ten hours, covered, stirring and adding moisture as needed
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Rocky Mountain Smoked Trout (P.1)
ReplyDeleteWe have a few lakes so high in these mountains that sometimes astronauts just paddle their canoes to shore then step out onto the moon. Our fishing techniques used on these high lakes must seem a little peculiar or strange to the uninitiated. You see, to catch pan-size rainbows and native trout, we don’t use fishing poles! In fact, we don’t use fishing tackle at all. We use cooking equipment instead!
The trick of catchin’ these tasty little fellas is to place a black iron skillet over a slow, “up-wind” campfire near the waterline, add lots of garlic and a little butter, then carefully place a trout-catchin', hand-tied fly into the skillet. Then we run like hell and hide in the trees while the garlic aroma drifts across a lake. Sometimes it takes just a minute, but we wait patiently for the trout to get just one whiff of the garlic aroma. It’s a sight to behold! You see, the trout actually stampede to the surface in herds rather than schools. Yes, yes, the deafening thunder of hundreds of fish trying to crowd into just one twelve-inch black skillet has been known to frighten away untrained, amateur fishermen in disbelief! My advice to beginners who haven’t quite perfected the technique is to always bring along a "back up" cut of meat, just in case this carefully-planned strategy fails. A shoulder of lamb will do nicely. On the other hand, if one inadvertently or haphazardly happens to fall out of his canoe while holding an Eastern Utah Spinner with the fuse lit, there just possibly may be fish enough to feed the village.
Rocky Mountain Smoked Trout
Fillet or butterfly a few trout or any fish you wish to smoke and preserve. Place the fillets into a solution of two gallons of water mixed with four cups of uniodized salt . Allow the mixture three-quarters of an hour to filter out excess blood, then discard the saltwater and rinse the fillets completely in fresh, cold water. Next, prepare the brining solution.
“Chuckwagon’s Chokin’ Smokin’ Potion”
(Bland Curing Brine For Hot-Smoking Fish)
2 gallons water
1-1/2 lbs. uniodized salt
1 lb. white sugar
4 level tspns. Prague Powder #1
1-1/2 oz. black peppercorns (crushed)
1 oz. bay leaves (crushed)
This bland brine allows more prominent fish flavor to shine through. Heat the brine to 100°F. (38°C.) and stir it. Remove the pot from the heat and soak the fish in the brine three hours before rinsing it in cold running water. Hang and drip-dry the fish three hours in a well-ventilated area while a pellicle develops. Place the dry fish into a smokehouse and introduce light alder or hickory smudge at 120° F (49° C.) for a period of several hours. Taste the fish to determine the intensity of smoke flavor. Continuing heating, (with more smoke if desired) gradually increasing the smokehouse temperature to 140° F. (60° C.) Hold this temperature until a glossy, mahogany finish is developed on the surface of the fish in about three more hours. The partially- cooked, wholly smoked fish is then gradually cooled in open air for six hours before being refrigerated. Do not be concerned that the fish may not be entirely cooked through. (Sushi is served raw). However, smoked fish indeed, remains a perishable product and should be refrigerated and consumed within thirty days. Try smoked, flaked, trout in your favorite green salad.
(Continued in next post)
Rocky Mountain Smoked Trout (P.2)
ReplyDeleteBoulder Mountain Smoked Fish
(More Flavorful Curing Brine For Hot-Smoking Freshwater Or Saltwater Fish)
This “more spicy” brine allows less prominent fish flavor while creating an interesting taste due to the lime juice and honey with soy. The first step (as above) is to remove excess blood in the fish by placing fillets into a solution of two gallons of water with four cups of un-iodized salt. Allow the mixture forty-five minutes to filter out excess blood before rinsing the fillets completely in fresh, cold water. Next, prepare a brining solution.
Boulder Mountain Brining Solution:
2 gallons water
1-1/2 lbs. un-iodized salt
1 lb. white sugar
4 level tspns. Prague Powder #1
1-1/2 oz. black toasted peppercorns (crushed)
1 oz. bay leaves (crushed)
2 Tbspn. garlic powder
½ cup honey
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worchester Sauce
Heat the brine to 100°F. stirring it occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat and soak the fish in the brine three hours before rinsing it with cold running water. Hang and drip-dry the fish three hours in a well-ventilated area while a pellicle develops. Place the dry fish into a smokehouse and introduce alder or light hickory smudge at 120° F. (49° C.) for several hours. Light applewood smoke is also another popular choice. Taste the fish to determine the intensity of smoke flavor. Continue heating, (with more smoke if desired) gradually increasing the smokehouse temperature to 120° F. (49° C.) Hold this temperature until a glossy, mahogany finish is developed on the surface of the fish in about three more hours. Be careful not to overcook the fish. If it remains undercooked a bit, it will be fine. (In many cultures, fish is eaten raw.) The partially-cooked, wholly-smoked fish is then gradually cooled in open air for six hours before being refrigerated. Remember, smoking absolutely does not cure meat or fish. Smoked fish is perishable and it should be refrigerated and consumed within thirty days.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Chuckwagon’s “Smoke n’ Choke Turkey (P. 1)
ReplyDelete(Delicious, Moist, Smoked Turkey)
Here are two of the tastiest ways I know to prepare a turkey. The first is for brined-cured “smoked turkey”, and the second is for a unique way of baking a turkey that will cause your tonsils to smack the daylights out of your lips!
P.S. At first glance, it seems like a lot of Prague Powder Cure is being used. Remember, it is used to treat three gallons, work its magic, then it is poured straight down the drain – leaving an ideal 156 ppm. sodium nitrite.
2 gallons water
1 gallon 7-Up™ (soft drink)
2-1/4 cups powdered dextrose
1-1/2 cups salt
1 cup Prague Powder #1
Use one of the two following pickling methods:
The “Cover Pickle Method” - Dissolve all the ingredients in water chilled at 38-40° F. (3°C.). Wash the cavity of the turkey very well and raise the temperature of the turkey to 38-40° F. (3°C.) before placing it into the brine. The turkey should be submerged in the brine for at least 4 days at 38-40° F. A larger turkey will take about 5 days to cure. After curing, place the turkey in ice-cold water for three hours.
OR…
The “Spray-Pump Method” - Dissolve all the ingredients in water chilled to 38-40° F. (3°C.) Stitch pump the turkey with the curing solution using only 10% of the weight of the turkey. (If using a 20 lb. turkey, pump with 2 Lbs. of brine. A 15 lb. turkey requires 1-1/2 lbs. of brine, while a 10 lb. bird needs 1 lb. of brine). After pumping, place the turkey in ice-cold water for at least 3 hours. Remove the turkey from the water and place it into the remaining pickling solution at 38-40° F. (3°C.) inside a 38-40° F. (3°C.) cooler and allow it to cure 48 hours.
Smoking And Cooking The Turkey
After the turkey has been cured then soaked in cold, fresh, water, place it into a preheated smoker at 130° F. (54°C.). Cook the turkey at this temperature for at least 1 hour with the damper wide open to help remove moisture. Close the damper ¾ shut (only ¼ open) and apply a trickle of light smoke for 5 hours at 130° F. (54°C.). Hickory with apple is ideal. Avoid heavy smoke such as mesquite. Raise the temperature to 140° F. (60°C.) and hold the temperature 4 more hours, then cut off the smoke. Gradually, raise the smoke house temperature to 180° F. (82°C.) and maintain the temperature until the internal meat temperature reaches 160°F. (71°C.). Many folks prefer to finish baking the bird inside their home ovens following the initial smoking, serving it fully cooked. This is a moist and tasty option to the traditionally roasted Thanksgiving turkey… when not overcooked! Remember the “carry over effect” in which meat will continue to climb in temperature when removed from its cooking heat source. Removed from the oven when the meat temperature registers only a few degrees slightly above 160°F. (71°C.), turkey will generally continue to cook until it registers 170°F. (77°C.). Cooked further, the meat will be dry – most unprofessional! Use a dial meat thermometer, inserting the stem close to the ball-and-socket joint of the thigh, as this is the last place the meat becomes thoroughly cooked. Remove the turkey from the smoker and serve it hot with a meal or allow the internal temperature of the meat to drop to about 100°F. (38°C.) before placing it into the cooler for a day. Slice the cold meat thinly for sandwiches. Smoked turkey is a perishable product and should be kept refrigerated.
(Continued in next post)
Chuckwagon’s “Smoke n’ Choke Turkey (P. 2)
ReplyDeleteA Unique Method For Roasting A Turkey
Brining A Bird Western Style
We have a distinctive way of preparing a turkey for holidays. We simply brine it in the soft drink 7-Up (mixed in water with salt) overnight. I've often made a turkey brined in Dr. Pepper and one brined in 7-Up and let guests take their pick. I always include a bit of kosher salt to make about a 40° brine solution and place the turkeys in camping coolers (ice chest) just barely submerged in the soda pop. Then I fill the rest of the cooler with ice cubes and let 'em soak twelve hours. Beneath the ice, they are safe. I've baked them until the thighs register 160 degrees F., then removed them from the oven. They are allow to cool just a bit before being finished on a smoky grill finally bringing the temperature up to 170 degrees F. (77 degrees C.).
Please note: More than 175 degrees F., (79 degrees C.) and a turkey becomes too dry. Lots of turkeys are ruined by cooks who think they can cook the bird to about 190F. (88 degrees C.) or so. Temperatures this high just ruin a good bird! If you quit cooking the gobbler when the IMT reaches 170 F degrees (77 C.) , I guarantee the meat will be juicy - especially if it has been brined in 7-Up with a bit of added salt. The salt will actually go into the cells of the meat, change the structure of the proteins, then most of it will exit, allowing the retention of moisture. Its a great way to prepare a turkey. If you are pressed for time, inject the flesh with a multiple-orafice needle and soak it a few hours before you bake it. A little smoke goes a long way on the grill. Twenty minutes in heavy smudge in indirect heat should do the trick.
“Chuckwagon's Dutch Oven Turkey”
(Classic Dutch Oven Roasted Turkey)
Preparing The Bird
Choose a turkey allowing at least a pound per person then thaw it, under refrigeration allowing three to four hours per pound. Remove the neck and giblets for gravy. Reserve the liver for another use or discard it, then prepare the gravy base while the turkey cooks simmering the giblets in a little water for a few hours.
To roast the turkey, allow for baking time of 20 minutes per pound for 8-12 pound birds, or 15 minutes per pound for 12-16 pound birds. Elevate the turkey above the cooking surface (using a cake rack works well), and cover it loosely with foil. Note the turkey is dry roasting and the rack will keep the bird from braising in its own juices. Season the bird by rubbing it beneath the skin with olive oil, rendered bacon drippings, and a teaspoon of soy sauce mixed with salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders.
Most turkeys are too large for the internal temperature of the bird to reach sufficient temperatures quickly enough to kill bacteria present in stuffing that has been refrigerated. For this reason, you should plan to prepare the stuffing separately or prepare and stuff the turkey immediately before the roasting begins.
The flavor of a turkey may be dramatically improved by stitch pumping (injecting) it. The pump resembles a large hypodermic needle you may fill with melted butter and bacon drippings, along with all sorts of other favorite flavors including soy, Worcestershire, powdered spices, and salted broth. This prevents the turkey from becoming dry without the need for additional basting, providing the proper cooking times and temperatures are observed.
Slicing wide strips of salt pork or slab bacon, and laying the strips across the turkey breast, is another method of adding great flavor. Some western grannies start the roasting with the bird upside down, turning it over the last hour and finishing it off at a higher temperature.
(Continued in next post)
Chuckwagon’s “Smoke n’ Choke Turkey (P. 3)
ReplyDeleteCooking The Bird
The rule of thumb is to select a lower temperature of 300°F. (149°C.)if you allow sufficient time in advance and keep the bird moist by basting it every thirty minutes. This amount of heat works best, keeping in mind that the lower the temperature, the longer the cooking. Excellent results may also be achieved at 325°F. (162°C.) and once the temperature of the bird reaches 135°F. (57°C.), you may increase the oven temperature to 400°F. (204°C.) for a brief time for browning. At this point the turkey will finish cooking rapidly. If you decide to increase the oven temperature for browning it is important to pay close attention and constantly monitor the bird's internal temperature.
At 180°F. (82°C.) internal meat temperature, the white meat will be overcooked! A perfectly cooked bird requires the use of a thermometer, preferably, an instant-read, probe-type thermometer with an alarm. Nowadays we see the new-fangled pop-up timers. Forget ‘em! The white meat will be overcooked and dry as it fully cooks at a lower temperature than does the dark meat portion of the bird. The best temperature for perfectly cooked white meat is 155-160°F. (68°-71°C.) with the probe place inside the breast. Be certain that the thermometer does not touch bone or the results will be inaccurate. There is absolutely nothing wrong with removing the leg portions, boosting the heat ten degrees, and allowing them to cook ten minutes longer.
Goodness! I almost forgot the gravy!
“Chuckwagon’s Tidal Wave Turkey Gravy”
(The Best Turkey Gravy In The West!)
This recipe has so much flavor in it, you may wish to just drink it! Best of all, it may be made ahead and used a little at a time.
turkey neck & giblets (without the liver)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tblspn. vegetable oil
4 cups turkey broth* (see below)
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 tblspns. butter
6 tblspns. flour
salt and pepper
*If you are unable to make your own turkey broth, please use Swanson’s chicken broth as it is made using onions, carrots, and celery. Hey, my reputation is on the line here!
To make the Tidal Wave Broth, heat the oil in a large black skillet, and brown the giblets (without the liver) and the neck until they are nicely seared. Add the onions, cook them until they are softened, and then remove the skillet from the heat for fifteen minutes. Re-heat the skillet, adding the broth and herbs, and scrape the fond from the bottom of the skillet as the mixture begins to boil before turning it down to simmer half an hour. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth and discard the solids. Store the flavored broth in the refrigerator two days or freeze it until you are ready to cook Chuckwagon’s Tidal Wave Turkey Sausage and sourdough biscuits.
To make the Tidal Wave Gravy, heat the refrigerated broth in a pan, and then melt the butter in a shallow Dutch oven over medium heat, whisking in the flour to make a roux. Cook the flour and butter roux, whisking it until it becomes the color of dark honey. Add the broth to the roux, a little at a time, as you continue to stir it with a wisk. Simmer the gravy until it thickens, stirring it constantly.
Note: If you wish to use this Tidal Wave Gravy with a freshly cooked turkey, add even more flavor by scraping up the browned bits of fond left in the roasting pan as you reheat the pan on the stove. Deglaze the roasting pan with a bit of white wine or water and then pour the drippings into a fat separator. When it has cooled, stir the fond-flavored defatted drippings into the gravy for even more richness. Simmer the gravy two minutes, finally seasoning it with salt and pepper. Good luck, Let me know how your turkey turn out.
Best wishes,
Chuckwagon
I've got a couple dozen turkey legs that my wife picked up for a real nice price, she loves smoked turkey legs. I figure to make about a half batch of Smoke 'n Choke brine, which as you well know I've used many many times in the past, and just pickle-brine these legs in the fridge, no injecting. My question, should you feel so kind as to answer, would be as to how long the turkey legs should sit covered in the brining solution in my refrigerator? 36 hours? 48? GBYTM! RAY
DeleteRay, if you don't plan to inject them, let them brine 48 hours. Much over that, and the meat may begin to become mushy.
DeleteJerky – Rocky Mountain Rawhide!
ReplyDeleteHi Smoke Addicts! Do you love good jerky as much as most folks do? Have you priced it in the stores lately? Making good jerky is so simple, it’s a shame not to make and enjoy your own for a fraction of the price of an inferior store-bought product. If you have a great recipe or technique, please post it here. We’d sure like to hear about it so we may share it with others.
Jerky is simply dried beef or venison and it may be ground (comminuted) or simply dried in whole strips. For good comminuted (ground and formed) jerky, just grind the meat, add the cure and spices, mix well and press the raw meat onto sterile screens to dry. The best jerky is made without fat, as dried fat becomes rancid. Use the leanest meat you can find. Top or bottom round beef is a good choice. Great jerky can be made from thin strips cut about 3/8” wide and only ¼” thick. Lay them out on screens after soaking them in the mixture (refrigerated) for three days. After soaking, allow them to dry 10 days or more, then apply light smoke. Remember, this product is dried - not cooked! So, don’t try to rush the process with heat.
Although you don't need any casing, you will need to add Cure #1 accordingly. Our American Cure is much stronger than some cures in other countries, so please be very careful to add the right amount. If you’re not sure how strong your cure is, ask us!
Here are a few recipes you might enjoy: I’m sorry, you might have to look up our measurements.
Rytek’s Recipe:
3 lbs. lean beef or venison
1 tbspn. Salt
1 tspn. Cure #1
1 tspn. Onion powder
1 tspn. Garlic powder
1 tspn. Black pepper (ground)
¼ cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
New England (mild and very good)
2 lbs ground meat
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2.26 g. of Cure #1 (USA)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup water
Texas (Cowboy Style)
2 lbs ground meat
2tsp salt
2.26 g. of Cure #1 (USA)
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp oregano
½ cup water
New Orleans (Southern United States) Cajun
2 lbs ground meat
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
2.26 g. of Cure #1 (USA)
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup water.
Guadalajara (Mexican)
2 lbs ground meat
¼ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup water
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbsp powdered fajita mix
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt.
2.26 g. of Cure #1 (USA)
Best wishes, Chuckwagon
"Cookin' Yer' Own Goose"!
ReplyDelete(Preparing Any Fowl For Baking With Dressing)
Twist the choke on yer' twelve gauge while you stop paddling the canoe for a moment. Drop a goose into the Green River then paddle like crazy to retrieve it. Back at the ol’ ranch, immerse the goose into boiling water only a few seconds, then pluck, and pick out all the feathers. Thoroughly clean and draw the goose, removing the head, neck, feet, and wings with your knife. These parts are scalded to enable you to remove the pinion feathers and the rough skin from the feet. Stubbly pinfeathers are simply burned away with a flame. Split and scrape the inside of the gizzard, and carefully cut out the gall from the liver. Stewed giblets make fine pie for another day's dinner. A goose is cleaned and dressed in exactly the same manner, as is any other poultry. Here is a link to some tips I put together for the unitiated: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4972
Next, bake six potatoes inside your Dutch oven. While they are cooking, finely chop six onions, four apples, and twelve sage leaves, and fry them slightly in a saucepan with two ounces of butter seasoned with a little pepper and salt. The fried mixture is then mixed well with the baked inside pulp of the potatoes. Stuff the goose with the mixture then tie its legs together. Place an iron trivet inside the Dutch oven, shake some flour over the goose, and bake it for an hour and a half.
"Gunpowder Gulch Grilled Goose"
(Hickory Smoked Grilled Goose)
1 dressed wild goose
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tblspns. Worcestershire sauce
1 tspn. onion powder
1 tspn. garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together, then marinate a cleaned and dressed wild goose at least two hours in the mixture. Braise or steam the goose until it is only partially cooked. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees and add moistened hickory sawdust. Grill the bird using indirect heat, basting it often with the marinade, until the internal meat temperature reaches 157 degrees F.
"Wasatch Wild Goose With Currant Sauce"
(Baked Wild Goose)
1 dressed wild goose
1/2 cooking apple (cored)
1/2 orange (unpeeled)
4 dried prunes (pitted & chopped)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
"Cowboy's Currant Sauce"
(Currant Sauce For Geese)
1/4 cup red currant jelly (yer’ own of course)
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup port wine
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tblspns. butter
Core the apple and orange and cut them into wedges. Mix them with the chopped prunes and spoon the mixture into the cavity of the goose. Place the goose, breast side up, into a Dutch oven. Combine the soup mix, wine, and water and pour the mixture over the goose. Bake the bird, covered, at 350 degrees F. for two and a half hours or until it is almost done, basting it a few times with the liquid. Remove the cover and continue to bake another half hour or until the bird is golden brown and done. Serve the goose with plenty of Cowboy's Currant Sauce. Make the sauce by combining the ingredients in a small saucepan and cooking it over medium heat, stirring it constantly, until it is thoroughly heated.
Hope you give these a try. Wild geese are great if cleaned and cooked correctly. Be sure to try the currant sauce too.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon