Of course, sometimes my worlds collide and I find that my personal comments make their way into the public domain. This is the case with my other blog, Stefani's Hopeful Chaos, where I try to reign in the swarming chaos that is my life.
Check out the Top 5 things I'll do for my garden next year... and hold me to it!
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Mother Nature's Wrath
Dramatic weather is hitting the world all over. Tornadoes in Kansas and the first Tropical Storm of the season (two weeks early...), wildfire season has hit in Arizona and strong earthquakes in Italy that took out old brick buildings as well as new steel factories. According to the news, thankfully, only four deaths have been reported in ALL of these... though I'm sure the fatalities will increase in the Earthquake affected area. Of course, this is giving me pause to be thankful of where I am, and also to gather my supplies for the crazy summer season...
The snowfall of the 2010-2011 winter was record-breaking and the crazy storm of last Halloween certainly caught us off guard so you would think that I've gotten all my ducks in a row and am ready for the carnage Mother Nature will throw our way, but alas...I'm behind the eight ball.
Though it's summer, I am working on getting a wood-burning fireplace insert and the eco-biobricks (paper & wood pulp smashed into a cylindrical shape) ready for fall and prepping the garden soil for the tomatoes and all. I hope to expand the canning to strawberry jelly and more pickled veggies... hopefully to even get the pressure cooker going for chili and stews. We'll see how things go and if I can get the items ready before the power goes out or the tornado touches down or the snow falls...
The snowfall of the 2010-2011 winter was record-breaking and the crazy storm of last Halloween certainly caught us off guard so you would think that I've gotten all my ducks in a row and am ready for the carnage Mother Nature will throw our way, but alas...I'm behind the eight ball.
Though it's summer, I am working on getting a wood-burning fireplace insert and the eco-biobricks (paper & wood pulp smashed into a cylindrical shape) ready for fall and prepping the garden soil for the tomatoes and all. I hope to expand the canning to strawberry jelly and more pickled veggies... hopefully to even get the pressure cooker going for chili and stews. We'll see how things go and if I can get the items ready before the power goes out or the tornado touches down or the snow falls...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Don't be a jerk!
Here's to a new venture: Jerky!
'Borrowed' this from another blog - so I won't take credit myself, but certainly looking forward to tackling this venture!
Beef jerky an excellent snack, its a great way to preserve meat and also get your essential proteins. The problem that we face today is that beef jerky sold in the supermarkets is generally expensive and packed full of unhealthy additives and preservatives. How do you avoid this? The answer is simple, homemade beef jerky! Making jerky at home is much cheaper and eliminates any unnecessary preservatives from the pictures. If you're a 'do it yourself' type of person with some extra time, my homemade beef jerky recipes are sure to please!
_________________________________________________________________
Many people will tell you that only certain cuts of beef should be used to make jerky. I say bah! Any cut of meat can be used when making jerky, but cuts such as the eye round, sirloin, flank and rump will be much easier to prepare. Other cuts will take a little more effort from you, as you'll have to cut out the fat so that your beef jerky doesn't become hard to chew. It really depends on how much time you want to spend.
Once you've found the right cut of meat, you'll want to start off by placing it in the freezer for a couple of hours. The meat shouldn't be frozen all the way through as you're just looking to firm it up to make slicing it easier. Once your meat has firmed in the freezer, using a sharp knife, cut with the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Now that you're meat is cut, you'll want to choose a marinade. I've included four of my favorite beef jerky marinade recipes below.
_________________________________________________________________
All four of these Beef Jerky marinades are very easy to make and will properly marinate 4-5 pounds of jerky meat.
Hot and Sour Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 1Tblsp Powder)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
Carne Asada Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice from an Orange
Juice from a Lime
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Salt
Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe:
1 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Juice from one Orange
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Garlic Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 2tsp Onion Powder)
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger (2tsp Ginger Powder)
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Simply Pepper Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Mixed Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
_________________________________________________________________
For all the marinades above, start off by combining all ingredients into a large freezer bag and mix well. Once mixed, add your strips of meat, seal and then let it rest in your refrigerator for 12-48 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more intense the flavor.
When it comes time to cook/dry your beef jerky, there are many different techniques that can be used. I'll take you through the process of oven drying, but smokers and dehydrators are also viable options.
Start off by turning your oven to the lowest setting. 150F is about normal for most ovens.
Place the jerky strips onto baking racks or something that will allow for air flow beneath and around the slices of meat. Be sure to shake off any excess marinade. Do not place onto baking sheets as these do not provide the proper ventilation and will hold in moisture. Personally, I use a pizza pan that has a bunch of little holes in the bottom.
Move the baking trays into the oven. It's important to crack the oven door open using a knife or wooden spoon so that new air is constantly being sucked in. This will greatly improve the time it takes to dry your jerky.
It will take about 4-6 hours for your beef jerky to be ready to eat. Flip the jerky about once every hour to make sure that it is drying consistently. In the last couple hours, monitor your jerky until the desired dryness. Some people like their jerky with more moisture for a softer texture while others like myself like a drier Jerky for the nice chewiness. Just dry it to your preference.
The last step to do is cool and store. For beef jerky with a higher moisture content, seal in bags and store in the refrigerator. Jerky that has had the majority of water content removed will be able to store in a cool dark place in an airtight container. The fresh jerky will last for three weeks, if you don't eat it all by then! If you need it for longer, jerky will stay good for around a year if you store it in the freezer.
'Borrowed' this from another blog - so I won't take credit myself, but certainly looking forward to tackling this venture!
Beef jerky an excellent snack, its a great way to preserve meat and also get your essential proteins. The problem that we face today is that beef jerky sold in the supermarkets is generally expensive and packed full of unhealthy additives and preservatives. How do you avoid this? The answer is simple, homemade beef jerky! Making jerky at home is much cheaper and eliminates any unnecessary preservatives from the pictures. If you're a 'do it yourself' type of person with some extra time, my homemade beef jerky recipes are sure to please!
_________________________________________________________________
Cuts of Meat -
Many people will tell you that only certain cuts of beef should be used to make jerky. I say bah! Any cut of meat can be used when making jerky, but cuts such as the eye round, sirloin, flank and rump will be much easier to prepare. Other cuts will take a little more effort from you, as you'll have to cut out the fat so that your beef jerky doesn't become hard to chew. It really depends on how much time you want to spend.
Preparing the Meat -
Once you've found the right cut of meat, you'll want to start off by placing it in the freezer for a couple of hours. The meat shouldn't be frozen all the way through as you're just looking to firm it up to make slicing it easier. Once your meat has firmed in the freezer, using a sharp knife, cut with the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Now that you're meat is cut, you'll want to choose a marinade. I've included four of my favorite beef jerky marinade recipes below.
_________________________________________________________________
Homemade Beef Jerky Marinade Recipes -
All four of these Beef Jerky marinades are very easy to make and will properly marinate 4-5 pounds of jerky meat.
Hot and Sour Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 1Tblsp Powder)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
Carne Asada Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice from an Orange
Juice from a Lime
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Salt
Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe:
1 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Juice from one Orange
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Garlic Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 2tsp Onion Powder)
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger (2tsp Ginger Powder)
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Simply Pepper Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Mixed Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
_________________________________________________________________
Marinating the Meat -
For all the marinades above, start off by combining all ingredients into a large freezer bag and mix well. Once mixed, add your strips of meat, seal and then let it rest in your refrigerator for 12-48 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more intense the flavor.
Cooking/Drying Your Jerky -
When it comes time to cook/dry your beef jerky, there are many different techniques that can be used. I'll take you through the process of oven drying, but smokers and dehydrators are also viable options.
Oven Drying Beef Jerky:
Start off by turning your oven to the lowest setting. 150F is about normal for most ovens.
Place the jerky strips onto baking racks or something that will allow for air flow beneath and around the slices of meat. Be sure to shake off any excess marinade. Do not place onto baking sheets as these do not provide the proper ventilation and will hold in moisture. Personally, I use a pizza pan that has a bunch of little holes in the bottom.
Move the baking trays into the oven. It's important to crack the oven door open using a knife or wooden spoon so that new air is constantly being sucked in. This will greatly improve the time it takes to dry your jerky.
It will take about 4-6 hours for your beef jerky to be ready to eat. Flip the jerky about once every hour to make sure that it is drying consistently. In the last couple hours, monitor your jerky until the desired dryness. Some people like their jerky with more moisture for a softer texture while others like myself like a drier Jerky for the nice chewiness. Just dry it to your preference.
The last step to do is cool and store. For beef jerky with a higher moisture content, seal in bags and store in the refrigerator. Jerky that has had the majority of water content removed will be able to store in a cool dark place in an airtight container. The fresh jerky will last for three weeks, if you don't eat it all by then! If you need it for longer, jerky will stay good for around a year if you store it in the freezer.
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