Free Range Friday plus...

Last night, after coming home from the Bomb Squad (not the official name) meeting (I didn't stay for the whole thing, so I can't tell you much about it; the presentation I saw was about areas concerning the whole island, how they look for - and dispose of - munitions, left by both the Navy AND the Marines, an ongoing operation of necessity. Thanks, US Government),

I saw the moon smiling down on Culebra. Much nicer.
 

Earlier in the day, I'd gone to Costa del Sol for something and ended up buying a lot more than that, since apparently they'd just had a new delivery. How can you resist chuletas can can? I can't can't. What are chuletas can can? You can read about them here.

The traditional way of cooking is to fry them (and that is how they are deliciously served, if you are lucky enough to find them on a menu), but I was in the mood to grill, so grill them I did. With my trusty battery run lantern hanging from a nail in a dead tree trunk (it's the Grillin' Tree, I hang all my grilling tools from it, and occasionally, the lantern as well.

When it comes to meat, I'm pretty simple (yes, I know, I'm pretty simple about most things, but we needn't push that one right now). Garlic, pepper, heat and I'm good. So that's what I put on it: garlic powder (I was inspired to cook but not to mince garlic cloves, which would be good or even better, to roast a head of garlic and smear the meat with it...next time), a few grinds of the pepper mill, turn on the gas grill (more cheating, but I do put in little bits of wood to smoke it up a bit) and wait.

Have your grill nice and hot for those fun grill marks when searing

One reason I like to grill in the dark...

While I was waiting, flipping the chops and looking at the moon, I heard a rustling in the pile of dead sea almond leaves. A lizard? No, too much rustle.What then? Oh, a BIG hermit crab!

He didn't like the flash at all....oops

Almost done! 

and then, of course, I was so hungry that I slapped them on a plate and forgot to take another photo. These are big. Really big. I think I ate about a fourth of one of them and that was that. The leftovers? I'm going to commit a sacrilege and make a pot of black beans with the pork...that will include real garlic and onions. I use (when I have the time and interest) dry black beans so they can cook a really long time, infusing the meat and garlic and onions. I use less water than is called for because I like thick brothy beans rather than a soupy broth. But that's just me. Cook up some yellow rice, chop some red onions to put on top, add a dash or three of vinegar and yum o rama! I think I'm hungry again.


This morning, the fish have been jumping around like mad in the bay. I don't know what drove them to it, because there are no birds around checking out good bait fish, but in the dawning, their ripples and splashes shone like red and gold ribbons. I tried to get it with the camera, but...some times the magic stays beyond me. While I was trying though, in the second of clicking the shutter, a fish splashed and I did catch it. Well, it caught me, I was just going for ripples. Life is good, that way.

Have a frisky Friday! Do something favoring.