Free Range Friday ~ Culebra ~ Beef Jerky on the Fly

I've mentioned some great things about house/critter sitting before, and one of them is being given free range, so to speak, to eat, drink and be merry with the contents of the larder and fridge. There, in the back, was some beef jerky. Beef jerky is something I really like a lot (mea culpa, my vegetarian friends) and slowly it didn't take long until the half empty package was distressingly entirely empty. What to do?

Where my mind goes when thinking about 'what to do'
April 7 a few years back

This is Culebra. You don't run out to the store to replace and restock for certain items and this was going to be one of them. I tried. First it was explaining what beef jerky is, then being shown Slim Jim's (shudder). Then I thought, this is ridiculous, I'm just going to make my own beef jerky. So I did.

I used to have a dehydrator pre-houseboat life, but they are one of those large kitchen items that gets put up on high shelves to be used a few times a year. The houseboat doesn't have high shelves like that so it went to a good home with a lot of other kitchen items I found I could live without. Point being, there are a variety of ways to make beef jerky without a dehydrator; this page from The Kitchn gives a whole lot of them, including Alton Brown's use of box fans! Go to the comments to check out alternatives, beside the main article suggestion.

I ended up using a cooking method I've never tried before, a NuWave oven. I've seen them advertised but never have gotten to use one. If there was enough space and power on the boat, I'd be an instant convert; these things rock! However, I'm not selling them, if you're interested you'll have to check them out for yourself. 

First I had to look up a recipe giving instructions on making jerky in the NuWave. And there was one, complete with video! The guy is pretty dorky but I just needed to know some average ideas. One thing he did that I didn't do was vent the oven. After reading a bunch of other things, I decided not to do that. Probably a mistake, as the jerky is amazing tasting but drier by a smidgen than I would have preferred.

First I went to Milka's meat department, because they might not have a big bag of beef jerky, but they do have excellent meat. I bought the - well, I guess they'd be called minute steaks where I come from, but a lot better. Perfect for jerky because the fat content is about 0%.

I used a brush because in the past, soaking the meat in a marinade
makes it really wet, using the dehydrator it took longer than it might have.
With this method, it might have been okay.

I made up a marinade of whatever looked good that was here, and there is plenty that looked good: teriyaki sauce, a citrus-y sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of something with some heat, a splash of olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and I think that's all. This is a fun thing to make because if you're happy with it, it's going to work. Some people use soy and ginger, some use smoked paprika and...well, you get the idea. Play with your food!

Because I knew this would take a long time and I'd started late in the day, I didn't marinade it as long as I could/should/would have. I'd say a minimum of a few hours, but used to do it overnight for even more awesome results. Do as I say, not as I do!

I used both layers of grills for this and didn't cut the meat into strips to avoid that
falling through thing. That worked! 

The package I bought had six rolled up 'steaks' of slightly varying sizes. That's plenty unless you have a really big dehydrator or a gigantic oven and plan on making a ton of this stuff (which is really a great idea, because it's time consuming and the more you make the better; it won't last long). 

At a temperature of 150 degrees F (no, I don't know what that is C, you'll have to do SOME work here!), cooking time was six hours. After 3 hours everything was flipped and switched, top to bottom. I think it was really only that last 15 or 20 minutes I could have done without, or maybe a temperature of 125 in this particular unit, but live and learn. 

Jerky is a personal thing. Some like chewy, some like brittle dry.
I like somewhere in-between and this is allllmost that. But I'm picky.

Bottom line, it turned out to be delicious. I re-filled the bag I'd emptied and still had enough to indulge my not quite sated yen. 

Even if you aren't a carnivore, dehydrating food is a great way to make something healthy and delicious for snacking on. Truthfully, the prep time is minimal (compared to making say, baklava) and the results give the double satisfaction of being made by your very own self and being good for you without shouting it out in that way healthy things sometimes do. 

On Culebra, necessity really is often the mother of invention. That worked.

Now, about those macadamia nuts...

Have a frolicsome Friday. Do something funny.

Just In Case You Need a Little Taste of Beach

It's amazing that with all the beauty around here that it is even possible to feel or think anything negative (but somehow, it's possible). When the hurly burly starts to overtake those more gentle synapse snaps, it's time to head to the Balance. Also known as the Beach. 

There were a good number of people there but for some reason, right in front of me, there was no one. I didn't take it personally. Instead I just tunnel visioned into my own private space. Plus the waves were breaking close in and hard, discouraging casual wading and paddling about. Score!

I turned around to leave a couple of times, then there would be THAT wave, drawing me back. But this beauty isn't going anywhere. Returning is easy. I will.

Have a tried and true Tuesday. Do something tempting.

Free Range Friday ~ Culebra

This is from LAST Friday, which is how long it has taken to get someplace to actually post a post! Today, unlike then, is sunny and blue and breezy and beautiful. But we'll use my magic mirror and go back in time, before we get to, eventually, today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlike yesterday, when we saw rain but lots of sun, today started cloudy, cool and with showers. Here it is mid-day and it is much the same. A day for soup! 

Soup on the simmering boil

I was inspired by the weather but also by my new baby Crock Pot, but didn't want to use it until I got the okay from Jesse that my solar set up would handle it. But then, I couldn't wait, it was just too much of a cooking day to resist (as it turns out - I found out after I'd already cooked the soup - the solar set up will work just fine)

(Update! I used the baby Crock Pot to cook soup later in the week, it works just like I was told it would; great!! Using the sun to cook a different way, saving propane, very exciting)

Into the pot went boneless, skinless (not fatless, unless you trim them a lot, which I didn't; the fat can always be skimmed off later) chicken thighs, onions, garlic, ginger, yellow squash and some fresh herbs from my little kitchen garden, thyme and lemon grass to be exact. Along with a half a bottle of TyLing Natural Thai Green Chili sauce. The sauce has only a bit of spiciness and a lot of flavor, it works for me, even though I'd already put in half the ingredients of ginger, lemon grass and garlic. Subtle but definitely there. 

And it was delicious.

Before that, though, I had a haircutting day with Debbie and David. David said, 'Bring your camera!'. I said of course, because they have this awesome deck on the place they rent and there are always some good photo ops. But that isn't what he meant. Not at all. Oh dear. Debbie said she'd been waiting to do this a long, long time. She and a few other people...

Before. Don't be afraid, they said. I wasn't. Not much anyway.

Debbie is a pro at this. I am a pro at that.

Speaks for itself

Haircut done! A jump in the shower to get off the itchy bits

"Did I get it all?"

After. Thanks, Debbie (and David, and Hound Dog too!)

A thank you lunch at Dinghy Dock. 

The following are random moments around the island. Time goes by and everything is still beautiful. That stability keeps my sanity alive and that's a good thing.

We were all impressed. Talk about a trust factor of 12+!
They had this down.

Often my first view of the day.
This was one of the first mornings the sun decided to shine
after days of rain. It was pretty glorious.

Just another dawn in Paradox

There is this light that defies being captured in the early morning.
But this is pretty close. 

This was one of those days about 10 people tell you they could see St. Croix

Pulling down the curtain

Gazing from the rock

Ending the day and the last sunset of Ann's time here -
until the next time!

PSA! Things happened in-between. Being sick as a dog was one of them, along with a whole lot of other people around here, luckily not as long as some, unluckily long enough. I'll just take this moment to say one thing: if you are sick, PLEASE don't hug anyone. Or kiss them. Or breathe on them. Really. Each year the bugs get nastier and last longer and it's the one of the few things that is not nice to share. I have friends who are still sick. They miss work, they run up doctor bills. I know not all of it can be avoided but we're a hugging crew around here, so just think before you hug! Por favor! Gracias!

I don't know what I'll cook today, but hopefully it will be something really good and when I'm hooked up again, I'll share it. In the meantime...so long for now, Ann, and a whole bunch of other people who are flying out today, and welcome home, Peri!!!!

Have a full of Freedom Friday! Do something frivolous.