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| Dried Camp Foods for Trail Outings: Part 1 - Jerky | Short Cuts | ||||
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By:
Mark M. De Nittis - 11/2000
Hello folks!
You are about to embark on a journey into the great outdoors... You need food to survive, this is why I have created "Trail Bites". In these articles I will cover recipes of all sorts, equipment, proper sanitation, and other great information and stories that will lead you to have a great time out on the trail and still keep a full tummy without getting sick from food poisoning.
I am a professional Chef consultant, with over a decade of industry experience in some of the finer eating establishments in this country, and Chef Instructor for Johnson & Wales University, Denver. I am an avid lover of family, the outdoors, and off-roading. Combining those things and realizing that there was a lack of good info on "camp-side cuisine", we have created "Trail Bites", a trustworthy source of information on great food & beverages for you, your family and friends to enjoy while on the trail or camping out.
| Note: |
| Please make sure that you enjoy any good wine or other alcoholic beverages responsibly, and only after all vehicles are turned off and you have set up camp for the night. |
I have been in the outdoors since birth, from northern Maine woods to the majestic dunes of Cape Cod, to wild wonderful West Virginia, to the southern most stretches of Florida, to mountains of Colorado, to various terrain of central Arizona, to Moab, Death Valley, and lots of other cool places. The one thing I can say is that in all of those places have needed food. I have had everything -from store bought, (you know the all night gas station side of the road middle of nowhere, jerky and soda) to a camp side gourmet experience by firelight with fine wine, good "stinky" cheese, bread, and olives - and all of the territory in between.
This month we'll focus on snacks we can make at home and bring out on the trail.
A classic favorite enjoyed by both the cowboys of yesteryear and the American Indians, Jerky is a good source of quick protein on the trail that you can make at home, or just buy if you don't want to exert the effort or if you just plain don't have the time. Making jerky is a great family activity and is really very simple. Your personal "brand" of jerky can be as interesting and unique as you want (or dare) to make it. Family members can create their own personal jerky, I even have a special Rosebud (my trail bound Basset Hound) blend! You can make jerky from something as simple and routine as beef, or as interesting and unusual as ostrich (avoid the flattened animals that you find in the road that have been "sun cured" - it may look like Jerky - but it is a whole different taste experience).
Here are some basic Jerky recipes as well as some of my favorite jerky brands you can buy (although ounce per ounce it is much more cost effective to make your own).
A Basic Recipe for Jerky:
6 lb. Beef eye of round, top round, or boneless beef ribs
¼ cup Liquid Smoke
3 cups Soy Sauce
2 oz. Worcestershire
½ lb. Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbs. Granulated Garlic
1 Tbs. Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
for a spicier alternative you can try adding these to this mixture:
3 oz. "Red Hot" or your favorite hot sauce
4 oz. BBQ sauce
1 ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon Blackstrap Molasses
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
Slice the meat with the grain into ¼ inch slices. Place the meat in a non-reactive pan such as stainless steel or a plastic containers with a tightly sealing lid (avoid Aluminum or copper). Mix the rest of the ingredients until they are well incorporated. Pour the marinade over the meat and place it in refrigerator overnight. By letting the meat sit in the marinade overnight the acids in the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce will work to tenderize the tougher cuts of meat - giving you a much better product.
Lay the marinated meat strips on a wire rack with a catch pan underneath (at this point if you wanted a spicier flavor your could sprinkle it with extra black pepper or crushed red pepper). Place all of this in a 175-180 degree oven for 5 hours.
Take it out, allow it to cool, and then place it in Zip Lock style plastic bags until trail time comes. Keep stored in a cool, dry, dark place. For thicker cuts make sure that you keep it refrigerated or even frozen until use. Note: For Rosebud or Fido, omit the black pepper it would be "ruff" on their tummies.
Baja Style Salmon Jerky
4 pounds FRESH salmon. Slice crosswise into ¼ inch slices.
Set aside and keep cold.
| Note: |
| Be cautious when purchasing fresh fish, the fish should not be mushy to the touch. The flesh should be firm and pinkish. Of course salmon you've caught yourself would be best if possible. |
1 oz. Tequila (optional)
1 oz. Triple Sec (optional)
4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1 ½ Cup Grapefruit Juice
4 Tablespoons Cilantro Fresh- Minced
1 Teaspoon Ginger Fresh- Minced
1 clove Garlic- Minced
Salt to taste
Cracked Black Pepper to taste
1 Tbs. Chimayo Chile Powder to taste
1 teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon Coriander
Mix the all ingredients except the pepper, chile, cumin and coriander together in a bowl. Pour this marinade over the salmon and let it marinate for 3 hours. Mix the chile powder, cumin, and coriander together and set aside. Take the salmon strips out and lay them on wire rack with catch pan underneath. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, chile powder, cumin and coriander to taste - a bit more if you like spicy, a bit less if you don't. Place the salmon in a 180 degree oven until dry, about 5 hours then pull it out and let it cool.
When slicing, keep in mind that for all Jerky recipes thinner slices will tend to produce a jerky that is somewhat drier and crispier, whereas thicker slices will produce a slightly chewier product.
These are basic recipes that would work well with variety of meats, as well
as a variety of spices. Here are a other possibilities that may be slightly
higher in cost but make a great jerky product: buffalo, ostrich, venison, bluefish,
mackerel, salmon, lobster, wild hog, and kangaroo.
Instead of black pepper, you can try using cajun spices (there are many pre-made
you can buy in your local supermarket), or try using a micro-brew beer for an
interesting flavor. One of my favorite spices is Chimayo chile powder, as in
my opinion it has the best quality and flavor.
Until next time HAPPY EATING!
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