Ok just a little update on jerky and the weekend.

It's looking good, that jerky,a few more days to go.


Smelly the cat gives his approval, another 2 days atleast Mom.

The weather has turned fowl here, rain, cyclone and water spouts up at Lennox Beach/Ballina, That's on the east coast, just North of Coffs Harbour and it moving down the coast. Bellbrook is in the mountains 60 kms from Kempsey,we had 24mms rain last night. Heavy rain forcast for the next 2 days, showers Sat/Sonday the rain for the next few days after that. Clearing for the long weekend.!!! Southwest Rocks had 140mms yesterday, just 60 kms towards the sea. We are just about packed and ready to move out again, trailer is loaded with 2x4 inch studs/timber for the walls of the cottages and corragated roofing for Lavender Cottage, and a garden table and chairs for rose cottage is going up too.

Now why did I joke that rose cottage would float with all the wood used to build it! But we better check that the roof is still on and alls well there. Weather permitting we may dig 4/5 holes for fencing posts, concrete them in and screw a few rails on the main fence. This trip is really just about taking stuff up and checking on the cottages.
I did a little shopping on Sonday for Rose Cottage, wanna see what I bought, really hope Nilo is going to like it. The bed is a double so this should hang down nicely being a queen size. Got a few more little bits and pieces to decorate with.



Have a lovely weekend everyone
See ya
Rina
PS I got a little funny story over at my other blog about beef jerky if you want to read it.

It's that time of the year again ...

Winter time and it's Beef Jerky time (us South Africans call it Biltong)! Now I have posted before about making Jerky and really it's quite different to what the Americans do and tastes different to. We find it a little on the sweet side could be the hickery taste, well that's the little packets you can buy at the servo and bottle shops. But first I have to show you my meat slicer, now this new baby is going to make it very easy to cut the jerky. You poke the meat in this side an crank the handle and there you got thin slices, ready to enjoy.And yeh I brought it back with me from South Africa when I was there last year.

Now I use rump steak but some other folk use cheaper cuts of meat. I buy whole rump and have the butcher slice it for me (it free so why not), paid $7.99 a kilo Sonday. A pickle mix of rock salt 500gr packet, lightly roasted colliander seeds crushed, ground black pepper and 1 bottle of MaCormick Bush spices. I make this big bottle up at the beginning of the season and just keep adding to it. exact quantities are difficult to give you.



So now I trim off any bits of meat that could be used for Beef Stroganoff or curry, normally I get one good sized meal or just add a few mushrooms ... yummmy ... Back to the jerky, I sprinkle a little mix in the bottom of my container and start layering the meat, sprinkling mix on every layer, careful you don't overdo it otherwize you going to need more than a gallon of water to quench your thirst cause it will be too salty. Lightly sprinkle a little more bush spice if you like spicy foods. Cover with a lid or dish cloth and place on the benchtop or fridge for 24hrs. Remove and repack the top to the bottom in the juice. My container seals and I just flip it over without unpacking it. Do not throw the pickle juices away!!! Rest in the fridge for a futher 8/12 hrs.

The Bush Spices is an Ozzie thing contains garlic,pepper,paprika,nutneg,rosemary,origano,lemon murtle,mountain pepper and lemon aspin. Great sprinkled on meat and chicken. But you could use a steak and chop spice if you like.



After the meat has marinaded in the "pickle" I hang it up to wind dry ... Instant wind compliments of the Fan blowing full blast 24/7 for 4/5 days on the meat if you like it a little pink or 6/7 days if you like it Dry(overdone). It turns blackish in colour, No It's not off!! just dried. George made me an old fashioned meat safe with fly screen on 3 sides and with 3 rods under the shelf to hang the little hooks from. (Click on Beef Jerky under labels there's a pic of the meat safe.)


Now I must mention that there are a few people that would like to wager on the best Beff Jerky this year, I am up for the challenge ... bring it on boys. Saturday afternoon we celebrated all three Boy's "Month of May" birthdays , with a Bbq in Nick's garage cause the weather was so bad, rain and wind forecasts for this weekend. We had a great time, good food and good friends what more do you want.

Making my own Beef Jerky or Biltong as we call it.

Cowboy food, that what my mate Alby calls it, is best made in winter. All it takes is a old fashioned drying meat safe, the ones with the fly screen, a electric fan,a large plastic container with a lid, spices and a whole rump sliced by the kind butcher or yourself. Other cuts of beef could be used but I prefer rump, sliced a meduim thickness and then sliced into long strips about 5/6cm wide leaving a little of the fat on. You will need some soft gauge wire to cut 10/12 cm strips, bend these into s's. they are for hanging the meat up.

"My Pickle Mix"
a packet of Rock Salt 250gr
Cource ground Black Pepper to taste
Crushed Coliander Seeds, +-100gr pop them in a jiffybag, let the air out and seal, crush them using a bottle as a roller.
BBQ or Steak spice to taste.

Premix these ingredients into a large glass bottle or airtight container and use as needed.



Sprinkle a little mix into a container, start by neatly arranging a layer of meat strips, sprinkle mix lightly over meat, next layer of meat, more mix ...... cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Becareful not to overdo the mix because it could be to salty. Place in a very cool area or in the fridge for 24 hrs. Tip container over, making sure the meat is socked in the excess salty mix liquid, store for 6 hrs. Now I would thread the wire s's at one end and hang the strips up in the meat safe. Place the electric fan infront of the meat and let it blow the meat dry. Ready for slicing in 5/7 days

This is our version of an old fashioned meatsafe we built for this purpose, which houses my Jelly mould collection or old tins when not in use.
Under each shelf there are 3 rods to hang the meat up. Fly screen on 3 sides to keep the bugs out ( remember this is Australia and we have more than our fair share of flies) And then My warning system "Bells on a rope" for the Human wanting to raid it. Old news paper on the shelves to sock up any juices from the meat,( easy to dispose of)




Jerky is best keep in the paperbag or airtight container with some paper towel wrapped around it, in a cool spot. Our's don't make it long enough to worry about storage to much. Enjoy.