[CH] Calvinized Jerky!
David Cook (zeb@austin.rr.com)
Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:17:45 -0500
For those intrepid dehydrators out there.
After the Austin Chilehead party a few weeks back, I had several slabs of
fajita meat uneaten (we had enough food that there was never any need to
throw it on the grill). I'd been marinating it Thai-style. Well, finally a
week or so later I finally had time to do something with it. I got to
thinking "Calvin sent this wonderful powder for the party. Maybe I should
slice up the meat and make spiced jerky." Hoo-boy! The next day, after
drying, I had some mighty hot jerky. For those that want to try, here's the
recipe I came up with.
Calvinized Jerky
1-2 lbs. of fajita meat (skirt steak, flank steak or any other lean,
long-grained beef)
4 T. Chinese soy sauce
2-4 T. fish sauce
2 T. Calvin's Powder
Put the meat, soy sauce and fish sauce in a plastic bag and refrigerate for
1-2 weeks. Turn frequently so all sides of the meat are equally marinated.
When the marinating is done, remove the meat, rinse and dry. Slice into thin
(1/8 - 1/4 inch) strips, cutting diagonal to the grain. Put Calvin's powder
in a paper or plastic bag, throw in the meat and vigorously toss it around
until the meat is well dusted. Add more powder if you think there's not
enough.
Now, carefully pull the meat out and lay it on the racks of your dehydrator.
(Your fingers are now coated with good nuclear fuel.) Cover and set the temp
to 140 degrees. Run like crazy before the fumes begin to rise. Dehydrate for
8-12 hours -- until the meat is leathery but not brittle. If the meat
sweats, blot up the fat with a paper towel. (If you don't have a dehydrator,
you can use the oven set to Warm or Low with the door propped open. Of
course, your kitchen will get hot and it takes longer.)
For safety, I store the stuff in the fridge when I'm done.
David Cook
PS. The habanero-lime cheesecake recipe will get posted as soon as I pry it
from my wife's head. She just makes these things by instinct.