Posts Tagged Randy Neiwirth
Caution, Meat.
Posted by castironidaho in Food Preservation, Handmade, Hunting and Fishing, Randy's Corner on April 24, 2011
Despite the love and pleasure food has brought me, it’s a conflicted affair. When I don’t eat I get grumpy. Bob Marley said, “a hungry man is an angry man.” I believe him. The closest thing to my heart is my belly. I hate being hungry. When I am really famished a salad and steamed veggies won’t do. When it’s been a long hard day of work, it’s meat I crave.
The yearning, I believe comes from my belly (or is that my hearty?). The meat comes from an animal and that’s the hard part. To satisfy my hunger an animal must die, it’s so primal. The factory food system has hidden this reality. In an attempt to learn what it takes to feed me and my friends I have ended up slaughtering a few animals. It has never been easy. One thing for sure there is nothing tastier and more satisfying than meat with a name.
Before you go out to confront the alienation between you and your meat and start killing your pets, I suggest you find a mentor. One who has experience with raising animals and slaughtering them. My first killing was some old hens. My teachers were a couple of 80 year old Basque women. For sheep and other wild game, Randy is my connection. For the kill, gutting and skinning it takes practice and should be done under tutelage.
Butchering on the other hand (well is a butchering). When you are good at it it can take 30 minutes. The first time I butchered a lamb, I did it alone, half one night and the other half the next. Bucky tasted awesome, but the cuts weren’t the best. The second time I butchered two deer with a friend. It took us all day to cut and wrap.
For Old Momma we took the whole carcass into Meats Royale on Overland and had them do the butchering. Well worth the money.
… Here’s Randy’s How to Butcher a lamb.
Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
Posted by castironidaho in Randy's Corner, Recipes, Road Trips on April 20, 2011
And the winner is………….Alex Neiwirth, with his fancy delicious Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
While the Dutch Oven Potluck was a great success, and a good time was had by all who attended, attendance was a little lower than we’d hoped! What’s wrong, people? Is Celebration Park too far away? You missed out, but we might try it again sometime.
Anyway, the Pineapple Upside Down Cake was amazing! Because the Dutch Oven has a little bit of a tendency to burn things such as cakes on the bottom, this idea works really well, because the wet delicious fruit, rather than the easy-to-burn cake, is what sits against the bottom of the pan.
Here’s how Alex did it:
Ingredients:
- One yellow cake mix (Normally I don’t allow cake mix, but can make exceptions for camping and for Ghiardelli brownie mix. You could substitute any yellow cake recipe. For camping, you can pre-mix the dry ingredients at home, and add the liquid at the campsite, just like cake mix.)
- One can pineapple rings
- 10 Maraschino cherries
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
Heat Charcoal and let it burn down to hot coals for using. Meanwhile you can prepare the cake mix. Follow the directions which will likely include eggs, oil, and water, but replace a cup of the water with the juice from the pineapple can.
Alex used a ring of just a few charcoal briquettes to start off. Set the Dutch Oven on the ring of charcoal and slowly melt the butter. Then add the sugar, like this:
When that is all melted together, arrange the pineapple rings and Maraschino cherries. Pour the prepared cake batter over the top of it. In true outdoorsman style, Alex used a Nalgene bottle.
Put the lid on, put coals on top, and bake. I’d say Alex baked it for around an hour.
Take the top off, carefully remove from Dutch Oven, and voila! You can test to see if the cake is done by sticking you pocket knife in the center. When it comes out clean it’s done. Alex say’s its best not to open the oven while cooking, don’t play with it.
If you’re not cooking over coals, you can just put it in the Dutch Oven and cook it inside your oven at home, following the directions for the cake mix.
Thanks for the treat, Alex! Marty says you cheated, by being a son of the talented Randy.
–Katie
Elderberry Brandy
Posted by castironidaho in Randy's Corner, Recipes on January 30, 2011
Elderberry Elixer
Seperate berries from stems
Put berries in appropriate sized glass jar (Jar should be full of berries)
Add honey to taste
Cover berries with brandy
Store in a reasonably cool dark area for 6+weeks
Strain liquid put in jars and seal
I dried the leftover berries in the oven at 170 until dry
I look forward to using them foe seasoning.
Randy
