Make the Bread, Buy the Butter - Jennifer Reese [71]
Botulism can be prevented with the use of so-called pink salt during the curing process. Pink salt also goes by the names Prague Powder #1 and Insta-Cure #1, and it is ordinary salt that has been spiked with sodium nitrite, which, in addition to killing Clostridium botulinum, keeps meat pink. Sodium nitrite is a known carcinogen and you should therefore eat cured meats in moderation, whether made by you or anyone else. You can order pink salt from butcher supply companies (see Appendix), and unless you plan to open a smokehouse, three dollars will buy you a lifetime supply.
BEEF JERKY
How people made beef jerky in 1864: “First, all the bones are taken out; then the flesh is cut into sheets, or thin pieces, put into a strong pickle, or rubbed with dry salt, and packed away for two or three days … then spread out in the sun to dry hard.”
The following recipe uses the oven, rather than the sun, and makes a spicy-sweet snack that, unlike many commercial jerkies, contains no MSG. The USDA recommends cooking jerky prior to dehydrating it, but the oven temperature in this recipe should be high enough to kill any bacteria. As an extra precaution you can heat the meat for ten minutes at 275 degrees F after it has been dried.
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: Minimal
Cost comparison: Homemade jerky: $0.93 per ounce. Store-bought jerky: $1.00 to $1.89.
1 pound lean boneless steak, such as sirloin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (preferably homemade; recipe follows)
1. Trim the steak of fat and sinew, then slice into thin strips. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl that can accommodate the steak. Taste the marinade and adjust the seasonings as you wish. Add the meat and mix so that every piece is coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 155 degrees F. Place a metal cooling rack on a rimmed cookie sheet, and spread the steak out on the rack. Bake for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is dark, shriveled, and completely dried.
3. Store airtight in a tin or resealable plastic bag for up to 2 months.
Makes 6 ounces
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
I’m aware that it sounds obsessive to make your own Worcestershire, a condiment you probably use only occasionally, in minute quantities. But wait until you taste this stuff. It’s black and shiny, almost iridescent, with so much umami you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. Credit goes to Emeril Lagasse for this knockout recipe.
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: You babysit the sauce all day, but it’s not a needy baby.
Cost comparison: A pint of homemade costs about $8.00. Lea & Perrins: $9.50
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 serrano chiles, chopped, with seeds
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Two 2-ounce cans anchovies, drained
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 lemon, peel and white pith removed and discarded
2 cups dark corn syrup
1 cup molasses
1 quart distilled white vinegar
¼ pound fresh horseradish, peeled and grated
1. In a heavy pot over high heat, combine the oil, onions, and chiles. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, anchovies, cloves, salt, lemon, corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, 2 cups water, and the horseradish. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture barely coats a wooden spoon, about 6 hours.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Store in a bottle, preferably one with a spigot. Keeps in the refrigerator