HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY
I could make a post a video of me carving a turkey, but this fellow does it so well everyone uses his video.
SO HERE IT IS From Jamie Oliver himself.
This part 2 was a long time coming
My Mom taught us kids that time savers in the kitchen will result in better mealtimes.
Boy was she right.
Rushing to get a meal on the table for company or just the kids is a challenging experience. And only sometimes enjoyable.
Mom was a stay at home Mom to a boy and three girls, all active in sports, cheerleading or drama
. She took her job very seriously.
She was amazingly organized, all that cooking and still washed clothes on Monday, ironed on Tuesday
Baking and mending on Wednesday or Thursday and cleaning the whole house on Fridays
Dad was one of 8 kid,s 4 boys so they ate a lot of meat. Dad loved meat..
So Mom always said her biggest timesaver is as follows.
TIP # 1 TAKE MEAT OUT SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD
Mom would say "If your meat is thawed, the rest of the meal just comes together while the meat cooks"
- Red meat cuts actually benefit from resting in the fridge for a few days thawed.
They will tenderize even more if left to thaw/ REST in the refrigerator.
And bringing your red meat cuts to room temperature before applying any heat will ensure more even cooking and juicier results . This does not apply to ground meat products or poultry.
Mom would take 4 or 5 meat items out of the freezer on Friday and put them in the refrigerator, on a drip pan lined with paper towel. They would all thaw at different intervals and all but the chicken had a good shelf life in the fridge so the chicken was eaten first.
If you don't have fridge room take meat out 2 separate days Friday and Tuesday for instance.
Her go to cuts were 2 or 3 roasts, chicken, beef, pork.
Then ground beef or pork, or sausages.
If company was coming there was always beef steak or porkchops. And if she didn't have time to thaw anything or was surprised, she fell back on the minute steaks or pork cutlets, cooked from frozen and smothered in onions and gravy..
We raised a beef every year and a pig and 50 chickens
And she grew a big family garden. And Dad milked 2 cows. Before and after work.
The chicken would be thawed for Sunday supper, so that was our family dinner.
The beef or pork roast would be thawed in time for Monday night supper. The other roast was cooked for Wednesday night.
We had leftover roast chicken sandwiches for school lunches and Dad's work lunches on Monday and
chicken salad sandwiches on Wednesday. And roast beef for Tuesday lunch.
Leftover beef for stew on Tuesday supper because we all had a practice that day after school.
Wednesday Mom cooked the other roast. That then took care of sandwiches for Thursday.
Thursday night was whatever leftovers from the week and Friday was a bought lunch at school.
Friday night we had soup from the bones, meat and veggies leftovers and home made bread.
Saturday mom made sloppy joes or chili with ground beef or pork.
We made bacon and eggs for Mom for breakfast on Sundays, but she usually couldn't stay out of the kitchen and was always there to help, and clean up..
And we grazed till Sunday night supper again.
She had no dishwasher, that was the girls job. No automatic washer and dryer, just a ringer washer and clothelines. And get this , NO RUNNING WATER.
She had a big garden which we all planted and helped with the weeding. And we always had fresh milk from the 2 milk cows . That was our milk, cream & butter..
They were the perfect couple to mentor a great work ethic.
I feel Inferior to my Mother all the time. But I know I could never do what she did for her family, even if I didn't have an off farm job.
I am eternally grateful to both my parents. They were also the best Grandparents a child could ask for.
The most common questions I get are:
How to Make Gelatinous Broth
Nov 21
It’s that time of year — The kids all seem to be getting
sick. The elderly are getting their yearly flu symptoms .
However Les , a school bus driver and myself a
Nursing aide at the Hospital in day
surgery are doing anything except hiding out trying to get them to keep their
dang germs to themselves.
We have a secret weapon…
well not so secret , but the Pharmaceutical companies don’t
want you to know that you can feed your IMMUNE system and it will work for you
the way Nature intended.
But if you cant there is always a drug or vaccine to fall
back on if that’s your bag.
With that, I’ve been getting back on the immune support
train and made a batch of healthy meat broth yesterday. Plus I started some
seeds today for my indoor winter greens and veg garden.
Sicknesses aside, I
love this time of year when we focus more on nutrient dense warm and comforting
meals.
I was posting about it on social media and I was flooded
with messages asking how the heck I can make a simple pot of chicken broth turn
into gel. Here’s the thing about broth, the magic is in the gel.
Gelatinous broth is not just delicious but full of collagen,
amino acids, minerals, and gut healing gelatin.
But that gel seems to be a little elusive with many making
broth that turns out a bit more loose than they’re hoping for. But the benefits
are still there and you might just have to tweak her and there.
So what’s the secret?
Check out my tips!
Broth Ingredients:
Bones and Meat : To make a gelatinous broth, you’ll
need a mixture of bones and meat. Chicken, beef, pork or lamb bones, are all great choices —
Shameless plug, all are available from Catherwood
Organics Premium Meats Farm.
Including meat with some fat will enhance the flavour. And
adding marrow bones will give even more nutrition. If I have some I always add chicken feet and
or wing tips, The more cartilage and tendon you use the better to really get
that rich gel.
Remember, high quality organic bones and meat are important
for making great broth!
Vegetables: You’ll want aromatic vegetables like
onions, carrots, celery, and garlic for added depth of flavour. Sometimes I
will toss in a few pieces of ginger for extra flavour and it is also a good gut
spice..
Herbs and Spices: Bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns
are common choices to season the broth but in our house, I just add some pepper . Then the broth can be used for soups
or stews. You can add herbs and spices
at that point depending on the flavour you are looking for the final product. Keep in mind what your plans are for the broth
so you don’t over salt it — You can always add extra when using your broth like
I do.
Cold Water: Use cold water to cover the ingredients.
Apple Cider Vinegar: This is key. Without 1 tblsp of ACV /gallon you leave
behind so much of the minerals.
:Large Pot: You’ll need a pot large enough to
accommodate all your ingredients and water.
Fine Mesh metal Strainer: This is essential
for straining out solids.
Optional Cheesecloth or Muslin: You’ll use this to
strain the broth further for clarity. I don’t do this because I’m ok with “stuff”
in my broth and mine still comes out pretty clear.
Containers: Have jars or containers ready to store
your finished broth.
Now, let’s get started making meat and bone broth:
Step 1: Add bones and water to the pot
You want the right
amount of water, The water should just cover the bones.
Bring to a boil for about 5 minute and then reduce to a
simmer.
Skim off any foam or
impurities that rise to the surface during the initial simmer. I do this with a
small metal strainer.
Once there is very little or no froth you can now add the
vegetables .
THE MIREPOIX
I use whole carrots ..maybe 2 or 3..
whole celry stalks 2 – 5,
large cooking onion
cut in half or 1/4s
Simmer minimum 24 - 36 hrs for beef
pork or lamb.. Chicken 24 max minmum 12
Maintain a bubbly steady simmer throughout the cooking
process. Not a heavy boil but I don’t have time for that weak one bubble every
few seconds kind of simmer either.
Keeping the lid off can help concentrate the broth due to
water evaporation but to be honest, I often leave the lid on and still always
get the gel I’m looking for.
Check the water level occasionally and add more as needed to
keep the bones covered but don’t overdo the water, you don’t want to dilute it.
Straining the Broth
Once the broth has simmered to perfection, let cool down a
little, strain it through a fine metal strainer into a clean pot or large bowl.
If desired, for even clearer broth, strain it again through
a cheesecloth or muslin.
You eat the meat. But it is pretty mushy and lacking
flavour. So I only use it to put back into soups and stews. Or I feed to my
chickens in winter for extra protein (Not Chicken)
Storing the
Broth
Allow the broth to be cool before transferring it to jars or
containers for storage.
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or
freeze it for longer term storage.
What do I use my broth for?
In our house, typically we simply drink broth warm from a mug but it’s also great for
making soup, gravies, and to add a healthy boost to rice, quinoa, Barley and
other dishes.
There you have it, my quick tips for making gelatinous,
broth at home. Now for those new to making broth, you won’t know it’ll gel
until its cold and once warmed it goes right back to a thin consistency. And,
don’t worry if it doesn’t gel — It’ll still be healthy and delicious and you
can try again next time.
Betty