Jambalaya

It`s a good day for some Jambalaya cold, wet & raining. This is how i use leftover smoked sausage(brats) & chicken. You can also add shrimp if you like. The heat level is pretty mild in my recipe so if you like it hotter add some Tabasco sauce or a teaspoon or three of Cayenne Pepper powder.

Start with a Trinity of diced celery, green peppers & onion.


Star of the show leftover brats & chicken thigh`s. Might add some shrimp, might not.


This shot is right before the rice. Everyone`s all bubbly & happy. Thought i heard it say... "Gimme some a dat rice ole boy"


Here it is served with a slice of garlic french bread.

Who Boy Dats Good!!!

I am sure as heck no Cajun... born & raised in middle of corn country, sure is hot, wish it would rain... Nebraska. But i must admit this recipe is pretty good and really not too hard to make. Use up some leftover smoked or grilled meat & give it a whirl. Or grill up some extra fix`in and follow the recipe. With all that good stuff in the pot it`s sure to be a family favorite!
Here we go....

Jambalaya

Ingredients:
6-boneless chicken thighs, cut up
2-pounds smoked sausage, cut up
¼-cup light olive oil
6-cups *Trinity
Onion
Green Peppers
Celery
*The important thing about the “Trinity” of celery, onion and bell pepper is not exact measurements. Rather, it is that the amounts of each should be nearly equal to one another. It is the balance of flavor that counts. Two cups diced of each vegetable is a good start.
5-cups water
6-cloves garlic, chopped
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
1-14 ounce can tomatoes
1-tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (i use Tony Chachere’s)
2-tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-cup uncooked rice
3-bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:
In a large skillet, brown chicken and sausage quickly in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then add water and poach until tender. Reserve liquid. Sauté chopped onion, garlic, and bell peppers in remaining olive oil. Add cut up chicken and sausage, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in seasonings to taste. Simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Add rice along with 2-1/2 cups of reserved liquid. Cook covered until rice is tender. Do not let the rice stick to bottom of the pot.

My twist on Jambalaya is to use up leftover smoked or grilled meat. For more flavor use smoked or grilled chicken & brats. This may not be authentic Jambalaya… but its pretty dang good!

Jeff`s Jerky

Today i made some jerky in my electric smoker(MES) that turned out great!
Last night i cut up a hunk of Beef Round Rump Roast weighing 1.85lbs. Trimmed out all the fat and shinny silver skin that the butcher might have left on. After trimming i sliced the roast into 1/8th - 1/4 inch slices & cut those slices into 1 inch strips. After trimming i ended up with a little over a pound of jerky meat.
Next i mixed up a flavored cure.....

Ingredients:
1 Lb Jerky Meat
1 Tbs Tender Quick(meat cure)
3 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
½ Tsp Onion Powder
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
¼ Tsp Ginger Powder
¼ Tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
¼ Cup Water

Directions:
Trim meat of all fat & sliver skin.
Cut jerky meat into 1-inch wide strips, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Mix ingredients in a cup or small bowl. Whisk ingredients
together thoroughly. Place meat in larger plastic bag pour
cure over meat. Toss meat around in bag to thoroughly mix.
Marinate 6-8 hours. Rinse the meat well. Dry meat in a smoker at 180-200 degrees to desired consistency adding wood chips of your choice as needed. When done the meat should be dry but flexible.


I marinated/cured the meat overnight. This morning i rinsed the meat well and seasoned the jerky meat with Dizzy Pigs brand Cow Lick Steak Rub. I heated the smoker up at 180 degrees, loaded a little over a pound of cured & seasoned jerky. My wood chips of choice today is a 50/50 mix of Apple & Hickory. This will product a sweet & smokey flavor!
I left the heat at 180 for the first hour. Then bumped the heat to 200 for the remainder of the cook time. When the color & texture was to my liking i unload the jerky & i will bag it up in snack sized portions.

Here is a sample plate of the finished Jerky...

Whip ya up a batch of Jeff`s Jerky. I`m sure you will love it! Way better than any you can purchase & cheaper too! This Jerky can be made in a dehydrator or oven also but best done in a smoker. Yum Yummm!