Candy Cane - Beets!

Candy Cane - Chioga Beet

Beets are the most amazing root vegetable.  Unfortunatley they suffer from a public relations issue - as people only remember the canned, less than flavourful variety.  A beautiful crimson, beets are delicious when prepared with love.  From a nutritional perspective beets contain folic acid, potassium and magnesium, calcium and phospohorus!  Also small amounts of vitamin C and B.  Beets are  known to support the liver in detoxification and as a blood cleanser. 

It is always best to purchase beets with the greens still attached; an added value as they are delicious added to stir frys and soups. I always like to peel my beets before I enjoy them, I find them bitter otherwise.

• Eat beets raw,  grated on top of a salad .
• Peel, quarter, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and roast at 375 until fork tender.
• Slice thinly, top with smoked salmon (or white fish) and drizzle with horseradish mayo!

Considering the snow is falling and it is quite cold outside, I thought I would make my version of this popular beet soup.  There are many variations to this recipe, this is the one I made for my family on a blustery cold day.

Borscht Soup

My butcher had no shank, so I used beef ribs!

10 cups beef broth
1 1b meaty  beef shank (or beef ribs)
1 large onion, quartered
4 large beets, peeled, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 russet potatos, peeled, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
whole fat sour cream
Method

Bring 6 cups broth, beef shank, and onion to boil in large pot.
Reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Transfer meat to work surface; trim fat, sinew and bone and discard. Chop meat,reserve.

Skim some fat from surface of broth (if time allows you can chill it for a few hours so fat solidifies, making it easier to remove)  Add remaining broth, beets, carrots, and potato to pot.

Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in cabbage and 1/2 cup dill, Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add meat back in.
Stir in vinegar.
Serve
Garnish with  remaining dill and sour cream.

Beef Ribs Simmering in Stock with Onions

 

Carrots, Russet Potatoes, Beets and Cabbage

 

Beef Jerky

Grass Finished Flank Steakainst the Grain

I have always loved beef jerky.  I can remember my dad drying a big batch in the oven for his hunting trips!  The problem with most store bought beef jerky, aside from the fact they don't use grass fed beef, is all the additives, preservatives and sugar they add to it.  Beef jerky isn't an inexpensive item to buy either, it can run you close to 6 dollars for a few pieces of msg laden snacking.

Making your own jerky is as easy as marinating strips of flank steak and  placing it in a dehydrator or oven for a few hours.  Using less fatty cuts of meat is perfect for this; excess fat can go rancid.  On this note, homeade jerk without all the additves, needs to be stored in an air tight container and will only stay fresh for about a week (mine is never around that long).  Although beef may be a good starting place, feel free to experiment with venison, bison and even salmon.  You can use almost any marinade recipe you like. 

2 lb Flank steak, cut across the grain (see picture above)
2 Tbsp Tamari (or good quality Soy sauce)

I like to crush my spices with a mortar and pestle.

1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp, toasted coriander, crushed
1 Tbsp, peppercorns, crushed

Place marinade in a large bowl.
Add strips of flank steak and marinade for 2-8 hours.
Place strips on dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 4 -5 hours at 155 degrees.
Store in air tight container.

Oven Method
Preheat oven to 155 degrees
Place beef strips on a cookie sheet.
Place in oven and cook for 4-5 hours

Tip: Place flank steak in freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing easier.  Use a sharp knife!