sorry it took so long to get this posted, all my recipes were in the garage that hasn't been unpacked from moving 6 weeks ago and I've had a hard time finding squirrels for it. And apparently there is some silly rule that a person can't discharge a firearm in built up neighborhoods :crazy:
Anyway, i had the day off due to having windows installed in the new house (yay), so i planned ahead so i could have something to do to keep me busy. besides this, i made some ribs and pulled pork on the WSM, but thats another thread.
the recipe I got from the ex-MIL is as follows, with my notes/explanations in parentheses and italicized:
(1) 5-7 lb chicken
(with giblets, usually the oldest hen in the yard)
2 caught meat
(this was whatever small game they had on hand; squirrel, rabbit, possum, etc. I used rabbit)
4 quarts water
salt and pepper
bay leaves
1 lb country ribs
1 lb side meat or salt pork
3 medium onions
5-6 large tomatoes
4-5 medium potatoes
(red potatoes, but not specified because that is the only kind they grew.)
1lb carrots
1 lb double cut corn
(i use shoepeg, i'll explain why below)
1 lb baby butter beans
(lima beans for you northerners)
1 lb okra
red pepper
salt
pepper
DIRECTIONS (again, my notes are in parentheses and italicized)
quarter chicken and game and place in pot with water, salt and pepper
(to taste). bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until all meat is cooked. remove meat, let cool, remove from bone and cut into 1 inch pieces. save broth.
(takes about an hour and a half for the chicken, check the game at 60 min and pull if cooked)
cook country ribs in a 350 deg oven for 1 hour. remove and chop into 1 inch pieces
chop side meat and cook until fat is rendered
(i use salt pork, easier to find and already has salt in it, lazy mod).
dice onions and add to pot, cook until well browned.
30-ish minutes
dice tomatoes, reserving juice, and add to pot
(i have used both fresh tomatoes and canned. doesn't really make a difference.)
add half of reserved broth to pot. bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 min.
dice potatoes and add to pot. return to simmer until almost tender.
simmer for about 20 minutes
chop carrots, add to pot, return to simmer until almost tender.
again, about 20 min
add butter beans and corn, return to simmer for 10 min and remove from heat.
let sit, covered for 20 minutes off heat.
i use shoepeg, but she calls for double cut. to get double cut, take an ear, slice down each row of kernels so they are halved, and then cut the kernels off the cob. i ain't got that much time or patience, so i use shoepeg which is roughly the same size as double cut regular corn
serve in bowls with a hearty bread.
like i noted above, she would throw in whatever small game was on hand, and it all tastes good. if you have been paying attention, this takes a good bit of time to make. normally in the area of 5-6 hours. it took me closer to 9 hours today, because i went to get the can of tomatoes and there weren't any. ruh-roh, shaggy. i did have 4 medium tomatoes and a can of tomato puree, so i added a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar to counter the tomato-yness and simmered the heck out of it to so it didn't taste like spaghetti sauce. normally i have 4 or 5 cups of broth left over to use on other stuff. today i had 2 cups left over, that's how much i simmered it.
i did not use the okra, The Woman does not like okra and The Giant (her 6'1' 13 year old son) probably would not as well. so it got left on the counter.
here is the finished pot. as you can see, it makes a lot. that is roughly a gallon, the pot is an 8 quart (i think). anywhoo, it is usually enough to last the family a while. in the past i have put it in canning jars while hot and it will "can" itself if you put on the lid and ring and put it in the fridge. yes, i know it's not
true canning where you can store it in the closet, but the lid collapses and i freeze it afterwards anyway. but it's cool it does that. so there.
and here is the critical spoon test, and as you can see you could put a battleship on it's nose and it would stand up in there
:bow:
THAT IS ALL