1. Using a large skillet, brown and fry 5 pounds of ground beef. When thoroughly cooked, transfer the meat to a colander. Rinse under hot running water to remove the fat. Then clean the skillet with paper towels to remove excess fat from the first cooking.
2. Place the washed meat back into the wiped skillet and fry it again over medium/low heat, stirring often until you see no more steam. Keep the heat/flame low once the rocks are browning up nicely.
3. Place the "twice cooked" rocks into an oven roasting pan. Turn the oven to 200 degrees F, stirring and turning occasionally as the meat continues to dry. One to two hours should finish the job. Remove from the oven and check for dryness. When cool, pack into zip lock bags or mason jars. Pack tightly, expelling as much air as possible. Store in pantry drawers or shelves.
4. To "can" the hamburger rocks for long term storage, preheat canning jars in the oven at 250 F, simmer the lids as usual, put the "rocks" into the jars while still hot, then seal the jars. After 15 minutes or so the jars will cool and you will hear the jar lids "pop" as they seal in place.
They will store effectively for two or more years. Once re-hydrated by soaking one cup of rocks in two cups of boiled water, the precooked meat can be used in any recipe. It is delicious for tacos, spaghetti sauce, hamburger helper, tamale pie, lasagna, or your favorite recipe. It is very difficult to distinguish from fresh hamburger in a meal!
Now that is an interesting idea! Hmm... I might have to try that recipe.
When planning for your emergency stash, it's important to only buy the kinds of food that your family already eats. Generally, we eat the same 10 meals over and over. Figure out how to dehydrate what you can in each recipe or make sure you have the ingredients in your pantry so you have what you need to make your family's favorite meals in case of an emergency.
Organizing
I have three daughters and they all live between 7-10 hours away. It seems like I'm always collecting things that need to be taken to them and ended up with piles on the kitchen table. Clutter in my house drives me crazy, so, when I came across these bags, I bought them. They now have a home under the table in my craft room and provide a neat and tidy way to get items to the girls and my grandbabies. They are sturdy with wide nylon handles that fold down into the bags. When we are packing the car to go to one of their homes, I simply grab that daughter's bag and put it in the car. Then, I make sure to bring it back home with me to fill it up for the next trip.
Today's Recipe - Smoky Artichoke-Sardine Salad
Eating Well
Start with 3 cups mixed greens. Then add:
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
2 ounces sardines
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 T Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
Makes 1 serving.
Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
Puree in a blender or shake in a jar until combined: 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 T sherry vinegar, 1 minced large shallot, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 3/4 tsp smoke paprika and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Makes about 3/4 cup.
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