Posts Tagged ‘prepping’

Beyond Storing Up Beans and Rice -Needed Things Many Ignore

Posted: March 24, 2019 by gamegetterII in Beyond storing beans and rice, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,
6

Salt

Sugar/unpasteurized-(raw)- honey

Spices/herbs/seasonings/condiments

Yeast

Baking Powder

Oil/Lard/”Crisco”

Soup bases

Multi vitamins – (self explanatory)

Why do you need to store these things?
Because…

1) After the first say 30 days or so- when it’s all about calorie intake,you have to start paying attention to nutrition.

2) Eating MRE’s, Mountain House,or other freeze dried “survival food” long term is really,really,really bad for you. Google the term MRE baby,and you’ll get why.

*Salt –

Your body needs salt,despite all the hysteria about how salt is bad for you – you need more salt when you’re more active,as you sweat more,salt also provides other trace minerals.

You need salt to make things like cornbread,bisquits,bread,cook meats,fish,poultry – plus it makes food taste better.

If food doesn’t taste good,you aren’t going to eat as much.

You’ll also need salt to cure meats,poultry and fish to store without refrigeration.

Which requires a lot of salt.

You need a lot more salt than you think you do.

Salt can be stored for years,as long as it’s kept dry.

Even if salt is exposed to moisture-it can be dried and used.

The salt you store needs to be iodized salt-it’s hard to get enough iodine from diet alone-(unless you live near an ocean,and have a steady diet of fresh seafoods-or like eating seaweed)-especially under a grid down/long term disaster situation.

Currently eggs and dairy products do contain Iodine,but that’s due to commercial cattle and chicken feed.

Your body needs iodine-especially for thyroid function.

Salt is also needed for medical uses-making saline solution,used with sugar for dehydration,etc.

*Sugar –

Many,if not most cures for meats/fish/poultry involve sugar.

Pretty much all baking requires sugar – be it bread,cornbread,or pies/cakes.

All ya’ll who like sweet tea-it takes a lot of sugar,you like sugar in your coffee?

That takes even more.

You will need to make alcohol too-whether for fuel or “medicinal purposes”

That takes still more sugar.

Want to make bbq sauce from the tomatoes you grow?

More sugar.

Want to make Kool-Aide type unsweetened powdered drink mixes?

More sugar.

*Honey

Honey can be substituted for sugar most cases -so get used to it.

Americans eat way too much sugar anyhow – but you still need it for a lot of foods-and to make alcohol.

*Spices/herbs/seasonings/condiments

I don’t mean fully stocked gourmet level spice rack here-I’m talking just the basic shit you need to cook food that tastes reasonably good.

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Basil

Black pepper

Oregano

red-(cayenne)- pepper

Thyme

Sage

Other than the black pepper,you can grow everything else and dehydrate it once you run out-so it ain’t like you need 55 gallon drums of this stuff.

That’s the basics-I would add a lot of chili powder as well,because it’s more economical,and more feasible to just buy it than to store the extra paprika,cumin,etc to make your own.

Mustard powder-

Makes more sense,and takes up far less room to store it than storing prepared mustard.

Mustard is used to make bbq sauce, among other things – I’ll get into that in later posts.

Vinegar-white and cider –

Marinades and making sauces, salad dressings,prepared mustard,and other cooking uses.

Soy sauce –

Gallon cans are not expensive,and it can be used in a lot of recipes -especially making soups.

Hot sauce –

No brainer, used in cooking as well.

That’s pretty much it for condiments,unless you just gotta have stuff like ketchup or A-1 sauce.

*Yeast and baking powder –

If you like corn bread and bisquits,you need baking powder- if you like bread,rolls,- or alcohol – you need yeast.

Dry yeast and baking powder both store well long term.

I would go heavy on the yeast – because fuel,beer,wine,’shine.

*Oil/lard/”Crisco”

You need fats to cook and bake -whether it’s from vegetable oils,animal fat-(lard)- or from fake lard-(“Crisco”)

Lard does not store well long term,vegetable oil store longer,”Crisco” type fake lard stores the longest.

There are oils made for foodservice that will store well long term,you can get these products at any restaurant supply.  Whirl and Prep are brand names of two of these type cooking oils.

*Soup bases –

Most grocery stores,and any restaurant supply carry beef,chicken and ham bases, that can be stored with no refrigeration. Look for one that does not list salt as the first ingredient if you can find one.

You ain’t gonna have a gourmet kitchen set up and be making fresh stock daily,so using soup bases to make soups and stews makes way more sense,at least until you run out – by which time,you’ll have your food supply and cooking fuel situations handled-or you’ll have starved to death or died of malnutrition or disease.

Soups and stews are quick and easy to make,feed a lot of people,and have high nutritional value.

 

 

 

 

 

The Beyond Storing Up beans and Rice Tab at Top of Page

Posted: March 13, 2019 by gamegetterII in cooking, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,
2

I know,I suck,haven’t written anything since I made the first posts on the page.

Had some medical issues,followed by a bunch of shit to deal with with one of the kids that cost me way too much $$$,leading to me having to work way too many hours.

That’s my excuse(s) anyhow…

Now that I got that shit out of the way – I’m gonna start writing at least one post a week to add to that page.

There is a reason I started with all the food safety info,and the basics.

In any long term disaster/collapse/TEOTWAWKI scenario,you will run out of MRE’s,Mountain House,etc. a whole lot faster than you think.

You will not only end up having to prepare meals from scratch,you will have to provide a whole lot of your own food.

Which means-grow it,as in gardening.

Raise livestock of some sort,such as chickens for eggs and meat,animals that provide milk,maybe hogs for food,have a farm pond with fish in it for food-(not freakin’ nasty ass Tilapia if you have any sense.)

There’s a steep learning curve to all of that – you should already be doing all of those things. Now is the time to learn,and learn from your mistakes – not when your life depends on it.

You are simply not going to provide your meat by hunting,trapping and fishing – that’s idiotic fantasy bullshit. Unless you live in say Alaska far away from the cities – even then it ain’t like your yearly deer hunting trip.

There are also a lot of food items – that many don’t consider food – that are essential for cooking,that everyone should have stocked up,as they are not quick and easy things to resupply.

They are things you need to have if you plan to remain well fed and healthy.

I’ll cover these things in next post,along with reasons why you need them.

Then,I’ll get back into cooking basics,and how to apply these things when you do not have the kitchen in your home,and all that goes with it to prepare meals.

 

 

 

Feeding Your Tribe Now,and During A SHTF Event

Posted: February 6, 2016 by gamegetterII in cooking, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Learn the procedures and techniques to safely feed your tribe under any conditions-and provide proper nutrition needed,as people will be under stress and healthy,great tasting food not only boosts morale,it helps your tribe fight off diseases,and keeps everyone in top physical and mental shape.

You can send one member of your tribe to take the course,and they can relay the information to the rest of your group.Your team,tribe,group,clan whatever you call them can’t survive for long eating MRE’s,beans and rice-learn how to keep everyone well fed, good food keeps everyone mentally and physically healthy,fewer people will succumb to colds,flu and other diseases that will run rampant in any long term grid down scenario.

Course description ,class info,location and how to sign up for class…here

How to Cure Your Own Bacon and Pancetta

Posted: February 3, 2016 by gamegetterII in cooking, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
6

An excellent job of describing the processes involved,only slightly different than my version of these two classic cured meats.

The process is something anyone concerned with long-term survival in the event of a societal collapse should be familiar with.

Now is the time to practice making salt cured meats,smoked meats and fish,and salt and smoke cured meats like hams and bacon.

There’s also a seemingly endless variety of smoked sausages,there’s salt and air cured meats-such as proscuitto ham.

Beef,venison,and other wild game can be preserved by salt curing,smoking,or a combination of the two-think beef jerky,beef sticks-(Slim-Jim’s),dried chipped beef-the stuff SOS is made of.

In the “old days” salt and smoke curing was the only way to preserve meats and seafoods,the methods have worked for thousands of years,but sadly,not many people know how to preserve meats using these methods.

 

Praise the pork belly — two of the world’s best cured meats are easy to make at home.

By

Sean Timberlake

Everything’s better with bacon, and it’s a pretty simple matter to make your own. Bacon and its Italian counterpart pancetta are fundamental members of the expansive world of cured meats. At their most basic, they require just three ingredients — meat, salt, and time — plus a little woodsmoke for bacon. But there’s plenty of room to get fancy.

 

 

Make Pancetta

Pancetta is the simplest to make. Think of it as the gateway drug to making bacon. It’s a meat that is lightly cured, but brings big, porky flavor to classic Italian dishes like pasta carbonara or all’ amatriciana.

Head to your preferred butcher, and purchase a slab of quality pork belly. (Pro tip: If you can find hog jowls instead of belly, you will make guanciale, which is even better.) How much is entirely up to you; personally, I go in for about 3 pounds per batch.

Weigh

Get an accurate weight on the slab, because you want a 3% ratio of salt to meat to get a good cure. For this reason, I usually weigh in metric; for 1kg of belly I would weigh out 30g of salt. If you’re unwaveringly American, that’s ½ ounce of salt per pound of meat.

pancetta-1

Trim and Salt

Trim the belly so it’s a nice, even shape. You can remove the skin or leave it on.

*I prefer to remove the skin,seems to cure better  that way*

Lay the meat on a sheet of cling wrap on a sheet pan. Mix the salt and spices, and rub it all over the belly. Wrap tightly in a few layers of cling wrap, making sure the cure is in contact with all the meat.

pancetta-2

Cure

Keep in the refrigerator on the sheet pan for 5 days, turning daily. The belly will release some liquid; this is normal.

Rinse and Dry

On the fifth day, unwrap, rinse, and pat dry. Your pancetta can now be cut and cooked.

Hang (dry cure)

You can intensify the flavor by hanging the pancetta, and even turn it into a cured meat that can be eaten uncooked.

pancetta7

Wrap the pancetta in 3 layers of cheese-cloth. Truss the pancetta with butcher’s twine, creating loops on about 1″ intervals. Hang the pancetta in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks or more. The ideal curing temperature is around 55°F, with humidity at 70–75%, but you can get perfectly satisfactory results by hanging it in a basement or any other cool place in the house.

Remember when you got that initial weight? Continue to weigh your pancetta as it cures. In order to be consumed as an uncooked cured meat, it must lose at least 30% of its weight (another reason I weigh in metric). When it’s ready, the flesh should feel evenly firm, not squishy in the center.

pancetta8

Unwrap and enjoy

When you unwrap the pancetta, you may see mold. Fuzzy, white mold is in fact a good thing; it’s harmless, and you can wash it off with vinegar. Ditto green mold. If you see red or black mold, however, you’re in the danger zone, and the pancetta must be tossed. (This is unlikely unless you had it in an exceedingly humid environment.)

pancetta9

Your cured pancetta can be refrigerated, wrapped in paper, for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Make bacon

America’s favorite pig product differs from pancetta in a few key ways. First, the cure typically has sodium nitrite, which, aside from deterring Clostridium botulinum spores, gives bacon its signature pink color and faintly tangy flavor. It’s also often sweet rather than savory. Finally, bacon is smoked.

bacon1

Sodium nitrite is sold as Prague Powder or Instacure #1, and is often referred to as “pink salt.” (Don’t confuse it with Himalayan pink salt or similar naturally occurring salts.)

TIP: If you’re concerned about nitrate consumption, you could omit the pink salt. The resulting product will still be good, but will lack the signature flavor of classic American bacon. In my opinion it’s better to simply enjoy bacon in moderation.

Trim and salt

Make a cure by mixing the salt, pink salt (nitrite), and sugar. This is enough for more than one slab, and can be stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry place indefinitely.

Again, trim the pork belly to an even shape. Lay ¼ cup of the cure on a sheet pan, and dredge the belly on all sides.

bacon2

Place the belly in a large zip-top bag and add the remaining cure from the sheet pan. You can also add flavors such as ¼ cup of maple syrup, and a shot or two of bourbon. Remove air and seal tightly.

bacon3

Cure

Place the bag in a container, and keep it in the refrigerator, turning daily to redistribute the juices and infuse the bacon with flavor.

On the fifth day, give the belly a poke. If it’s still a little squishy, keep curing it. If it’s firm at the thickest parts, it’s ready to smoke.

Rinse and dry

bacon4

Rinse the belly and pat dry with paper towels. Lay it on a rack, on a sheet pan lined with paper towels, and set a fan on low to blow air over the meat for a few hours. Or, you can just leave it on the rack in the refrigerator for 1–3 days.

The goal here is to create what’s called the pellicule. This is a tacky layer of proteins on the surface that will bond with smoke, creating deliciousness.

Smoke

Preheat a smoker to 200°F. When the meat is just lightly sticky to the touch, place it in the smoker, on a rack over a drippings pan.

The bacon is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F. Remove and let cool. If you left the skin on, wait until it’s just cool enough to touch, then carefully trim it away with a sharp knife.

bacon5***I use old school meat thermometers-the digital ones always seem to either malfunction,or you find that the batteries are dead just when you need to use the damn thing***

bacon6

Enjoy

Like pancetta, bacon will keep a week in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. But, realistically, it will get used much faster than that.

***Properly packaged,bacon and other salt cured meats will keep for a full year in the freezer***

GettyImages-154917899

Cooking Class Update

Posted: January 29, 2016 by gamegetterII in cooking, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

In the class description,I stated that a friend was going to assist me with a portion of the class.

The gentleman is now going to be present,and taking an active role in teaching the entire class,and will be doing the same for class II and class III.

We’ve both taught classes in the past,and have similar experience and knowledge.

Gary is far more knowledgeable than I am as far as baking goes,as he went on to become a pastry chef,and spent years creating desserts for area hotels,country clubs and restaurants.

He will be the instructor for all things baking-breads,cakes,biscquits, muffins,pies,tarts,tortes-and whatever else Gary comes up with. I’ll leave that part of the class up to him.

Those taking the class will still be making the actual desserts for lunch and dinner,as well as all the food for lunch and dinner.

Having two different guys explaining the basics that are required knowledge,and that all cooking is based on does make quite a bit of difference in how much students retain from the class,as no two people teach the exact same way.

Click on Feeding Your Tribe Now and During a SHTF Event at top of page for class details,date,and cost.

Read.

Learn.

Train.

Do more PT!

 

Feeding Your Tribe Now,and During A SHTF Event

Posted: January 19, 2016 by gamegetterII in cooking, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2
One of the things that people often do not consider important is feeding your tribe,group,clan,team ,etc. as a group.
Cooking for large groups of people is not like having a backyard BBQ,or a holiday meal at your aunt Millie’s house.
There’s procedures you have to follow-just like anything else,there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.
Do things the wrong way,and everyone you just fed will be grabbing the TP and running to the nearest toilet-or to the woods for the next 24-48hours.
I spent over 20 years as a professional chef,I was the executive chef at private country clubs and first class hotels.
I also cooked for an outfitter on backcountry elk hunts,cooking for the hunters, the guides,and the rest of the staff way back in the mountains,it was usually a 2 day horseback ride to get to camp.
I spent a couple years working fishing boats out of Wanchese N.C. and working for the fish companies on the docks unloading boats and cutting fish.
I am offering a series of 3 classes on cooking for large groups of people,both under “normal” conditions,and in SHTF events with no power,and no natural gas to operate stoves and ovens.

I’ve taught cooking classes in the past-my boss at the time volunteered me to teach the class,at the request of the hotel’s general manager.
I’ m going to use the same methods I used back then,except rather than a 3 day series of classes,I’m going to condense the three days of classes into a one day class.
I will do a series of three classes,each one building on the previous class material,so the classes have to be taken in order,you have to have completed the first class to be able to take the second class an so on.
If there is interest in more advanced classes-I will offer those as well.
Here’s the description of what I will cover in the first class…
Cooking For Large Groups
Class #1-The Basics
This class will be required before taking subsequent classes.

This class will be required before taking subsequent classes.
As of now,I have 3 classes that I plan to offer,with each building on the previous class.
The classes will be one day classes that are the condensed version of 3 day course.
Students will receive quite a large amount of info via e-mail,which includes a series of videos that will be sent to each student as an e-mail attachment. There will also be some additional videos online.
*I’m not satisfied with the quality of the videos I’ve made so far,working on getting a better tripod for the camera,and better lighting for the room I’m using to make the videos. If I can not get the video quality to where I’m satisfied with it,I’ll over that material via e-mails to those taking the classes.
There will also be printed materials distributed to each student on the day of the class that will include material that we will not have the time to cover during class,but that I feel is important for people to know.
There will be a number of recipes included that are my own personal recipes from my years of running kitchens.
I will cover cooking under “normal”conditions,as well as under grid down conditions,to include how to set up a field kitchen.
There will be a “hands on” part of the class,and students will cook our lunch and dinner for the day.
The food is included in class price,as are all the online,e-mail,and printed materials,and a thermometer for each student,as cooking,holding and serving temperatures are critical to insuring a safe meal.
I will provide beverages-coffee,tea,sodas.
Class sizes will be limited to 16 people,any more than that,and the kitchen I have the use of is simply not big enough.
Cost for the class is $125.00.

I just can not make it any lower,and that is a more than fair price for the amount of material,and instruction I will provide. I’ll have 60+ hours into putting together the material for the class,not counting the videos-so this first class is getting a great deal!
A deposit on class fees must be paid no later than 2 weeks prior to class,unless you have worked out a barter deal with me.(see below)
Deposit is $75.00,the remainder is due no later than 3 days before the class,so I know how much food to buy for the class.
I am also willing to barter-I’ll accept silver bars or coins at the Kitco spot silver price day of class,muzzleloding stuff I’l accept in trade-unopened plastic bottles of Triple7 powder,either FFG or FFFG, 240 grain Hornady XTP bullets in .44 or .45 caliber,230 grain Hornady lead roundnosed bullets in .45 caliber-(I’vegot more than enough sabots),quality hunting or tactical kives,fishing gear,20”crossbow bolts,31” aluminun arrow shafts suitable for a 55-70# draw compound bow with a mild cam, NAP 125 grain broadheads.
I can’t accept barter items from everyone taking the class,so if you want to barter-contact me ASAP.
Contact me via e-mail-(gamegetterII@yahoo.com)-and we can most likely work something out.
Anyone planning on taking all 3 classes can also contact me via e-mail,and I’ll knock something off of the total cost for you.
I spent a bit over 20 years as the executive chef, running the kitchens in mostly hotels and private country clubs in Ohio,with some additional experience cooking for an outfitter on backcountry elk hunts in Montana and Colorado,and on fishing boats based out of Wanchese N.C. There may be another guy with similar experience assisiting me in teaching the class-he will be there if he can,depends on what’s going on that day at the restaurant he works at.
If there is enough interest,I can offer more advanced classes after the first three.
As of now,I plan to offer the classes in order,then start over and do the same again.
Material to be covered in Class #1-The Basics
The following is a rough outline of what I will teach in Class #1
Hand washing and the right soaps to use.
Proper sanitation/disinfecting of pots,pans,utensils,kitchen equipment and surfaces.
Proper pot,pan,utensil wash/rinse/sanitization.
Knife sharpening and the correct way to use a chef’s or cooks knife,and other kitchen knives.
The various cooking methods-broil, bake,braise,saute,etc.
Common kitchen weights and measures,use of each.
Basic food prep of vegetables used in cooking.
Intro to the various stocks,soups and sauces.
Basic food prep of vegetables used in cooking.
Intro to the various stocks,soups and sauces.
Mirepoix
Roux and other binding agents.
Fats and oils used in cooking.
Cooking,holding and serving foods safely.
Cuts of meats and what each is best used for.
Cooking rice and pastas.
Cooking beans.
Cooking vegetables and potatoes.
Intro to baking breads,bisquits,cornbreads.
Roasting meats and poultry.
Cooking fish and seafood.
Intro into baking cakes,pies,brownies,cookies,etc.
Proper food storage methods
Meal planning and prep.
I’ll go over the various ways to set up a field kitchen,and do all of the above in a grid-down scenario.

Class #2 will be focused on grid down cooking,and will involve planning meals,doing the prep work,cooking meals over a fire,how to make the fire,and set up your “kitchen” near the fire,and all the food safety during prep,coking,holding at the right temperature,and serving the meals.
I’ll announce class #2 about 6 weeks prior to the date of the class.
Classes will be held in Sagamore Hills Ohio
Class #1 the basics,will be held on Saturday March 12th at 9am-5pm
Anyone interested,please contact me via
gamegetterII@yahoo.com
Or-
starvinlarry@gmail.com

Posted by at 6:50 PM

Feeding Your Tribe Now,and During A SHTF Event

Posted: January 6, 2016 by gamegetterII in Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,
2

One of the things that people often do not consider important is feeding your tribe,group,clan,team ,etc. as a group.

Cooking for large groups of people is not like having a backyard BBQ,or a holiday meal at your aunt Millie’s house.

There’s procedures you have to follow-just like anything else,there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.

Do things the wrong way,and everyone you just fed will be grabbing the TP and running to the nearest toilet-or to the woods for the next 24-48hours.

I spent over 20 years as a professional chef,I was the executive chef at private country clubs and first class hotels.

I also cooked for an outfitter on backcountry elk hunts,cooking for the hunters, the guides,and the rest of the staff way back in the mountains,it was usually a 2 day horseback ride to get to camp.

I spent a couple years working fishing boats out of Wanchese N.C. and working for the fish companies on the docks unloading boats and cutting fish.

I am offering a series of 3 classes on cooking for large groups of people,both under “normal” conditions,and in SHTF events with no power,and no natural gas to operate stoves and ovens.

I’ve taught cooking classes in the past-my boss at the time volunteered me to teach the class,at the request of the hotel’s general manager.

I’ m going to use the same methods I used back then,except rather than a 3 day series of classes,I’m going to condense the three days of classes into a one day class.

I will do a series of three classes,each one building on the previous class material,so the classes have to be taken in order,you have to have completed the first class to be able to take the second class an so on.

If there is interest in more advanced classes-I will offer those as well.

Here’s the description of what I will cover in the first class…

Cooking For Large Groups

Class #1-The Basics

This class will be required before taking subsequent classes.
As of now,I have 3 classes that I plan to offer,with each building on the previous class.
The classes will be one day classes that are the condensed version of 3 day course.
Students will receive quite a large amount of info via e-mail,which includes a series of videos that will be sent to each student as an e-mail attachment. There will also be some additional videos online.
*I’m not satisfied with the quality of the videos I’ve made so far,working on getting a better tripod for the camera,and better lighting for the room I’m using to make the videos. If I can not get the video quality to where I’m satisfied with it,I’ll over that material via e-mails to those taking the classes.
There will also be printed materials distributed to each student on the day of the class that will include material that we will not have the time to cover during class,but that I feel is important for people to know.

There will be a number of recipes included that are my own personal recipes from my years of running kitchens.
I will cover cooking under “normal”conditions,as well as under grid down conditions,to include how to set up a field kitchen.
There will be a “hands on” part of the class,and students will cook our lunch and dinner for the day.
The food is included in class price,as are all the online,e-mail,and printed materials,and a thermometer for each student,as cooking,holding and serving temperatures are critical to insuring a safe meal.
I will provide beverages-coffee,tea,sodas.
Class sizes will be limited to 16 people,any more than that,and the kitchen I have the use of is simply not big enough.
Cost for the class is $125.00.

I just can not make it any lower,and that is a more than fair price for the amount of material,and instruction I will provide. I’ll have 60+ hours into putting together the material for the class,not counting the videos-so this first class is getting a great deal!
A deposit on class fees must be paid no later than 2 weeks prior to class,unless you have worked out a barter deal with me.(see below)
Deposit is $75.00,the remainder is due no later than 3 days before the class,so I know how much food to buy for the class.

I am also willing to barter-I’ll accept silver bars or coins at the Kitco spot silver price day of class,muzzleloding stuff I’l accept in trade-unopened plastic bottles of Triple7 powder,either FFG or FFFG, 240 grain Hornady XTP bullets in .44 or .45 caliber,230 grain Hornady lead roundnosed bullets in .45 caliber-(I’vegot more than enough sabots),quality hunting or tactical kives,fishing gear,20”crossbow bolts,31” aluminun arrow shafts suitable for a 55-70# draw compound bow with a mild cam, NAP 125 grain broadheads.
I can’t accept barter items from everyone taking the class,so if you want to barter-contact me ASAP.
Contact me via e-mail-(gamegetterII@yahoo.com)-and we can most likely work something out.
Anyone planning on taking all 3 classes can also contact me via e-mail,and I’ll knock something off of the total cost for you.

I spent a bit over 20 years as the executive chef, running the kitchens in mostly hotels and private country clubs in Ohio,with some additional experience cooking for an outfitter on backcountry elk hunts in Montana and Colorado,and on fishing boats based out of Wanchese N.C.

There may be another guy with similar experience assisiting me in teaching the class-he will be there if he can,depends on what’s going on that day at the restaurant he works at.

If there is enough interest,I can offer more advanced classes after the first three.
As of now,I plan to offer the classes in order,then start over and do the same again.

Material to be covered in Class #1-The Basics

The following is a rough outline of what I will teach in Class #1

Hand washing and the right soaps to use.
Proper sanitation/disinfecting of pots,pans,utensils,kitchen equipment and surfaces.
Proper pot,pan,utensil wash/rinse/sanitization.
Knife sharpening and the correct way to use a chef’s or cooks knife,and other kitchen knives.
The various cooking methods-broil, bake,braise,saute,etc.
Common kitchen weights and measures,use of each.
Basic food prep of vegetables used in cooking.
Intro to the various stocks,soups and sauces.
Mirepoix
Roux and other binding agents.
Fats and oils used in cooking.
Cooking,holding and serving foods safely.
Cuts of meats and what each is best used for.
Cooking rice and pastas.
Cooking beans.
Cooking vegetables and potatoes.
Intro to baking breads,bisquits,cornbreads.
Roasting meats and poultry.
Cooking fish and seafood.
Intro into baking cakes,pies,brownies,cookies,etc.

Proper food storage methods

Meal planning and prep.
I’ll go over the various ways to set up a field kitchen,and do all of the above in a grid-down scenario.

Class #2 will be focused on grid down cooking,and will involve planning meals,doing the prep work,cooking meals over a fire,how to make the fire,and set up your “kitchen” near the fire,and all the food safety during prep,coking,holding at the right temperature,and serving the meals.

I’ll announce class #2 about 6 weeks prior to the date of the class.

Classes will be held in Sagamore Hills Ohio

Class #1 the basics,will be held on Saturday March 12th at 9am-5pm

 

Anyone interested,please contact me via

gamegetterII@yahoo.com

Or-

starvinlarry@gmail.com

Read.

Learn.

Train.

Do more PT!

 

Human silhouette target ban bill shows absurd dangers of anti-gun ‘solutions

Posted: January 15, 2015 by gamegetterII in anti-gun asshattery
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"Progressives" who hate and harass gun owners want to make this man a criminal. They want to make you a criminal.

A Pennsylvania “lawmaker” has once more demonstrated why mentally-challenged “progressives” (but I repeat myself) should never be trusted with power and responsibility. Representative Thaddeus Kirkland, a Democrat, naturally, plans on introducing a bill that “prohibits the use of human silhouette targets at shooting ranges across the Commonwealth…”

Naturally, he plans to include an exception for the “Only Ones.” Whether he intends to also mandate targets they use be accompanied with the words “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” is left unstated.

“Rather than perpetuate violence by continuing to allow individuals to practice their target shooting by shooting at human silhouette targets at shooting ranges, my legislation will prohibit the use of targets that depict human silhouettes at shooting ranges across the Commonwealth,” Kirkland declares, as if using the word “shooting” four times in one sentence justifies subjecting everybody else to his heavy-handed foolishness. “Instead, silhouette targets could include, but are not limited to the following: white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, and elk.”

We’ll just see what PETA has to say about that. Setting collectivist stooges on each other can be great fun to watch. And as an aside, Kirkland’s presuming to “allow” implies there’s an “obey me or be destroyed” mandate he’s willing to have armed enforcers kill citizens over.

We’ll have to see about that, too.

It’s probably lost on Kirkland that the people in the section of Delco he represents who are doing the lion’s share of the “gun crime,” including missing their targets and hitting someone else, are no doubt overwhelmingly “prohibited persons” and unlikely to be spending time at ranges. The bottom line is, this will hamper the effective self-defense training of good people, and interfering with that actually makes things more dangerous for everyone. Not that “progressives” blathering about “gun safety” and achieving Opposite Day results should surprise anyone who is, you know, rational…

Still, why stop at silhouettes? What about targets that actually show figures of people? What about popular “zombie” targets? They’re not human any more, are they? Fortunately, for Kirkland’s esteemed “peace officers,” they’ll still be able to blow away “No More Hesitation” models of “white-privileged” pregnant women and kids, at least while their already-purchased supplies last. And I guess as long as we’re exploring the absurd, another ridiculous question or two is in order: Could I have a silhouette target of someone who looks human, but isn’t? For some reason Star Trek’s android Data comes to mind…

Still, the stupidity isn’t limited to Kirkland. Come on – it’s not like compulsive gun-grabbers are known for originality (just like the “Authorized Journalists” who make sure everyone has the latest talking points to parrot).

“Pennsylvania is not the first state to consider a ban on human-shaped targets,” Outdoor Hub reports. “Massachusetts has already banned the use of any shooting targets in licensed gun ranges “that depict human figures, human effigies, human silhouettes or any human images thereof, except by public safety personnel performing in line with their official duties.’”

Massachusetts. It’s OK for cops to train to shoot back at bad guys, but you, not so much. Well that just figures, doesn’t it Gomer?

Trying to trace back legislative origins is a daunting task for anyone unfamiliar with the Acts and Resolves library system the state uses (guilty!), but the prohibiting language, applying to licensed “clubs,” appears in “An Act Relative to Gun Control in the Commonwealth” from 1998, back when “Republican” Paul Cellucci ruled the roost. Whether the language was a holdover from earlier legislation is unknown, but that it survived his and Mitt Romney’s tenures as governor without apparent objection shows it’s unfair blaming it all on Democrats.

Can you imagine being one of the privileged, exempted “law enforcers,” and being willing to escalate things through the entire continuum of force against someone who could appropriately argue (in spite of what totalitarians would claim) that his supposedly guaranteed freedom of expression was being violated?

It would be interesting to see this challenged, and see how a “compelling state interest,” generally required under strict scrutiny for First Amendment cases, would be backed up. Which qualified trainers and certified programs teach that everyone is safer when targets used in self-defense training are limited to concentric circles and to pictures of game animals under force of law? And just what qualifications do ignorant, anti-gun bigots have to impose their ignorance on others, including on people whose advanced classrooms they couldn’t even safely participate in, let alone understand core concepts being taught, without first mastering prerequisite basic and intermediate skills?

It’s also interesting seeing how far some, living in places from which the demand for liberty arose, have repudiated freedom won for them by worthier men, and demanded shackles in its place. Sadly, it’s just not surprising to those who have noted them ceding their — and our — birthright to turkeys. Literally and figuratively.

http://www.examiner.com/article/human-silhouette-target-ban-bill-shows-absurd-dangers-of-anti-gun-solutions?CID=examiner_alerts_article

Processing Your Own Deer

Posted: December 26, 2014 by gamegetterII in hunting
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The first thing you absolutely must do to insure great tasting venison is to quickly field dress your deer,being careful not to puncture the stomach or intestines,and prop the chest cavity open to help speed cooling. Do this even in cold weather,as the faster you cool the meat,the better the end product will be. Also be sure to remove the deers anal canal-they make a tool called Butt-Out that greatly simplifies the task-or just cut it out with your knife.

Carry a few gallon sized ziploc bags with you if you like the liver or heart,and place those in the bags,along with the two tenderloins that run along the deers backbone on the inside of the body cavity you made when you gutted the critter.

The second thing is you must either allow the deer to hang in a cold place-below 38 degrees,or skin and quarter the deer,and age it in a couple of coolers by placing the deer quarter in a plastic trash bag,filling the cooler part way with ice,then placing the bag of meat on the ice. You can also use game bags to age your venison, but most of us hunt deer close enough to home and/or a hunting camp that there is no need for game bags unless you live in the south,where flies and other insects are an issue. The only time I use game bags is when hunting the mountain west,where it can be several days before I get back to “civilization” and the meat must be hung in a tree to keep it away from bears,coyotes etc.

Having hunted and processed my own game for over 40 years,I have found that as long as the weather cooperates,I let my deer hang for 7 days,then skin and process it.

When I have to use the coolers and ice method-I give it 10 days before processing.

The third thing,and I’m only putting it as third,because it’s the third step-is at least as important as allowing the meat to cool quickly.

The third thing is you must remove every bit of fat from the venison,venison fat is one of,if not the nastiest tasting things I have ever tasted-and I have tasted some things that are pretty gross to most people-Haggis comes to mind,tripe,”mountain oysters”,raw clam cocktail that I demanded to order in a restaurant as a kid-and was told in no uncertain terms by my dad that if he was paying for it I was damn sure gonna eat it-almost puked on the table it was so nasty!

I’m not going to get into the hang your deer head up or head down argument-I hang mine head up,because I find it easier to butcher the deer that way, as I start with the neck and shoulders,which take more time to bone out than the hind quarters.

Skin the deer carefully,being careful not to cut through it except to split it at the neck and legs,and remove the meat from the tail. If you plan on tanning the hide-be extra careful to not leave any meat attached to it,as you will just have to remove it later.

If you shot a trophy that you plan on having mounted-leave about 6″ more hide on the head/neck, or neck shoulders if getting a shoulder mount than you think the taxidermist will need.

I start at the neck,removing the larger muscles ,saving them to grind. Next,I remove the “backstraps” which are really the loins that run along  and on either side of the spine-this is prime meat,use it for steaks. Start at the top of the backstrap just above the shoulder,run your knife along the backbone,going around each vertebrae,when you reach the end of the backstrap,take your knife,and run it along the bone from the other side of the loin-or you can cut so far on one side,then cut the same length on the other,and the loin will just peel away from the bone as you go, with minimal knife work. Either way works,just a matter of preference.

Next,I bone the shoulders out,separating the muscle groups,after that,the hind quarters,same thing,just remove the meat by muscle groups,there’s really nothing to it,it’s very easy to do.

Once I am at this point,I rinse all the meat to remove any stray hairs from it,then sit at a table to start cutting it into roasts,and chunks for stew and grinding.

You will notice as you begin to separate the muscles into roasts that there is a clear membrane-get all that off and toss it in the trash bucket you have next to the cutting table.

You will also notice a silvery colored “skin” covering parts of the muscles-this is called siverskin and is what makes the clumps of “gristle” you sometimes get in ground beef.Remove this with a boning knife or filet knife-carefully cut under it,then take your knife blade pointing away from the meat,and run it along the silverskin-repeat this until you have removed all of it.

As you trim your roasts,toss the larger chunks into a pile for stew meat,the smaller into another pile for ground meat. I sometimes grind one shoulder into ground meat,and will also grind the smaller roasts from the hindquarters as well-depends on how much ground meat you want to end up with.

One piece of advice-buy a good grinder-I have both a hand-crank that’s so old my great grandmother used it,and a 1 1/2 hp electric grinder I bought from Cabelas years ago.

The grinders will come with at least 2 plates that have holes in them-these determrine the size of the grind you get when you grind the meat.

Whichever type of grinder you use,always grind the meat,grind the fat,then mix the two together,then grind a second time. Ground venison is best when ground to a medium or coarse grind-we prefer coarse grind,so I use the same plate for all 3 steps. If you prefer a smaller grind,grind meaqt and fat with the larger plate,mix the two,then grind using a plate with smaller holes.

The roasts from the hindquarters are more tender,and look just like the same roasts cut from a beef cow. I’ll use the shoulder roasts for crockpot roasts,and the roasts from the hindquarters get treated the same as a high quality beef roast.

My wife likes to use the bags with the seasonings already in them,she puts potatoes,carrots a little celery and onion in the bag with the roast-cooks according to directions on package-and venison roasts made like that rock! Just had one for Christmas dinner.

I make jerky from a couple of the roasts,and all the trimmings from the hindquarters are used for stew meat if big enough pieces,or get tossed into the grind pile if small pieces.

To make the best tasting ground venison,you have to add some fat,what kind is up to you,some use pork fat,some use beef fat,some grind bacon into their ground venison.

I use beef fat,it’s readily available,even from today’s grocery stores that don’t really butcher meat,they just cut up boxed large cuts,and it’s inexpensive-I just paid $4.99 for 5# a couple weeks ago.

Beef fat makes ground venison taste more like ground beef-and it makes ass-kickin good burgers-just be careful not to overcook it!

Venison is best cooked to medium rare-if making your burgers inside-I use a cast iron skillet,get it nice and hot,then cook the ground venison burgers,lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper for about 3 minutes per side,flipping only once. Let the cooked burgers rest for a few minutes as you get your fixin’s ready,put it on the bun and enjoy-best burgers you’ll ever eat.

Those of you who like liver-yuck-venison liver cooks way faster than beef or calf liver-so you have to cook your onions halfway first. I’ll start the onions in one skillet,then dredge the liver pieces in flour that’s been seasoned with salt and pepper,and cook in a cast iron skillet that’s good and hot and has a 50/50 mix of butter and cooking oil in it-lightly brown the liver,when you turn the pieces over,add the onions from the other pan,the onions will finish cooking as the liver cooks-remove the liver pieces when browned,place on paper towels to drain any oil,then put on plates,and top with the now fully cooked onions-enjoy-the wife and kids won’t eat beef liver any more-they can’t wait for fall and that first venison liver now.

Hope that helps…

One other thing-expect to get about half of what your deer weighs after field dressed in meat when you process it-make sure you have freezer space already cleared when you start processing.

Any questions-just ask in the comments-or e-mail me @gamegetterII@yahoo.com

Read.

Learn.

Train.

Do More PT !

It’s the holidays and you’re eating and drinking way more than you should-do some extra PT !

The Underground Greenhouse-Year-Round Food Production in Cold Climates

Posted: October 11, 2014 by gamegetterII in Growing your own food
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barb“As more people become aware of the importance of growing their own food, social media has become a primary way ideas are shared. One of these ideas which is often seen on Facebook and Pinterest is the walipini underground greenhouse.

This greenhouse claims to grow food year-round and only cost $300 in building materials. For lots of gardeners, particularly those in cool climates with short growing seasons, a greenhouse is almost a must-have. Let’s take a look at the advantages of an underground greenhouse:

Takes advantage of thermal mass. When you dig down even just four feet, the temperature changes dramatically. Frost lines generally are three to four deep, so a six to eight foot walipini is completely protected from frost. One walipini owner claims that his greenhouse keeps pretty steady 70 degree Fahrenheit or warmer temperatures when it’s 10 degrees outside. Because underground greenhouses are warmed by thermal mass on all sides, you really can’t lose any warmth compared to a traditional greenhouse.”

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2014/10/06/an-underground-greenhouse-its-not-just-a-fad/

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