The last five days have been occupied by my annual chili and sausage making bender, so today I will be a couch potato.
Last Sunday night, I took my three deer hams and shoulders plus scraps and HEB $1/lb. pork butts out of the freezer to thaw. I also got my coolers, grinder and other tools ready for the upcoming job. Six jumbo Hefty slider bags with 15 lbs. of water each were checked to make sure they'd completely frozen for use in the coolers throughout the week.
By Monday afternoon I was hard at deboning venison and pork, and cutting it into pieces my 3/4 hp Cabela's grinder could work with. The hams needed more time to thaw, so they went into the cooler for deboning on Tuesday.
By Wednesday morning I was ready for the Big Grind - 25 lbs. of chili meat, and 80 lbs. of pan sausage, including all appropriate seasoning (Southside BBQ sausage seasoning, $5/bag does 50 lbs. of sausage).
For grinding, I needed help; wifey obliged. I ground, and she packaged the sausage into one lb. Ziplok jumbo sandwich bags. It was about a four hour job, and we were both spent afterward. Definitely a pizza evening.
Thursday was chili day. My 70 qt. pot occupies two stovetop burners. I first sauteed 25 each - medium yellow onions and green bellpeppers. Then I sauteed my 25 lbs. of chili meat - 20 lbs. venison, five lbs. HEB pork butt, all in an oversize pan which also takes up two burners.
After dissolving the spices - cumin, chili powder, garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne, & oregano - I hand-crushed four gallon cans of whole, peeled tomatoes into the pot, along with three gallons of tomato sauce. Jalapenos were added after it warmed some.
Having stirred the chili pot with a King Kooker paddle on the half-hour, it was done four hours later. Now to get it outside to cool overnight. Me, being an old guy with a bum shoulder, I had to call my strapping nephew who lives one block over, to come help me - I figure the pot weighed about 125 lbs. Fortunately, it got down to freezing overnight, so much of the grease congealed at the top, to be raked off Friday morning.
Setting up a portable table on the patio next to the chili pot on Friday, I scooped out enough chili to fill 60 quart containers (bought online for 30-cents each). These then were labeled "Andy's Famous (bowshot) Venison Chili," and went back into the garage freezer, much of which will be given away over the next several weeks. Next was clean-up. This is always the hardest and worst job - thinking next year I'll call for maid service in advance. By the end of the day, I was totally beat. Warmed up some frikadeller (Danish meatballs made with venison), and watched the Spurs trounce the Mavs. It was a good week.
Hook ‘em!
Last Sunday night, I took my three deer hams and shoulders plus scraps and HEB $1/lb. pork butts out of the freezer to thaw. I also got my coolers, grinder and other tools ready for the upcoming job. Six jumbo Hefty slider bags with 15 lbs. of water each were checked to make sure they'd completely frozen for use in the coolers throughout the week.
By Monday afternoon I was hard at deboning venison and pork, and cutting it into pieces my 3/4 hp Cabela's grinder could work with. The hams needed more time to thaw, so they went into the cooler for deboning on Tuesday.
By Wednesday morning I was ready for the Big Grind - 25 lbs. of chili meat, and 80 lbs. of pan sausage, including all appropriate seasoning (Southside BBQ sausage seasoning, $5/bag does 50 lbs. of sausage).
For grinding, I needed help; wifey obliged. I ground, and she packaged the sausage into one lb. Ziplok jumbo sandwich bags. It was about a four hour job, and we were both spent afterward. Definitely a pizza evening.
Thursday was chili day. My 70 qt. pot occupies two stovetop burners. I first sauteed 25 each - medium yellow onions and green bellpeppers. Then I sauteed my 25 lbs. of chili meat - 20 lbs. venison, five lbs. HEB pork butt, all in an oversize pan which also takes up two burners.
After dissolving the spices - cumin, chili powder, garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne, & oregano - I hand-crushed four gallon cans of whole, peeled tomatoes into the pot, along with three gallons of tomato sauce. Jalapenos were added after it warmed some.
Having stirred the chili pot with a King Kooker paddle on the half-hour, it was done four hours later. Now to get it outside to cool overnight. Me, being an old guy with a bum shoulder, I had to call my strapping nephew who lives one block over, to come help me - I figure the pot weighed about 125 lbs. Fortunately, it got down to freezing overnight, so much of the grease congealed at the top, to be raked off Friday morning.
Setting up a portable table on the patio next to the chili pot on Friday, I scooped out enough chili to fill 60 quart containers (bought online for 30-cents each). These then were labeled "Andy's Famous (bowshot) Venison Chili," and went back into the garage freezer, much of which will be given away over the next several weeks. Next was clean-up. This is always the hardest and worst job - thinking next year I'll call for maid service in advance. By the end of the day, I was totally beat. Warmed up some frikadeller (Danish meatballs made with venison), and watched the Spurs trounce the Mavs. It was a good week.
Hook ‘em!
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