Now that I give it some serious thought, I can say that I only really use one knife. I'd feel strange leaving my SAK at home though. hmmmm stuff to think about...
Suffolk Bushcraft Group Monthly Meeting Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th May 2014
- Thread starter Big Stu 12
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Now that I give it some serious thought, I can say that I only really use one knife. I'd feel strange leaving my SAK at home though. hmmmm stuff to think about...
The group meal shopping is just about finished, so I've got a few questions and need a bit of assistance. I'm assuming that with eight folks signed up, and perhaps another last-minute addition or two tonight, that I'm cooking for 10 guys. Steve and I are picking up the pork and tomatoes tomorrow on the way out. The total per-belly charge will be £4. I'm attached to the notion that this is cool with everyone.
Stu: you seem to have a reasonably well-equipped kitchen packed in your truck as a matter of course. If I recall, the only decal missing from your Disco is a couple of Michelin stars, so please forgive me for asking these few obvious questions. Will you have a cutting board? You're bringing both an eight and a six litre iron dutch oven to hang over the fire all day, right? That's what we'll probably need. I'm also assuming that you have a big spoon or ladle. We'll also need a curvy Mexican waitress who repeats "Meeeester Mark… you're so naughty" when she fetches margaritas. Do you have one of those lying around?
The official menu is a thick, reasonably spicy Green Pork Chilli. I can certainly make a milder one in one of the pots, but I'll need to know before 11am on Saturday, because this one is cooked slowly. I'll be making white rice and black beans to go with it, and have picked up enough big flour tortillas for us each to have two burritos. I never know whether I'll make a burrito or have it in a bowl or on a plate until the very last minute. Green Chilli is odd that way; you never know how you want it served until you move toward the cauldron with purpose and a crazed glint in your eye. That means we'll need to keep a close eye on Russell. I saw him last month with the pork chops and made sure to keep a sharp object nearby in case it got weird. We don't need anyone rolling around in the dirt craving meat. So we'll have that to deal with.
If anyone would like to help feed the chef, then a few stout beers and some tortilla chips would go a long way. Green chilli chefs need both these things when dealing with the Santeria rituals required to get the spices just right. Applying the proper Hoodoo means that I need to keep my sh*t screwed on tight. My friend Jimmy lost his mojo hand in the middle of a fish fry once on a moonless night in Cheesman Canyon and the resulting carnage confounded even the sheriff, who did two tours in Nam and was no stranger to the bizarre. He quit his job and wandered off into the woods a few nights later. That was 15 years ago and I ended up dating his daughter, who never really recovered from the trauma and slept with a hammer under her mattress. Let's try not to go there, so someone bring a few extra beers, ok?
Stu: you seem to have a reasonably well-equipped kitchen packed in your truck as a matter of course. If I recall, the only decal missing from your Disco is a couple of Michelin stars, so please forgive me for asking these few obvious questions. Will you have a cutting board? You're bringing both an eight and a six litre iron dutch oven to hang over the fire all day, right? That's what we'll probably need. I'm also assuming that you have a big spoon or ladle. We'll also need a curvy Mexican waitress who repeats "Meeeester Mark… you're so naughty" when she fetches margaritas. Do you have one of those lying around?
The official menu is a thick, reasonably spicy Green Pork Chilli. I can certainly make a milder one in one of the pots, but I'll need to know before 11am on Saturday, because this one is cooked slowly. I'll be making white rice and black beans to go with it, and have picked up enough big flour tortillas for us each to have two burritos. I never know whether I'll make a burrito or have it in a bowl or on a plate until the very last minute. Green Chilli is odd that way; you never know how you want it served until you move toward the cauldron with purpose and a crazed glint in your eye. That means we'll need to keep a close eye on Russell. I saw him last month with the pork chops and made sure to keep a sharp object nearby in case it got weird. We don't need anyone rolling around in the dirt craving meat. So we'll have that to deal with.
If anyone would like to help feed the chef, then a few stout beers and some tortilla chips would go a long way. Green chilli chefs need both these things when dealing with the Santeria rituals required to get the spices just right. Applying the proper Hoodoo means that I need to keep my sh*t screwed on tight. My friend Jimmy lost his mojo hand in the middle of a fish fry once on a moonless night in Cheesman Canyon and the resulting carnage confounded even the sheriff, who did two tours in Nam and was no stranger to the bizarre. He quit his job and wandered off into the woods a few nights later. That was 15 years ago and I ended up dating his daughter, who never really recovered from the trauma and slept with a hammer under her mattress. Let's try not to go there, so someone bring a few extra beers, ok?
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Sounds like a fair argument. I'll bring a little tipple. You certainly wouldn't want to loose your mind beans whilst spice balancing in the woods.
Looks like it could be a wet one and I've got a bit of sciatica going on. I'm happy to be on point if you need a break from the chilli vapours.
Looks like it could be a wet one and I've got a bit of sciatica going on. I'm happy to be on point if you need a break from the chilli vapours.
Mark, I think I have a cutting board but not sure, as I packed in a rush on Wednesday night dumped ti all in the Disco, and got up late on Thursday and have not been home since......
I even left my sleeping bag at home... eek.... so if anyone's got a spare one
.. can I borrow it, I have a blanket in the Disco but if its cold not sure how i'll sleep lol...
I have got a 6 and a 4 ltr DO with me...
I even left my sleeping bag at home... eek.... so if anyone's got a spare one
.. can I borrow it, I have a blanket in the Disco but if its cold not sure how i'll sleep lol...I have got a 6 and a 4 ltr DO with me...
I have a plastic chopping board I can bring. It's only one of the 99p jobs. A4 sized.
Ill bring it.
Looks like someone will be getting a spoon in the morning if Stu gets cold!
Ill bring it.
Looks like someone will be getting a spoon in the morning if Stu gets cold!
Stu: I've got a Czech Army bedroll if you want to use it. I'll bring it for you in case you want it.
Change of plans from me too. Wont be able to make this one. Mark if you PM me your email I can paypal you the group meal money. Hope you are all having a good one.
Fellow babies… Here’s the Green Chilli recipe:
It’s critical to note that many of these ingredients are easily replaced or changed., and that no precise measurements are required. Green Chilli is an old Mexican / Southwest American dish that has been subjected to a great deal of interpretation over the last few hundred years, so there is no right or wrong way to do it. In fact, this is just one of the many ways that I’ve prepared it.
The process is reasonably straight-forward:
Here are the tricks:
If you like your chilli thick, then toss the pork in flour before you brown it in olive oil. It will be like a broth without the floured pork, and is great in a mug on a cold day when the meat is gone. Thick or thin is up to you. Thick is better if you want to make burritos with flour tortillas, some cheddar cheese, and a can of refried beans. Or you can have a burrito with white rice and black beans with a bit over soured cream. Or you can have a minced beef burrito and pour the thick chilli souce over it. Mmmmmm good.
Fresh chillis want to be flame-roasted until BLACK. I’ve bought them roasted from the guy on the side of the road. I’ve roasted them one at a time over the gas hob. I’ve roasted them in the oven. I’ve roasted them over the BBQ. Just make sure that you roast the chillis before you start preparing the chilli, and let them sit and steam in a Ziploc bag for as long as you can stand it. When you are ready to prepare them, simply peel all the black skin off. Don’t worry about being precise about peeling the black off. In fact, I like the smoky taste that I get from having a bit of the black in the stew. When you’re ready to cook everything, just peel them and chop them. For spicy chilli, simply leave the seeds. I removed 90% of the seeds for the chilli we had this weekend.
Always make more than you need and freeze the rest. It tastes even better when it’s re-heated, including the next day, and the day after that.
Yeah Yeah Yeah
It’s critical to note that many of these ingredients are easily replaced or changed., and that no precise measurements are required. Green Chilli is an old Mexican / Southwest American dish that has been subjected to a great deal of interpretation over the last few hundred years, so there is no right or wrong way to do it. In fact, this is just one of the many ways that I’ve prepared it.
- Jalapeno Peppers over varying sizes, about a dozen. I’ve certainly used cans of green chillis and have never regretted doing so.
- Chunks of Stew / Casserole Pork. This should be fatty pork, and is ideally cut from the shoulder or butt. Feel free to add different cuts of pork. I used some belly pork this weekend.
- Cans of stewed tomatoes. A normal pasta pot of chilli takes 2 cans. These cans may be any kind of tomato, for example, chopped, whole, fire-roasted. Go nuts. Have fun. Choose anything.
- An Onion. I like the yellow onions, but have used the white ones, and have been known to throw in some shallots and green onion. I’ve used red onions, but don’t like them.
- A clove of garlic
- Plain old flour
- Some olive oil
- A bit of Salt and Pepper. Sometimes some Oregano or Cumin depending on my mood.
- (Optionally) a couple of tomatillos, some lime juice, and coriander. This weekend I found a small jar of salsa with all these ingredients and simply dumped it in. Making Green Chilli is easy. Also optional is chicken stock instead of water. I used a couple of stock cubes this weekend.
The process is reasonably straight-forward:
- Brown the pork.
- Toss in the onions and stir until they are translucent
- Dump everything else in. Fill up the pot with water. The whole thing will thicken as the water evaporates. If it gets too dry or thick during the day, then simply add more water. I use chicken stock instead of water most of the time.
- Cook for as long as you can stand it. Keep it simmering, and every so often remove it from the heat and then heat it up again. It will be ready to eat in three hours and taste better every hour. After five or six hours, it becomes irresistible, and tastes great the next day.
Here are the tricks:
If you like your chilli thick, then toss the pork in flour before you brown it in olive oil. It will be like a broth without the floured pork, and is great in a mug on a cold day when the meat is gone. Thick or thin is up to you. Thick is better if you want to make burritos with flour tortillas, some cheddar cheese, and a can of refried beans. Or you can have a burrito with white rice and black beans with a bit over soured cream. Or you can have a minced beef burrito and pour the thick chilli souce over it. Mmmmmm good.
Fresh chillis want to be flame-roasted until BLACK. I’ve bought them roasted from the guy on the side of the road. I’ve roasted them one at a time over the gas hob. I’ve roasted them in the oven. I’ve roasted them over the BBQ. Just make sure that you roast the chillis before you start preparing the chilli, and let them sit and steam in a Ziploc bag for as long as you can stand it. When you are ready to prepare them, simply peel all the black skin off. Don’t worry about being precise about peeling the black off. In fact, I like the smoky taste that I get from having a bit of the black in the stew. When you’re ready to cook everything, just peel them and chop them. For spicy chilli, simply leave the seeds. I removed 90% of the seeds for the chilli we had this weekend.
Always make more than you need and freeze the rest. It tastes even better when it’s re-heated, including the next day, and the day after that.
Yeah Yeah Yeah
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Copied and pasted to my recipe file.
I'll be making this ASAP?
Damn fine job you did on this one, the miss sis already sick of hearing about it.
I'll be making this ASAP?
Damn fine job you did on this one, the miss sis already sick of hearing about it.
hahaha.. I forgot… don't forget to fill up the pot with water after everything goes in. I used a bit of chicken stock this weekend. I'll edit the post in case anyone is cutting and pasting.
Great weekend, I ve ended up with a cold... it was one of those weekend where not much planed but loads was achieved, loads of bushy chat, and a lesson in Straight Razors... I 've now used it twice no major cuts yet... no doubt I'll draw blood soon , lol..
thanks to every one, it was good to meet you Andy
thanks to every one, it was good to meet you Andy
Glad you all had a good meet, sorry I couldn't be there. Can't wait for the DBC now. Any pics of the weekend?
