What's Happening After Midnight

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but the lack of sunshine and the time change really affects my body, mood, outlook, and sleep patterns. Normally I stay up until dark thirty. My creative juices seem to go crazy after midnight and fortunately I have enough room in the house that I can do my thing without bothering TheHub's sleep. But for a couple of weeks after switching from daylight savings time to standard time, I fall asleep on the loveseat before 9, then wake about midnight and of course I can't get back to sleep. So now I am in the transition period and just woke from an uncomfortable, unintended nap raring to go. 

I decided midnight plus is a great time to process some ground chuck I bought. To get the really good sale price you have to purchase the family pack and because there is just the two of us eating, I get a minimum of four meals out of each pack. And since I bought 3 of them I had some serious processing. 

For most of it I just pack about 3/4 of a pound in freezer bags, flatten them out to remove any air and stick them in the freezer. But I like to have some prepared things on hand all the time. So I decided to go ahead and make beef chorizo. It needs to be refrigerated so all the flavors will marry before I put it in pint size bags for the freezer. Since I am making it anyway I might as well share the making part with you. I am not sharing pictures today tonight because it is nothing but spiced and seasoned raw beef right now and that is just not very exciting. The excitement part comes from eating something delicious later. It might not be pretty but it is delicious. 

You might ask why I make it rather than just buy it since I can find it at any store. It is made the same way whole hog sausage is made and I don't buy that either. I prefer to know the cuts I am eating. I am sure hog cheeks and salivary glands are perfectly edible, I just don't want to eat them. And because I am an ingredient checker I see things that I can't unsee. So I make my own, buy butcher made sausage, and only buy kosher hot dogs. Additionally I had rather use beef than pork for this mainly because I can buy really good ground chuck but I have to grind my own pork. Yeah, I admit it is the path of least resistance that drives my choice here.

2 pounds 80/20 ground chuck

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper (I use the already ground stuff)

5 tablespoons ancho chili powder (sometimes I use 2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder instead)

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (you need the acid but you won't taste the vinegar)

The best way to mix this is wearing food safe gloves and just mix and mix in a large bowl until everything is incorporated. Stuff it into a food safe bag and let it rest about 24 hours.  After that I cook it crumbled, let it cool then pack it into freezer bags for future use. It is delicious and adds so much flavor to so many dishes. Next week I plan on making a chili relleno soufflé  and will use some of it! 

Since I now have to clean the kitchen again anyway, I might as well make meatballs for Italian wedding soup. I will be so glad when my body adjusts to the new time!