The Wonderful Pineapple Weed!

I just learned, this month, that Pineapple Weed is Wild Chamomile!
I have long loved the scent of Pineapple Weed. Years before I knew the plant even had a name I would pick a bud whenever I passed a patch in the driveway, give it a pinch and smell the sweet aroma. The fragrance is so fruity and tropical.

I have tried for a few years to grow Chamomile, only being successful this year. I noticed that my Chamomile plants looked uncannily like Pineapple Weed. So, I decided to do some reading about Pineapple Weed. One of the first things that I came across is, that Pineapple Weed is, in fact, Wild Chamomile. I was super excited, because I get excited over these kinds of things. :)
Now I have been going out and picking Pineapple Weed buds every few days to dry for tea. I really enjoy Chamomile tea. The flavor of Chamomile is unique to that herb. I brewed a cup of Pineapple Weed tea and was very happy to find that it tasted just like Chamomile tea. It is indeed Wild Chamomile. :)

Recipe For Beef Jerky

Story Time Before The Recipe:

I grew up in a family that did not celebrate Valentine's Day. It was considered a pagan Roman Catholic holy day. We never participated.

After I got married I assumed that Mr. In The Mid-west had that same view of Valentine's Day. I remember saying in a conversation one day, ".....we don't do Valentines." And he said, "We don't?" That was my first clue. 

For several years we didn't do anything special. But, the year before last Mr. In The Mid-west did something sweet, gave me chocolate, I think. And, last year he bought me chocolate and a gave me a hand written card. I didn't have anything for him and I felt bad about that. 😔

This year I was determined not to be caught empty handed. I decided to make him beef jerky. It would be a special treat for him, because he never buys any for himself. He just can't justify the cost per ounce. Packaged store bought beef jerky is super pricy!

I watched prices for various cuts of beef. In January Beef Bottom Round roast was $2.99 per pound at our local IGA. I bought a 2 1/2 pound roast for $7.48 to make jerky for Mr. In The Mid-west.

The recipe I used was from Allrecipes.com (I really like their site). It so happens that it was a Chef Jon recipe from FoodWishes.com! I really like Chef Jon's YouTube video recipes. I have shared one of his videos in a post I did several years ago about making hash browns. I am not sure if any of you remember but here is a link. Back to jerky....... I went over to YouTube and watched Chef Jon demonstrate how to make beef jerky.

Partially freeze the roast. Pull it out of the freezer before it is solid. You want your roast to be firm this will help you to able to cut very thin slices of meat. Cut the beef into 1/4 slices.

Wisk together the marinade ingredients and pour or sliced beef. Separate the slices to insure that all surfaces are exposed to marinade. Soak overnight.

Pat the excess liquid off of the slices of beef on some paper towels. Dry the meat on racks in a very low oven for 5-6 hours. Package and present!

Chef Jon's Beef Jerky

From foodwishes.com

2 pounds thinly sliced beef top round

3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 rounded tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 generous tablespoon honey

- Marinate for 3 hours or more.

- Bake at 175 F. for 3-4 hours or until dry and leathery

My jerky took longer to dry completely, more like 5-6 hours. Also, I didn't have honey. I used some brown sugar and molasses instead.