Meals in a Jar (21 page)

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 quart Saucy Joe mix

• 1 sidekit Rice (
page 120
), Polenta (
page 121
), Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
), Buttered Noodles (
page 120
), Biscuits (
page 126
), or Dinner Rolls (
page 123
)

Label each bag:

Prepare the rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, biscuits, or bread according to the package directions. Slowly warm the saucy joes in a pot and serve spooned over the sidekit. Serves 8
.

Spicy Chipotle Beef 4 Ways

This tender braised beef and spicy sauce is big on flavor yet easy on the wallet. We start the braise in the pan and finish it in the canning process.

Makes 12 (6 to 8-serving) meals

Ingredients

20 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into bite-size chunks

olive oil

8 large onions, chopped

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 (7-ounce) cans chipotle chiles in adobo

salt and pepper

Instructions

Working in batches, chop the beef into chunks, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Coat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat, and brown the beef, working in batches (it needn’t be cooked through, just browned). Set aside. Meanwhile, cook the onion in a little oil until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, stir to combine, and then add the tomato sauce and sugar. Puree the chipotle chiles in their sauce in the blender or food processor and add to the sauce. Using a canning funnel, fill the jars or pouches each with 3 cups of beef and then fill with sauce, leaving abundant headspace (1 to 2 inches). Wipe the rims or edges to be sealed, add the lids and rims, or heat-seal the pouches. Pressure-can for 90 minutes.

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 12 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch chipotle beef mix

• 1 sidekit Polenta (
page 121
), Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
), Buttered Noodles (
page 120
), Rice (
page 120
), or Tortillas (
pages 129–30
)

Label each bag:

Prepare the polenta, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, rice, or tortillas according to the package directions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chipotle beef until heated through. Serve over or alongside the sidekit
.

Braised Brisket

This classic dish yields slices of tender beef in a rich, delicious sauce. I use my 18-quart roaster, but your largest roasting pan covered in foil would work in the oven too.

Makes 8 (6-serving) meals

Ingredients

4 (3-1/2 to 4-pound) beef briskets

seasoning salt

3 cups cider vinegar

4 cups tomato paste

1-1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed

3 cups finely chopped onions

3 tablespoons minced garlic

Instructions

Preheat a roaster or oven to 325°F. Season the beef with seasoning salt on both sides. In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, onion, and garlic. Pour about half the sauce into the bottom of the pan and lay the briskets over. Top with the remaining sauce. Cover and cook for about 2 hours. Slice the beef against the grain. Using a canning funnel, fill 8 jars or pouches with beef slices and then fill with sauce, leaving abundant headspace (1 to 2 inches). Wipe the rims or edges to be sealed, add the lids and rims, or heat-seal the pouches. Pressure-can for 90 minutes.

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 8 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch brisket and sauce

• 1 sidekit Polenta (
page 121
), Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
), Buttered Noodles (
page 120
), or Rice (
page 120
)

Label each bag:

Prepare the sidekit according to the package directions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the beef brisket until heated through. Serve over or alongside the sidekit. Serves 6
.

Machaca

Depending on which area of Mexico it comes from, spicy braised beef pot roast is either called picadillo or machaca. By any name, it is delicious served with rice, beans, and a side of tortillas. Chuck roast is an excellent choice for this dish, but you can also use whatever roast is on sale.

Makes 16 (8-serving) meals

Ingredients

30 pounds beef roast, such as chuck, cut into 1/4-pound chunks

seasoning salt

vegetable oil

7 large onions, chopped

4 cups water

2 (28-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce

Instructions

Preheat an electric roaster to 325°F or use the oven and 2 large roasting pans or slow cookers set on high. Pat the beef chunks dry and generously season with seasoning salt all over. Preheat 1 or 2 skillets over high heat, coat with oil, and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the beef to the roasting pan(s) and add the onion, water, and enchilada sauce. Cover and cook the beef for 3 hours. Using a canning funnel, add the beef to 16 sterilized quart-size jars or pouches and divide the sauce among the pouches, leaving abundant headspace (1 to 2 inches). Wipe the rims or edges to be sealed, add the lids and rims, or heat-seal the pouches. Pressure-can for 90 minutes.

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 quart beef machaca

• 1 sidekit Rice (
page 120
), Polenta (
page 121
), Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
), Buttered Noodles (
page 120
), Corn Tortillas (
page 130
), or Flour Tortillas (
page 129
)