11th December – Brilltong!

Finished Pigeon Biltong

As you will have deduced from today's witty title the biltong is brilliant! It has only taken 48 hours to dry and the finished product is dark and glossy and far easier going on the teeth than it looks! The flavour is salty, as it should be and the coriander is subtly present in all three types (I did three flavours remember) giving the cured meat an authentic 'that's exactly how it should taste' quality. On balance the Worcester sauce and chilli variety is probably my favourite but they're all exceptionally good.

The festive countdown of activities rather focuses one’s mind on the fact that Christmas is only a fortnight away. Myself and the other Morris Men danced at Marden's Christmas spectacular on Saturday which turned out to be rather pleasant. The main event was nothing too special (though it was wonderful to see the children enjoying themselves) but an envelope placed in the hands of our treasurer by the organisers resulted in a leisurely afternoon in the working men's club drinking beer and port. To Em’s delight, some time after we had settled in, two huge black, flat coated retrievers were led into the bar.  On arrival they were presented with a packet of mini cheddars each and we watched transfixed as each dog took their own yellow packet, gently opened it with their mouths and ate the contents in a systematic but unhurried manner. They reminded me of my old retriever, a constant companion through my early shooting days and a far cry from the manic dog I now call my own.

Today it was Christmas tree gathering that kept me mindful of the impending festivities and where once my father and I visited our small plantation with a pruning saw, we now take a chainsaw. The trees are well past their commercial sell by date but by cutting down the 20 footers it is still possible to get something which will fit in a house out of the tops. It has become a tradition that certain friends also come and choose a Christmas tree and it so happened that one family arrived just as we were leaving. There was lively debate amongst the children as to the merits of individual specimens, but to my alarm it was the mother who had the most exacting standards and as I watched them make their selection, I wondered if this might be another year when my tree is rejected by Em and I'm sent back for another!

Dinner

Rump steak with cream and peppercorn sauce served with cumin potato wedges, leaks in white sauce and carrots. Previous to killing and butchering one of S’s bullocks last summer we hadn't had steak at home for years. Now it is wonderful to be able to dip into the freezer and choose between fillet, sirloin or rump.