If you enjoy hiking, or camping, or exploring nature, then Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire is a must read. And what better snack to go along with these outdoor activities than some homemade beef jerky?
A Season in the Wilderness
Desert Solitaire contains an autobiographical collection of vignettes from Abbey’s time as a park ranger at Arches National Monument. Yes, that’s National Monument, not National Park. Abbey had the privilege (practically unimaginable today) of being stationed at Arches in 1956 and ’57, when it was still fairly undeveloped and only saw the occasional tourist. Living in a little government trailer within the park, Abbey was often the only human around for miles. Today Arches sees over 1.5 million visitors annually, according to the National Park Service.
The book is largely a love letter to Arches, the desert, and nature in general. But it is also a critique of the trend that was, when Abbey compiled the book in the 1960s, already beginning to corrupt the natural beauty of the national parks–developing them, paving them, and making them so accessible that people don’t even have to leave the comfort of their cars to snap their pictures–all in the interest of lining pockets. Looking at the state of the national parks today, flooded with tourists and their vehicles and their selfie sticks, Abbey’s warnings have clearly gone largely unheeded.
Reading Desert Solitaire today elicits (at least for me) a wide range of emotions. Certainly anger and sadness at the greed that has pimped out these spaces of natural beauty, and the human laziness and indifference that has enabled it to happen. This book is heartbreaking in highlighting what we have already lost. But Abbey’s writing is also filled with humor and beauty and wisdom. And it will make you want to go outside and appreciate nature–as much as you can, while you still can.
Hit the Trails with some Beef Jerky
Before heading outside, be sure to make up a batch of beef jerky to take with you. Chewy, salty, spicy, smoky–it’s the perfect snack for hiking or camping. And it’s also pretty easy to make! This recipe starts with some fairly standard jerky marinade ingredients, but is easily adaptable to whatever you want to add to it.
A Few Notes on the Recipe
As far as what cut of beef to use, the less fat the better, for the simple reason that fat does not dehydrate well. Flank steak, skirt steak, eye of round, or top round are all good choices. Prior to slicing the meat I recommend putting it in the freezer for 2-3 hours. You don’t want it frozen solid, but slightly frozen meat will be easier to slice thin.
How thin you slice it is a matter of preference. Thick jerky will obviously take longer to dehydrate. If you like really thin jerky, you can use a meat tenderizer to pound it thinner after slicing. The way you slice it is also a matter of preference, although most people prefer it sliced against the grain. Slicing it with the grain will make a much tougher jerky.
This marinade contains a balance of different flavors. Salty from the soy sauce (it is not necessary to add any salt, as the soy sauce is salty enough). Smoky from the paprika and the hickory smoke seasoning. Spicy from the crushed red pepper and Sriracha (leave these out if you don’t want spice). Umami from the fish sauce and Worcestershire. Sweet from the brown sugar, which balances out the saltiness of the soy. A little bit of apple cider vinegar will help to enhance these flavors and also make the meat a little more tender.
Happy Trails
So make your beef jerky and grab your copy of Desert Solitaire and then go outside! Seriously, stop reading this post immediately. Close your computer, turn off your tablet, and–gasp!–leave your phone at home. Spend some time in nature. Not for the pictures you can share to gratify your ego on social media. Don’t even take any pictures! Don’t even bring any technological devices capable of taking pictures, posting, texting, tweeting, gaming, liking or commenting. Go spend time outside because it is an essential part of being human. Being in nature is an excellent form of therapy and a salve for the soul that has been crushed under all of our technological “advancements.” In the midst of our increasing compulsion to be in constant communication with each other, we have stopped communing with nature, and in our obsession with virtual realities played out on a screen we have forgotten the actual, beautiful, precious reality waiting outside our front doors.
