Our Backyard

When I started this current blog it was June 29, almost July 4th and we had a fire in our fireplace for two days while watching the rain fall–we will take this weather. I so prefer cooler temps to those 80–90 degree days of summer.

A reader asked for the grilled tri-tip recipe. It’s a recipe I found online and adapted to the point it’s not really the original recipe which called for way, way too much salt for our taste! What is the same are the grilling directions–so here goes–

Peel and thinly slice several cloves of garlic. Make many slits in your tri-tip roast with a sharp knife and insert those garlic slices. Generously season the roast with salt, pepper and garlic salt. The recipe calls for a third cup of each of the salts for a 4 pound roast–way too much salt! After you have inserted the garlic and seasoned the roast, I wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate usually overnight.

Refrigerate at least an hour and up to all day. Take the meat out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before grilling. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.  Place the meat directly above the flame for 5 to 10 minutes per side (depending on thickness) to sear the meat and lock in the juices. Turn the grill down to medium heat and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, trying not to flip it too much. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Thermometer should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) for medium-rare. Let stand, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 5 minutes before slicing. (Allrecipes.com)

It’s very important to use a meat thermometer for this cut of meat–too done and it’s tough–and it continues to cook after removing the meat from the grill. I usually remove mine at 145 degrees even though we don’t like medium rare–by the time I serve the meat it’s more medium than medium rare.

We had appointments in Big Timber on Tuesday–poor Emmi had to go to the veterinarian for her routine vaccines including her rattlesnake vaccine. Our vets at All Creatures Vet Clinic are low key and we love all three of them–I never specify which vet we want to see–we just take the one we get. Usually I go back to the exam area with Emmi but she has become so agitated when going to the veterinarian–she tries to literally crawl up on top of my head. Today, I just let the vet tech take her from me and I went back outside. They said she was very calm which is often the case. Much better for Emmi and me!

Big Timber has an awesome new store–Earth Wise General Store. They have specialty foods, local meats and other local foods, bulk shampoo/conditioner and bulk cleaning supplies. Our local meat processing company was well represented and Jim Meacham–I stocked up on Pioneer Meats stuff. I’m excited–we have two new stores in town and a new owner for Cinnabar Creek–the store I opened with a partner in the late 1990’s. We also have a new emporium–local crafters opened this establishment and sell their creations.

Wednesday was take a drive today–through what we call our backyard–over the Beartooth Highway and through the north end of Yellowstone Park–the Lamar Valley. It was a beautiful day with sun, those fluffy white clouds and even some darker, looming clouds which spit rain. It was cold! at 11,000 feet on the top of the Beartooths–38 degrees!–so we had our picnic lunch inside the car!

The “bear’s tooth.”

After we crossed into Yellowstone the traffic increased significantly and it was a good thing we ate our picnic lunch in the car up in the Beartooth Mountains. Nothing is open in the Park–no lodging, no restaurants, no campgrounds and as a result the picnic areas were overwhelmed with people–no physical distancing going on there!

Pilot and Index Peaks

Baby buffalo

And someone at the post office at Mammoth has a sense of humor!

Life is good!