What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[turbo]

My wife and I just enjoyed our last meal cooked on the old Char-Broil gas grill. BBQ'd shrimp, potatoes and onions in a foil envelope, and steamed whole kernel corn. This old grill has been through 3 burners, 2 lower grates, and 2 upper grates. It's still doing OK, so it's going to be moving to my mother-in-law's camp at the lake. The grill that her son brought over there is so wimpy that you can't sear or brown anything, just dry it to death under low heat. Not good for cooking meats, even 'dogs and burgers.

 

[turbo]

Well, I've been pushed into the deep end of the pool. My wife was visiting our neighbors and she invited them and their grandchildren to our place on Saturday night for a BBQ. It's their anniversary, and my wife volunteered me to cook up some nice rib-eyes on a grill that I haven't yet bought, assembled, or learned how to control for best results. EEK!

 

[Evo]

Well, I've been pushed into the deep end of the pool. My wife was visiting our neighbors and she invited them and their grandchildren to our place on Saturday night for a BBQ. It's their anniversary, and my wife volunteered me to cook up some nice rib-eyes on a grill that I haven't yet bought, assembled, or learned how to control for best results. EEK!

The new grill sounds awesome turbo, but you really do need time to learn the hot spots, etc... I watched a BBQ champion lose recently because they had a new rig.

 

[turbo]

The new grill sounds awesome turbo, but you really do need time to learn the hot spots, etc... I watched a BBQ champion lose recently because they had a new rig.

I've been lusting after this rig for a while, and now Tractor Supply not only carries them (no shipping) but puts them on sale for the same price as the dual-fuel model with no side firebox. My wife is thrilled. I told her about this when she called me during her lunch break today. Tonight she declared that this new grill is her birthday present. She loves it when I grill food for us.

"Where is your husband?" "Out back, cooking supper."

I'll have to grab a couple of decent steaks and practice a bit before our neighbors' anniversary. It's a sacrifice I'll willingly make. Time is short and there are some quirks to work out, including dampered chimneys on both the gas and charcoal cookers. Still, built-in thermometers will help a lot.

 

[rewebster]

I had a charcoal grill for a while---I'm going to stay with propane for the time being---right now its the 'ease' of grilling that's nice---

 

[turbo]

I had a charcoal grill for a while---I'm going to stay with propane for the time being---right now its the 'ease' of grilling that's nice---

Propane is nice for "quick and easy" since it's normally just my wife and me that need an easy supper. When it's time to smoke a turkey or some ribs, or put a smoky touch on some nice seared (on the gas) steaks, I want charcoal and wood. When we invite the family for a BBQ, I want to have flexibility, and the trio will give me that. Gas-grilling, charcoal-grilling and/or smoking over direct heat or with indirect heat... I think I'm going to like this rig. BTW, I have about 9 acres of woodlot, so if I want to cook/smoke with native woods, I ought to be OK for a while.

For those who like to smoke foods, fresh-cut fruit wood is preferable to soaked chips or chunks. Apple, pear, and cherry are very nice, as is alder. Alder has a sweet smoke that you have to experience to appreciate. Smoke with apple or alder, and hickory fades quickly.

 

[rewebster]

yep---sounds good with the three--

and the wife...


I cut down that apple that wasn't producing and save some of the logs, dug up the stump so that I could put the new yellow delicious in the same spot (space). The stump I saved also--turned it upside down so it wouldn't root---and the thing gave off spouts from the bottom of the roots anyway--funny site to see

forgot the n't

 

[turbo]

yep---sounds good with the three--

and the wife...


I cut down that apple that wasn't producing and save some of the logs, dug up the stump so that I could put the new yellow delicious in the same spot (space). The stump I saved also--turned it upside down so it would root---and the thing gave off spouts from the bottom of the roots anyway--funny site to see

Apple trees are tenacious. Subject them to almost any kind of insult, and they find a way to bounce back. The largest tree on my property was lopped back to just a few major limbs by the fool that owned the place before us, and I am training it back to nice scaffold-type limbs. Still it throws off enough sun-suckers every year to fill the bed of my pickup.

 

[rewebster]

Apple trees are tenacious. Subject them to almost any kind of insult, and they find a way to bounce back. The largest tree on my property was lopped back to just a few major limbs by the fool that owned the place before us, and I am training it back to nice scaffold-type limbs. Still it throws off enough sun-suckers every year to fill the bed of my pickup.

they need to be trimmed every year--the ones in orchards are umbrella shaped and low; and that's the way I've trimmed the nectarines, peaches and the apple---there's no sense in having height to them

 

[turbo]

If you have alders surrounding your brooks, wetlands, etc, consider cutting them and using them to smoke meats. Alder is even sweeter than black cherry - what a taste!

 

[Evo]

I was watching Alton doing sushi. He said in Japan sushi knives can cost over $5,000 a piece. On Amazon.com I saw a wooden bowl to cool sushi rice that cost $460.00.

I made sushi in a plastic bowl I paid $1 for and no one could tell my sushi from what is sold at the corner sushi place where the people can hardly speak English.

Ok, it was only me and the Evo Child, but we know our sushi.

I have a can of vienna sausage. I love vienna sausage. I don't care that there is nothing in it that resembles real food. If they can make sushi from spam in Hawaii, why not vienna sausage in Kansas?

 

[lisab]

I was watching Alton doing sushi. He said in Japan sushi knives can cost over $5,000 a piece. On Amazon.com I saw a wooden bowl to cool sushi rice that cost $460.00.

I made sushi in a plastic bowl I paid $1 for and no one could tell my sushi from what is sold at the corner sushi place where the people can hardly speak English.

Ok, it was only me and the Evo Child, but we know our sushi.

I have a can of vienna sausage. I love vienna sausage. i don't care that there is nothing in it that resembles real food. If they can make sushi from spam in Hawaii, why not vienna sausage in Kansas?

The only time I ever ate vienna sausage was when I was about 9. I was camping with my family, and I got a stomach virus. So they left me behind () and went hiking. After a few hours, I finally felt better, and was *starving* but they weren't back yet. I scrounged around and found a can of them.

I think being in a state of febrile confusion was the only way I could eat them, haha.

 

[Evo]

The only time I ever ate vienna sausage was when I was about 9. I was camping with my family, and I got a stomach virus. So they left me behind () and went hiking. After a few hours, I finally felt better, and was *starving* but they weren't back yet. I scrounged around and found a can of them.

I think being in a state of febrile confusion was the only way I could eat them, haha.

You have something against something that has it's main ingredient listed as "mechanically separated meat"?

 

[Evo]

Guacamole. Do *NOT* buy Wholly Guacamole. The stuff is terrible. It was bitter and I kept spitting out pieces of avocado skin. A LOT of avocado skin, which is probably why it tasted so bad. Apparently anything but the seed is ok, and maybe the seeds are in there too. Nasty stuff.

The stores used to carry a really good guacamole in the same plastic bags, but suddenly all you could find anywhere was the wholly guacamole crap, like they'd paid off a local food distributor.

I can't remember the name of the good stuff. It was cheap too.

The best, of course is Calavo, but at $5 for 6 ounces you'd have to be nuts to buy it.

 

[Moonbear]

I never buy guacamole. It always seems terrible. I guess they have to do something to preserve it and keep it from getting discolored, and whatever that is, it tastes awful. I had a fairly simple recipe somewhere, but I think I've lost it. In addition to the avocado, it had some chopped onion, tomato and cilantro, plus some lime juice. That's what I remember, but don't recall the proportions or if there was anything else in it.

For really quick guacamole, I'll mix an avocado with some store bought salsa (if Turbo lived closer, I'm sure I would like it better with homemade salsa). I just add it about a tablespoon at a time until the texture and taste seem right...no fixed proportions there.

 

[Moonbear]

Jewshi.

LOL! Though, sorry, it's already been done. One of the local grocery stores sells that version of sushi (by a more PC name). I don't think they use smoked salmon, just regular salmon, but they do put the cream cheese on it, and I thought it would be good with smoked salmon too. I would have to special order sushi grade tuna around here, so the idea of making sushi with smoked salmon has crossed my mind too.

Just one more day and I can have good sushi in NY again!

 

[turbo]

My wife and I just had our first meal cooked on the new ultimate grilling machine. I had fired up the propane burners and loaded the charcoal grill and the side-burning smoker with charcoal to burn out the oil coating the steel. It was blistering hot out on the deck this afternoon, but about 3:30 a large bank of clouds moved in so the temp got down around 80. By 5:00 or so, the oil smell and smoke had totally dissipated, so we opted for a quick supper of grilled hot dogs, toasted rolls, chili relish and mustard. Very simple and fast, and really tasty with a cold beer.

I wish that PFrs lived in the area, so I could share my salsas and chili relishes. I love jalapeno relish with garlic on my hot dogs (along with hot Farmer's mustard) and I just cannot imagine a cheeseburger without my green-tomato/jalapeno salsa and mustard. It's not quite as tart as tomatillo salsa, but nearly so, and I load in the fresh cilantro just before final simmering/canning.

 

[turbo]

Here's the monster. It dominates the West end of the deck. From left to right: propane side-burner, propane grill with 3 separate burners, charcoal grill with a wide range of easily- selectable grate heights to bring the hot coals very close to the cooking grates if wanted or keep the coals lower, and last a side-burner for charcoal and/or wood. It can be used as a mini-grill or it can be a source of indirect heat and/or smoke for the main charcoal grill. If I can get my mitts on some more culled salmon brood stock, I won't have to smoke the fillets in shifts on my little Brinkman. This bad-boy will handle that chore in large batches.

The chimneys on the gas grill are fixed. The chimney on the charcoal grill is dampered, and there is a nice large louver on the end of the charcoal side-burner so that you can control the air flow through that small body and control the smoke-flow and the temperature in the main charcoal grill.

BTW, if you can find one of these on sale, and the assembly fee is $40 or less, TAKE the deal. Assembling this thing alone was a huge pain because there are lots of massive parts. I'm glad my dog is not a parrot. He heard LOTS of bad words today.

 

[DaveC426913]

Guacamole. Do *NOT* buy Wholly Guacamole. The stuff is terrible. It was bitter and I kept spitting out pieces of avocado skin. A LOT of avocado skin, which is probably why it tasted so bad. Apparently anything but the seed is ok, and maybe the seeds are in there too. Nasty stuff.

I'm pretty sure that, if there were an avocado seed in your guacamole, you'd notice it.

:grin:

 

[DaveC426913]

Jumpin'!

All it's lacking is a whistle and a cow catcher!

[PLAIN]http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/images/cuff_last_steam_loco_550.jpg

 

[turbo]

Jumpin'!

All it's lacking is a whistle and a cow catcher!

[PLAIN]http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/images/cuff_last_steam_loco_550.jpg[/QUOTE]This might the working end of the dining car...

 

[turbo]

Supper was pretty good. I cooked thin-sliced potatoes and onions in a foil pack with salt, pepper, olive oil and some smoked paprika. Then, when the potatoes were close to done, I put 4 ears of corn (with butter, salt and pepper) on the grill, and lastly, seared a flat-iron steak seasoned with just salt and pepper. It's nice to have a charcoal grill with a side-smoker. The corn really benefited from the hickory smoke and the charring.

She went to bed recently, still raving about the grilled corn. Who knew?

 

[Evo]

Does anyone here love radishes sauteed in butter? If you haven't tried it, trust me, they are heavenly.

Slice them really thin and sautee in butter until they turn translucent. They are alos fantastic added to soups and casseroles.

It's better if you have home grown, they have a fresh, peppery flavor. The ones at the store aren't as peppery, but they'll do.

 

[turbo]

I often had fried radishes as a kid. You can thin-slice yellow turnip and fry them, too. That's a nice flavor.

Edit: When you have a large garden, it's often necessary to thin vegetables. Slicing root vegetables and frying them was a popular way to use the thinned product.

 

[Evo]

Supper was pretty good. I cooked thin-sliced potatoes and onions in a foil pack with salt, pepper, olive oil and some smoked paprika. Then, when the potatoes were close to done, I put 4 ears of corn (with butter, salt and pepper) on the grill, and lastly, seared a flat-iron steak seasoned with just salt and pepper. It's nice to have a charcoal grill with a side-smoker. The corn really benefited from the hickory smoke and the charring.

She went to bed recently, still raving about the grilled corn. Who knew?

Sounds incredible. I *LOVE* your rig. I had to get rid of my weber gas grill when I moved, no place for it. But I won a coleman mini propane grill from work, but I'm afraid of propane, I prefer to work with charcoal. But to be honest, any kind of outdoor grill is illegal here. The apartment manager usually tries to warn everyone if the police are planning to come through to check for grills, it's a $100 fine.

 

[turbo]

Sounds incredible. I *LOVE* your rig. I had to get rid of my weber gas grill when I moved, no place for it. But I won a coleman mini propane grill from work, but I'm afraid of propane, I prefer to work with charcoal. But to be honest, any kind of outdoor grill is illegal here. The apartment manager usually tries to warn everyone if the police are planning to come through to check for grills, it's a $100 fine.

Ack! $100 buck fine if you have a grill? Even a tiny hibachi or a Weber Smokey Joe mini grill?

I had a ton of fun tonight with that new grill. The propane tank might last a couple of years... the charcoal and hickory is pretty fun right now. When my wife was heading to bed, she said "that was the best supper ever!". Hyperbole, for sure, but she was pretty pumped, and I have put together meals that have wowed friends and family.

 

[Evo]

Ack! $100 buck fine if you have a grill? Even a tiny hibachi or a Weber Smokey Joe mini grill?

Anything with a flame. Crazy, but there are so many idiots out there, I understand.

I remember when my little sister started school at UT, she was staying with friends of ours that had just bought a gorgeous new townhose in the Austin, TX hills, lovely wooden terraced decks all around. There was a huge fire, luckily they were spared. Apparently a newly wed wife decided she would surprise her new husband by lighting up a hibachi on the deck and cooking dinner. She sprayed charcoal lighter all over the place and burned down her home and a half dozen other units. I'm sure her husband was surprised when he got home and there was no house left. I wonder how that marriage worked out?

 

[rewebster]

Anything with a flame. Crazy, but there are so many idiots out there, I understand.

I remember when my little sister started school at UT, she was staying with friends of ours that had just bought a gorgeous new townhose in the Austin, TX hills, lovely wooden terraced decks all around. There was a huge fire, luckily they were spared. Apparently a newly wed wife decided she would surprise her new husband by lighting up a hibachi on the deck and cooking dinner. She sprayed charcoal lighter all over the place and burned down her home and a half dozen other units. I'm sure her husband was surprised when he got home and there was no house left. I wonder how that marriage worked out?

sort of like the (manly) guys first deep fried turkey --(which I haven't done)


--I think that's the largest deck-style grill I've seen turbo

 

[turbo]

sort of like the (manly) guys first deep fried turkey --(which I haven't done)


--I think that's the largest deck-style grill I've seen turbo

I have never deep-fried a turkey, either. That's maybe a cultural "jump the shark" thing. I love cooking on my new grill, though.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

How do you people make your eggs?

I always do them sunny side up. I leave the yolks runny. There's a narrow window where the yolks begin to gel, but to prevent them overcooking I tend to err on the side of runniness. Since I'm not flipping the eggs over, it helps to use a lid (and the lowest possible heat) to cook the tops and bottoms evenly...especially a glass lid, because then you can watch the eggs for the critical moment. Luckily, I have a glass lid that happens to fit my #8 cast iron skillet. I cook some bacon first and then fry the eggs in the bacon grease.

 

[Evo]

How do you people make your eggs?

I always do them sunny side up. I leave the yolks runny. There's a narrow window where the yolks begin to gel, but to prevent them overcooking I tend to err on the side of runniness. Since I'm not flipping the eggs over, it helps to use a lid (and the lowest possible heat) to cook the tops and bottoms evenly...especially a glass lid, because then you can watch the eggs for the critical moment. Luckily, I have a glass lid that happens to fit my #8 cast iron skillet. I cook some bacon first and then fry the eggs in the bacon grease.

The way I was taught to cook sunnyside up was to baste the top of the yolk with the hot drippings until the top of he yolk turns opaque. You will find that this turns the top the perfect shade with very little cooking. Just tilt the skillet then use a spoon to keep pouring the drippings over the top of the egg.

 

[Monique]

While on vacation I learned how to cook a french omelette with cheese on the inside, from the cooks who were preparing breakfast. It really is a delicious way to prepare eggs, but I do need to buy a non-stick pan because right now it's really tricky to get the egg to cook evenly and to fold it without making a mess.

Good tip Evo! I should try that some time, I love eggs sunny-side up.

 

[turbo]

Good idea, Ben. I should keep my eyes peeled for a glass lid or two for my frying pans. I use whatever metal lid fits (we have a lot of copper-clad Reverewear pots with lids that fit the pans pretty well). Of course, that means I have to use the "sneak a peek" method to get the perfect doneness on sunny-side eggs.

When I'm in a hurry, I crack a couple of eggs in a bowl, add water and whisk it in very briskly while the frying pan is getting near temperature, then slap a big dab of butter in the pan, and dump in the eggs as soon as the butter has melted and is sizzling. I put pepper in the eggs before cooking, but never salt because it makes the eggs too firm. I like using water to make scrambled eggs because the great difference in density and viscosity (eggs:water) makes it easy to entrain lots of air, so I get nice light scrambled eggs not heavy or wet ones.

My mother used to whisk milk into the eggs, but I switched to water when I went off to college, and never looked back. I was never a big milk-drinker, and milk would go sour on me before I'd use it, so water was the logical choice.

 

[turbo]

I just pulled 12# of smoked pork butt. I love my new smoker/grill! The pork came out perfectly. I started the offset drum smoker at 6:30 am, got the temperatures stabilized, and smoked the sections of butt at around 225 deg (indirect heat) starting around 7:30 or so. This supper is a birthday present to our neighbor (organic gardener's wife) - we also have chicken, burgers, dogs, and rib-eyes, too, so everybody gets choices. Add in my wife's potato salad, the birthday-girl's macaroni salad, and the surprise dessert (chocolate cream pie with oreo crust) and it's shaping up to be a feast.

I want to tinker with the composition of the dry rub a bit, but the smoker is already a keeper. Easy to control the temperature, compared to my old Brinkman smoker.

 

[dlgoff]

...we also have chicken, burgers, dogs, and rib-eyes, too, so everybody gets choices. Add in my wife's potato salad, the birthday-girl's macaroni salad, and the surprise dessert (chocolate cream pie with oreo crust) and it's shaping up to be a feast.

Is that place still for sale next to yours? I think I want to be your neighbor.

 

[turbo]

Is that place still for sale next to yours? I think I want to be your neighbor.

The place is still up for sale, dlg. I think you could like living here if you can stand the climate. The neighbors are great, and the swaps of food and other stuff like services/skills help us all. I will gladly use my tractor and roto-tiller to help my neighbors feed themselves. If I need some back-hoe work, welding, wood-milling, etc, I get it all for free from my neighbors. Come move here. You'll love it.

 

[Evo]

The place is still up for sale, dlg. I think you could like living here if you can stand the climate. The neighbors are great, and the swaps of food and other stuff like services/skills help us all. I will gladly use my tractor and roto-tiller to help my neighbors feed themselves. If I need some back-hoe work, welding, wood-milling, etc, I get it all for free from my neighbors. Come move here. You'll love it.

DL, buy it and I'll marry you.

 

[lisab]

DL, buy it and I'll marry you.

I think we have the beginnings of a PF retirement commune...but in Maine?

 

[turbo]

DL, buy it and I'll marry you.

Wow! I could get two PF denizens next-door at one shot! Most of us natives have experience in carpentry, concrete work, mechanics, forestry, and many other fields. Self-reliance is highly-prized here, but even more highly regarded is the willingness to use one's talents to leverage the prosperity of one's neighbors.

 

[turbo]

I think we have the beginnings of a PF retirement commune...but in Maine?

If you can stand the winters, the place is pretty nice.

 

[Evo]

Wow! I could get two PF denizens next-door at one shot! Most of us natives have experience in carpentry, concrete work, mechanics, forestry, and many other fields. Self-reliance is highly-prized here, but even more highly regarded is the willingness to use one's talents to leverage the prosperity of one's neighbors.

I'm actually quite skilled at carpentry, I can build fences, my first husband taught me many things.

I'm an awesome cook. I can preserve. I have many basic skills.

 

[dlgoff]

DL, buy it and I'll marry you.

I'm starting my savings for it today. You think we can handle the cold though?

 

[Evo]

I'm starting my savings for it today. You think we can handle the cold though?

No problem.

 

[turbo]

I'm starting my savings for it today. You think we can handle the cold though?

The old couple is asking $142K for the place. House, outbuildings, and 22 (mostly forested) acres. There are some massive trees on the property. Also a very nice garden spot with good truck access. They got 14 yards of rotted manure last fall, after I got mine, and I tilled it in with my tractor this spring.

I've got a feeling that they would accept a much lower offer because the housing market around here is dead, and they don't want to face another winter here. The old fellow had a subdural hematoma a while back, and his wife is anxious to move back to Massachusetts to be closer to their sons, especially if he continues to have episodes.

Back to food. We have lots of left-overs from the cookout, so brunch is potato salad.

 

[Evo]

I was given some deer meat. A tenderloin, eye of round, sausage, and burger.

 

[Evo]

Turbo, you got some recipes for the roasts?

 

[turbo]

I would cut the tenderloin into relatively thin steaks and sear them hot and fast in a cast-iron pan. Pre-heat the pan (dry) and dust the steaks with salt and pepper. When the pan is quite hot, toss in a good dollop of butter, smear it around and throw in the steaks, browning on each side ONCE, and put them on a covered plate to relax a couple of minutes before serving. Flipping thin venison steaks from side to side is a good way to make them dry, and tougher than they should be.

Generally, when I get a larger venison roast, I make a traditional New England boiled dinner out of it. Even tougher shoulder and neck roasts come out great that way. Sear the roast in peanut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan with salt and pepper, making sure to brown all the surfaces. De-glaze the pot with red wine and water, add garlic powder and onion powder and simmer for 3 hours or until the roast "gives" easily when pierced with a large fork. Then add chunks of potato, cabbage, turnip, onion, carrot, etc and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender. If you did a good job browning the meat, the broth should give the vegetables a nice brown tinge and great flavor. This makes a nice big meal that is great for microwaving leftovers. Now that you have boarders that don't cook, large batch meals like this will pay off.

 

[turbo]

Another nice cooking tool! My wife found Outset brand stainless-steel grill woks on sale for $6.99 each, so she bought a couple of them. She used one last night to grill potatoes, mushrooms, and onions to accompany our rib-eye. It's a great low-fat way to get grilled vegetables. Also, MUCH easier to clean than the wire baskets we've been using.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AQI146/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Evo]

Evo Child has been raving about the best BBQ pork ribs she's ever eaten is mine and she wants some.


I got my *secret trick* from a multiple world champion.

Get pork country ribs, boil them in water for an hour, then slather them in BBQ sauce and grill. I can't grill, so I bake them in the oven.

Seriously, the boiling is the key to success. It gets rid of a lot of fat, makes the meat juicy, moist, and fall off the bone. No one has been able to guess that they aren't smoked for hours.

All I hear is "OMG, OMG, they are orgasmic!"

 

[turbo]

Garlic scape season is here and that means lots of special touches to meals. I grilled some scapes last night, along with corn on the cob and flat-iron steak. Grilling makes the scapes too bland, so no more of that for me. There are better ways to incorporate them into dishes.

This morning, my wife cooked breakfast on the grill. Potatoes, onions, and mushrooms done up in one of our grill-woks, and omelets done on the grill-top in a cast-iron pan. The omelets featured sharp Vermont cheddar and chopped scapes. Very tasty. I just had an early supper of a tuna-salad sandwich on fresh home-made beer-barrel rye bread. The tuna salad has chopped onion, celery, and garlic scapes. Again, very tasty. Scape season is brief, so we need to take advantage of it while it's here.