Need advice from you good ole southeners

[Just-a-Guy]

Remember, green beans are just a means to carry the fatback. They take green beans and boil them for hours, until they are mushy and add a big chunk of fatback. Fatback is the part of the bacon everybody north of the Mason-Dixon line throws away. The beans taste like mushy, salty bacon.

And "macaroni and cheese" is technically "a butt-load of cheese with some macaroni in it" The woman that taught my wife how to make macaroni pie said that when you think you have enough cheese in it, double it, and dont forget the huge chunk of butter.

Its a wonder that people that eat like that can live longer than 25 years!

Dang, this is realllly whetting my appetite! Fatback, bacon, butter... this is why Southerners are such happy people!

 

[Steve_M]

Alright! enough with the food talk!! Just like Guy said getting hungry over here.

But seriously John what I think you should do is have all of us "try" your chicken before you serve it to guests. :I

Also just posted a separate question here.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f20/smoked-brisket-rub-48518/

 

[A2]

Remember, green beans are just a means to carry the fatback. They take green beans and boil them for hours, until they are mushy and add a big chunk of fatback. Fatback is the part of the bacon everybody north of the Mason-Dixon line throws away. The beans taste like mushy, salty bacon.

And "macaroni and cheese" is technically "a butt-load of cheese with some macaroni in it" The woman that taught my wife how to make macaroni pie said that when you think you have enough cheese in it, double it, and dont forget the huge chunk of butter.

Its a wonder that people that eat like that can live longer than 25 years!

Those green beans are nasty. We don't do that in Texas. Thankfully. I do love fatback.

Gravy:
2 tablespoon butter
1 heaping tablespoon flour
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 cups milk

Melt butter in pan,add flour, this is your roux. Slightly brown it, do not burn it. Add milk slowly stirring with a whisk.

Bring to boil, then turn down, allowing to simmer for at least 10 minutes. Gravy will thicken upon cooling.

 

[JohnT]

ihave a 24 inch diameter cast iron skillet, so i go with the pan fried method. like mentioned before, i really like that brown spot where the chicken touches the bottom of the pan..

 

[rawatts]

@gadawg ; got relatives all over n ga. hiram,dallas. and we cook beans until they fall part and sugar in cornbread is a cardinal sin

 

[GaDawg]

Those green beans are nasty. We don't do that in Texas.
*************************
Thats one reason we call ya'll western and not Southern

 

[JohnT]

Would a cold, creamy potato salad (instead of mashed potatoes) be acceptable?

 

[A2]

Those green beans are nasty. We don't do that in Texas.
*************************
Thats one reason we call ya'll western and not Southern

Which is odd because Texas considers itself Texas. South, Southwest? Meh. Texas.

We're a unique cultural blend, and one that I don't think would work in other states, northern,southern, western or eastern.

Would a cold, creamy potato salad (instead of mashed potatoes) be acceptable?

Yes please. I need a new recipe. I use my Grandmother's, which I love, but I would like another.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Would a cold, creamy potato salad (instead of mashed potatoes) be acceptable?

I'm kinda cringing at that... I mean, if it was a light lunch thing, and you were serving the chicken cold (which is perfectly fine), ok, maybe. But even then, potato salads are so varied, hard to say. I wouldn't consider this a "Southern" thing so much as just a general American food.

Mashed potatoes are such a fundamental part of eating fried chicken, I don't think you should skimp out on that, unless you genuinely just don't like mashed potatoes (what are you, a Communist or something?).

And Austin - I've actually spent a lot of time in Texas and absolutely love it there. (I have five pair of Luccheses, three of which I bought in Texas). I'm a member of the federal Bar there, and have friends all over the State (have practiced with some Texas "big names"). I love teasing Texas. But I totally agree, it's not "the South" or the "West" or anything else - it's Texas. When I was there a lot, I remember people always saying, "Texas is not a state, it's four states." Or maybe five.

Still, barbeque is NOT made from cows! I'll stand by that.

JAG

 

[JohnT]

I make a KILLER potato salad...

Most potato salads taste like the potatoes are undercooked. Yuk!

I had this type of salad in Ireland and have been making it ever since. It has a creamy, but still soft/chunky texture and "lots of veggies" to also give you a cool crunch.

Take 5 pounds of potatoes. Peel and boil them until a knife slides easily into them with very little resistance.

drain into a colander and allow to cool (in the colander) for about 30 minutes.

into a bowl I mix..

1 - 2 large sweet onions (diced)
5 - 6 stalks of celery (diced)
1 large bell pepper (diced)
5-6 dill pickles (diced)
several splashes of white vinegar
1/2 cup of dill pickle juice (right from the jar)
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

mix and let sit while potatoes drain and are cool enough to handle.

Add potatoes into the bowl.
Add a generous squirt of yellow mustard over the potatoes.

Add mayo in stages until you have the right consistency. As you mix, be aggressive and smash the potatoes a bit as you go. You are trying to get to a "very lumpy mashed potato" consistency that is a little bit on the loose side. If too loose, do not worry. The salad will tighten up in the fridge.

Give it a taste. If still a bit bland, add another shot of vinegar.

cover and place in fridge overnight.

cool, creamy, and crunchy!

 

[GaDawg]

sugar in cornbread is a cardinal sin

We always called that Yankee cornbread

 

[Just-a-Guy]

We always called that Yankee cornbread

Con-bred.



(adding this parenthetical because the stupid board doesn't like short posts...Hemingway would be appalled.)

 

[sour_grapes]

Con-bred.

I read this as just how a Southerner would (non-rhotically) say "corn bread."

 

[Just-a-Guy]

I read this as just how a Southerner would (non-rhotically) say "corn bread."

No no no. That's how a New Jersey-ite would say it. A Southerner would say "Co-urhn bray-uhd."

 

[sour_grapes]

No no no. That's how a New Jersey-ite would say it. A Southerner would say "Co-urhn bray-uhd."

A northern Jerseyan, you mean. I come from the ONLY area of the East Coast to have a rhotic dialect. (Mid-Atlantic, basically Baltimore to Trenton.)

 

[tonyt]

Thanks folks!

Ok, so I am thinking..

Green Beans, Mac-n-cheese, and corn bread.

Can I ask if you kind folks have good recipies for mac-n-cheese or corn bread (I like it sweet, but if this is not traditional I will go with unsweet).

No No No
if you're not going to have mashed taters & gravy (brown or white not red) don't have fried chicken.

 

[tonyt]

Oh JohnT when you serve the mashed taters (you will be serving mashed taters) be sure to make a well in the middle of them to fill with either kernel corn or sweet peas.

 

[JohnT]

A northern Jerseyan, you mean. I come from the ONLY area of the East Coast to have a rhotic dialect. (Mid-Atlantic, basically Baltimore to Trenton.)

acutally, it's jerseyman... even the women are Jerseymen.

OK, you convinced me. Mashed taters, corn and gravely it is!

 

[Kraffty]

I doubt this is truly southern but it's good and this recipe and same box design have been around for generations.

http://www.alberscorn.com/recipes/cornmeal/AlbersCornBread.aspx

The one thing I do suggest is use a 10" cast iron skillet. Preheat it with about a tablespoon of oil for 30 mins then swirl the oil and dump the cornbread batter in and throw back in the oven. Gives the Cornbread a great crisp crust.
Sounds like a fun dinner coming up.
Mike

 

[GaDawg]

True Southern corn bread is made of milk or butter milk, egg, Crisco, and corn meal and made it an iron skillet.