What's for Dinner?

[JohnT]

Veal!!!!

Made it out to the Italian market last week. Bought all sorts of goodies, but the one thing they had that looked really nice were these 2" thick veal chops.

I began by Frenching the chops into nice "lollipops". I then sliced some fresh muchrooms. (PIC 1). I then pan seared the chops in butter (PIC 2).

Once both sides were nicely browned, I removed them, sautéed the mushrooms to deglaze the pan. I then added chicken stock, added the chops back into the pan, and reduced into a nice mushroom sauce.

Served with imported spiral pasta and pan seared asparagus (PICS 3 & 4)

 

[sour_grapes]

Wow, those veal chops look nice. I am no expert, but judging by the color, I would wager that these were NOT from calves raised in a cruel veal crate. I stopped eating veal many years ago, and would love to find a source of veal that I know is humanely raised. Wish I had access to your market!

 

[ibglowin]

Let me know how that works out for you. I think those two things are for the most part still……

I stopped eating veal many years ago, and would love to find a source of veal that I know is humanely raised.

 

[sour_grapes]

Let me know how that works out for you. I think those two things are for the most part still……

I am not certain what you are saying. I think you are saying that there only a very small fraction of veal is humanely raised? I honestly would like to know what you know about this, because I don't know a lot.

Because I eat meat routinely, I have no ethical problem with eating meat from young animals. It bothers some people, but I fail to see any ethical distinction regarding age of the animal at slaughter. Just in how it was treated until that time.

 

[ibglowin]

Sorry about that , thought you would get the symbol for "mutually exclusive".

Veal crates have been banned in Europe for anywheres between 8-25 years now.

As of 2015 only (8) States in the US have banned veal crates.

It sounded like you had a problem eating veal that was not "ethically raised". If this is the case chances are your going to have a hard time finding veal from the US raised ethically (still).

Source

 

[sour_grapes]

Sorry about that , thought you would get the symbol for "mutually exclusive".

I see. (I thought it was a simple Venn diagram, and the white area was the part, including both "veal" and "ethically raised, that I was looking for.)

It sounded like you had a problem eating veal that was not "ethically raised". If this is the case chances are your going to have a hard time finding veal from the US raised ethically (still).

Yes, you are correct that this was my concern. Perhaps I have an advantage, in that I live in Wisconsin, and the veal industry is tied to the dairy industry. I have purchased grass-fed beef and free-range lamb from small local farms. I have not sought out veal, but I'll keep my eye out.

 

[geek]

Beef loin flat meat steak, with the best Cabernet merlot blend I've made so far..first fresh grape wine made 3 years ago and it is silky, smooth and GOOD..!!

 

[geek]

Final product [emoji12][emoji12]

 

[Steve_M]

Looks tasty,

Steve

 

[JohnT]

Looks Great Geek!

Also, you sound like you are becoming a fan of Fresh Grapes. IMHO, it is well worth the extra equipment and work!!!!

Can you give the specifics on the cab/merlot blend (year, abv, oaking, mlf, etc)?

 

[geek]

Looks Great Geek!

Also, you sound like you are becoming a fan of Fresh Grapes. IMHO, it is well worth the extra equipment and work!!!!

Can you give the specifics on the cab/merlot blend (year, abv, oaking, mlf, etc)?

It was my first adventure into fresh grapes after making wine from juice buckets (bleh..).
Fall 2013 actually, went to local super market called Big Y, they source their wine making stuff from M&M.
Their grapes in the freezer were getting moldy, and the guy said they were ready to return them to M&M (I think it was the first time they ventured into selling wine making equipment, grapes and juice bucket.

So I picked 3 lugs, 2 merlots and 1 cab if I remember, no mold at all.
Got them at a big discount for around $18, for the 3 lugs I paid $50

I should've bought more..!!!

Here are all my notes about that batch, sorry to post this on this thread, but since you asked for details...

3 boxes bought at BigY for $50, 2 merlot and 1 cabernet.
October 2013.
Oct 22 crushed and removed stems to fill 2 buckets
Oct 23 PH=3.4 on cabernet and 3.32 on merlot; will leave alone
Oct 25 mixed the 2 buckets into 20gal brute. Added 7 tsp of pectic enzyme
Oct 26 at 8am I added 4oz of medium toast French oak chips. At 8:30 I Pitched the BM45 yeast (7gr) along with go-ferm (7gr) after mixing and stirring them up. The must temperature is 71F.
Oct 30 SG 1.008
Oct 31 SG 1.004
Oct 31 SG 1.000 pressed, racked and started Wyeast MLF around 9pm. 6 gallons going through MLF and the 1gal jug is not.
Dec. 1 MLF test done. Showing good progress but still a bit of malic left. Will redo at the end of December.
Dec. 22 MLF shows done. Will be racking soon.
Dec 24 Racked to 6gal bucket and then 6gal carboy, k-meta. Added from the non-MLF to top off and also filled ¾ jug.
Jan 6 2014 racked and added 1 American oak spiral medium toast. Also added 4gr Tannin Complex.
August 2014 bottled.

 

[JohnT]

Nice Geek..

What a great price! 2013 was a rather expensive year. I would have paid $123.00 for the equivalent!!! (2 lugs cab at $42, and 1 lug merlot at $39)

One question: What was your reason for waiting 4 days between crush and pitching yeast? Were you trying to extend the maceration? Perhaps you gave the grapes a super strong dose of k-meta? Perhaps both?

 

[geek]

Nice Geek..

What a great price! 2013 was a rather expensive year. I would have paid $123.00 for the equivalent!!! (2 lugs cab at $42, and 1 lug merlot at $39)

One question: What was your reason for waiting 4 days between crush and pitching yeast? Were you trying to extend the maceration? Perhaps you gave the grapes a super strong dose of k-meta? Perhaps both?

yes, although I didn't note it, but I think it was cold and I left the crushed grapes out on the deck for a couple days.....if I remember correctly. ::

On my way to FL in the holidays I meant o ping you and trade a bottle with you (quick stop somewhere around the NJ Turnpike?) but the time was not appropriate.

Now I only have a handful of those bottles left and only open them on special occasions...
Every time I open a bottle I taste that the wine keeps getting better, and better....

 

[ibglowin]

Made my favorite Penne Pasta with Pancetta and Poblano. Awesome stuff.

 

[sour_grapes]

Had a friend over tonight. I made: roasted fingerling potatoes, escarole braised in chicken stock and sherry with garlic, roasted artichoke halves with lemon and olive oil, and a couple of grass-fed ribeye steaks topped with a mushroom/red wine reduction/demi-glace sauce. Topped all this off with three different enjoyable cabs. Delish!

 

[Boatboy24]

Made my favorite Penne Pasta with Pancetta and Poblano. Awesome stuff.

Recipe, please!

Edit: never mind. I just googled it and the first result was your post from 2012 with the recipe.

 

[ibglowin]

LOL,

Yea when I went to the store to get the ingredients I googled it and boom there it was. Unfortunately they quit making that Classico sauce about 18months after they introduced it so now your only choice is to buy fresh poblano peppers from the produce section and roast them yourself on your gas grill. More work but a better product in the end I think. Some produce sections have them incorrectly labeled as Pasilla peppers but they are actually Poblano.

Recipe, please!

Edit: never mind. I just googled it and the first result was your post from 2012 with the recipe.

 

[ibglowin]

Oh and @Boatboy24 The shrooms in my dinner were.........

 

[ibglowin]

Pics or..........

Had a friend over tonight. I made: roasted fingerling potatoes, escarole braised in chicken stock and sherry with garlic, roasted artichoke halves with lemon and olive oil, and a couple of grass-fed ribeye steaks topped with a mushroom/red wine reduction/demi-glace sauce. Topped all this off with three different enjoyable cabs. Delish!

 

[Steve_M]

Venison tasting dinner.

More to come.

Steve