What's for Dinner?

[JohnT]

On Saturday, the brothers called me and wanted to take me target shooting. Although I do not own a gun, my older brother has a 9mm and my younger brother has a 45.

of course, my older brother insisted on paying for it, so I convinced him to let me take care of dinner (to be made back at his house).

SOOOO, I arrived with a milk crate of food, went shooting, then came back to raid his wine supply and cook the following..

Potato leek soup with bacon,
Frizzy salad with balsamic vinaigrette ,
2.5 inch thick porterhouse steaks with baked potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and asparagus tips.

3 of us went through 4 bottles of wine! What a great time!

Here is a photo of the steaks.....

 

[JohnT]

Chicken breasts were on sale. I picked up 4 HUGE BREASTS for only 7 dollars. My day was set....

7am - get the red sauce started. Used tomatoes that I canned myself.

9am - help the wife make cookies (it is Christmas after all)

10 am - Pay the price for going shooting on Saturday (in other words, work off a new "honey do" list.

12noon - start cooking the chicken parm. The breasts were so big that I had to cut them (length-wise) into three 1/2 inch thick slices. I then pounded them with the "Thor-hammer".

Then it was a flour dredge, egg wash, and bread crumb coating. Fried each piece until golden brown. Set them on the rack to drain.

12.45pm - 15 minutes! just enough time to clean up after myself (took the wife years to train me in this), then it was "To the man cave"! to watch the eagles/red skins game.

4:00pm - assembled the chicken parm and boiled up the pasta. Fed the wife while waiting for the packers / seahawks game.

730pm - did some "sunday night chores" the tried to stay awake for the giants/dallas game. was sound asleep by halftime.


The chicken parm was wonderful! I have not made that in a while, so I had that craving.

 

[ibglowin]

You must have dreamt all of this cause I am not seeing a single pic of it...........

 

[JohnT]

You must have dreamt all of this cause I am not seeing a single pic of it...........

Sorry. I was too busy to click a pic.

 

[GreginND]

Yes, a complete meal. Why not?

 

[ibglowin]

That looks sorta like french fries........

Yes, a complete meal. Why not?

 

[geek]

Salmon filet, jumbo shrimp, veggies and potatoes; for us 5 and left over for tomorrow.

 

[ceeaton]

Salmon filet, jumbo shrimp, veggies and potatoes; for us 5 and left over for tomorrow.

Those shrimp look like small lobster tails? Food of the Gods sized! I think you could stuff them like a pork chop.

 

[GreginND]

Mushroom and lentil soup. Full of umami.

 

[geek]

Those shrimp look like small lobster tails? Food of the Gods sized! I think you could stuff them like a pork chop.

They're definitely huge..

 

[ceeaton]

Looking for ideas. Had a phone call the other day and now am the proud owner of 6 1/2 lbs of Venison steaks from a deer harvested last Friday. No bones, very lean (as deer tends to be), cut down into individual muscle groups (ie. small steaks, a little bigger than a filet, but not super thin). My go to recipe is a marinate in red wine, garlic and some Worchestershire sauce for a few hours, then grill for a few minutes over really hot charcoal and serve pretty rare (as rare as the wife and boys can tolerate it).

Looking for an idea or two so I can lure my girls into at least trying it. All I hear is "it used to be bambi" type statements. I'm waiting to hear a comment about the neighbors dog or our outdoor cat here soon.

 

[Amanda660]

Its meat - leave out a few specific details (I guess that is still a fib so maybe a crappy option). If I had been told I was eating rabbit, deer, or FROG it would not have happened. Technically....I'm still not over the frog but it was delicious!

 

[ceeaton]

Its meat - leave out a few specific details (I guess that is still a fib so maybe a crappy option). If I had been told I was eating rabbit, deer, or FROG it would not have happened. Technically....I'm still not over the frog but it was delicious!

Too late, they know it is in the freezer. But that did work once when my wife was younger, much younger, and her Dad served them groundhog.

 

[ibglowin]

Easy peasy. Marinate in milk for 2-3 hours. Drain milk off and then get some fresh milk, egg, flour. Chicken fry it like any other chicken fried steak, serve with smashed potatoes and gravy. Veggie on the side. They will never know the difference if you don't tell them.

Looking for an idea or two so I can lure my girls into at least trying it.

 

[ceeaton]

Easy peasy. Marinate in milk for 2-3 hours. Drain milk off and then get some fresh milk, egg, flour. Chicken fry it like any other chicken fried steak, serve with smashed potatoes and gravy. Veggie on the side. They will never know the difference if you don't tell them.

I like that idea, have to use GF flour and bread crumbs, but that's how I make my chicken for "Peyton's favorite meal" before I smother it in homemade sauce. I could do that and do a few pieces of chicken in case they didn't like it. Could also do Venison Parm...

Edit: found a nice link to something like you suggested: http://tabletop.texasfarmbureau.org/2012/01/chicken-fried-deer-steaks/

 

[ibglowin]

Well I am from South Texas originally and hunted deer all during my HS and College years. That is exactly how Mom made it and there was never any leftovers around our house!

Edit: found a nice link to something like you suggested: http://tabletop.texasfarmbureau.org/2012/01/chicken-fried-deer-steaks/

 

[ceeaton]

Well I am from South Texas originally and hunted deer all during my HS and College years. That is exactly how Mom made it and there was never any leftovers around our house!

I have been given the green light to try that one on Saturday (would Thursday night but my wife has her Biology final, so no go until the weekend). Same process but 1/2 venison, 1/2 chicken (potentially for the girls, just won't tell them there is a chicken fall-back).

 

[ibglowin]

Better start trying to pair it with something now!

 

[ceeaton]

Better start trying to pair it with something now!

Suggestions? I just opened up Dornfelder batch 18b (less oak than 18a which is still in the carboy) and I am surprised how drinkable it is, though the tannins are very tight (it's only 14 months old, 1 month or so in the bottle). Doesn't help I finished off a bottle of a Merlot blend where the tannins are not as fierce. I'll have to admit if this wine doesn't come around it will make a great cooking wine, but I think it will if I can exert some patience. Actually considering some Tannin Extra Riche in 18a, would be a nice complement to 18b at this point, but it's in the bottle and I'm too lazy to dose, wait and rebottle.

 

[JohnT]

For the tougher cuts, get out the meat grinder and grind it along with some bacon (to make it less lean), fennel seed, ground thyme, sage, garlic, and some black pepper. Instant Italian sausage. Great in a lasagna! No kid will refuse to eat lasagna!