What's for Dinner?

[Boatboy24]

Stir fried some chicken and veg in coconut oil, along with ginger and Chinese five spice. Finished it off with some rice noodles.

 

[ou8amaus]

Must have been awesome! I just started using coconut oil for deep frying and I love the flavour it gives fries... next need to try chicken!

 

[Boatboy24]

Around the world tonight. Tenderloin tips rubbed with garlic infused EVOO, thyme and S&P and grilled, Sautéed bok choi and fries.

 

[JohnT]

There are times when a craving just hits me. Last night, I had a real craving for good sauerbraten. I like to use the Alton Brown recipe.

The darn thing takes 3 days! Driving home yesterday, I realized that if I started the dish, I could be eating it by Sunday. I had everything I needed except the meat. A quick pit stop at the store remedied that with a 5 pound eye round roast.

So last night, I started the braten by searing the meat in a hot pan using salt, pepper, and a little oil. I then set to work making the marinade out of 2 cups water, 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup cider vinegar, 12 juniper berries, 6 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp of mustard seed, 1 large carrot, 1 medium onion, 1 tbsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. I brought the marinade up to a boil, then simmered for 10 minutes, then let cool.

I then put the meat into a large glass bowl, then poured the marinade over it. I covered with plastic wrap and into the fridge it went.

Between searing the meat and heating the marinade, the whole house took on this heavenly aroma. When I went to bed last night, my mouth was positively watering!

On Sunday, I need to add sugar to the marinade, then cook for 4 hours at 325. I think I will serve it with good red cabbage and a batch of my world famous spaetzle (sautéed in butter and dressed with fresh parsley). Pour up a nice cold beer (for a change) and have at it. I will stuff myself then settle down and watch my wonderful Giants destroy the Eagles!

I am having second thoughts about taking pictures to share with you good folks. It just might be too cruel in a "starving dog/rubber bone" sort of way...

just 36 hours until dinner!

 

[Boatboy24]

Sounds good John! I'll be halfway to your place tomorrow when I pick up my grapes. I might just keep driving north!

 

[JohnT]

You are welcome any time. Love to show you my winery!

Where do you get your grapes from??

 

[Boatboy24]

Where do you get your grapes from??

Harford Vineyard - north of Baltimore.

 

[JohnT]

Well, I ate pretty good this weekend. On Saturday, after racking off the gross lees from the wine, I cooked a steak dinner for a party of 5. I kept it simple. Seasoned the prime rib steaks with salt, pepper, a little onion powder, and some fresh rosemary (still alive on my deck). I baked some potatoes, opened a jar of my pickled cherry peppers, and made some AWESOME mushrooms.

I realized that (with mushrooms) I always tried to get way too fancy. I just sautéed them in butter, seasoned with some salt and pepper, and added just a touch of fresh lemon juice to brighten them up a bit. They were simply incredible. Another lesson learned on K.I.S.S..

Another star of the meal was the cherry peppers. I grew and canned them myself and they were amazing. Great pairing with steak! No too spicy, and had a real nice "tang" that went so well with the steak. I like to eat a little piece of pepper with every bite of steak. The recipe for these peppers came from JAMESINGALVISTON and I have posted it in the forum's cookbook. I highly recommend you guys try it!


On Sunday (as promised) I finally cooked my sour braten. Made fresh spaatzle, then sautéed them in butter and added just a bit of fresh parsley at the end (The parsley is still alive on my deck too).
The sour braten came out tender and not dry at all. Well worth the wait. As Alton Brown says.. "Your patience will be rewarded".

Her are some pics. My problem is that I was very hungry on both days. It seems that I could only remember to take a photo only after I started eating it. Hope you folks don't mind..

 

[the_rayway]

I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my Husband's family on Saturday (Canadian - we do it earlier). We also invited my parents and my boss and her husband.

I made:
Brown sugar and mustard glazed ham
Prime rib roast with a salt/garlic/rosemary crust
Green beans almondine
Carrots with dill, butter and honey
Fat shrimp sauteed in white wine and butter, then cooled and served with cocktail sauce
Purple mashed potatoes with garlic and onions
Sugar glazed almonds sprinkled with smoked salt and chili flakes
Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and rice krispy cake

I served it with bottles of my CC Malbec/Shiraz, Cheeky Monkey Cab/Merlot/Garnacha and Malbec, as well as assorted Island Mists (his family are the 'sweet' drinkers).

Everyone was stuffed and very pleased by the end of the meal, the wine was all drunk, and old stories told. The kids were sugar-high and wild, and a good time was had by all.

 

[joeswine]

French onion soup

I LOVE SOUPS OF ALL TYPE BUT THIS IS MY FAVORITE SO I THOUGH I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU MY WAY OF MAKING FRENCH ONION SOUP. PART 1

 

[joeswine]

Onion soup part 2

PART 2 ONION SOUP CONTINUED. FOR THE WINE I CHOISE A FRENCH COLOMBARD A BOLD WHITE WITH CRIPS NOTES OF FRUIT..

 

[sour_grapes]

Joe, that looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. I've learned a couple of tricks!

Personally, I would make one small change. I let the onions go a bit more, until they are caramelized. This introduces many complex aromas that really heighten the overall experience, IMHO!

 

[JohnT]

Joe, that looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. I've learned a couple of tricks!

Personally, I would make one small change. I let the onions go a bit more, until they are caramelized. This introduces many complex aromas that really heighten the overall experience, IMHO!

Have either of you tried making the soup with red Bermuda onions? I have found (IMHO) that they come out sweater and more flavorful.

 

[the_rayway]

Thanks for this Joe! I love a good French Onion, but only tried making it myself once - it was so awful I had to toss the whole thing (something that does not happen to me very often).

I'll definitely give this a try soon, I got a few nice onions from the garden before it all froze.

 

[Johngottshall]

Smoked Brisket,some parsley potatoes, and some candied carrots.

 

[JohnT]

Shop-Rite had a sale!

Steak - 5.99 for porterhouse or boneless shell steaks. I bought several for my freezer and a couple for last night's dinner.

Porterhouse steak seasoned with sale, pepper, and rosemary and grilled on the old webber (to an excellent medium rare if I do say so myself).

Fanned potatoes - Peel your potatoes, cut them (but keep the whole potato together) and "fan" them out on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 50 minutes. I really like this preparation. They end up tasting like a crispy baked potato.

Mushrooms were sautéed in butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, and just a bit of lemon juice (to brighten them up)

.. and yes, that is an iceberg lettuce salad on the side.

Had some of my Chilean cabernet (big and bold) to round out the meal.

If I ate every meal like it was Sunday, I weight 400 pounds!

 

[Boatboy24]

@JohnT looks perfect!

 

[ibglowin]

I just want to know who sells a Porterhouse steak (at a profit) for $5.99/lb! Oh wait this is NJ……… :>

 

[JohnT]

I just want to know who sells a Porterhouse steak (at a profit) for $5.99/lb! Oh wait this is NJ……… :>

ROTFLMAO!!! Oh, man! I wish there was a "double-like" button!

I think that it may have been a delivery that just happened to fall off the truck! I know better then to ask questions that don't concern me....

 

[ibglowin]

I have been in San Antonio since last Thursday visiting my family. We had a family get together on Sunday and I bought two family packs of CHOICE boneless rib eyes from Costco. They were 1.25" thick and $10/lb. Two packs with 8 steaks was over $100 but it was soooooo worth it! They were melt in your mouth tender. We grilled them to perfection (medium rare to medium) and then I made my "to die for" (literally as it's a heart attack on a plate) side of Steak Marsala sauce to put on top as people wanted it. Served with baked scalloped potatoes and a nice healthy garden salad with all the fixings.