What's for Dinner?

[JohnT]

CEEATON,

Any way that you could share your apple pie and pumpkin pie recipes?

 

[ibglowin]

Ribs and Italian Sausage! Dang why the heck did I not think of that!

 

[Steve_M]

Last Saturday, I had a friend over to cook and just hang out. We first ran to the local "Bottle King" for a couple of cases of good stuff.

When we got back, we pulled a cork and set to work making her "Sunday Sauce". This has a full rack of ribs, hot sausage, and really nice meatballs all simmered together for 3.5 hours! Served over rigatoni and some of the spoils from bottle king... YUM!

I also made 3 loaves of home made (from scratch) whole wheat bread (50% bread flour, 50% whole wheat flour, salt, and yeast bloomed in 1.24 cups of water (with a tsp of sugar added)

Dessert was strawberry shortcake. Nice and light!

Picture below of the sauce, bread, and some of the wines we polished off....

For Sunday, I just made a simple roast chicken...

John,
I love dunking a chunk of bread in the sauce while its cooking! Just can't let anyone see me doing it[emoji56]
Also the 7 Zins wine is awesome!!
Steve

 

[Boatboy24]

@JohnT: Great looking sauce. I really enjoy the Ghost Pines and Indian Wells too!

 

[JohnT]

All three wines were great. I already was a fan of the ghost pines and Indian wells, but have never had the 7 deadly zins. My friend suggested it and then I remembered folks raving about it on this site. It was superb!

As usual, this site never steers me wrong!

 

[sour_grapes]

All three wines were great. I already was a fan of the ghost pines and Indian wells, but have never had the 7 deadly zins. My friend suggested it and then I remembered folks raving about it on this site. It was superb!

As usual, this site never steers me wrong!

Yeah, these are three of my favorite wines. I don't spring for the Ghost Pines that often. 7 Deadly used to be my "house red" until I took up winemaking. And Indian Wells? Delish!

 

[ceeaton]

CEEATON,

Any way that you could share your apple pie and pumpkin pie recipes?

Very simple recipes.

For the crusts (from Better Home and Gardens generic cookbook). 3/4C chilled crisco, add to 2 cups flour w/pinch o salt, use fork to incorporate crisco into flour, making pea sized crumbs, add chilled (I put ice in it) water a TBS at a time until workable into a single ball (usually 6 or 7 TBS). Split ball of dough into two equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. After 1 hour, put on lightly floured surface and roll into the shape of your pan. You can figure out what to do from there.

Pumpkin filling: From Libby's large can of pure pumpkin (makes two 9" pies). Add pure pumpkin to mixing bowl, add 2 cans (8 oz I think) of unsweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar (I only use 3/4 cup) and spices (I think it was ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, see Libby's can for details). After mixed pour in pan w/crust. Bake (start at 400 for 10 minutes, reduce to 350 for 40-50 minutes)

Apple filling: slice 6 cups granny smith apples w/o skins, seeds, etc. Add 1/2 cup sugar (I only add 1/4 cup so I can taste the apples). Place apples in crust filled pan, place other crust over top, crimp, fork the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake 375 for I think 45-50 minutes or until desired browness of top crust. Can cover edge of crust for 1st 25 minutes and remove for remaining time. Some add cinnamon to apples, my family prefers I don't do that, and they rule, I serve.

These are the way my grandma made them years ago when I used to "help" her cook.

Hope that helps and that I didn't omit something, from memory, at work and working hard as you can tell.

 

[ceeaton]

Started up some pulled pork for dinner tonight. Better half has class tonight so she'll be long gone to class before I get home. This way it's ready to go when she walks in the door, all she has to do is "pull" it with two forks.

Used the charcoal grill because I ran out of propane the other night. Added some pecan chips when searing the pork roast since pecan seems to be the wood of the month in October.

 

[ibglowin]

Crock Pot pulled pork! NOOOOOOOOO

Just kidding, great way to do this on a week night for sure!

 

[sour_grapes]

Just kidding, great way to do this on a week night for sure!

Yeah, and I think searing on a charcoal grill for flavor is a stroke of genius! I may have to give this a try.

 

[ceeaton]

Yeah, and I think searing on a charcoal grill for flavor is a stroke of genius! I may have to give this a try.

Once again, credit to Alton Brown. You can really taste the charcoal flavor (and pecan) when you sear it for only a couple of minutes. Also drives my neighbor next door and downwind crazy that early in the morning (was just getting light).

 

[sour_grapes]

Once again, credit to Alton Brown. You can really taste the charcoal flavor (and pecan) when you sear it for only a couple of minutes. Also drives my neighbor next door and downwind crazy that early in the morning (was just getting light).

Hah! Coincidentally, I came across this article this afternoon: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/23/the-unfulfilled-promise-of-the-crock-pot-an-unlikely-symbol-of-womens-equality/

 

[Rocky]

JohnT, I, for one, am shocked at your posting. You went to Bottle King for "a couple cases of good stuff!?" I would think that you, of all people, would go to your cellar for the "good stuff."

BTW, the bread looks great and so does the sauce. The picture you have with the bread perched above the sauce about to do a "dive" into it is where I would be with a glass of wine in the other hand.

 

[Runningwolf]

Very simple recipes.

For the crusts (from Better Home and Gardens generic cookbook). 3/4C chilled crisco, add to 2 cups flour w/pinch o salt, use fork to incorporate crisco into flour, making pea sized crumbs, add chilled (I put ice in it) water a TBS at a time until workable into a single ball (usually 6 or 7 TBS). Split ball of dough into two equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. After 1 hour, put on lightly floured surface and roll into the shape of your pan. You can figure out what to do from there.

Pumpkin filling: From Libby's large can of pure pumpkin (makes two 9" pies). Add pure pumpkin to mixing bowl, add 2 cans (8 oz I think) of unsweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar (I only use 3/4 cup) and spices (I think it was ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, see Libby's can for details). After mixed pour in pan w/crust. Bake (start at 400 for 10 minutes, reduce to 350 for 40-50 minutes)

Apple filling: slice 6 cups granny smith apples w/o skins, seeds, etc. Add 1/2 cup sugar (I only add 1/4 cup so I can taste the apples). Place apples in crust filled pan, place other crust over top, crimp, fork the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake 375 for I think 45-50 minutes or until desired browness of top crust. Can cover edge of crust for 1st 25 minutes and remove for remaining time. Some add cinnamon to apples, my family prefers I don't do that, and they rule, I serve.

These are the way my grandma made them years ago when I used to "help" her cook.

Hope that helps and that I didn't omit something, from memory, at work and working hard as you can tell.

Another trick for Pie Crust. Use 50% vodka instead of all water. It gives you the moisture for the dough and then evaporates away for a nice crust.

 

[Runningwolf]

Once again, credit to Alton Brown. You can really taste the charcoal flavor (and pecan) when you sear it for only a couple of minutes. Also drives my neighbor next door and downwind crazy that early in the morning (was just getting light).

Craig, I also add a few charcoal briquets in my gas grill and smoker just to get some of that charcoal flavor.

How do you light your charcoal? I like to use the chimney with paper. When I cook with charcoal, sometimes I will start another batch of charcoal in the chimney. I cook the steaks indirectly on the grill then sear them right over the chimney as it is so hot and direct.

 

[Boatboy24]

Fried egg sandwich on an English Muffin with extra sharp cheddar. Sometimes, you just have to clean out the fridge. It was way better than expected with the 2013 Chilean Malbec.

 

[JohnT]

JohnT, I, for one, am shocked at your posting. You went to Bottle King for "a couple cases of good stuff!?" I would think that you, of all people, would go to your cellar for the "good stuff."

BTW, the bread looks great and so does the sauce. The picture you have with the bread perched above the sauce about to do a "dive" into it is where I would be with a glass of wine in the other hand.

Thanks for the kind words! Every once in a while, I like to go commercial to avoid developing "Cellar Pallet". Interesting article linked below..

http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?tag=cellar-palate

 

[ceeaton]

Craig, I also add a few charcoal briquets in my gas grill and smoker just to get some of that charcoal flavor.

How do you light your charcoal? I like to use the chimney with paper. When I cook with charcoal, sometimes I will start another batch of charcoal in the chimney. I cook the steaks indirectly on the grill then sear them right over the chimney as it is so hot and direct.

Dan, I light mine the same way, Weber Chimney with paper. Ran out of propane earlier this week, had some charcoal but no working lighter. Luckily the neighbor had a second one she didn't like!

When I use the smoker I light another batch in the chimney starter on that little weber I had a picture of earlier. I've done tuna steaks on top before, it's like cooking on jet engine exaust, very quick, especially tuna!

 

[Steve_M]

What I find when using Weber smoker, is I will fill charcoal ring with unlit coals pour a chimney full of lit coals over ring. I have added whatever wood chunks I am smoking with throughout the coals. So far, I have gone 10 hours holding 225-250 F without a need to add more charcoal.

Steve

 

[ceeaton]

I usually am not that organized. I find myself going to the grocery store after church on Sunday and seeing a roasting chicken on sale, buy it, take it home, then try and get a fire going quick enough to finish the bird by dinner time (6 pm is normal). Sometimes I preheat the bird on the gas grill with a foil back of wood chips just to get it heated up a little.

When I cook like that I actually rarely have to add any charcoal, only if I cook a second bird late into the evening to cut up for lunches/chicken salad etc. I usually have quite a bit of charcoal that doesn't burn completely that I put back in the chimney on another day and use for burgers/dogs/searing pork roasts during the week.