What's for Dinner?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Interesting article on the history of Waygu beef in America.
 

Attachments

  • Japanese Wagyu beef a profitable new niche for Texas cattlemen - San Antonio Express-News.pdf
    360 KB · Views: 6
Who knew Franklin has some crazy skills outside of BBQ'ing. Most enjoyable episode to watch if you have some time. Craig, @ceeaton if you haven't seen this one, his breakdown of pits on the market for us "amateurs" and the one he liked the most was pretty interesting but not a huge surprise.

https://www.pbs.org/video/bbq-franklin-episode-4-pits/
 
Who knew Franklin has some crazy skills outside of BBQ'ing. Most enjoyable episode to watch if you have some time. Craig, @ceeaton if you haven't seen this one, his breakdown of pits on the market for us "amateurs" and the one he liked the most was pretty interesting but not a huge surprise.

https://www.pbs.org/video/bbq-franklin-episode-4-pits/
Yes, I watched that the other weekend when it was raining (could have been three or four weekends ago). Very informational, I love his workshop. If I knew I was leaving this world in the next few months, he'd be on my list of someone I'd love to sit down and share a beer and conversation with, for sure.
 
Seems like a nice guy with a great sense of humor. Sorta like you!
He looks like he's having fun all of the time. I just wish I could use a welder like that, always worried I'm gonna electrocute myself somehow. Of course I had to watch that again, and dream a little! Could you imagine how many racks of ribs you could do on a 1000 gallon offset smoker!

I do like his simple way of approaching smoke cooking. Keep it clean, keep the air flowing. My bbq has definitely got better since I've been watching and trying to follow his approach.
 
Made my 11 yr old daughters new favorite meal. Of course that changes every few months. Boneless turkey breast coated in pepper (no salt as it was packed in a brine/vinegar solution) using some apple wood chunks for added flavor. Didn't get it started until 1:30 this afternoon, so once part of the charcoal snake burnt I added some charcoal where the earlier charcoal fire had been to raise the temperature a bit. Wasn't needed as the breast hit 165*F in 3 hours, lesson learned. Sitting wrapped in foil in a warmed oven (170*F, then turned off) to hold it until we serve it. Will be served with some sort of new potatoes, recipe depending on my wife and a fresh garden salad.

Edit: Wifey picked boiled red skins with butter and fresh parsley. Even though done early, the turkey was extremely tender. Will have some tomorrow on some left over salad. Happy I didn't add any salt to the rub, the flavor was better than the last breast we did (which had a bit too much salt). Really enjoy the fresh black pepper, stays with you for a while (and will prompt some dreams of my next Texas style brisket).

8-26-18_turkey.jpg
 
Last edited:
Missed a grilling day this weekend (Saturday, worked at a local towns 150th yr anniv. celebration, popping corn and shaving ice), so decided that nothing at work was pressing enough to stay, picked up a bone in pork sirloin roast with some nice marbling on the way home and got the weber kettle going before going in the house to change into something a bit cooler (almost 90 here already). Using some pecan wood and a foil tin of apple cider vinegar underneath. Slathered in yellow mustard and rubbed with some kosher salt and course ground black pepper. If it appears to start drying out, I've got a pound of bacon I'll wrap it in and then employ the Texas crutch for the rest of the cook. Might even get some yard work done, or maybe rack a few wines, or maybe drink a few beers to stay cool.

8-27-18_pork-sirloin.jpg



Edit: FYI, I just went down to the Hanover Lowes to get some more RoundUp and two 18lb bags of Kingsford are $12.88 (before tax), which is better than the normal $19+. I got some Cowboy briquettes to try since I love their lump charcoal, works well with the Minion method (since there are no fillers).

Edit 2: Definitely should have wrapped in bacon, but I got lazy. Was dryer than I wanted, but still edible, the flavor is a nice balance of smokiness and spices, with the pepper really coming through. If I had had a few more hours I could have cooked a small pork butt. I plan on using some of the leftovers with some Zatarain's Dirty rice mix for lunch.

8-27-18_pork-sirloin-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Pizza night. Had the day off unexpectedly and had dough resting in the fridge for two days. Made a batch of sauce from home grown tomatoes and used thick sliced mozzarella as the base. One pizza was 1/2 pepperoni and cheese, another was cheese and bacon. Also made a personal pan type with cheese only (image attached). Used a 475*F oven with the pizza stone, crust reminded me of a philly soft pretzel. Was very good but need to try 500*F next week.

Picture of the remaining pizza, just after my wife "bagged it".

8-31-18_pizza.jpg

About to leave to work in the concession stand for our schools home football opener. They request parents of students in other sports (daughter in field hockey) to work a shift every year. Lucky us it's late on a Friday night and its supposed to rain. Assuming they don't have adult beverages there since it's a school function, oh well, it's a long weekend...
 
Good looking crust Craig!
Today's effort revolves around a bit of a different crust. Trying to make some soft pretzels for my youngest daughter since they ran out of them last night at the concession stand we were working at. Daughter was bummed, she's away with friends until dinner, so about to embark on a new effort. The pizza stone ties this all together since I plan on baking a few of them at a time on it, I just love the way things bake on it. May try a rustic rye bread on it tomorrow. Planning to use 1/2 of the sponge I started for the pretzel dough. Got some good King Arthur whole rye flour to attempt that one. Oldest daughter loves rye bread (and so do I).

Hoping this weather clears so I can pull the offset smoker out of the garage at some point by Monday. Got some Hickory logs on clearance from Lowes. $13 for what feels like 25 lbs or so (15 log pieces in the bag). One of the comments on the bag is that they can be used for an outdoor fire. Some people must make more money than I do, can't imagine burning up a bag of good hickory to "enjoy" an evening fire in the pit without cooking something on it!
 
What type of flour do you use for your pizza crust?
Usually a bread flour, I favor the Robin Hood (Ardent Mills) red winter wheat version when I can get it (white and green package), or King Arthur bread flour (in the white and blue package). I'm sure any bread flour would be good, but I aim for a higher gluten content when I can get it (13%+). Funny that one of my kids is gluten intollerant, maybe not all that funny for him.

Finished product, soft pretzels. We pulled a fast one on my daughter and told her I made the soft pretzels for someone in church tomorrow. She said, "I don't care, when can you make me some?", she was really excited, and even more excited when I told her they were her's to eat. I said she had to eat the main meal first, they would be dessert. Made up a batch of beef stew in the crock pot, since the weather wasn't cooperating today. Will serve with jasmine rice (and soft pretzels).

9-1-18_pretzel_logic-1.jpg

9-1-18_pretzel_logic-2.jpg

9-1-18_beef-stew.jpg

Edit: Daughter loved the pretzels, took one to the neighbor's daughter. Split a pretzel with my wife before dinner. Had a nice flavor and great texture. Might make up a sponge and let it rise/fall and refrigerate for a day or two and make another batch (only gave it 6 hours to ferment with today's batch). Looking for that hauntingly good flavor that let's you know that you just bit into a Philly soft pretzel.

Oh, stew was pretty good too. Can taste some residual flavor from the cup of Valpolicella that I deglazed the pan with after browning up the beef.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top