What's for Dinner?

[sour_grapes]

Okay, you influenced me, Jim. Actually, you influenced my wife! I described your dinner, and she decided that piccata was the order of the day.

I picked up a nice Lake Superior whitefish filet. I decided to broil it, and add a piccata sauce over it. Seasonings were salt/pepper/fennel, and the piccata sauce featured tons of artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, lobster stock, lemon juice, garlic, and white wine. Sides were lacinato kale (onions, garlic, beef stock, red peppre flakes, and marjoram) and seafood risotto (shallots, sherry, ho-made lobster stock, Monte Amore cheese, and heavy cream). Washed down with WE Eclipse Pinot Gris.

 

[Boatboy24]

@sour_grapes : Planning on doing a tenderloin Sous Vide on Christmas day. We will have 18 people here and it will be chaos, with opening presents, etc - otherwise, I'd probably just do it low/slow on the grill with a reverse sear to finish, but I don't want to fuss with it. I'm also doing a turkey breast on the charcoal grill, so I'll be able to focus on that a bit more. I got a Prime tenderloin and really don't want to overdo the SV. I'm thinking 90 minutes, maybe 2 hours tops - searing on the gas grill to finish. What do you think? Too much? Should I just suck it up and grill?

 

[geek]

Jim, not sure if I asked but what's the lowest outside temp you used the charcoal grill?
Tips?

 

[Boatboy24]

Jim, not sure if I asked but what's the lowest outside temp you used the charcoal grill?
Tips?

Outside temp? Probably close to 0F. Tips? Wear a coat!

I make sure the charcoal in the chimney is good and flaming before I dump it. Also have some unlit charcoal in the grill and put the lit on top. Let it run for 5-10 minutes with vents wide open. You could even offset the lid by 1/4 inch or so - that'll get a lot of air in there, giving you a screaming hot fire.

What are you trying to cook and how?

 

[sour_grapes]

@sour_grapes : Planning on doing a tenderloin Sous Vide on Christmas day. We will have 18 people here and it will be chaos, with opening presents, etc - otherwise, I'd probably just do it low/slow on the grill with a reverse sear to finish, but I don't want to fuss with it. I'm also doing a turkey breast on the charcoal grill, so I'll be able to focus on that a bit more. I got a Prime tenderloin and really don't want to overdo the SV. I'm thinking 90 minutes, maybe 2 hours tops - searing on the gas grill to finish. What do you think? Too much? Should I just suck it up and grill?

Yes, I think you have the timing correct on the SV. I think you are safe for ~2 hours, but something like 4 will start to feel mushy.

Douglas Baldwin says it takes quite a bit of time for the center of something as "thick" as a whole tenderloin to come up to temperature. Not sure I believe him!

 

[geek]

Outside temp? Probably close to 0F. Tips? Wear a coat!

I make sure the charcoal in the chimney is good and flaming before I dump it. Also have some unlit charcoal in the grill and put the lit on top. Let it run for 5-10 minutes with vents wide open. You could even offset the lid by 1/4 inch or so - that'll get a lot of air in there, giving you a screaming hot fire.

What are you trying to cook and how?

Just a typical ribeye steak, I haven't graduated yet to the big stuff like whole pork leg which you need to cook for hours, which btw I'd really like to try soon.

 

[ceeaton]

Outside temp? Probably close to 0F. Tips? Wear a coat!

And gloves! I have some Orvis fly fishing gloves with the finger tips removed that are water (and marinate) proof. Work well as driving gloves too. Leave the beer inside or it will become a beer slushy quickly. Under those conditions wine works way better to marinate the cook.

 

[geek]

I guess it'll be steak tomorrow...lol

 

[Boatboy24]

I guess it'll be steak tomorrow...lol

Don't sweat it. Just have patience. Let the fire get hot. Rainy here tomorrow - I hope your weather is better.

 

[Boatboy24]

Spaghetti and meatballs tonight. And Amarone...

 

[geek]

Don't sweat it. Just have patience. Let the fire get hot. Rainy here tomorrow - I hope your weather is better.

Tomorrow rainy day here as well.

 

[geek]

Chinese with some veggies delight....gotta love them....
Washed it down with my 2015 Chardonnay from grapes.

 

[ceeaton]

Friday, pizza night. Made three pizzas; a cheese GF pizza, a 1/3 cheese-1/3 pepperoni-1/3 pepperoni w/mojo pork, and a full pie with pepperoni and mojo pork done in the convection oven at 500*F (mine). All turned out well. Picture of my oldest Son programming his new phone he had sent here a few weeks ago. On the way back from BWI he asked, "what's for dinner". Before I answered he said "it's Friday, pizza night" and looked my way to make sure that his suspicions of dinner were correct!

 

[gamble]

Black Bean Stew: carrots,red onion,garlic, beans, seasoned with smoked turkey leg. tastes like liquid bacon

 

[ceeaton]

Black Bean Stew: carrots,red onion,garlic, beans, seasoned with smoked turkey leg. tastes like liquid bacon

Mmmmm, bacon!

 

[sour_grapes]

Hamburglars tonight. I used that recipe that I have mentioned before: http://www.washingtonian.com/2015/07/02/the-15-step-absolutely-perfect-burger/ . Really, I just add some mayo and fish sauce to the burger, and fry in a cast-iron pan. Tonight I added some Liquid Smoke (TM) in addition tot the fish sauce. Yum.

I also made a new broccoli dish. I had grown to like a protocol where I oven-roasted broccoli slices with oil and garlic, then doused with lemon juice. I decided I could get the good parts of that on the stovetop, and pulled it off. I sliced the broccoli so that every head had a "flat spot," and fried them up in a large cast-iron pan in olive oil until I had some browning. Then I flipped each one and repeated. Next, I added a bunch of minced garlic, and shortly afterwards some ho-made beef broth, and then let it all steam. Yum again.

 

[Boatboy24]

Hamburglars tonight. I used that recipe that I have mentioned before: http://www.washingtonian.com/2015/07/02/the-15-step-absolutely-perfect-burger/ . Really, I just add some mayo and fish sauce to the burger, and fry in a cast-iron pan. Tonight I added some Liquid Smoke (TM) in addition tot the fish sauce. Yum.

That is my go-to burger recipe now. Love it.

 

[Boatboy24]

Black Bean Stew: carrots,red onion,garlic, beans, seasoned with smoked turkey leg. tastes like liquid baconView attachment 45471

Do you have a recipe you can share, or do you just wing (or leg) it?

 

[ceeaton]

Lost control this morning of my normal holiday hangout, the kitchen. A cookie production operation slipped in while I was taking a shower. She'll have to clear a small area of counter by lunch or she won't get her cubanito sandwich for lunch (a doctor had a catered lunch last week that included these from a restaurant local to the hospital). Planning on a round eye roast on the grill with twice baked taters and green beans tonight. Thawing the turkey breast for tomorrow's meal and have the 9 lb ham in the fridge for Christmas Day.

 

[gamble]

Do you have a recipe you can share, or do you just wing (or leg) it?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...er-black-bean-soup-with-turkey-recipe-1972808
Notes: I add 2 sticks of celery . You can replaced dried beans with 2 cans if needed. Has red pepper but not spicey