Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

When I make mole I use the recipe from Fonda San Miguel in Austin. It is a lot of work so I don't make it very often.

 

These po'folks are in the finishing stages of making an ox-tail ragu. What was once Italian peasant food is now something you can find on the menu of a trendy restaurant in a trendy neighborhood in foodie big city like Chicago, where incidentally I have had it served to me in exactly that manner.

When I was a kid ox-tail was really cheap and my mom used it to make some really good soups. I used to watch and talk about the "dinosaur bones". Alas, it is not cheap anymore. Same thing with flank steak. I like the former because the meat is so decadently rich. I like the later because it is really lean and is perfect for stir-fry.

 

I could go for that. Some corn broom to go with that cornbread would be very nice.

 

I didn't get to make posole rojo yesterday. <insert crying emoji here> We were invited to a party and instead made a big platter of caprese salad and took some Anderson Valley Pinot Noir that we had put into out wine cellar for a couple of years. As a bonus we were able to tune in the Gator baseball game after the Kentucky Derby was over.

Today my wife told me that we had too much left over chorizo in the frig and to do something with it. And luck would have it medium shrimp with the shells was on sale at Publix. The Publix shrimp is OK as a flavor in a dish, but I wouldn't use it as the main point of a dish like in a shrimp boil.

So I am making a paella with shrimp and chorizo as the major protein components.

Currently making the stock with shrimp shells, the chorizo "ends", garlic, celery, onion, coriander seeds, red pepper flake, bay leaf, etc.

I don't have the correct bomba rice, but I do have arborio. I will need to make sure that I use the right amount of liquid or else I and those I feed will be sadly disappointed. It isn't quite the same, but it can be used to good effect.

 

Made regular tacos yesterday. At least that was the plan, but 22 year old son ate most of the taco meat right out of the skillet on the stove before dinner. GRRR! So today I am getting a bit fancier and making tacos al pastor. It took a trip to the Latin market to get the correct dried peppers. Think of it as pork loin tacos with grilled pineapple. Also made a chipotle and New Mexico chili salsa as a topping.

 

Relegated to ball park food tonight. I wonder what food trucks will be there.

 

Ate a sandwich before the game.

Made victory margaritas after the game.

 

Really wet here in Gainesville today as well.

Keeping it simple tonight: Grilling knockwurst and andouille just before first pitch. Also have some good sauerkraut for those that want it on their knockwurst or as a side.

Since it has been so wet I am nursing a dry martini (Boodles gin) instead of enjoying brews.

Added in edit: One of these days I will make my own sauerkraut. I can remember old ladies in my childhood neighborhood making their own in ceramic crocks with wooden lids. It was so good.

 

Today I am making Bolognese sauce to serve over orecchiette with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. I cheat and use bacon instead of pancetta as it is cheaper and less salty. I also don't use any ground veal and instead use extra ground chuck. So instead of equal parts ground pork, ground veal, and ground beef I use 1/3 ground pork and 2/3 ground chuck.

But I do use San Marzano tomatoes.