Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

I did in the winter when I lived way up north. It just doesn't seem right in Florida. Went to a now defunct place called The Melting Pot in Gainesville only because my son wanted to go there for a middle school birthday.

Raclette is a much more interesting dish that also requires specialized equipment and I have made that here, but only in the winter and not for quite some time. I wonder where my grill is.

 

Tonight stir fried oriental veggies (baby bok choy, gai lan aka Chinese broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms), and pork tenderloin that will be oven roasted and finished with the what is left over from the contents of a jar called "Sichuan Noodle Sauce" that tastes like it would be good for this dish. And rice, of course.

The 4th is predicted to be a wash-out in Gainesville, but our local Winn-Dixie will have bone-in pork shoulder on sale on the 3rd (and the 4th and 5th) for $0.99/lb, limit two. I am thinking about getting one and wearing a raincoat. And maybe get a second to put in the freezer.

 

We made some much stir fry last night that we are eating it again.

I also did a freezer inventory and found three rib eyes. I suspect they will be defrosted soon.

 

My better and more good looking half said that rib eyes are on the menu tomorrow.

Going to Winn Dixie for $0.99 per pound bone-in pork shoulder tomorrow planning to do it on the 4th.

 

The $0.99 per pound pork shoulders at Winn Dixie were all just about eight pounds. I usually pick one about five or six pounds. I guess that I will be waking up very early tomorrow to smoke one to have dinner around 7:30 PM. I have scheduled a Zoom meeting with my siblings for 6:30 for an hour so if it all goes according to plan the shoulder will be resting then. I think lighting the fire about 5 AM should do it and on the grate around 6. The other one I bought is in my MIL's freezer.

Started the baked beans process. Soaking the dried Navy beans as I type.

 

KJ has been lit for a while and near 400 F with half of the grill near the coals and the other half indirect. I think that the KJ guys call this the Divide and Conquer concept and it works great for steaks.

A few minutes down low near the hot coals for a sear and then a few minutes up high indirect to finish.

 

Up at 4:45 AM to start the big butt. I think I will need a nap this afternoon.

 

No nap. Pork shoulder took exactly 12 hours to smoke and rested for 90 minutes. Porky perfection and a lot of leftovers. Hard to keep my eyes open now, though.

The baked beans were the star of the show, though. I followed a new recipe I found online that looked promising and thought they might be too sweet with all that molasses and maple syrup, but just a bit of apple cider vinegar brought it into balance. And my wife was giving me grief about cooking times as she normally does baked beans in a crock pot and I was using the oven at higher temps. She is now a convert.

 

As you might have guessed pulled pork was for dinner yesterday and for today's lunch. And for several other lunches coming up.

Tonight will be a chopped salad. Time to cut back a little on the meat consumption. And a nicely chilled New Zealand sauvignon blanc to go with it.

 

I have a good supply of very nice guajillo chilies and my wife wants me to use them soon. She got them on line and they are very good. My plan is to make a chili sauce that can be used for chicken enchiladas and also a steak marinade (carne asada).

The chili sauce will be very different from the one I make for posole rojo. That one is based on ancho and arbol chilies.

I probably should save some for the next time I make a mole as they would add another layer of flavor. A really good mole is like a first growth Bordeaux wine in a great vintage: many layers of complex flavors and all of them good.

I love real Mexican cuisine. It is not Taco Bell. I did spend some time in many places in Mexico in the 70's eating street food and also fancy restaurant food. I think that Veracruz was my favorite place to eat because the seafood was outstanding.

 

Started up the KJ to roast two chickens. One with pesto and one plain to use for enchiladas later in the week.

Also made the guajillo chili sauce. That takes some time. The chilies and garlic are roasted first on a hot skillet with the peppers held to the surface with a spatula. The chilies are then rehydrated with hot water. Once that is done the chilies and garlic are pureed in a food processor with a little stock and then pressed through a sieve to get the skins and any remaining seeds out. Mexican oregano, cumin, and black pepper is then added. Then it is "fried" in a small amount of olive oil. This is actually a crucial step! Next more stock is added and it simmers for a long time to thicken up a little bit. Lastly salt is added to brighten the flavors and sugar is added to take away some of the chili bite.