Ballgame fare tonight is grilled hamburger steaks, baked potatoes on the top rack, and a fresh Caesar salad. Ms. Jan’s going with her chilled wine tonight and I’m working on a tumbler of Four Roses Single Barrel 100 proof. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Cubano sandwich tonight, with the leftover pulled pork from the other day. Setting up mine with Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese, sautéed onions, dill pickle sliced lengthwise and a mustard aioli on a sub roll. I don’t have a panini or grill press …so, I press mine with an iron skillet. Homemade fries on the side. …and my wife said she wasn’t sure yet and would let me know when she gets home but I’m working on my surprised face for when she tells me she wants a salad.
Tonight I’ll be grilling thick cut bone-in pork chops indirect over cherry wood smoke. Inside we have a pot of fresh green beans, petite Yukon gold potatoes, and bi-color cob corn. The back porch is open and ready for your leisure-choice of adult beverages is available. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Grilling chicken thighs on the KJ. Carolina vinegar slaw and Florida sweet corn on the cob as sides. Seems a tad early for the local corn crop but I am not complaining. Grilled corn on the cob is my favorite but I won't have the grill space with all the chicken thighs I am grilling. Instead I will semi-submerge them in a covered skillet and give them at least one turn. That seems to work better than just boiling them.
Lurk— If y’all like fresh green beans and new potatoes, next time you’re fixing them get some bi-color cob corn to go with it. Just add the corn for about 30 minutes of cooking time. Make sure to add a pinch of sugar and a half stick of real butter along with your regular seasoning. You’ll really like the corn……
Tonight we’re picking up our supper from one of our local favorite restaurants— Fat John’s Pizza it is! Supreme of course!! The back porch Yeti is restocked, iced down, and ready to go. Ms. Jan’s wine is chilled. Life is good in Gator Nation!
This sounds like a good plan. Especially the butter because everything tastes great with butter. And bacon. Buttered bacon is a sin I have not yet committed. Please tell me that you don't cook the veggies to mush. I find that too often with old cooks after I moved down south. I like a bit of crunch with my green beans. Can I cut the cooking time down?
We don’t cook’em down to mush for sure-we’ve always used the 30 minutes because the pot by then is turned down to “2” or low so the corn’s not boiling to cook. But whatever you want will be good I’m sure. I hear you about the bacon-my other seasonings are pork trimmings and salt.
I’m an inbetweener on the green beans. The way they cook them up north (in my experience) is too crisp for my taste. Too crunchy and too coarse. I like them to simmer a little longer to an Al dente type firmness.
Jambalaya for tonight. Shrimp, andouille and chicken thighs. I know some go an either direction on the okra thing. I tend to lean okra for my jambalaya & gumbo. My son is joining us for tonight. But unfortunately can’t hang around for the 8:00 start.
[QUOTE="74nole, post: 15017689, member: 5804" I hear you about the bacon-my other seasonings are pork trimmings and salt.[/QUOTE] Bacon and butter and salt can make a dog turd taste great.
Tonight it will be Vietnamese pork chops (marinaded in shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, black pepper) with the marinade reduced and used as a topping with a squeeze of lime. Sides will be rice and an Asian cucumber salad (English cuke, chili oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and crushed unsalted dry roasted peanuts).
I have been busy in the kitchen today. My wife & I were invited over for Easter dinner from a friend of hers from work… and volunteered me to cook some things. It’s an Italian family with a menu of lasagna , eggplant parm etc. My wife tells her about my southernish cuisine, and they all want it now. No pressure. And I’m like …”all you eat are salads anyway”. Made a pot of black eyed peas today. Finally found some mustered greens after going to 3 different places …so going with that, which I’ll make tomorrow. Also jalapeños cornbread. Tonight, taco salad. The old El Paso kind.
Typical Easter Italian varies wildly from north to south. Just remember that if they are really adherent to old school lenten fasting they will want lots of meat.
Tonight is clam linguini. Tomorrow is Easter and we are not doing anything traditional. I will be baking mahi with a macademia and panko crust, yellow rice pilaf, rosemary redskin potatoes with lemon zest and brussels sprouts. Lots of veggie sides because my vegetarian SIL might join us for dinner.
The key to green beans or any vegetable is to drop them into preferably seasoned boiling water and once desired tenderness is achieved dump into a strainer then immediately dump into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve that bright green color. Edit: unless of course you’re roasting/sautéing vegetables. Above is the proper boiling method
Tonight I’ll be grilling chicken halves seasoned with coarse black pepper and Everglades seasoning. Inside we’ve got round two of a pot of green beans, petite Yukon potatoes, and bi-color cob corn. I’m pretty sure Ms. Jan’s asking for a Moscow mule this evening and I will enjoy a tumbler of Jefferson Reserve Single Barrel 100 proof. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Ice bath does work and is great but draining just before the desired doneness and then spraying with cold water works just as well and is easier. It does take some experience and many mistakes to learn exactly when to do it. Timing is everything with my method but I have lots of experience. Your method is more foolproof and what I would recommend to a new cook.
