Going half boneless pork loin on indirect charcoal over apple wood smoke with grilled cob corn, Jan's home made mac & cheese, and fresh pink eyed peas w/snaps. Ice cold longnecks as desired... Good bye Irma....
Catching up on this thread, and glad to see that Irma didn't put too much of a crimp in our resident gourmet cooks' style. At work (insurance company) the going joke will be that we ate at every place in town and never left the building! Catered lunches and dinners for the next weeks to get us through 12-hour days. Tonight was excellent Salmon kabobs and greek salad from Bell's Catering. Thank goodness baseball isn't during hurricane season!
Another half hour before the hominy goes in and the lid comes off. The key step in making it really tasty is making fresh chili sauce with four or five dried ancho chilies and about 3/4 cup of dried chili de arbol. The dried peppers soak in water that was just boiling for about 30 minutes. The chilies then go into the blender with some smashed garlic and 1.5 cups of the steeping liquid. Next it is pressed through a sieve and the solids are discarded. I use about half of that chili sauce in the braising liquid for the pork shoulder and save the other half for those that want to kick it up a notch or two.
I received three 1.5" thick ribeye bone-in pork chops about a week ago from some folks that live down in the Tampa Bay area on the water that were staying with my MIL to ride out Irma. They never got around to cooking them. Lucky me. I had frozen them, but I pulled them out today, thawed them, and then brined them in a salt/sugar/clove/thyme/allspice bath. I am going to stuff them with fontina and prosciutto and bake them after they get a sear. When I went to Publix to get the fontina and prosciutto (those things never last at my house) I noticed that spiny lobster, sometimes called Florida lobster, tails were on sale so as a special treat from my son I will be making lobster mashed potatoes. It is a special treat for me and my wife as well, but he is a huge fan of them. Kind of skimping on the salad prep by using one of those salad-kit-in-a-bag deals. They are not bad and I won't have the time to make a fancy salad course.
Grilling "Tri-tips" tonight along with fresh steamed broccoli, grilled cob corn, and a new sliced bread from our deli--sunflower bread--it's good stuff.... Ice cold longnecks 'til we sit down to eat and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon will be on the table.
I wish that the butchers in Hogtown cut tri-tip more often. It is pretty hit or miss to find it out on the shelves and 99% of the time it is miss. I like to cook it rotisserie fashion with a coffee based crust. I haven't done that in years and it is making me think that I need to do it again soon. Perhaps a trip to the butcher counter at Ward's is in order.
Yep. VERY good. My favorite straight from the bottle sauce. My only complaint is that it lacks a little in sugar for caramelizing, but sugar is easily added.
We never have it cut and in the case here either. I just know my butchers and I'll ask when we want one and see if they have it to cut. I like to take the fat cap home too. I'll use coarse salt & pepper lightly then dust it pretty good with John Henry's Texas Brisket Rub. When I sear'em I put the fat cap on top of the tri-tip, cut side down--then when I flip it to sear the other side just move the fat cap back on top. Really good seasoning, then just discard it after the sear. And as I know you know, but others may not--always cut it against the grain, just like cutting up brisket.
Hey, I know it is way too early but who would be up for some serious tailgating during the weekend series here in Miami when we take on the Canes? This old Gator WILL be there to support his beloved Gators. I get excited just thinking about this.
Heading up to Albany, Ga. today---it's my Mama's 94th birthday. Jan's got Mama's favorites, Home-made sour/cream pound cake and apple glazed pound cake for her to choose from. Supper will obviously be her choice--but I'm betting she wants me to fry catfish fillets to go along with fresh green beans and cheese grits. Whatever Mama wants...Mama gets!
Grilling 3/4" thick center-cut pork chops candying Pat's on them the last two turns with fresh squash & onions, purple hull peas, and Dixie Lily Yellow Rice with diced tomatoes with chilies. The cook will be enjoying ice cold longnecks before, during and after the process.
Keeping it simple tonight: pasta puttanesca. So good and so simple. I add some anise seed to the classic recipe and use San Marzano tomatoes.
Ah, the smell of simmering spaghetti sauce does fill the house up... Fresh salad with vine ripe tomatoes and some really good Three-Cheese Italian dressing, grilled sunflower bread and drink of choice to go with. It's what's for supper!
