Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Went to Publix today. Got some things for making green chicken posole tomorrow, a six pound pork shoulder to be smoked soon, a sweet onion (the missing ingredient for Carolina slaw ... I have the rest ... you really need that with pulled pork), and some very nice bone-in pork chops. Also three pounds ground turkey (we use that in a lot of easy dishes, like tacos, chili, etc.) and a pound of ground pork (also needed in smaller quantities for things that I make like Bolognese sauce and a soup I make with mustard greens and Oriental seasonings and noodles).

Lots of other things as well.

I forgot black peppercorns. Doh!

And I forgot to get some more coarse corn meal. It was not on the list, but should have been. I use that for making "blocks" to feed the birds. It also needs oatmeal, lard, crunchy peanut butter, flour and sugar. The catbirds are chowing down right now before migration and it is hard to keep up.

 

The green (tomatillo based) posole is in progress. Gawd does it make a lot of dishes to clean and lots of steps with cooling times in between. It requires what amounts to frying the sauteed tomatillo and onion pureed with uncooked cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno as a crucial step. I have needed this same frying technique with some Italian sauces that were tomato and garbanzo bean based. You have to be careful because it will splatter.

Time to unload and reload the dishwasher before moving on.

 

I am not sure what a boneless rib is, but you country folks have your own secrets.

 

Just joshing with you. It made no sense to say that a rib (a bone in the chest) was boneless.

Hey, I make carnitas out of boneless Boston butt and it is really good. You just have know know what you have. You end up frying the meat in its own fat. Really great stuff for Mexican tacos.

 

I have a pork shoulder and I have the time either tomorrow or Saturday. When should I smoke it for pulled pork?

I say the sooner the better.

I know that I usually do this on a weekend day, but when you are semi-retired and all of your grading is over a Friday is just like any other day.

 

A six pounder, about 8 hours in, and still on the plateau. I was hoping to pull it off at 5:00 and shred at 6:00. Looking like it will be a bit later.

Added in edit: Off the plateau 9.5 hours in and in the low 180's F. Probably another hour before it gets taken off and maybe not wait the full hour of rest before pulling.

 

Used leftover Bolognese sauce last night. Found a 2003 no big deal Bordeaux in the wine cellar to drink with it. I bet we paid about $18 to $20 for it way back then. It was a few years past its prime, but not bad. Not oxidized, but not as good as it would have been a few years ago.

Tonight is Thai take-out. You gotta support the local restaurants.

Tomorrow will be something quick as we will be visiting friends (ten feet apart in their driveway) to share some wine. Maybe the pork chops I bought recently and a salad.

But Tuesday will be fun. My wife asked me "What is this bomba rice for?" that was in our pantry. Paella! She just had to read the Spanish on the bag: arroz de paella. Now paella is not one thing. It varies from place to place. I like mine with mussels, shrimp, chorizo (Spanish or Portuguese (chourico), not Mexican. Mexican chorizo is totally different), chicken, and veggies. Someone from the Spanish coast would do it only with seafood.

And I have a good supply of saffron threads. It took me a few minutes to find them and I was getting worried when I did not find them right away. A little goes a long way and that is a good thing. They are expensive.

 

Warming up leftover enchiladas for tonight. Paella tomorrow.

 

I couldn't find fresh mussels so I am defrosting some Cedar Key clams to use instead for the paella.

 

I mowed the lawn today (about half of an acre with a walk behind mower) and walked our dog (a miniature Aussie that my wife agreed to take without asking me. I am fine with that. She is a sweetheart. My wife and the dog) about 8 miles. That dog needs a lot of activity.

 

Ketchup on a hot dog?

Travesty!

Mustard, sport peppers, dill relish, celery salt, pickle spear, onions, tomato are the correct toppings.

And it needs a poppy seed bun.

I am from Chicago and so I have strong opinions about hot dogs.

I like Hebrew National dogs, but I like Vienna Beef dogs even more.

Oscar Mayer dogs? Never.