Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Makin Bacon
It's been a while since I posted here, but I couldn't pass this opportunity up. We butchered our own hogs this year, and I wanted to show you some differences in meat.
In stock show judging, the judges look for certain things. After a show, you can pretty much tell what that judge thinks is a good hog. This post is to show that a good show pig may not be a good meat pig.
A disclaimer, though -- both of these hogs didn't do too well in their showing this year, so you don't have a first and last place kind of thing, but ....well, you'll see.
Now to the pictures. There are two different sides here, one from a cross, one from a berk. The cross on the left, the berk is on the right. From a judges standpoint, the cross probably looked better because he was long, lean, well muscled. Looking at the meat -- at least in terms of bacon, and the berk wins by a long shot.
What do you think?
This was my third time making bacon. Best by far, I think I've got it down.
The first time, I used a dry cure, but used two different curing mixtures. The first one was Morton's Sugar Cure, with smoke flavoring. The second mixture was home-made, it had homemade maple syrup, sugar, salt & pepper. To be honest, I couldn't tell a difference in the flavor. I let these bellies cure for 1 week, then they were smoked. The end-result was "full-flavor" -- much saltier than you get in a store, but I grew to really like it. This was from a pig we butchered in Kansas.
The second attempt was a failure to me...I tried a wet cure. Essentially all I did was make a brine using the dry-cure ingredients. I added enough cure that it would float an egg. I'd read somewhere that's how much you should do. Let that cure for about 5 days and then smoked it. It didn't taste much like bacon, although it did taste a bit like ham. This was one of the sides of the cross, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. I did decide that when I go to cure the hams, I'll probably try this method first.
So this time, I tried the Morton's sugar cure, but I added two or three tablespoons of black pepper. I like peppered bacon and thought it might taste good. I let this cure for 4 days (I stack them in ziplock bags two-high in the fridge....so each cut gets a day face up and a day face down both on bottom and on top.) After curing, I rinsed off the cure and let it sit in warm water for a few hours. Then it was out to dry so I could smoke it. I tested some this morning, it doesn't need smoking, so I'll just leave it as is. It's pretty tasty!
In stock show judging, the judges look for certain things. After a show, you can pretty much tell what that judge thinks is a good hog. This post is to show that a good show pig may not be a good meat pig.
A disclaimer, though -- both of these hogs didn't do too well in their showing this year, so you don't have a first and last place kind of thing, but ....well, you'll see.
Now to the pictures. There are two different sides here, one from a cross, one from a berk. The cross on the left, the berk is on the right. From a judges standpoint, the cross probably looked better because he was long, lean, well muscled. Looking at the meat -- at least in terms of bacon, and the berk wins by a long shot.
What do you think?This was my third time making bacon. Best by far, I think I've got it down.
The first time, I used a dry cure, but used two different curing mixtures. The first one was Morton's Sugar Cure, with smoke flavoring. The second mixture was home-made, it had homemade maple syrup, sugar, salt & pepper. To be honest, I couldn't tell a difference in the flavor. I let these bellies cure for 1 week, then they were smoked. The end-result was "full-flavor" -- much saltier than you get in a store, but I grew to really like it. This was from a pig we butchered in Kansas.
The second attempt was a failure to me...I tried a wet cure. Essentially all I did was make a brine using the dry-cure ingredients. I added enough cure that it would float an egg. I'd read somewhere that's how much you should do. Let that cure for about 5 days and then smoked it. It didn't taste much like bacon, although it did taste a bit like ham. This was one of the sides of the cross, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. I did decide that when I go to cure the hams, I'll probably try this method first.
So this time, I tried the Morton's sugar cure, but I added two or three tablespoons of black pepper. I like peppered bacon and thought it might taste good. I let this cure for 4 days (I stack them in ziplock bags two-high in the fridge....so each cut gets a day face up and a day face down both on bottom and on top.) After curing, I rinsed off the cure and let it sit in warm water for a few hours. Then it was out to dry so I could smoke it. I tested some this morning, it doesn't need smoking, so I'll just leave it as is. It's pretty tasty!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Pappadeaux
Tuesday & Wednesday we were on a trip to Dallas, and since Janda and the kids were along too, I thought I'd take them to a place I almost always eat at and really enjoy.
Pappadeaux (pronounced Pappa dough's) is a cajun restaurant chain that is pretty nice. The food is good, you normally don't have to wait for a table because their dining room is huge. I've only ever had two things here. The first thing I tried was the sampler platter. Everything you could ask for, all fried. It was good, back when I enjoyed food like that. Now, though, I prefer things a little bit healthier. The other dish I enjoy is the crawfish etouffee. I liked it so much the first few times I had it, that I was inspired to make this at home. Now, having made my version (I'll share that with everyone one of these days), this was a good opportunity to take a fresh look at a dish I had really liked before.
We were late getting to town, and got in about 8:30. The restaurant was pretty full, but we were taken right in and sat down. This place is kid-friendly, it is so loud that even if the kids aren't quite, no one can tell. It's not obnoxiously loud, just a lot of stuff going on. We sat down, and looked over the menu. A friend was eating with us, he got the catfish opelousas. Never tried that, may have to someday. Janda & I both got the shrimp and crawfish etouffee. The kids got the catfish dinners (Jayden added shrimp to his). While we waited for the main dish to arrive, they serve fresh french bread. Pretty good stuff.
When our food arrived, I was expecting it to knock my socks off like it had before. Although this is a good choice, one that I won't hesistate to make again, it wasn't as good as I had remembered. Perhaps it's my taste changing, but I'll bet I just prefer my recipe over theirs. Janda said hers was good, but she too preferred our homemade etoufee over Pappadeaux. The boys all liked their dinners, who doesn't like catfish?
Overall, I think I've matured out of liking this dish so much that I won't order anything else off the menu. Next time I come, I'll try the opelousas, or something vastly different. This place is expensive. Nearly $100 for six of us to eat, half of those were kids meals, too.
Pappadeaux (pronounced Pappa dough's) is a cajun restaurant chain that is pretty nice. The food is good, you normally don't have to wait for a table because their dining room is huge. I've only ever had two things here. The first thing I tried was the sampler platter. Everything you could ask for, all fried. It was good, back when I enjoyed food like that. Now, though, I prefer things a little bit healthier. The other dish I enjoy is the crawfish etouffee. I liked it so much the first few times I had it, that I was inspired to make this at home. Now, having made my version (I'll share that with everyone one of these days), this was a good opportunity to take a fresh look at a dish I had really liked before.
We were late getting to town, and got in about 8:30. The restaurant was pretty full, but we were taken right in and sat down. This place is kid-friendly, it is so loud that even if the kids aren't quite, no one can tell. It's not obnoxiously loud, just a lot of stuff going on. We sat down, and looked over the menu. A friend was eating with us, he got the catfish opelousas. Never tried that, may have to someday. Janda & I both got the shrimp and crawfish etouffee. The kids got the catfish dinners (Jayden added shrimp to his). While we waited for the main dish to arrive, they serve fresh french bread. Pretty good stuff.
When our food arrived, I was expecting it to knock my socks off like it had before. Although this is a good choice, one that I won't hesistate to make again, it wasn't as good as I had remembered. Perhaps it's my taste changing, but I'll bet I just prefer my recipe over theirs. Janda said hers was good, but she too preferred our homemade etoufee over Pappadeaux. The boys all liked their dinners, who doesn't like catfish?
Overall, I think I've matured out of liking this dish so much that I won't order anything else off the menu. Next time I come, I'll try the opelousas, or something vastly different. This place is expensive. Nearly $100 for six of us to eat, half of those were kids meals, too.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tropical Chicken Surprise
Can't really find a name for this new dish, so we're going to call it Tropical Chicken Surprise. (If you think of a good name, shoot me a comment, I don't really like "surprise" food!)
Ever looked at a recipe and thought -- "What were they thinkin' when they made this?" Or, "Who would ever put THAT in a recipe like this?" I have a feeling many people will say that about this recipe...but rest assured, this is a keeper. Surprisingly good, in fact.
Tropical Chicken Surprise
4 - 5 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
3 T olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups pineapple, diced (if using canned, do not use the juice)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 c rice vinegar
2 T mustard
1/4 t dried chilies (could use cayenne pepper instead)
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Season the chicken with salt & pepper. You can cook it all the way through. Set aside until later. Add the onions and bell pepper, and saute until soft. Add the garlic and stir frequently. Add the diced pineapple, and saute the whole thing until the pineapple is well heated (almost to the point of browning). Add the diced tomatoes and cook until hot. Add the rice vinegar, mustard and chilies, and mix well. Simmer for about 5 minutes. You can add the chicken back to the sauce mixture, or just spoon it on top when serving.
So -- weird? Yes. Mustard & pineapple, who'da thought. But -- it's really, really, good. Janda said this was awesome. One of her favorite dishes so far. I liked it a lot too. You'll have to try this and report what your family thinks.
Ever looked at a recipe and thought -- "What were they thinkin' when they made this?" Or, "Who would ever put THAT in a recipe like this?" I have a feeling many people will say that about this recipe...but rest assured, this is a keeper. Surprisingly good, in fact.
Tropical Chicken Surprise
4 - 5 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
3 T olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups pineapple, diced (if using canned, do not use the juice)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 c rice vinegar
2 T mustard
1/4 t dried chilies (could use cayenne pepper instead)
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Season the chicken with salt & pepper. You can cook it all the way through. Set aside until later. Add the onions and bell pepper, and saute until soft. Add the garlic and stir frequently. Add the diced pineapple, and saute the whole thing until the pineapple is well heated (almost to the point of browning). Add the diced tomatoes and cook until hot. Add the rice vinegar, mustard and chilies, and mix well. Simmer for about 5 minutes. You can add the chicken back to the sauce mixture, or just spoon it on top when serving.
So -- weird? Yes. Mustard & pineapple, who'da thought. But -- it's really, really, good. Janda said this was awesome. One of her favorite dishes so far. I liked it a lot too. You'll have to try this and report what your family thinks.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Stuffed Chicken Breast Medallions
In keeping with the copy-cat theme, I've been trying to find a recipe for the stuffed chicken breast medallions served at Abuelo's.
I've tried making this a few ways with various ingredients, but today's test was the most successful by far.
4 chicken breasts
6 - 8 oz chorizo (pork is the best)
1 large (or 2 small) poblano peppers, peeled and chopped.
2 T fresh cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar)
Flour
2 eggs
milk
Peeling a pepper is made easier by following a few steps. By removing the skin, you help make the pepper softer and more flavorful. Broil the pepper, turning often, until it's blistered all over. Take it out of the oven, and into either a ziploc bag, or a tupperware container. What you want is for the pepper to "steam". Leave it in there for 5 - 10 minutes. If you've got it good and blistered, the skin should just peel off.
While your pepper is cooking, you can start cooking the chorizo. There will be lots of grease rendered, be sure to get rid of as much of this as you can. Greasy chorizo will make the rest of the process a lot harder. Chop the cilantro into a small mixing bowl. Add the cooked chorizo to the cilantro, and add the diced poblanos. Grate in cheese, I normally do 2 ounces or so, you really can't go wrong here. Mix well to combine. This will be your stuffing, so you want to be sure to get everything really mixed around.
Next, create a cavity instead each chicken breast by cutting a pocket. I start at the big portion of the breast, and swipe the knife around inside to create the void. You want the hole to be only slightly larger than the knife blade, but the caivty to be nearly as big as the breast. A large hole makes it more difficult to seal before cooking.
When the chickens have all been stuffed, you can either bake them (it's ok this way), or deep-fry them like fried chicken (much better). Baking takes about 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
To fry them, I mix two eggs with about 1/2 C milk. Dip the breasts into the egg mixture, then into flour, lightly seasoned with chili powder and garlic salt. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side -- turning only ONCE. You seriously dry out food by over-turning it.
Abuelos serves this with queso sauce, so if you've got some time to do that, it'd be great, but not necessary. I've been trying to get this recipe as close to the original as possible, and enjoy making it each time, even when it doesn't come out quite so good.
Overall Rating: 89 (scale of 100)
I've tried making this a few ways with various ingredients, but today's test was the most successful by far.
4 chicken breasts
6 - 8 oz chorizo (pork is the best)
1 large (or 2 small) poblano peppers, peeled and chopped.
2 T fresh cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar)
Flour
2 eggs
milk
Peeling a pepper is made easier by following a few steps. By removing the skin, you help make the pepper softer and more flavorful. Broil the pepper, turning often, until it's blistered all over. Take it out of the oven, and into either a ziploc bag, or a tupperware container. What you want is for the pepper to "steam". Leave it in there for 5 - 10 minutes. If you've got it good and blistered, the skin should just peel off.
While your pepper is cooking, you can start cooking the chorizo. There will be lots of grease rendered, be sure to get rid of as much of this as you can. Greasy chorizo will make the rest of the process a lot harder. Chop the cilantro into a small mixing bowl. Add the cooked chorizo to the cilantro, and add the diced poblanos. Grate in cheese, I normally do 2 ounces or so, you really can't go wrong here. Mix well to combine. This will be your stuffing, so you want to be sure to get everything really mixed around.
Next, create a cavity instead each chicken breast by cutting a pocket. I start at the big portion of the breast, and swipe the knife around inside to create the void. You want the hole to be only slightly larger than the knife blade, but the caivty to be nearly as big as the breast. A large hole makes it more difficult to seal before cooking.
When the chickens have all been stuffed, you can either bake them (it's ok this way), or deep-fry them like fried chicken (much better). Baking takes about 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
To fry them, I mix two eggs with about 1/2 C milk. Dip the breasts into the egg mixture, then into flour, lightly seasoned with chili powder and garlic salt. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side -- turning only ONCE. You seriously dry out food by over-turning it.
Abuelos serves this with queso sauce, so if you've got some time to do that, it'd be great, but not necessary. I've been trying to get this recipe as close to the original as possible, and enjoy making it each time, even when it doesn't come out quite so good.
Overall Rating: 89 (scale of 100)
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