tjr wrote:Oh, and ronnie_suburban, that's some nice looking cucumber salad. Any thoughts of various types of gochugang? It appears there are wheat and rice varieties, some with garlic, onion, etc; some without.

Honestly, I have very little idea about this. My SOP is to go to H-Mart and try to buy one I haven't tried before. The label on the one pictured above is entirely in Korean, which I cannot read. From what I can tell (website, etc.), the starch component in that one is brown rice. Is that superior to wheat? I have no idea but since gluten is not an issue in our household, I don't pay attention to it.

Variety-wise, I do have one tub of extra spicy (mild is also available) but in order to keep the peace around here, I use it sparingly. Beyond that, I wouldn't knowingly buy one that indicated/included additional ingredients/flavors. On that front, less is more, especially when I can add those ingredients, fresh, (if I want them) during cooking.

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Cow tongue tacos inspired by Rick Bayless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIEOewu8Io&t=1s

I got a cow tongue at Hoeffer Meats in Northfield. It was about 3.5 lbs and they were kind enough to cut in to 3 pieces and vacuum seal 2 of the pieces which I froze.

I started with the tongue in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes with onions and garlic.

While the tongue was cooking, I made the salsa. I roasted a tomatillo, habanero and garlic. They went into the blender with raw tomatillo and cilantro for a rough chop. After blending, I added small diced and rinsed white onion.

After the tongue cooled, I peeled off the skin and some cartilage. Then cut into 1/2 " dice.

I browned on several sides and served in tortillas with the salsa, avocado and fine grated parmesean.

lougord99 wrote:Cow tongue tacos inspired by Rick Bayless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIEOewu8Io&t=1s

I got a cow tongue at Hoeffer Meats in Northfield. It was about 3.5 lbs and they were kind enough to cut in to 3 pieces and vacuum seal 2 of the pieces which I froze.

Nice, Lou! For future reference, just about any Hispanic market with a meat counter will also sell fresh tongue/lengua. Not sure about La Union in Highwood but I've bought one in the past (pre-plague) at Jimenez in Wheeling.

=R=

Carniceria Jimenez
550 W Dundee Rd
Wheeling, IL 60090
(847) 229-9295

tjr wrote:

bweiny wrote:You skipped right over pancetta?

Would cubes of pancetta be less chewy?

It’s up to each cook how they choose to cut and reduce the lardons. I don't think of pancetta (or any lardon really) as chewy. Large pieces can be tough, but the point of the chop is to avoid it becoming unpleasant. Usually crisping them up is desirable for the texture and the fat is mixed with the pasta. If the piece is all fat, I guess it's unpleasantly chewy when undercooked too.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Nice, Lou! For future reference, just about any Hispanic market with a meat counter will also sell fresh tongue/lengua. Not sure about La Union in Highwood but I've bought one in the past (pre-plague) at Jimenez in Wheeling.
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I went to Jimenez, and did not see it in the case. There were about 10 people waiting for the butcher and I didn't have time to wait. Hoeffer made it so easy, though I am sure it was more expensive.

lougord99 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Nice, Lou! For future reference, just about any Hispanic market with a meat counter will also sell fresh tongue/lengua. Not sure about La Union in Highwood but I've bought one in the past (pre-plague) at Jimenez in Wheeling.
=R=

I went to Jimenez, and did not see it in the case. There were about 10 people waiting for the butcher and I didn't have time to wait. Hoeffer made it so easy, though I am sure it was more expensive.

Well, it's been a few years. Maybe they no longer have it. If they do, it probably would be cheaper but convenience counts.

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Tonight, just for the sake of trying something I'd never tried before, I went with a meatless -- though, not vegetarian -- version of mapo tofu. The new-for-me part was subbing in minced mushrooms (food processor) for the ground pork I'd normally use . . .


Mise En Place & Hatsukokoro AS Damascus Gyuto, 210mm
Soy sauce, toasted/ground Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, 4x gelatinous beef stock, avocado oil, silken tofu, pixian doubanjiang, dried/seeded heaven facing chiles, fermented black beans, minced creminis & reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, scallions and corn starch (for slurry).

Normally, I'd use leeks but all I could get my hands on today were scallions, so I went with them instead. That turned out just fine, as did the mushroom swap. In fact, even though it ended up looking like a hot mess, this may have been the best version of mapo tofu that I've ever made. The meatiness of the mushrooms -- and the funkiness of the shiitakes in particular -- gave this a lift I hadn't quite expected.


Plated Up
With leftover/reheated jasmine rice and spicy-sweet cucumber salad. Yeah, it's more like mapo mushroom with tofu than mapo tofu but this was a great way to go. Next time, if I have enough time, I'll reduce the mushroom soaking liquid and use it instead of stock. Vegetarian dishes don't necessarily intrigue me but this one -- being only 1 ingredient away from being not only vegetarian but completely vegan -- has me excited to go for it next time.

Happy Monday!

=R=

Tonight, we thawed some ground beef for burgers and realized at the last minute that we neglected to buy buns. No buns, no problem. Just decided to get silly with it . . .


Onion Mise En Place & Konosuke Fujiyama White #1 Damascus Gyuto, 240mm
Yellow & red onion, black pepper, paprika, unsalted butter and salt. Just a hard fry on these on their way to condimentville.


Grilling
600g divided into 4 burgers, these were pretty thin and cooked relatively fast. Happily, they were still pink inside after we'd given the cheese enough time to melt. Didn't think of getting my blow torch out until after the fact.


Plated Up
On a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce with mini tomatoes, homemade dill pickles (our last jar from Summer 2022), fried onions, ketchup, yellow mustard and kewpie. Blob of weekly slaw up top.

=R=

Nice squirt bottlery!

Chicken Bread

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=42525

lougord99 wrote:
Chicken Bread

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=42525

Very very nice!

Tortilla Española

Not pictured: 1979 10” Dexter Russell carbon steel chef knife

A little beef, a little veg. Mainly wanted to use up some veg that was reaching its end point . . .


Cauliflower Mise En Place & Konosuke Togatta GS+ Gyuto, 240mm
Black pepper, salt, minced garlic, white wine, evoo, 4x gelatinous beef stock, cauliflower florets, mini tomatoes and scallion greens.

Pretty much just a quick stint in the wok (scallions first, then out and added back at the end), as there was a bit too much there for my skillet . . .


Stir-Fried Cauliflower

Also had the trussed-up end of a prime beef tenderloin that was sitting, vacuum-sealed, in the case at Zier's a few days ago. Not normally my cut but I decided to give it a home and tonight, its number was up . . .


Searing
Per the recommendation of a chef friend, I snagged some of these Chef's Presses a few weeks ago. I've used them a few times -- and I love them -- but this was the first time remembered to get a pic. They're great. Once seared on all sides, I threw the meat into a smaller pan and put it in the oven for ~15 minutes (400F convection roast) while I made a sauce in the pan I'd seared the meat in (roux, 4x gelatinous beef stock, red wine, shallots, smashed garlic cloves, fresh thyme, bay leaf).


Plated Up
Beef tenderloin, stir-fried cauliflower and pan sauce.

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First-ever stab at soondubu with seafood (haemul sundubu-jjigae). Combined elements from a few sources for recipe/technique. Started with an anchovy-kombu stock . . .


Anchovy-Kombu Stock Mise En Place & Konosuke Togatta GS+ Gyuto, 240mm
Scallions, dried anchovies, sliced onion, reconstituted shiitakes, daikon radish and kombu.

Toasted the anchovies in a dry pot for a couple of minutes. Took it off the heat, added everything else, plus water. Brought it to a boil, then cut it back and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. While that was going, I prepped the rest of the dish . . .


Mise En Place & Konosuke Togatta GS+ Gyuto, 240mm
Everything but the stock: silken tofu, diced onion, chopped squid, minced garlic, u12-16 shell-on shrimp, black pearl mushrooms, black pepper, gochugaru, dark-toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, avocado oil and scallion.

Sauteed the onions, garlic and mushrooms in a touch of the oil. Once they softened up a bit, added the strained stock and simmered it all until the mushrooms became tender. From there, added a blend of the gochugaru and a couple teaspoons of sesame oil. Let it simmer a bit more. Added fish sauce (a few tablespoons, to taste) and a blob of gochujang (not pictured above, last-minute audible). Let that simmer a bit longer and once I was happy with the flavor, I added the tofu, followed by the shrimp and squid. Let that all cook for around 5 more minutes, and done . . .


Plated Up
With jasmine rice and spicy-sweet cucumber salad. No dolsots but it was still pretty effing hot, so I plopped an egg on top and let it cook in the radiant heat, spooning broth over it as I worked my bowl down. Not perfect but a really nice result for a first-time cold take. Looking forward to trying this again. It's one of my favorite restaurant dishes and I'm happy to be able to make it at home. What it lacked in that certain something (which I hope to eventually pinpoint), it more than made up for in seafood quality/condition, as it's usually lower-grade and overcooked in restaurant renditions.

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I've been making Ronnie's Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Korean salad quite a bit, both with English and Persian cucumbers. Lately I've been adding assorted veg. Raw mushroom works well as does any type of bell pepper. Fresh fennel, diakon, its really fielders choice. Thanks for the inspiration Ronnie.

click to enlarge



Sweet and Spicy Korean cucumber salad, count me a Fan!

G Wiv wrote:Thanks for the inspiration Ronnie.

Small payback for the dozens of times you've inspired and taught me.

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red carpet tonight! caviar and blini, pigs-n-blankets, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, crudite, baguette with butter, pate, cheese. all homemade, for our only tv dinner of the year. well, all homemade except the pate, picked up at the butcher&larder/local foods closing sale yesterday, sob.

We had a pork shoulder to use up (and a few folks joining us for dinner) and I just did not feel like another braise. After thinking about it for a while, an obvious choice suddenly came to mind, so I went with a day-before yakitori-style marinade . . .


Marinade Mise En Place, Yu Kurosaki Sasame Petty, 120mm & Microplane
Gochujang, toasted sesame oil, scallion greens, dark brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce, microplaned ginger, rice vinegar, microplaned garlic and sake.

Mixed this all together and poured it over the shoulder, which I chunked into small pieces and placed in a ziptop bag. From there, into the fridge overnight, during which time I squished it around and flipped it over a couple of times.


Marinating
After about 24 hours, (and a quick dabbing dry) it was ready for the charcoal grill . . .


Grilling
Did these in 3 shifts directly over the lump charcoal, then moved everything over to the indirect side, where it all cooked, covered for another ~10 minutes. That seemed to work out just right. Plenty of char but nicely tender and plenty moist.


Plated Up
With jasmine rice and steamed broccoli w/miso butter, toasted sesame seeds & togarashi.

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annak wrote:red carpet tonight! caviar and blini, pigs-n-blankets, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, crudite, baguette with butter, pate, cheese. all homemade, for our only tv dinner of the year. well, all homemade except the pate, picked up at the butcher&larder/local foods closing sale yesterday, sob.

Pigs-n-blankets! It's like those kid's puzzles, which of these things doesn't go with the others. Bravo!

tjr wrote:

annak wrote:red carpet tonight! caviar and blini, pigs-n-blankets, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, crudite, baguette with butter, pate, cheese. all homemade, for our only tv dinner of the year. well, all homemade except the pate, picked up at the butcher&larder/local foods closing sale yesterday, sob.

Pigs-n-blankets! It's like those kid's puzzles, which of these things doesn't go with the others. Bravo!

it's funny but true that high quality ingredients really amp up the pigs-n-blanket deliciousness, and throwing something homey in the mix is always a hit (ina garten likes to say you should do the most casual thing just when people expect the fanciest, like serve spaghetti and meatballs when your boss comes to dinner...so a little pig is a nod to that philosophy). people love them so much.

annak wrote:red carpet tonight! caviar and blini, pigs-n-blankets, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, crudite, baguette with butter, pate, cheese.

Something similar at our house, but, Damn, I wish I would of included pigs in a blanket. It's not a party without pigs in a blanket!

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Pigs in a Blanket, count me a Fan!

Nice platter, Mr. Wiviott! I like the idea of doing simple HB eggs rather than not making deviled eggs because they take too long, which is what I wind up doing.

Not really dinner, but I made a second, and much better, batch of pickled carrots:
1 lb peeled narrow carrots, 2/3 c cider vinegar, 1 1/3 c water, 1/4 c sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ea mustard, dill and celery seeds. For the first batch I followed a consensus of web recipes with 1:1 vinegar/water ratios and far less sugar, too sour. Third batch, more spice.

A quickie, make-what's-on-hand dinner tonight with some boneless/skinless chicken thighs . . .


Mise En Place & Konosuke Tetsujin Blue #2 Gyuto, 210mm
Evoo, 4x gelatinous pork stock, white wine, seasoned chicken thighs, Manale spice mix, red & yellow onion, minced garlic, salt and black pepper.


Plated Up
Pan-seared boneless/skinless thighs with spicy-sweet cucumber salad and leftover/reheated (previously sauteed) cauliflower.

Happy Monday!

=R=

Been loving the recent 'Spring forward' and grilling in daylight after work. Even the indoor side-dishery is more enjoyable . . .


Veg Mise En Place & Myojin Riki Seisakusho SG2 Gyuto, 210mm
Sliced creminis (seen better days but still entirely usable), green beans, minced garlic, mirin, toasted sesame oil (for finishing), avocado oil and shoyu. Just a rapid-fire stir-fry . . .


Stir-Fried Veg

Meanwhile, had a nice flatiron from the Zier's . . .


Grilling


Plated Up
With a blob of the weekly slaw.

=R=

Time for another pot of beans . . .


Rancho Gordo Jacob's Cattle Beans
Part of the November 2022 Bean Club shipment. I don't recall ever seeing this variety before.


Mise En Place & Myojin Riki Seisakusho SG2 Gyuto, 210mm
Evoo, overnight-soaked Jacob's Cattle beans, smashed garlic cloves, salt, black pepper, slitted serranos & red jalapenos/bay leaves, yellow onion and gelatinous pork & ham stock. Made this stock last weekend with a Newsome 'Preacher' ham bone and a leftover pork shoulder bone (yakitori), both of which I roasted for an hour before simmering in water. Didn't use all of it here, as it was really thick and rich. Used about half and topped off the pot with some of the bean soaking liquid. Fresh beans + overnight soak = a very quick cook; only about 90 minutes until they were tender and ready to go.

While they were simmering, it was time to hit the grill . . .


Grilling
Our current #1 sausage combo -- beef/lamb cevaps and smoked/cured kiebasa.


Plated Up
With homemade sambal, a blob of the weekly slaw, some leftover/reheated fried onions and a couple of mustards.

=R=

Sticking with a fairly recent household tradition, we made a dinner to celebrate today's holiday. Earlier in the week, I spied a nice, ~10-pound, house-corned, whole brisket in the case at Zier's and figured I'd give it a go . . .


Mise En Place & Myojin Riki Seisakusho SG2 Gyuto, 210mm
Everything but the water: green cabbage, mini potatoes, corned brisket, yellow onion and carrot. Braised this for a few hours -- just in water for the first couple. After that, changed out about 2/3 of the water, added the veg and let it go for another couple of hours, until the brisket was tender.


Plated Up
With a hunk of marble rye (Loaf Lounge), horseradish sauce and yellow mustard.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

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ronnie_suburban wrote:Happy St. Patricks Day!

Looking good Mr. S!

Not a recent tradition in our house, every year for as long as I can remember.

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Saint Paddy's Day, count me a Fan!

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Happy St. Patricks Day!

Not a recent tradition in our house, every year for as long as I can remember.

Saint Paddy's Day, count me a Fan!

Nice, Gary! Looks great. What's the dessert?

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ronnie_suburban wrote:Nice, Gary! Looks great. What's the dessert?

Crème de menthe cookies, compliments of neighbor. Delicious though very very rich.

Tonight, I'm planning to cook up a delicious steak dinner. I've got a nice cut of ribeye that I'm going to season with some salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic powder. I'll let it sit out for a bit to come to room temperature while I prepare some sides.

For my sides, I'm going to roast some vegetables in the oven. I've got some asparagus and cherry tomatoes that I'll toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast until they're tender and slightly charred.
PS: If you don't know how to cook vegetables, roasting them is EASY AF. Don't forget to be generous with the oil, salt, and pepper!

I'll also whip up a quick salad with some mixed greens, sliced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese. For the dressing, I'm going to keep it simple with just some lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once everything is prepped, I'll heat up a cast iron skillet until it's screaming hot, then sear the steak for a few minutes on each side until it's cooked to my liking. I'll let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it and serving it alongside the roasted vegetables and salad.

I'm looking forward to savoring every bite of this hearty and flavorful steak dinner!