Italian Style Strip Steak with Fried Potato Slices and Red Sauce
Rub a strip with garlic, season with salt and pepper and let come to room temperature. Heat up some olive oil over medium high heat until really hot, then add the steak and cook five minutes until browned, then flip and throw in a 450 degree oven for another five minutes for medium rare. Let rest ten minutes after you take it out. Saute a bunch of garlic and mushrooms in butter to top the steak with.
Use a mandolin to slice a peeled potato into thin slices and soak in salted water in the refrigerator for an hour or more. Drain and dry, then put in a 350 degree deep fryer until just starting to brown, then take out, drain and let cool a little before finishing in 375 degree oil until done.
Serve both with heated red sauce or marinara. (I use sauteed minced onion and garlic, then tomato paste, then a can of San Marzano tomatoes run through the blender and a little bit of thyme, simmered for an hour or longer).
Pan Roasted Barramundi on Cheese Grits with Sea Beans and Balsamic Reduction
Salt and pepper the fish, and cook over medium high heat in a little bit of olive oil until brown, then flip and throw in a 400 degree oven for eight to ten minutes. At the same time, reduce some balsamic way down over medium heat until it's really thick and syrupy, and in another pan, fry up thick slices of bacon sliced into one inch pieces until browned, then add sea beans.
Cook grits with half water and half milk, then stir in some mozzerella, salt and pepper, top with the fish and then the beans and then the balsamic.
This was an epiphany after a Manhattan and a glass of wine.
Cooked a box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, then stirred in a drained can of hot Rotel tomatoes and chiles, then put it on buttered white bread and fried it up like a grilled cheese.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Spicy Green Beans
Marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk and a few tablespoons of hot sauce (I use Crystal), then drain, shake in a paper bag with flour, salt, pepper, and paprika, fry in hot oil in a dutch oven over medium to medium high heat, covered and skin side down, for ten minutes, then flip and cook uncovered for another ten.
For the mac and cheese, cook a half pound of macaroni, melt three tablespoons of butter in a pot and add the same amount of flour and stir and cook for a few minutes but don't let it brown. Add a cup and a half of milk or so and cook for five to ten minutes until smooth, then add a little worcestershire and hot sauce, salt and pepper, then mix in a cup and a half of cheddar and a half cup of parmigiana. Put in a buttered dish, top with cheddar and breadcrumbs and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Beans are easy. A can of drained green beans, a can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles a few pats of butter, bread crumbs and toasted onions on top, and in the oven with the macaroni.
Sliced leg of lamb, feta, onion and tziziki on toasted ciabatta.
Marinated a leg of lamb overnight in olive oil, lemon, garlic, fresh oregano and salt and pepper, then roasted it in this bad boy...
...until it was medium.
For the tziziki, seed and chop a cucumber, salt it and let it drain for an hour, then mix it with a cup of greek yogurt, a minced garlic clove, a little olive oil and lemon juice, fresh chopped oregano, and salt and pepper.
Saute a split piece of ciabatta in olive oil until browned and put it all together.
Snacked on some dove that my friend "Hermann" shot on Saturday. He enjoys murdering birds of peace and I'm thankful for it because I can cook them without having a conscience. I mean, really, they're already dead, and come on, they were asking for it, with their beady little eyes...
Anyway, wrapped them in some bacon with slices of some homemade pickled jalapenos (minced onion, garlic, vinegar, marjoram, thyme, water, salt) and pan fried them in some garlic and onion butter. Chew lightly for fear of buckshot.
We had that while I had the smoker going, where I put on a few bratwurst from Wenzel's in Hamilton, and a couple of stuffed Cornish hens for me and MLWMG.
I started by brining those bad boys overnight in a mixture of water, salt, brown sugar, parsley stems, lemon rind, bay leaf and black pepper, and then stuffed them full of sliced Czech Stop hot links, parsley, lemon, onion and bay leaf, then smoked them at 250 for about two hours.
They look burned, but they're not. Black exterior housed incredibly flavored pink poultry, sealing in all moisture while allowing the hickory flavor to penetrate. No need to eat that skin for flavor, it's all in the meat.
Served it with some Piedmont slaw (see last post for recipe) and some German potato salad. For the potatoes, boil some russets until fork tender, then peel and dice. Fry up some chopped bacon until crispy, then add a tablespoon or two of flour, stirring until light brown. Add some cider vinegar, and a half cup of water, and cook for a few minutes on high after bringing to a boil to thicken a little, stirring the whole time. I think I added a little caraway at that time, but if you don't have it, that's alright. Then add the potatoes back to it, as well as some sliced onion and chopped parsley, and stir over high heat for a minute or two to break down the starch and make it nice and creamy. It was my best batch of GPS yet, and you'll enjoy it.
One of my very favorites. My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo's pan fried chicken, rice and gravy, and southern style green beans.
Secret recipes, sorry. All I can tell you is that they are boneless, skinless thighs and it doesn't matter that there's no bones or skin. Crispy, moist, and absolutely incredible. Going to give Louie's a run for my last meal.
Baby Back Ribs with St. Louis BBQ Sauce, Piedmont Slaw and Baked Beans
Pretty easy to make this one, then take a break and work up a hunger with some sort of whiskey based drinks, and pull it out of the oven to eat after a couple of hours.
Ribs - Grill or broil baby back ribs until browned on both sides. I cut them into four rib sections before doing this, as it makes it easier to fit them in a baking dish. For the sauce, combine a cup of ketchup, 1/3 of a cup of worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and brown sugar, and then around a teaspoon each of salt, celery seed, paprika, dijon mustard, chili powder and hot sauce (I use Crystal). Add a little water to it if it's a little thick. Pour this over the browned ribs in a baking dish, cover with foil and cook at 350 for an hour a half before uncovering and cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Slaw - finely shred a head of cabbage and add to it a cup or less of ketchup, a quarter cup or less of cider vinegar, some hot sauce (again, I use Crystal, best 59 cents you'll spend at the store), a little sugar, and salt and pepper and then put it in the fridge for a while before eating.
Beans - for two, use a small can of pork and beans, add some chopped and uncooked bacon, quarter of a chopped onion, half cup or so of ketchup, a chopped jalapeno, some mustard, a teaspoon or so of ground ginger and a quarter cup or so of brown sugar. Mix it all together in a casserole dish and put it in the oven for an hour and a half.
Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice cucumber. Put the sliced cucumber in a strainer with a teaspoon or so of salt, stir together and let sit for an hour or so so the liquid is extruded. Add some sliced white onion to the cucumber and put in a container with half white vinegar, half water, and a little sugar. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to eat and then top with sour cream and paprika.
These things are great, and easy, and I guess sort of a central European meatloaf of sorts. To make two, use a quarter pound each of ground pork, veal, and sirloin. Add an egg, a half cup or so of bread crumbs, a little cream, half a teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg, some salt and pepper, and chopped parsley. I can't remember if I added chopped onions or not, but it probably couldn't hurt. Mix it all together, form into patties and wrap with bacon and then brown both sides in a little oil before finishing it in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Top it with sour cream and chives.
For the cabbage, chop and fry some bacon, add some sliced onion and cook until soft, add a tablespoon of flour to the fat and stir until light brown, then add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and a half cup of water, mix and bring to a boil. Add some salt, pepper, and caraway seed, and shredded cabbage (I cheated and used a bag of preshredded, but you could shred a small head yourself and use that), and saute on medium for ten to fifteen minutes, so the cabbage gets a little soft but still has a little bite.
For those of you who haven't heard of Rao's, my understanding is that this is the quintessential New York Italian restaurant, formerly frequented by the connected and now the occasional celebrity, you can't get a seat at this place. Really. The demand for this place over the years is such that if you're one of the lucky ones, you have a night, a time, and a table, and whether or not you eat there, you're paying for a meal. Rumor has it, Dick Schaap passed up a Monday Night Football gig years back because it conflicted with his weekly reservation at Rao's. Needless to say, I want to eat there. But for now, this will have to do.
Zimmerhanzel's Bar-B-Que. When you're missing a Q, cut a notch in your O. And make sure people know you're open. Two signs are always better than one.
Had a chance to swing by this place on my way back from Houston late afternoon last week for a quick bite to eat. Opened the front door and walked right into my elementary school cafeteria, milk money in hand.
Yep. Six sided folding tables, rock hard chairs, dropped ceiling, cafeteria line, and lunch ladies. But with a meat processing plant immediately next door, I hoped the quality of the food was better than the hot pack/cold pack variety I used to get. And it was.
And I secured a chair. Ok, so this place isn't really exactly like my elementary school cafeteria, as we lacked the dead animals on the wall, but it was a good pit stop on my drive nonetheless.
As happens periodically at the central Texas small town barbecue joints, my late arrival limited my choices to just chopped beef and sausage, so I had them pile both on a bun with some onions and went to work.
Sausage was fantastic, cut in half lengthwise and placed lovingly on a soft bed of chopped beef, the juices of which permeated the bottom bun to the point of making it difficult to eat as a sandwich, but packed with flavor. I was a bit disappointed with the chopped beef having been stewed in their sauce prior to serving, as I like to control my sauce and also sample the flavor of the beef itself before seasoning it. That said, the beef was flavorful and tender, with just the right mix of fat, meat, and bark, and the sauce, extra of which was available center hexagon in a used 60oz Heinz ketchup squeeze bottle, was thin and vinegary with a hint of heat. The sausage was packed with flavor, with the casing providing a perfect snap, and really made this sandwich. If I do it again, I'll skip the onions, which were thinly sliced whites which tasted like they'd been cut well in advance and left to sweat, which when taken in stride with the size of the cut, took away nearly all of the crunch and coolness I love and expect of onions on a sandwich as a stark contrast in texture from the tenderness and heat of the meat.
The sides behind the sneeze guard, consisting of the basic slaw, potato salad, and beans, looked run of the mill almost as if out of a tub, but as the massive piles of wood and smoker out back indicated, you're not here for those. So I passed.
All in all, a good stop, but not worth a pilgrimage. If it's that you're looking for, continue on to Prause's Market in LaGrange, and get there early.
Oh, nearly forgot, stopped in the butcher shop/processing plant next door.
I have high hopes for this. Two small cases of meat hidden behind dirty and foggy plexiglass, a giant bloody table, plenty of knives and slicers, and very friendly proprietors. I used my last $12 (cash only at both places) to get some hickory-smoked, rind-on bacon, and some homemade hot links, which I plan on throwing on the smoker next time I fire up a butt.
Summary
Atmosphere: hole in the wall cafeteria-style barbecue joint, a place where everyone knows your name...well, not mine but everyone else in there
Walked down to Counter Cafe this morning with the intent of getting breakfast tacos, one of the two breakfasts I tend to rotate between when I go, but after a quick discussion with my waitress, I decided to go with the special of the day, two sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches on homemade biscuits.
Glad I did. Great batch of sausage today. Very fresh, cooked medium well, heavy on the sage and red pepper, giving it immense flavor and kick. Topped off with a over-medium egg and shredded cheddar.
Full reviews here, just wanted to share today's special with you...
Saute some sliced mushrooms (I used baby portobellos) in butter and olive oil, add three cloves of chopped garlic and the zest of one lemon. When it's looking good, add some fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, and lemon juice, then 8-10 canned San Marzano tomatoes without the extra juice. Break up the tomatoes and simmer for ten minutes or so before adding salt and tossing with penne.
Thought I'd share yesterday's photo from Dirty's since the lighting was better in the front room.
Went with the large cheeseburger, two patties with cheese between them, onion, tomato, pickle and mayo. Caught them on a good day too, the bun had just enough grease seep into it to be really good, but wasn't supersaturated as happens sometime.
For the full review, http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/dirty-martins-austin-tx.html
Yeah, Google Serranos and this is the first image that comes up. Relation to the chile or restaurant? I have no idea.
Now, I did find myself fascinated by this not-so-Mike-and-Carol family upon seeing this. A true pioneer, sometime in the late 60s, this not-Mike managed to piece together a little slice of Mexico, an FLDS third-wife, a scary little future serial killer, and enough butterfly collars and bad haircuts to fill his little California bungalow and make a pitch to the networks.
Thankfully, ABC didn't pick it up.
And thankfully, these people weren't at Serrano's on Red River when I went there for fajitas on Tuesday night.
There was however, a drunk man in his 60s that sat down next to me who, after offering the bartender extra money to make his margarita not sweet, asked me if I wanted to share enchiladas with him, to which I politely declined indicating that I had already ordered.
Ok, let's back up a minute. Found myself craving some fajitas the other night, and after driving by the packed parking lot at Polvo's, decided I'd try somewhere I hadn't been before. Advertising itself as the home of Mesquite Grilled Fajitas, I decided to give Serrano's a shot, despite a misguided preconceived notion that this place was run-of-the-mill and probably not very good. Now I've driven by the downtown location countless times, and always chalked it up as being one of those cool little spots with average food, that likely gets visitors more than locals, and might be a good spot for a bite and some margaritas, but not a place someone looking for great food would go.
Despite the downtown location, I was able to park right out front, and after helping a group of six ladies to understand that the reason the parking meter wasn't working was because it shut off two hours earlier, I ambled up the Austin stacked stone stairway, across the "amphitheater", where the Brady's or not-so-Brady's could play if the every did come, to the bar, where I ordered a margarita, chips and queso, and beef fajitas.
This is actually a cool little spot, which, on a day that's not 105 would be a nice setting to sit outside, particularly if they filled the little stone stage along the creek that flows through the place with mariachis.
So as I mentioned, I started with the chips and queso, which came out quickly and hot, thankfully, as it's congealation factor was an eight on the standard ten point scale. Not spicy, but flavorful and creamy, this was a perfect starter, but the real winner was the salsa. Red and chunky, almost a blend between fresh pico and standard salsa, it carried some serious heat, which I welcomed, and was also cool and refreshing.
I can't speak for the rest of the food there, but the fajitas hit the spot. Upon their arrival, I was disappointed that, though served on an iron platter, they weren't sizzling, there was just a lone serrano pepper, and the onions looked raw, lacking that caramelization and continued cooking that I love so much. The beef itself was lukewarm, and cooked medium to medium-well, but had great flavor. Not so much the flavor of the heavily seasoned Polvo's meat, but more along the lines of the nice grill-flavored Habanero Cafe cuts. Tortillas were clearly homemade, thin flour tortillas that were nearly see through and which were easily the hottest thing on the plate, which did well in transferring the refried beans, beef, onions, sour cream and pico de gallo from the plate to my mouth. All in all, these were very good, including the onions, and the place gets bonus points for being and easy-in, easy-out fajita fix.
Nothing to write home about on the sides, standard rice, which I had a bite of but no more, and pureed refried pintos, carrying an oxygen-affected crust on the top.
Summary
Atmosphere: old Austin, ample outdoor seating in a cool old setting, bar, good place to meet for a drink and a bite, good place for a group, decent place to sit and have a solo meal
Food: Tex-Mex
Crowd: drunk old man, family who demanded the Food Network be turned on minutes before leaving, couples, and families
Reheated my pork parmigiana from a few nights ago in the oven at 450 until the cheese was bubbling and the breading sizzling. While that was going on, I fried ciabatta bread, cut side down, in some hot olive oil with a garlic clove in it, and then I put it all together with the worlds best condiment, Italian pepperocinis in oil...
Lamb: Finely chop together the leaves of one or two sprigs of rosemary, a few sprigs of thyme, three garlic cloves and a small handful of italian parsley. Mix half of it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and rub on a couple of shoulder blade chops and let marinate for a while. Fry the chops in olive oil and butter on medium high until done and then let rest before slicing.
Pasta: Make using three cups of pasta and four eggs by mounding the flour on a counter, digging a hole in the middle and putting the eggs, scrambled into the middle and stir into a dough before kneading for ten minutes and wrapping and setting aside for thirty. Then roll it out and make your pasta.
Sauce: Saute the other half of the herb mix with some butter and olive oil for a minute or so, then four or five San Marzano tomatoes and chop them up in the pan and mix in. Add half a container or so of baby portobello mushrooms, cover and let cook on medium low until the mushrooms are tender. When that's ready, add the sliced lamb to it, some salt and pepper, and toss with the cooked pasta, topping with shaved pecorino sardo.
Pork: Beat some pork medallions like a hated stepchild, then coat with seasoned flour, shaking excess, wash with egg, and coat with breadcrumbs and put in refrigerator for fifteen minutes or longer. Saute in butter and olive oil, then top with sauce and sliced burrata and broil until cheese bubbles and browns in spots.
Sauce: Put half a chopped carrot, half a celery stick, and a couple of garlic cloves in a food processor and blend until fine. Add a rough chopped onion and pulse until chopped well, then toss all of that in a pot with some olive oil and saute until soft. Add a little bit of thyme, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, a little red wine and stir, then add two 28 or 35 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes, with seeds and stems removed, and cook over low for a couple of hours over low after bringing to a boil. Add salt and pepper near the end.
May have gotten out slightly over my skis on this one. An evening cocktail, good for a hot day, I like to call, "Have a Nice Morning, from Mexico", this isn't for the spice-averse...
Muddle one habanero in a shaker, top with ice, a few dashes of Celery Bitters and gin. Shake and serve up.
