Labor Day Dinner

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.

Especially with a sausage stuffed bird.

Birthday Meal

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.

Saturday Breakfast

Pretty self explanatory, just had to show...

Saturday's Dinner

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.  

Enjoy.

Thursday's Dinner

Carpathian Meat Cakes and Sauteed Cabbage

with a Cucumber Salad

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.