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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)

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Let's go page 3!

No new cooking until next week for me - eating out and leftovers until then. My friends and I might be grilling some burgers while watching football on Sunday, so I might try to snap a few pics of the results.

That salmon carpaccio looks great, Onkel.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Hi Cornballer, thanks for the feedback. :) Some Burger pics would be ace.

Rest of GAF, what will be your weekend dishes?
 
Tonight is pork tenderloin quarters served in a very Brussels fashion-with a sauce made from Boone Kriek beer and a smattering of tasty vegetables, served with a side of brown rice. Beverage will be an accompanying lambic, probably Lindeman's framboise because we luvvles the raspberries.

Dessert is going to be a rustic raspberry tart w/ graham crust done somewhat like a French dessert galette. The berries aren't really in season, but they are on sale, which sort of makes them in season for me!

Going to make a two-layer chiffon pie tomorrow. Glad I won't be the one having to clean that up, I do the cooking the fiance does the cleaning (most of the time).

Sunday, not sure. Beef Burgundy or chicken with 40 cloves of garlic sound appetizing. I haven't done pasta in a while. I'll do what I normally do-figure it out later. :)

Pics and walkthroughs if I can find my point and shoot camera. Fiance is very possessive of her DSLR and forbid me from getting it near the kitchen!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Fragamemnon said:
Tonight is pork tenderloin quarters served in a very Brussels fashion-with a sauce made from Boone Kriek beer and a smattering of tasty vegetables, served with a side of brown rice. Beverage will be an accompanying lambic, probably Lindeman's framboise because we luvvles the raspberries.

Dessert is going to be a rustic raspberry tart w/ graham crust done somewhat like a French dessert galette. The berries aren't really in season, but they are on sale, which sort of makes them in season for me!

Going to make a two-layer chiffon pie tomorrow. Glad I won't be the one having to clean that up, I do the cooking the fiance does the cleaning (most of the time).

Sunday, not sure. Beef Burgundy or chicken with 40 cloves of garlic sound appetizing. I haven't done pasta in a while. I'll do what I normally do-figure it out later. :)

That sounds awesome, I would like to see your recipes posted. Thanks for the feedback.

Fragamemnon said:
Pics and walkthroughs if I can find my point and shoot camera. Fiance is very possessive of her DSLR and forbid me from getting it near the kitchen!

_40643370_thumbs-getty300.jpg
:)
 
OMG your Gan Bian Ji looks awesome, ChryZ! There's another recipe I have to try.. there's too many recipes and not enough time and dinners! And the apple pancakes look great, OnkelC!

Tell your fiance it's for a good cause, Fragamemnon. All of GAF need good pics. Then needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few! Or the one.

chrisfavemotrek2.jpg


I'm not sure what's coming up for me. I'll go shopping tomorrow or Sunday for next week's dinners. Tonight I went out to a Thai restaruant. I had Kra Prow with scallops, which had bell peppers and onions sauteed with basil. Very delicious, but no pictures, unfortuantely.

So instead, I'll post a couple "outtake" pictures of when I made pizza last (in Vol. 2, I think). My brother's wife took them, and he just sent them to me. There's even another action shot! I think I look a little drunk in the first pic. I had a couple of beers at that point whil I was preparing everything.

makingpizza1.jpg


makingpizza2.jpg


This is the veggie pizza in the middle of preparation. What I usually do is have corn meal even layered on the pan, and then rest the dough on it. Then sauce, and a little bit of cheese. Then I put the toppings on. In this case, green peppers, black olives, red onions, fresh spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and feta cheese. Then I add another layer of cheese on top, which helps keep all of the veggies moist. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on, and you're good to go!

makingpizza3.jpg


makingpizza4.jpg
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Thank you for sharing, heavy liquid! That pizza looks delicious even when unbaked. And your juggling skills are unmatched!:lol I wish I could do that, it is a bitch to drag out the dough by hand.

The "outtakes" idea is fun, here are two of mine:

When roux goes wrong:
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How firm whipped cream should be:
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Curse of the onion 2:
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Guns for show, ...
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The dishes for the weekend are red and green Pesto, as well as a oven-roasted chicken if we can find a decent one.

Keep on posting, folks!
 

ChryZ

Member
heavy liquid said:
Woah, awesome pic ... all worked up, hehe! This might become a new fitness-trend "THE PIZZA WORKOUT" :lol

The pizza is looking perfect (by European standards at least), the crust not too doughy, healthy toppings, not drowning in cheese and fat ... very nice!
 
ChryZ said:
Woah, awesome pic ... all worked up, hehe! This might become a new fitness-trend "THE PIZZA WORKOUT" :lol

The pizza is looking perfect (by European standards at least), the crust not too doughy, healthy toppings, not drowning in cheese and fat ... very nice!

:lol Thanks. We were having company and there were 10 or 12 people. So I was making six pizzas and really rushing to get everything done as quickly as possible! Luckily my parents (this was at their house) have a two ovens, so I was able to cook 4 pizzas at a time! You can see the ovens to the right of me in this picture:

makingpizza2.jpg


I usually try to keep the pizzas pretty healthy, so I guess they'd conform to European standards. :) But I usually also make some with fresh pepperoni, ham and ground beef.
Tip: For the ground beef, I usually select a lean meat and cook it first in a cast iron skillet before putting on the pizzas. You don't want to put it on there raw, as it probably won't cook through.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
heavy liqquid, that looks artistic. Thank you for the pics.

I made something new today, a roast chicken breast with a cucumber salad and fries:
smallCIMG4444.jpg


And a (convenience-based) Bavarian cream with cherry topping:
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Recipe to follow tomorrow.
 

Javaman

Member
Awesome threads guys! I'm charging up the digital camera right now to add some buffalo wing grilling, Javaman style later tonight.
 
Javaman said:
Awesome threads guys! I'm charging up the digital camera right now to add some buffalo wing grilling, Javaman style later tonight.

homer_drool.JPG


Mmmmm... buffalamo wings...

The spicier the better, as far as I'm concerned! I don't eat them too often, but I'm looking forward to your recipe.

Also looking forward to your full recipe, OnkelC. The whole meal looks great! Your cucumber salad reminds me of the cucumber sunomono which I almost always get when I go out for sushi.
 
someone in this thread needs to post a good, simple, tasty steak recipe. i know it would probably be easier with an outdoor grill...but i don't have one!

fill me in gaf cooks!
 
smirkrevenge said:
someone in this thread needs to post a good, simple, tasty steak recipe. i know it would probably be easier with an outdoor grill...but i don't have one!

fill me in gaf cooks!

In my opinion, let said steak sit out on the counter top to get to room temp (i say a nice rib-eye). Put salt and pepper (i put garlic salt sometimes) on it.

Get a cast iron skillet smoking hot. Put a tiny bit of oil. Put steak in there and cook to how you like it. (I cook the first side longer to get the good crust, then barely cook on the other side),

Then bam! Tasty in the month!!! Let that steak sit a little though.
 

Javaman

Member
ThatCrazyGuy said:
In my opinion, let said steak sit out on the counter top to get to room temp (i say a nice rib-eye). Put salt and pepper (i put garlic salt sometimes) on it.

Get a cast iron skillet smoking hot. Put a tiny bit of oil. Put steak in there and cook to how you like it. (I cook the first side longer to get the good crust, then barely cook on the other side),

Then bam! Tasty in the month!!! Let that steak sit a little though.

Make sure you've got a range hood or other decent ventilation and high temperature oil.... I tried this once and it smelled up the whole house for a day or two. It's great when you're hungry, but after a couple of hours it gets to be too much. :) I've had good luck simply broiling tender cuts of steak, but it's hard to beat the flavor you get from grilling (Where the drips of fat atomize into tasty smoke). If you are using a smaller toaster oven for this make sure it's a thick cut otherwise it'll be cooked through before you get a good sear. The toaster oven I used doesn't get as hot as a range broiler, but YMMV.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
I usually heat a cast iron pan to max, while the pan is heating up, I prepare the steak with salt, pepper and a hint of sugar (helps the browning and gives a nice crust), then pour some oil in the pan, add the steak, then COMPLETELY turn off the heat and let it fry for about 1 minute on the first side, then turn it over and let it cook until the desired doneness (3 minutes for a 1/2lb- or 250gram steak to be english, 4-5 minutes to medium, longer to be "well done").
 
OnkelC said:
I usually heat a cast iron pan to max, while the pan is heating up, I prepare the steak with salt, pepper and a hint of sugar (helps the browning and gives a nice crust), then pour some oil in the pan, add the steak, then COMPLETELY turn off the heat and let it fry for about 1 minute on the first side, then turn it over and let it cook until the desired doneness (3 minutes for a 1/2lb- or 250gram steak to be english, 4-5 minutes to medium, longer to be "well done").

That sounds like your best bet, smirkrevenge.

I have a few favorite steak recipes, but they're all for my outside gas grill:

-Tuscan Steak with Olive Oil and Lemon
-Steak with Blue Cheese and Chives
-Steak with Marinated Tomatoes
-Steak with Chipotle and Grilled Lime

I might try a few of these in a couple months when spring comes around. None of them are very difficult, and they're all really good.
 

Javaman

Member
heavy liquid said:
That sounds like your best bet, smirkrevenge.

I have a few favorite steak recipes, but they're all for my outside gas grill:

-Tuscan Steak with Olive Oil and Lemon
-Steak with Blue Cheese and Chives
-Steak with Marinated Tomatoes
-Steak with Chipotle and Grilled Lime

I might try a few of these in a couple months when spring comes around. None of them are very difficult, and they're all really good.


Oh man, don't make us wait that long. They sound really good.
 
Javaman said:
Oh man, don't make us wait that long. They sound really good.

Okay, you twisted my arm! I think I'll buy a couple of steaks to cook for this week...

I still have to decide on which recipe to use. If anyone has a preference, I'm open to a vote. Whichever wins, I'll cook! Probably on Wednesday.
 
heavy liquid said:
Okay, you twisted my arm! I think I'll buy a couple of steaks to cook for this week...

I still have to decide on which recipe to use. If anyone has a preference, I'm open to a vote. Whichever wins, I'll cook! Probably on Wednesday.

Are you going to marinate these steaks in said ingredients? Or are these going to be toppings\sauces?
 
as promised, here are some pics of the final product. it's rather difficult for me to take pics while i am making these foods! you will notice, raw garlic seems to be a theme...not for vampires. :)

new year's meal of chinese duck liver sausage, baby bok choy, and rice. as onkelc has posted lots of german variations of sausage, chinese cuisine also has a varied selection of sausages. duck liver sausage has a strong and pungent odor and taste...but excellent and IMO, far deeper in taste than the regular chinese sweet sausage. the sausage is paired with raw garlic to balance out the sweetness.
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cheese fondue with gruyere, emmenthaler, and brandy. some sliced baguette and green apples. there is also a salad with diced avocado and homemade mustard dressing. served with some chilled white wine. fun was had by all!
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and a personal, home-cooked favorite: potstickers and a soy, sesame oil, chili oil with garlic dipping sauce. it is authentic chinese to eat potstickers with raw garlic, so if you see raw garlic served at a dumpling restaurant, you know you are getting the real deal!
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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
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Awesome, smirkrevenge. I like the idea of apples with the cheese fondue. We usually serve some hot beverage alongside it, so the cheese will not clog up instantly in the tummy.

That was a late night treat, thanks again for it. I would like to see more of your skills! Keep'em coming, please.
 
yes i cooked all of that myself, with the exception of the potstickers. the potstickers were made by my mother when i last returned home, in which i kept in my freezer for convenient cooking. if you ever want to make potstickers at home, keep them frozen before you fry them...makes it much easier to cook.

i have posted before, but just without the fancy pre-cooking pictures! i posted in the last megathread a picture of my slow-cooked ribs. like i said, very difficult to cook and take pics at the same time, don't want to get my canon SLR greasy...:lol

the girl is visiting this week, so hopefully i will have some more (food) pics to share with the GAF crowd!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
smirkrevenge said:
yes i cooked all of that myself, with the exception of the potstickers. the potstickers were made by my mother when i last returned home, in which i kept in my freezer for convenient cooking. if you ever want to make potstickers at home, keep them frozen before you fry them...makes it much easier to cook.

i have posted before, but just without the fancy pre-cooking pictures! i posted in the last megathread a picture of my slow-cooked ribs. like i said, very difficult to cook and take pics at the same time, don't want to get my canon SLR greasy...:lol

the girl is visiting this week, so hopefully i will have some more (food) pics to share with the GAF crowd!
Sorry, I lost track of the previous threads for a bit, I edited my post accordingly. You'll get extra kudos for taking pics with a SLR, though, heaven knows it is difficult enough to take decent pics with a point'n'shoot :lol.

thanks again for the great pics. I am looking forward to new dishes from you.
 
It all looks great, smirksrevenge!

ThatCrazyGuy said:
Are you going to marinate these steaks in said ingredients? Or are these going to be toppings\sauces?

I think it depends on the recipe. Some marinate for up to an hour and some don't marinate at all. So far the Grilled Tuscan Steak with Olive Oil and Lemon (Bistecca alla Fiorentina) is winning!

Tonight I had chinese carry-out. Nothing very authentic, just Chinese-American, but it was still good. General Tso's Chicken with hot and sour soup.

Some interesting info on General Tso's Chicken:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Tso's_chicken.

Unknown in China, but thought to have originated in New York's Chinatown in the 1970's.



P1010092-5.jpg


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So as not to be a complete tease, I present the following fruity explosion:

Rustic Raspberry Tart

This recipe was taken from Karen Barker's American Desserts. Karen Barker is the co-owner, along with her husband, of the Magnolia Grill in Durham, NC. The Magnolia Grill is one of the best local restaurants (I wouldn't say the best) and their New Southern style is very well done. This book is my second favorite dessert cookbook, right behind Ken Haedrich's Pie.

Note that this is one of those "don't make this often" type food. We're in good shape, but even then this is hyper-combo fatty extreme food and not to be consumed except every so often.

Anyway, on to the ingredients:

CRUST:
1 cup flour
.5 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
12 tbsp butter (one and a half sticks), chilled and cut into pieces
2.5 tbsp cold water

1) Combine flours, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in food processor. Pulse once or twice to blend. Add butter pieces, then pulse food processor until the mixture looks like a rough course texture (not too fine). Add water and blend briefly.

2) Remove dough from food processor. Working it with your hands if you need, gather the dough into a flat round, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge for a few hours. Proceed to cook the main course of dinner in the meantime, or play a few rounds of R6:V.

Tart:
Crust made from the above ingredients
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (one 4-rectangle wafer will yield this)
1.5 pints raspeberries (about 3 cups) - fresh is better, but thawed will work as long as they aren't soggy.
1.5 tbsp butter, cut up into small chunks
1-2 tsp heavy cream

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Roll the dough out into a flat round on a lightly floured surface, about 12 inches in diameter and about an eight of an inch thick. What I use to do is this a rolling instrument and some kind of round, flat surface that is near 10-11" in diameter, fill that surface, and then expand it out some to get the final inch. Transfer the "dough disc" to a banking sheet lined with parchment paper (mess sucks, parchment paper > god)
3) Sprinkle surface of the dough with about 2 tbsp of the sugar. Sprinkle the dough with the graham cracker crumbs as well.
4) Put the raspberries on the dough, leaving a generous 1.5 inch halo around the outer perimeter of the dough disc. Dot the berries with the butter and sprinkle another 2-3 tbsp of sugar on the berries.
5) Fold the edges of the dough up over the raspberry filling, pleating and lightly pressing down to secure the edges to form the tart. When done all around, the tart should have reduced to around 9.5 inches in diameter.
6) Brush edges of the tart pastry with a light bit of cream and sprinkle another 2 tbsp of sugar on the edges.
7) Bake at 400 for 35 minutes, or until tart edges turn golden brown and the juices from the berries begin to bubble. Cool slightly and serve, or serve at room temperature.

Note that other berries or a combination of berries work well, or even bananas for a much-cheaper alternative to the dish. I like to serve it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream
as seen below:

yum1.jpg

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Topless food porn:

yum3.jpg
 

Javaman

Member
It's time for some Buffalo wings! Simple and Tasty.

Ingredients...
5lbs of chicken wings
1 12oz bottle of Frank's Redhot sauce
4 Tbs butter
4 Tbs flour (AP)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
grated black pepper
356475334_44981a0692_o.jpg


Since I'm using frozen rather then fresh wings, I used a large pot and some running cool water to "Turbo" unfreeze them. It only takes a couple of minutes based on the water temp and quantity.
356475140_e3dbb2b095_o.jpg


While the wings were thawing I started working on the sauce which includes the bottle of Redhot sauce, pepper flakes, garlic, salt and black pepper(to taste).
356475038_d35b2b9a68_o.jpg


In previous incarnations, the finished sauce had always been too thin, especially after being heated up by the wings so I decided to experiment with a roux created with the butter and flour. (Previously I just melted the 1/2stick of butter in the microwave before adding the hotsauce. The wings would look great right after shaking, but after several minutes the sauce would thin out on the exposed wings leaving only a slightly orangish/red layer without much flavor)

I melted the butter until it was nice a bubbly and whisked in the flour (carefully since I was using a metal whisk with a non stick pan)
356475118_d0cf557aab_o.jpg

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I let it simmer for several minutes until it thinned out a bit and whisked 1/2 of it into the wing sauce. I'm not sure if the roux thickness was right since this was the first time I've made it. (any pointers would be appreciated) Fortunately it mixed into the sauce without any lumps. Next time I'll probably go with 4Tbs of butter and 2Tbs of flour and the entire roux to the sauce.

Check out that nice thick coating on the tub bottom. :)
356475083_210955041c_o.jpg


Now that the sauce was ready I slapped the drainer lid on the chicken wing pot and fired up the grill. I let it heat up nice and hot before wiping it down and hitting it with a little spray canola oil.
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The sea of chicken.
356475209_36b1eb89ea_o.jpg


Almost done. I had to move some around due to hot spots in the grill. They were fully cooked at this point but I like to have a nice bit of brown on them.
356475185_91ecb24681_o.jpg


And we're done...
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The heat from the wings really draws out the vinegar/peppery smell in the sauce. We're all set for the shakedown.
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Shake and plate.
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There weren't too many left after my family chowed down, but I've noticed that they seem to taste even better after sitting in the fridge over night. They loose a little bit of heat, but seem to be more tender.
 
smirkrevenge said:
someone in this thread needs to post a good, simple, tasty steak recipe. i know it would probably be easier with an outdoor grill...but i don't have one!

fill me in gaf cooks!

Okay, I have a good recipe for you. I haven't tried it myself, yet, but I'm sure it's good! It's from my trusty America's Test Kitchen

Steak au Poivre with Brandied Cream Sauce

Finely ground pepper is not a substitute in this recipe. It's best made with top loin steak, but rib-eye or tenderloin can be substituted.

Typically, when making Steak au Poivre, the steaks are completely coated with peppercorns. However, it's better to pepper the steaks on one side only. By searing the unpeppered side first, you're able to develop a more flavorful sauce. Secondly, since the peppercorns were only over direct heat for 4 to 6 minutes, they were less likely to scorch and make the dish bitter.

Steaks

4 top loin steaks (8 to 10 ounces each) 1 to 1 3/4 inches thick, trimmed
Salt
4 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce

1 shallot, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, and then season with salt. Sprinkle one side with the peppercorns and press into the steaks with your fingers. Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking, and add steaks, peppered-side up. Press on the steaks with a cake pan, and cook until well done, about 4 minutes.

peppercorns-2.jpg


Flip steaks over and continue to cook, pressing with the cake pan, to the desired doneness. Transfer steaks to clean plate, and let rest while making the sauce.

steaks.jpg
 
That recipe looks good (I've seen it in one of my cookbooks), but I would suggest, if you have access to them easily ( omg A Southern Season) omg), green peppercorns generally make for a superior steak (beef or tuna), as they have a bit less edge than black ones.

Good recipe though. I do a somewhat different preparation when I want a steak like that (a Grand Mariner flambe followed by a minute of shallots in the pan/broth reduction/soaked peppercorn/cream/bit of butter sauce).

My favorite pan sauce steak is a Marsala wine based pan sauce with some parsnips, carrots, mushrooms, and shallots. I got the idea from a America's Test Kitchen recipe and it mutated there based of my fiance's and I tastes.
 
OMG...both heavyliquid and onkelc's suggestions look fantastic...and I will DEFINITELY try one of them tomorrow.

do you recommend i use a cast-iron skillet or just a regular frying pan?

i know heavy suggests the cast-iron skillet, but i noticed in onkelc's pictures, it was just a regular frying pan (i could be wrong).

i am ready for the challenge...and the tasty results!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
smirkrevenge said:
OMG...both heavyliquid and onkelc's suggestions look fantastic...and I will DEFINITELY try one of them tomorrow.

do you recommend i use a cast-iron skillet or just a regular frying pan?

i know heavy suggests the cast-iron skillet, but i noticed in onkelc's pictures, it was just a regular frying pan (i could be wrong).

i am ready for the challenge...and the tasty results!

Thanks for the feedback. The Pan I used was a cast aluminum teflon pan which can be heated to similar levels as a cast iron pan. I would advise against an ordinary teflon pan and for a cast iron skillet. They store the heat much better and make a nicer colour of the steak.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
So, let's cook.
The wife and I wanted to make some roast chicken yesterday, but we were not the only ones with that idea, sellout everywhere. So we got a nice whole breast on the bone which worked out fine, too.

As with the previous roast dishes, we went for a basic preparation to keep most of the natural taste intact. As a side dish, we went for a cucumber salad, made by the wife, and fries. Desert was a so-called abvarian cream dessert which came pre-manufactured with only the cream left to be prepared.
These were the ingredients for two persons:

For the chicken breast and salad:
smallCIMG4400-1.jpg



One whole chicken breast on the bone, with skin,
salt, pepper, paprika powder, i garlic clove, neutral oil

one cucumber,
1 teaspoon hot mustard,
1 tablespoon vinegar,
3 tablespoons of neutral oil,
2 tablespoons salt (not pictured).

Dessert:
smallCIMG4409.jpg


(pack of stuff, milk and cream)

Preparation is simple. First wash the chicken breast and dry it with a paper towel. Make a dressing from salt, pepper, paprika powder, chopped garlic and oil, then put the breast in it and let it marinate for an hour or two:
smallCIMG4402.jpg

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In the meanwhile, prepare the dessert (check the new mixer, yeah!;))
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When the chicken has marinated for one or two hours, put it in the stove at 200 degrees celsius for 30-45 minutes. Put an oven pan filled with water under the grill, so the dripping oil and juices are contained. Brush down the breast with the leftover marinade every 5 minutes or so, no need to turn over the breast whil in the oven btw:
smallCIMG4440.jpg


Now for the cucmber salad, courtesy of the wife. peel the cucumber, cut it to thin slices, then cure it with some salt for 30 minutes. Do not use the small part at the top of the cucumber, as it tends to taste bitter:
smallCIMG4421.jpg

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Mix the cucmbers with the mustard, vinegar and oil, finish it off with some dill:
smallCIMG4428.jpg

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Finish Line:
When the skin on the chicken breast gets crisp, turn off the heat in the oven and prepare the fries. While the fries are going, take out the chicken breast and cut out the fillets:
smallCIMG4441.jpg

smallCIMG4442.jpg


DONE!
Serve hot and enjoy!
smallCIMG4444.jpg


Dessert:
smallCIMG4448.jpg

smallCIMG4450.jpg


Tonights' dish will be both red and green pesto, served with pasta.
 

tehjaybo

Member
OnkelC, this was the first thread I came to after waking up, and it made me way too hungry to keep browsing! :lol I'm not much of a chef, but my ma has some things up her sleeve. I'll try to get some pics and recipes next time she makes something fairly nice. We don't quite go into the detail that you guys do, but I think the thread needs a nice country dish.
 
tehjaybo said:
OnkelC, this was the first thread I came to after waking up, and it made me way too hungry to keep browsing! :lol I'm not much of a chef, but my ma has some things up her sleeve. I'll try to get some pics and recipes next time she makes something fairly nice. We don't quite go into the detail that you guys do, but I think the thread needs a nice country dish.

Any pics that involve cooking is welcome. They don't have to be perfect, and can be "behind the scene" type pictures. I'm looking forward to your pics!
 
smirkrevenge said:
OMG...both heavyliquid and onkelc's suggestions look fantastic...and I will DEFINITELY try one of them tomorrow.

do you recommend i use a cast-iron skillet or just a regular frying pan?

i know heavy suggests the cast-iron skillet, but i noticed in onkelc's pictures, it was just a regular frying pan (i could be wrong).

i am ready for the challenge...and the tasty results!

I always use a cast-iron skillet whenever possible. I have a Le Creuset that I love, and bought fairly cheap. Once you go cast iron and have it well seasoned, you'll never want to cook without it! Highly recommended!
Teflon is for wussies, and it's arguably not healthy, anyway. I never cook with it.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
I use both. Live and let live, ok?

Tonights dish, spaghetti with traditional pesto and with pesto from sundried tomatoes:
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more tomorrow.
 
OnkelC said:
I use both.
Me too. Depends on what I'm cooking. Can't we all just get along? ;)

We ground the meat for burgers this morning, and they'll go on the grill in a half hour or so. I'll post pics later.
 

ChryZ

Member
Yeah, I've been dead serious with my grudge so I've used animal pictures to express it in the most fiercely manner! :lol
 
ChryZ said:
Yeah, I've been dead serious with my grudge so I've used animal pictures to express it in the most fiercely manner! :lol

:lol

Sorry about the teflon. I didn't mean to cause a big debate. :)

I personally don't use it because of the possible health reasons:

While Teflon itself is chemically inert and non-toxic, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 460 °F[6](237 °C), and begins to significantly decompose above 660 °F (350 °C). These degradation products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans (see Teflon flu). By comparison, cooking fats, oils, and butter will begin to scorch and smoke at about 392 °F (200 °C), and meat is usually fried between 400–450 °F (200–230 °C), but empty cookware can exceed this temperature if left unattended on a hot burner. A 1959 study, conducted before the FDA approved the material for use in food processing equipment, showed that the toxicity of fumes given off by the coated pan on dry heating was less than that of fumes given off by ordinary cooking oils.
 
We decided to make burgers today since we were watching football. We wanted to fresh grind the meat ourselves and see how it stood up on the grill. It turned out very well!

The setup. My friend has a meat-grinder attachment for the Kitchaid, so she brought it by and we set it up to grind the meat. The meat was fresh chuck from the butcher. It was cut into somewhat small pieces the night before and salted. Supposedly if you grind it and then salt overnight, you can begin to cook the meat. So, it's best to leave it in smaller pieces and grind the next day right before you cook 'em. This is 3.5 lbs of chuck that we made into 8 burgers.
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Working the grinder
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Grinding the meat. It went through the grinder twice - it still seemed a little chunky the first time around, so we put it through again.
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Big bowl o' meat
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Making the patties. Be sure to not work the meat too much - don't push too hard.
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The formed patties. We sat the patties on the counter for about an hour to bring them up to room temperature.
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Loading up the grill. We cooked them with the top on for about 3 min on the first side, then another 3 min on the other side. After that we put the cheese on and let them go for another minute to melt it.
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Add the blue cheese for the home stretch
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Yum!
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Burger construction. The burgers sat for a few minutes, then we put them together. We had some carmelized onions, fresh avocado, along with the other typical condiments.
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Final product
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Overall it was a great success. Grinding the meat yourself makes for much tastier burger - they taste fresh, the flavor is much better, and they aren't as dense as traditional burgers. There wasn't any seasoning in the burgers except for a little bit of salt and a quick hit of black pepper.
 
Your burgers look great, Cornballer!

Coincidentally, I also had burgers tonight. We went out to eat with my parents.

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Delicious onion bread:

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French onion soup:

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Pork chops:

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Burgers:

Burger with pepper jack cheese:

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Burger with sauteed onions, mushrooms and guacamole:

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