What's for dinner?

By the time I got home from work, I was too pooped to do anything but make a toasted cheese sandwich, and follow it with an apple. It's Year-End close at an SEC company, and nerves are frayed this day.

Hey, Mr 1K! GMTA. That's what I'm about to make. Swiss cheese. Granny Smith apple.

I've been working on our year end audit myself. If I wanted to do this, I would have become an accountant!

By the time I got home from work, I was too pooped to do anything but make a toasted cheese sandwich, and follow it with an apple. It's Year-End close at an SEC company, and nerves are frayed this day.

Hey, Mr 1K! GMTA. That's what I'm about to make. Swiss cheese. Granny Smith apple.

I've been working on our year end audit myself. If I wanted to do this, I would have become an accountant!

Mine's not audit, it's income tax accruals. I'll be working tomorrow, and quite probably Sunday as well.

[Jenise]

Lentil soup. Bread. Salad.
I'm also thawing out some shrimp, but I haven't decided how I'll work them into the meal.
I think I'll sautee them in garlic oil and then sprinkle bread crumbs over them while they're cooking.
So it's settled. Lentil soup. Bread. Shrimp in garlic breadcrumb sauce. Then salad.

Thanks for making me focus.

I'd have been happy to eat at your house tonight. Sounds like the weather down there's pretty brutal--was chatting around 9 p.m. with a friend in Thousand Oaks and they were getting deluged with no end in sight. Not that the 70 mph winds hammering the window next to me is any picnic, but for us it comes with the territory.

Browned cubes of beef with onion and garlic in EVOO, dumped in a jar of Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade from TJ's and topped with sliced yams. Let siimmer for about an hour. Washed it down with some Geyser Peak Shiraz that had been opened two nights prior. (which helped the the wine immensely as it was too oaky when first opened).

I'd have been happy to eat at your house tonight. Sounds like the weather down there's pretty brutal--was chatting around 9 p.m. with a friend in Thousand Oaks and they were getting deluged with no end in sight. Not that the 70 mph winds hammering the window next to me is any picnic, but for us it comes with the territory.

Yeah, we got hammered. We need the rain desperately, though, so I'm not complaining. We got over 2" out of this storm, and there's another one brewing which should hit tomorrow.

There's something comforting about a bowl of soup and some crusty bread when the rain is pelting the windows - I really enjoyed the dinner. I was thinking about my post as I was making the shrimp - I actually described it backwards.
First, I coated the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, then added slivered garlic and crushed red pepper. Next , I added the breadcrumbs to the hot oil, and toasted them. After that went the shrimp, seared quickly on each side, and then into the oven, which was still warm from heating the bread, but turned off. That finished them off while I was eating my soup.
Paired the meal with an ESJ 05 Rocks and Gravel.

Didn't mind the rain at all.

Grilled rib-eye steaks, simple baked spuds, a mixture of mushrooms and onion sauté, baby greens tossed with viniagrette with red pears and dried cranberries on top.

About to start dough for pizza. I was supposed to join friends for dinner, but they phoned and said "Don't come! We're all sick!" So I will revert to my Saturday night default.

Oh, and the fruit salad I made to take out there, but I might open a different red than I was taking.

A crab and mushroom quasi-au gratin. No real recipe, just something I came up with. In the oven now, should be another 20 minutes.

I ended up with a pork loin rib end roast. Not sure what to do with it. I figure maybe roast it to about 145 deg. Should I stuff it somehow. I have some feta, blue cheese, frozen spinach, pine nuts, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, etc. Should I sear it first? Any ideas?

Linda,

I do a similar pork roast frequently on my Kamado grill. I don't overdress the meat for fear of over powering the delicate flavor of the pork. I generally just rub with olive oil, then salt pretty heavily with kosher, then coat it with fresh ground black pepper. I would agree with you as to internal temp taking it to 140-145 degrees. If you take it any higher, I would be afraid that the meat would dry out and be not nearly so good.

[Jenise]

I ended up with a pork loin rib end roast. Not sure what to do with it. I figure maybe roast it to about 145 deg. Should I stuff it somehow. I have some feta, blue cheese, frozen spinach, pine nuts, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, etc. Should I sear it first? Any ideas?

Linda,

I do a similar pork roast frequently on my Kamado grill. I don't overdress the meat for fear of over powering the delicate flavor of the pork. I generally just rub with olive oil, then salt pretty heavily with kosher, then coat it with fresh ground black pepper. I would agree with you as to internal temp taking it to 140-145 degrees. If you take it any higher, I would be afraid that the meat would dry out and be not nearly so good.

You don't worry about the "delicate flavor of pork" when you Q up some ribs, though, do you? We obviously differ, but my personal feeling is pork isn't so much delicate as bland, and it needs all the help it can get. Especially the leaner parts.

I was pretty much unconscious most of Friday and I think all I had was Cheerios or something, but today was better. I yanked together some leftovers and stuffed a couple of green bell peppers with rice and mushrooms sautéed in garlic and chopped honey ham. I mixed in some ground up fennel seed to add a little Italian sausage flavor. I braised the lot in some leftover homemade marinara sauce in my brandy new Le Creuset casserole (Dutch Oven?).

Question: When not using leftover rice, do you put raw rice into your stuffed peppers and let it steam within or do you par-boil the rice first? I don't think I've ever made a stuffed pepper without having leftover rice first so I've never had a chance to test the theory. I'm thinking I might want to try it risotto style, i.e. first sweat the rice in a sauté pan and give it a flavorful coating and then make the farce with it.

Gaz, I haven't done it, but I reckon you'd need to use cooked rice. I think you run the risk of crunchy rice otherwise. Just my 2c, though...

Surprise: The chocolate cake was topped with a hot caramel sauce and so the apples and walnuts went amazingly well with the cake. Who could have predicted this? Maybe I should have, because I know Claude can pull the proverbial culinary rabbit out of a hat when needed. Somehow that heritage of knowing always what constitutes good food puts her in the right zone, even if it sounds weird in English.
The dinner as a whole: her homemade pate de campagne with lettuce leaves and herb salt, an amazing Brillat-Savarin cheese and bread rounds, thanks to BH, then penne topped with braised chicken in a light garlic and tomato sauce, topped again with braised raddiccio, red and yellow peppers and mushrooms. Shaved parmesan and chopped cilanttro over this. Then a salad of arugula and baby spinach, then dessert. I am so lucky to have friends who cook!

I ended up with a pork loin rib end roast. Not sure what to do with it. I figure maybe roast it to about 145 deg. Should I stuff it somehow. I have some feta, blue cheese, frozen spinach, pine nuts, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, etc. Should I sear it first? Any ideas?

Linda,

I do a similar pork roast frequently on my Kamado grill. I don't overdress the meat for fear of over powering the delicate flavor of the pork. I generally just rub with olive oil, then salt pretty heavily with kosher, then coat it with fresh ground black pepper. I would agree with you as to internal temp taking it to 140-145 degrees. If you take it any higher, I would be afraid that the meat would dry out and be not nearly so good.

You don't worry about the "delicate flavor of pork" when you Q up some ribs, though, do you? We obviously differ, but my personal feeling is pork isn't so much delicate as bland, and it needs all the help it can get. Especially the leaner parts.

I agree with both of you.

Bob: We had a friend who lived on a golf course and had a party during the tournament. He got a guy with a smoker to come cook Boston Butt and then make BBQ. We would stand by the chopping board and get the cast off pieces that didn't go into the BBQ mixture. That was the best!

Jenise: For what I do, mostly small pieces and tenderloins, I like some added flavor, a rub or marinade or stuffing (I like to use pesto, extra parm and pine nuts). What I did the other night was cut up two cloves of garlic and stuff them into slits, coat in EVOO, S&P and dried oregano. That was very good. It was mildly seasoned. I took it out at 145 and the temp rose to 156 before I cut it. The thickest part was cooked perfectly, the thinner places were a bit drier. Now I have some leftover for dinner tonight. I'm thinking something with tortillas, but I guess I'll just play it ear and see what I get. Suggestions welcome, though.

You don't worry about the "delicate flavor of pork" when you Q up some ribs, though, do you? We obviously differ, but my personal feeling is pork isn't so much delicate as bland, and it needs all the help it can get. Especially the leaner parts.

Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot 9 days old. I agree Jenise that if pork is over cooked to a point of dryness it is just dry. However if one takes a bone in loin roast and cooks it to 140 internal, and doesn't overdress it, then it does have a delicate and delicious flavor. Most people do however over cook pork due to being told all their life that pork has to be cooked well done. Medium is what I like myself, but even medium rare is safe with today's pork. I am not so sure though that an organic raised, range run pig would be safe if consumed medium rare.

About those ribs, that is of course a different breed of food. I do want that cooked to a point of having the meat pulling away from the bone, we might also add a Boston butt (pork shoulder) needs cooking (on my grill) for about 20-22 hours at 200 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 190 for an hour or two. The difference here as opposed to the loin, is the amount of fat that melts and keeps the meat moist as it tenderizes.

[Jenise]

Most people do however over cook pork due to being told all their life that pork has to be cooked well done....
About those ribs, that is of course a different breed of food. I do want that cooked to a point of having the meat pulling away from the bone....

We were talking about flavor--your delicate is my bland--but you've switched the track to texture. I have to say, that so many people have never figured out how to cook it right is immaterial--overcooking it only means it has even less flavor. And you know I'm not overcooking my pork. The only time I buy pork chops is when I find the rib end with the ring on it, and when those are sliced wafer thin. Properly grown that end can be tender like veal. Otherwise? Not really a fan.

[Jenise]

Question: When not using leftover rice, do you put raw rice into your stuffed peppers and let it steam within or do you par-boil the rice first? I don't think I've ever made a stuffed pepper without having leftover rice first so I've never had a chance to test the theory. I'm thinking I might want to try it risotto style, i.e. first sweat the rice in a sauté pan and give it a flavorful coating and then make the farce with it.

Gary, if steaming were the cooking method then no, I wouldn't use raw rice, there won't be enough moisture in the meat to cook it properly. But I do use raw rice in stuffed peppers because I braise them, usually in canned tomatoes (Muir Glen Fire Roasted) thinned with a bit of broth. Then there's all the moisture you need.

...rib end with the ring on it, and when those are sliced wafer thin...

Jenise, I am a pork fanatic and I always go for the rib chops.

What do you mean by "with the ring on it?" What's the ring?

Thanks!

[Jenise]

...rib end with the ring on it, and when those are sliced wafer thin...

Jenise, I am a pork fanatic and I always go for the rib chops.

What do you mean by "with the ring on it?" What's the ring?

Thanks!

Butcher's call it the "ring". It's an outer ring of meat that's a different color (often) and texture (fattier! Yum!) from the loin itself; prime rib, located in the same place on the cow, has the same outer ring. Now you get it?

Butcher's call it the "ring". It's an outer ring of meat that's a different color (often) and texture (fattier! Yum!) from the loin itself; prime rib, located in the same place on the cow, has the same outer ring. Now you get it?

Ah, I get it - thank you. Kind of a self-basting wrapper. The one I always used to cut off when I was a kid. I sure wish I could buy a pork roast and a ham the way I remember them from then. Without spending a fortune for product and shipping via the internet.

Also learned how to quote properly!

sliced wafer thin

Insert obligatory Mr. Creosote joke here.

Butcher's call it the "ring". It's an outer ring of meat that's a different color (often) and texture (fattier! Yum!) from the loin itself; prime rib, located in the same place on the cow, has the same outer ring. Now you get it?

I think I saw that on my roast.

Btw, this is what is did with part of my leftover pork. I sliced it thin and layered it with tortillas, pepperjack cheese, and a mixture of sour cream, green chiles and some chipotle chile powder and adobo powder. Baked at 350 for 25 min. Yum!

Most people do however over cook pork due to being told all their life that pork has to be cooked well done....
About those ribs, that is of course a different breed of food. I do want that cooked to a point of having the meat pulling away from the bone....

We were talking about flavor--your delicate is my bland--but you've switched the track to texture. I have to say, that so many people have never figured out how to cook it right is immaterial--overcooking it only means it has even less flavor. And you know I'm not overcooking my pork. The only time I buy pork chops is when I find the rib end with the ring on it, and when those are sliced wafer thin. Properly grown that end can be tender like veal. Otherwise? Not really a fan.

Jenise, I think you are picking out parts of my post to bring a criticism that is not deserved. I began all this talking about a pork roast, a loin roast. I introduced the idea of a bone on pork roast
in my reply to Linda R. You replied broaching q'ing ribs to the extent that I am unconcerned about delicate flavor of pork. Ribs = apples to loin roast = oranges. not the same thing. I am not sure how I switched from flavor to texture though, I began talking about a bone in pork loin roast and still am. I agree that ribs are different, yet not dry due to the fat on them. Pork shoulder is much the same as ribs as it will stay moist up to the point where the collagen is dissolved through heat but the muscle remains juicy and tender due to the fat on the shoulder cut.

You are an excellent cook, much better than I, due to your understanding of the basics of cooking, again much better than I. Also, I would likely agree that you have an artistic side that enables you to make a presentation much better than I ever could. Plus, I admit that I only dream of cooking the way you can do it, and for the large number of people you can do it for. But, as basic as I am, I don't think I am off any track here, nor have I changed any track. TUVM. BTW, here is a link to a picture of the bone in loin roast(s) I buy. When I get this I always trim the tenderloin away for a separate meal or two. that is almost like found $$$. http://www.askthemeatman.com/pork_loin_cuts.htm

The Parsi Dhansak (dal and pureed vegetables) ended up being delayed until tonight's dinner.

It was dee-lish!

-Paul W.