What are you eating (or drinking)?

[biodork]

SWEET! Thanks.

 

Sure thing! Let me know if you can't make out some of the text... forgot how bad this camera is!

[Weave]

Sure thing! Let me know if you can't make out some of the text... forgot how bad this camera is!

 

The pic is perfect. Adding to my list of things to make.

[Eleven]

Lol and here I thought the candied bacon is what would get everyone's attention. ;) Recipe is from Nancy McDermott's Quick & Easy Thai cookbook, attached (apologies for the low-res iPad photo). I typically use water rather than chicken stock because it's already quite salty and flavorful. The toasted rice powder is good, but in my opinion not worth the extra work. Messy, but very good with Boston Bibb lettuce as wraps, or eaten with sticky rice. I ate the leftovers tonight with shredded lettuce pieces that were too small for wraps as a salad of sorts.

 

If he doesn't put a ring on you within the next twelve, I'm doing it. Good Lord.

[SwampD]

Been a good weekend, food-wise. Friday night I made Thai lahp moo (essentially warm ground pork salad with lime, fish sauce, mint, shallots, and scallions), and Sat. morning I made a pretty kick-ass breakfast sandwich (not my creation) with pan-toasted sourdough, Gruyere cheese, fried egg, candied bacon, arugula, and lemon Greek yogurt sauce. Yum.

Had Thai tonight for the first time ever. Yes! Awesome! I'm sold. Spicy yet light. The green papaya cold salad got a nice forehead sweat going. Coconut and curry are two things that until you have them, you can't believe they go together as well as they do.

[biodork]

If he doesn't put a ring on you within the next twelve, I'm doing it. Good Lord.

 

:lol:

 

Had Thai tonight for the first time ever. Yes! Awesome! I'm sold. Spicy yet light. The green papaya cold salad got a nice forehead sweat going. Coconut and curry are two things that until you have them, you can't believe they go together as well as they do.

 

Wow, first time ever? Green papaya salad is my friend's favorite; she always prefers raw and slightly bitter mango and papaya to the ripened stuff we'd normally eat. She's the reason I found Thai food earlier on (she's from Laos and their cuisine shares a lot of similarities with Thai). I highly recommend that cookbook if you enjoyed it... some of the recipes are more involved or require special ingredients, but many do not and are surprisingly simple to put together. Chicken with basil is another one, and there's a beef salad that's very similar in flavors to the lahp I made.

[PASabreFan]

The Lhasa Apso is also to die for.

 

I am a bad man who is going straight to Hell.

[That Aud Smell]

Been a good weekend, food-wise. Friday night I made Thai lahp moo (essentially warm ground pork salad with lime, fish sauce, mint, shallots, and scallions), and Sat. morning I made a pretty kick-ass breakfast sandwich (not my creation) with pan-toasted sourdough, Gruyere cheese, fried egg, candied bacon, arugula, and lemon Greek yogurt sauce. Yum.

 

A mention of that cheese always takes me to a happy place, as it makes me think of the theoretical man-love child of Mike Grier and Danny Briere. Shoot - I'd take that off-spring on my hometown hockey team every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[biodork]

A mention of that cheese always takes me to a happy place, as it makes me think of the theoretical man-love child of Mike Grier and Danny Briere. Shoot - I'd take that off-spring on my hometown hockey team every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

:w00t: I'll never be able to un-see this now when I look at the label, hahaha.

[LastPommerFan]

A mention of that cheese always takes me to a happy place, as it makes me think of the theoretical man-love child of Mike Grier and Danny Briere. Shoot - I'd take that off-spring on my hometown hockey team every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

as long as he's not playing goalie.

[nfreeman]

OK, so I got a smoker this summer. I haven't gone hog-wild with it, but I've made a chicken, brisket and, just the other day, ribs.

 

I liked the chicken alright, but I didn't love it and the rest of my family voted "no." IMHO chicken is a bit too delicate to not be overwhelmed by the smoke flavor.

 

I liked the brisket, as did my son, while my wife and daughter were lukewarm.

 

The ribs were fantastic -- and I don't even particularly like ribs. Holy mackerel. I'm already looking forward to making them again.

 

My initial take is that the smoker is best with a pretty robust, strong-flavored cut of meat, like brisket, pork ribs or pork shoulder (which is probably next up).

 

Any thoughts/recommendations from any other smoker users?

[Eleven]

OK, so I got a smoker this summer. I haven't gone hog-wild with it, but I've made a chicken, brisket and, just the other day, ribs.

 

I liked the chicken alright, but I didn't love it and the rest of my family voted "no." IMHO chicken is a bit too delicate to not be overwhelmed by the smoke flavor.

 

I liked the brisket, as did my son, while my wife and daughter were lukewarm.

 

The ribs were fantastic -- and I don't even particularly like ribs. Holy mackerel. I'm already looking forward to making them again.

 

My initial take is that the smoker is best with a pretty robust, strong-flavored cut of meat, like brisket, pork ribs or pork shoulder (which is probably next up).

 

Any thoughts/recommendations from any other smoker users?

 

PA is discussing smokers in the disappointing player thread if you want to head over there.

 

I agree w/ you generally on the cuts of meat that are good for smoking. Try a salmon, maybe?

 

And it's the only way I'll eat ribs.

[PASabreFan]

I'm on a roll. After my thimbleberry discovery yesterday, today I found a large puffball mushroom — soccer ball-sized if not bigger. I've never eaten one. It's solid white inside, roughly the texture of firm tofu. So I cubed it up and sauteed it in olive oil and minced garlic, with some lemon pepper seasoning and celery salt (only salt I had in the house). Yummy.

 

At least I think it was a puffball. They are definitely safe to eat. But I am starting to feel a little strange. Pat Hannigan? Is that you?

[Claude_Verret]

OK, so I got a smoker this summer. I haven't gone hog-wild with it, but I've made a chicken, brisket and, just the other day, ribs.

 

I liked the chicken alright, but I didn't love it and the rest of my family voted "no." IMHO chicken is a bit too delicate to not be overwhelmed by the smoke flavor.

 

I liked the brisket, as did my son, while my wife and daughter were lukewarm.

 

The ribs were fantastic -- and I don't even particularly like ribs. Holy mackerel. I'm already looking forward to making them again.

 

My initial take is that the smoker is best with a pretty robust, strong-flavored cut of meat, like brisket, pork ribs or pork shoulder (which is probably next up).

 

Any thoughts/recommendations from any other smoker users?

 

I've smoked on a weber bullet type smoker for years, but got a big green egg last year. I'd suggest trying some chicken wings, my neighbors and friends rave about the smoked wings I make on the egg. I typically use a milder smoke wood like apple or cherry, then I toss them in a traditional Buffalo sauce when done. Awesome.

 

I've also done a lot of ribs and pork shoulders. Salmon as well every once in awhile. One of my favorite fall meals is a "smoked" chili in my cast iron dutch oven right on the egg.

[spndnchz]

OK, so I got a smoker this summer. I haven't gone hog-wild with it, but I've made a chicken, brisket and, just the other day, ribs.

 

I liked the chicken alright, but I didn't love it and the rest of my family voted "no." IMHO chicken is a bit too delicate to not be overwhelmed by the smoke flavor.

 

I liked the brisket, as did my son, while my wife and daughter were lukewarm.

 

The ribs were fantastic -- and I don't even particularly like ribs. Holy mackerel. I'm already looking forward to making them again.

 

My initial take is that the smoker is best with a pretty robust, strong-flavored cut of meat, like brisket, pork ribs or pork shoulder (which is probably next up).

 

Any thoughts/recommendations from any other smoker users?

 

I have to say... I was in Williamsburg last week. Had an awesome slow roasted beef brisket with the rub and their own BBQ sauce. It was epic.

[Weave]

OK, so I got a smoker this summer. I haven't gone hog-wild with it, but I've made a chicken, brisket and, just the other day, ribs.

 

I liked the chicken alright, but I didn't love it and the rest of my family voted "no." IMHO chicken is a bit too delicate to not be overwhelmed by the smoke flavor.

 

I liked the brisket, as did my son, while my wife and daughter were lukewarm.

 

The ribs were fantastic -- and I don't even particularly like ribs. Holy mackerel. I'm already looking forward to making them again.

 

My initial take is that the smoker is best with a pretty robust, strong-flavored cut of meat, like brisket, pork ribs or pork shoulder (which is probably next up).

 

Any thoughts/recommendations from any other smoker users?

 

Not sure how I missed this.

 

Other thoughts for smoker food...... at some point everyone must try smoked beef chuck roast. delicious. Keep it around 250^o until it is shred-able, maybe 3-4 hours. Whole pork loins are great too. They are lean so you don't want to use the same technique you would for ribs or shoulder. Run the temp a little higher, say 275^o, and use a meat thermometer and monitor the temp. Pull it when the center of the meat hits about 140^o, let it rest for 15 minutes, and carve it thin to serve on buns. Everyday plain old store bought sausage really gets a nice twist after an hour on a smoker. italian, Polish, whatever. And i didn't read that you've done pulled pork yet. Lay down a heavy layer of rub, smoke at 225-250^o until you hit an internal meat temp of 190^o. May take 6-10 hrs maybe longer depending on the size of the roast. Wrap it in foil, wrap the foiled roast in a towel or two to insulate it, put that in a cooler. Let it sit for another hour. Shred it with a pair of forks or your hands, serve with barbeque sauce. And any barbeque event requires that jalapeno poppers are made. Slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and membranes (or leave them if you like real spicy stuff), fill the cavity with a mix of cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and finely chopped sausage of your choice (I prefer chorizo). Put the filled halves back together, wrap them with a strip of bacon, and skewer them with a toothpick to hold it all together. smoke them alongside whatever else you are smoking for a couple hours until they turn almost black and the bacon is crisp. You will be the hero of the event.

 

And do your sides on the smoker too. Nothing goes with barbeque like a pot of baked beans cooked in the smoker. Sweet, spicy, and a few hours on the smoker makes them bacon-y smokey too.

 

As for your too smokey chicken, a smoker should not have a plume of smoke like a steam locomotive. It should have just a few wisps of smoke coming out. Any more than that and you've got too much smoldering going on. Chicken (and turkey) should be fantastic smoked, with just a mild smoke flavor. I coat my birds thoroughly in plain yellow mustard and apply a heavy dose of my rub to that. I like to smoke poultry at about 275^o. Birds can dry out if typical low and slow is used. Also, I like to use milder woods for poultry. Think fruit woods like apple or pear. I'm told maple is mild and works pretty well too.

Edited August 26, 2014 by weave

[Eleven]

I have to say... I was in Williamsburg last week. Had an awesome slow roasted beef brisket with the rub and their own BBQ sauce. It was epic.

 

Hipster Williamsburg or 1750 Williamsburg?

[spndnchz]

Hipster Williamsburg or 1750 Williamsburg?

 

Historic. Ate at Huzzah's

[MattPie]

Historic. Ate at Huzzah's

 

Huh, I don't remember seeing that when I was there in the spring. It was the off-season though, maybe it wasn't open. Dog Street Pub wasn't bad though, ended up eating there twice since most of the other places were a bit too fancy-pants.

[MattPie]

Drinking: Sage Gin and Fever Tree Indian Tonic. Drink of the Summer.

[Eleven]

New place: Buffalo Proper at the corner of Franklin and Tupper (what used to be Laughlin's). Oh, oh, man. First: Manhattan, properly made with rye, sweet vermouth, bitters (why does no "normal" bar in Buffalo use bitters unless asked?) and a twist rather than cherries, which is my preference, but maybe not everyone's.

 

Next: Rabbit terrine over toast. Freaking delicious.

 

Next: Sturgeon* over an incredible curry sauce, with fennel.

 

Main: A roasted chicken that was so rich that I thought I was eating duck. Smoked fingerling potatoes, roasted corn, and a radicchio/truffle puree. Nothing short of amazing. The skin was so crisp that I would have thought it fried. The chicken, oh. Oh, there are no words.

 

After: A shot of Fernet. First time I've had it; it will not be the last. This is absolutely the best digestif I ever have had. It just made me feel...mmmm.

 

Wow. I left amazed.

 

And for once, it was on someone else's tab!

 

Go there before it gets to be too popular, because that is going to happen.

 

 

*Sturgeon, apparently, is a controversial fish. Wild sturgeon (and the caviar therefrom) is prohibited in the US and Canada because it is endangered, but, apparently, farm-raised sturgeon is not prohibited. This was the only non-free-range protein we ate.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Eleven

[Weave]

Rabbit terrine? I'd like to give that a try. I bet it would be awesome with wild rabbit.

 

Tell me about the sturgeon. I wouldn't expect it to be real firm.

[darksabre]

New place: Buffalo Proper at the corner of Franklin and Tupper (what used to be Laughlin's). Oh, oh, man. First: Manhattan, properly made with rye, sweet vermouth, bitters (why does no "normal" bar in Buffalo use bitters unless asked?) and a twist rather than cherries, which is my preference, but maybe not everyone's.

 

Next: Rabbit terrine over toast. Freaking delicious.

 

Next: Sturgeon* over an incredible curry sauce, with fennel.

 

Main: A roasted chicken that was so rich that I thought I was eating duck. Smoked fingerling potatoes, roasted corn, and a radicchio/truffle puree. Nothing short of amazing. The skin was so crisp that I would have thought it fried. The chicken, oh. Oh, there are no words.

 

After: A shot of Fernet. First time I've had it; it will not be the last. This is absolutely the best digestif I ever have had. It just made me feel...mmmm.

 

Wow. I left amazed.

 

And for once, it was on someone else's tab!

 

Go there before it gets to be too popular, because that is going to happen.

 

 

*Sturgeon, apparently, is a controversial fish. Wild sturgeon (and the caviar therefrom) is prohibited in the US and Canada because it is endangered, but, apparently, farm-raised sturgeon is not prohibited. This was the only non-free-range protein we ate.

 

I have a friend who works there. It's way out of my price range but it looks amazing. I'm glad to hear it tastes just as good. Another plus for Buffalo.

[Weave]

*Sturgeon, apparently, is a controversial fish. Wild sturgeon (and the caviar therefrom) is prohibited in the US and Canada because it is endangered, but, apparently, farm-raised sturgeon is not prohibited. This was the only non-free-range protein we ate.

 

Sturgeon has become rather common again, but fish and game agencies are not going to ever open them back up to fishing because they take something like a decade (or more) to mature to the point of reproduction.

 

Edit: I guess I need to be more specific. Sturgeon in North America are doing well. But they are also probably the most effectively protected.

Edited October 1, 2014 by weave

[Eleven]

Rabbit terrine? I'd like to give that a try. I bet it would be awesome with wild rabbit.

 

Tell me about the sturgeon. I wouldn't expect it to be real firm.

 

It wasn't flaky at all; we needed a knife to cut it. It was terrific.

 

I have a friend who works there. It's way out of my price range but it looks amazing. I'm glad to hear it tastes just as good. Another plus for Buffalo.

 

Like I said--for once, on someone else's tab!

 

Sturgeon has become rather common again, but fish and game agencies are not going to ever open them back up to fishing because they take something like a decade (or more) to mature to the point of reproduction.

 

Edit: I guess I need to be more specific. Sturgeon in North America are doing well. But they are also probably the most effectively protected.

 

Fifteen years is what my friend said, so you're on it. He also said that's the reason they never will be fished again. So you're on that, too.

[Weave]

It wasn't flaky at all; we needed a knife to cut it. It was terrific.

 

 

 

But how did it taste, man? Describe its essence to me.

 

 

OK, that was a bit weird for me. But seriously, I wanna know more.