Meat

First Pandemic Visitors
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First Pandemic Visitors

I’m back, healthy and cooking. It has been awhile, but I really did not stop just hid in the house like most others these days. Being a senior, I decided to take a break from the outside world work on the house, garden and have been volunteering for some Presidential and Senate campaigns. So, if you are getting those text asking who you might be voting for or are you registered before you hit delete or ignore it could be me asking the question be nice.  Anyway, the other day we had Mike and Gail over for the first time since they became engaged. I cooked up a meal that was pretty good if I do not say so myself.

BBQ Vegetable kebabs of, yellow (summer) squash, zucchini, mushrooms, Onions yellow and, red bell pepper.

Teriyaki Steak tips from Dom’s the Patriots version is better in our opinion although these melted in your mouth. These I simply put on skewers and BBQed until done.

Herb rubbed Flank Steak see here this is one of our favorite recipes. I will add I have learned to rub off the marinade with paper towel and overnight marinating to 24 hours works best.

BBQ Corn- I soaked the corn in husk all day but I am sure 1 hour would work. Then BBQ on the grill for about 15 minutes. We were fighting a threat of a horrendous thunderstorm, SO Lyn took the husk off and wrapped in tin foil. Oh, the storm did happen we soon had a river in the road in front of the house, and it lasted for hours the storm and the river. It ahs been years since we saw storm to that extent.  

Here are a few corn you might like Roasted Corn Salad,  Local Corn, Ginger, Corn Chicken Soup

Anyway, after a little discussion and the fact that we all had been symptom free and Gail who is back to work was tested negative a few days before, that masks were not needed. Thank goodness it is hard to drink wine with a mask. Wine and cooking are just a natural thing to me. Was a great evening.

Well look at that I’m babbling something my family expects from me.

Enjoy your summer and remember to check to make sure you are registered to vote it’s easy it takes seconds click below. Encourage your friends and family to double check.

Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary
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Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary

Up front this would work better with bone in, and fresh rosemary but you have to do with what you have because running out to the grocery store to pick up one or two things thing is a tough decision these days, especially for seniors.

This week has been a pork week from sausage patties with our breakfast for supper last night to tonight’s 30 Minute Pork Piccata. See ther is the What’s for syndrom and its only 9:30 AM.

I had two boneless pork chops in the freezer from Butcher Box and since our last anniversary in Maine where I had Brined pork chop and have been playing with this to duplicate. Came close but not there yet. Anyway

I tried this with what I had, I should have cut the chops in half to make thinner but it still came out Ok. This is definitely a work in progress for me and can’t wait for my herb garden to start to flourish.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Bone-In Pork Chops, About 1/2 Inch Thick
  • 1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 2 Tablespoons Juniper Berries
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary Note: I had to use dried so I heated in oil first, fresh would be so much better
  • Sea Salt

How

  1. Use the back of a knife to crush the juniper berries and peppercorns.
  2. In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat along with the juniper berries, rosemary, and peppercorns until lightly smoking, then fry the chops for turning every minute, until no longer pink. 5-6 minutes estimated time.
  3. Sprinkle with sea salt, and serve immediately.

BTW left over made great pork rollup for Lunch the next day.

Breakfast Sausage Ragu cooking from the gut.
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Breakfast Sausage Ragu cooking from the gut.

We took advantage of a special that Butcher Box was offering bacon and breakfast sausage. My son had recommended the bacon so I figured what the heck. Now with the pandemic you have to make do with what you have. The first thing we had to do is figure out if it had maple syrup in it. Mike never got the sausage so he did not know but suggested smell it. Not a bad idea so I opened the package and smelt away and it did not. Good thing is I still had my sense of smell and taste, if you know what I mean. I cooked a tiny pattie just to make sure and the nose did not fail me. Anyway Lyn made her sauce and I cooked the sausage etc. It was a mild breakfast sausage and I added some Italian seasoning while browning. When browning I like to flatten it and let brown flip then start to crumble, rather than start to crumble as soon as you put in pan. In my opinion it produces a moister browned meat.

I added green pepper, mushroom, spring onion after the meat was browned cooked for a minute then added some of Lyn’s sauce

Cooked the pasta and served.

We did have salad on the side

All in all it came out pretty good for a cook from the gut meal. I think the mildness of the sausage made it possible.

Brisket in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
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Brisket in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

My brother kept asking me about my mom’s brisket recipe enough where I started to want one. I had a brisket from Butcher Box in the freezer so I grabbed and defrosted. Instead of making it Mom’s style brown, saute onions, add mixture of ketchup, yellow mustarts, horseradish and simmer for hours. I decided at Lyn’s request to try a sweet and sour recipe. However, I did not have ginger ale or coke and unfortunately being a senior I was not going to run out to the grocery store just for ginger ale. I happen to have root beer and said what the heck i have Root Beer BBQ Sauce it can’t hurt to try.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 first-cut brisket, 6 to 7 pounds, rinsed and patted thoroughly dry
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into chunks
• 6 large cloves garlic
• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ cup dry red wine
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 ½ cups Coca-Cola or ginger ale I did not have either so I used Root Beer which I had used for my Root Beer BBQ Sauce


How
Let meat stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place everything but the soda, olive oil and brisket into a food processor, and process with steel blade until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and whisk in soda and olive oil.
Place brisket, fat side up, into a heavy baking pan just large enough to hold it, and pour sauce over it. Cover tightly with double layer of tin foil and bake for 3 hours. Turn brisket over, cover pan, and bake 2 to 3 hours more or until fork-tender. Cool, cover brisket and refrigerate overnight in cooking pan.
The next day, transfer brisket to a cutting board, cut off fat and slice with a sharp knife against grain, to desired thickness. Set meat aside. Remove any congealed fat from sauce and bring to a boil on top of stove.
Optional, since we smelt it all day and could not stand, let cool and trim off the fat then slice against the grain. Although I always find the next day produces a better piece of meat.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Taste sauce to see if it needs reducing. If so, boil it down for a few minutes or as needed. Return meat to sauce and warm in oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Quick Goulash with what I had

As I mentioned Lyn is fasting this week and I get to make what I want. I decided to make American Goulash and discovered that I did not a can of diced tomatoes and did not feel like opening a large can of ground tomatoes. So I ad libbed. I also used smoked paprika.

What I did was mix ketchup with the chicken broth and diced what little I had of cherry tomatoes left from Misfit Market. I had chopped green peppers and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Was a good supper and lunch today. Lyn was mad she kept complaining it smelts so good.

Right now I’m waiting for Charlie Baker to give an pandemic update and all that is on screen is his sign person who is looking very nervous walking back and forth and I think talking to himself.

Slow Cooker Texas Smoked Beef Brisket
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Slow Cooker Texas Smoked Beef Brisket

Yup another brisket recipe, told you I love brisket.

I usually don’t like the texture of meat cooked in a crock pot it always seems on the dry side to me. I think this is just personal preference. This recipe came out good and when topped with my BBQ sauce it was very tasty. I had this sliced and pulled on a bun. It’s a very easy recipe to throw in the slow cooker walk away and get very hungry every time you enter the room.

Ingredients

Brisket Rub:

  • 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Cooking Brisket
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef brisket
  • Barbeque Sauce: see my Texas-Style BBQ Sauce
  • 3/4 cup barbeque sauce
  • 1/4 cup water (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
  • 1/2 onion, sliced into rings

How

  1. Mix paprika, pepper, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin together in a bowl; rub evenly over the surface of the brisket. Put brisket in a large, resealable plastic bag; refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight.
  2. Stir barbeque sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke together in the bottom of a slow cooker. Lay brisket into the sauce mixture. Arrange onions atop the brisket.
  3. Cook on Low until brisket is very tender, 6 to 7 hours. Scrap the fat cap off with spatula or knife. Rest brisket 10 minutes before slicing or shredding; serve with sauce.
Steak Tips with Mushrooms in Red Wine Sauce from the Boston Globe
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Steak Tips with Mushrooms in Red Wine Sauce from the Boston Globe

I’ve posted the Hill Top steak tips recipe before, I remember the Hill Top well, ate there 2 -3 times a week when I was a theater manager in Saugus and Peabody. There were three of us from local theatre and Big Rosie the waitress. We would take care of her with passes and she would come out halfway through the meal apologize that it was not made right and return with a new order for our take home leftovers.

From the globe: Steak tips are a distinctly New England cut. They’re sometimes called sirloin tips (because they can be cut from the sirloin, but also from the tenderloin, flank, or other tender beef), and families have been making them for weeknight suppers or backyard barbecues for decades. You can use steak tips, sliced thinly, for a stir-fry with vegetables, but they’re also a very quick dinner on their own with a little sauce. 

First let them marinate in fresh ginger, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard for an hour or a day. Then sear them in a hot skillet — this takes five minutes — and make a pan sauce with mushrooms and red wine. The downside is that the meat can be expensive, because you’re buying ends of high-priced cuts. The upside is that dinner is ready in minutes and though it’s a little retro, it’s delightfully familiar and delicious.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1½ pounds steak tips (cut from sirloin or tenderloin), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ pound mixed mushrooms (shiitake, cremini or baby portobello, button)
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • ¼ cup chicken stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

1. In a bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, mustard, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir well. Add the steak tips, stir well to coat them all over, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 1 day, turning several times.

2. Transfer the steak to a plate and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve any marinade in the bowl.

3. In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the steak in one layer. Cook without disturbing for 3 minutes. Turn and cook the undersides for 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and transfer to a clean bowl (not the marinade bowl).

4. Without wiping out the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

5. Add the wine and stock or water with any reserved marinade from the bowl. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let the mixture bubble steadily for 6 minutes, or until it is reduced and starts to look syrupy.

6. Return the steak tips to the pan with any juices that accumulated in the bowl. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, or until the steak tips are heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Sheryl Julian can be reached at sheryl.julian@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @sheryljulian.

Candied Brisket
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Candied Brisket

Usually around St Patricks day I’ll grab a few corned beef briskets this year with the limits I was only able to get 1. So I made what was my son’s favorite this style of brisket and then rubbed it in via pictures and texts. If you’ve been following me you know I love brisket and make it many different ways. I’ve posted many her are a few Another attempt at smoke brisket Brisket in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce, Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket, Flat, Single or First cut Brisket Jewish style , https://stevesacooking.com/201Another attempt at smoked Brisket…..

Ingredients

  • 1 3-4 Pound Corned Beef Brisket
  • 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
  • 2 Teaspoons horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon pineapple juice (optional)
  • Sliced Pineapple (optional)

How

Place corned beef brisket in a large Dutch oven, fat side facing down.

Cover completely with water by two inches.

Bring to boil and simmer on low until fork tender 4-6 hours

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover a large baking sheet with tin foil.

Remove brisket, allowing all excess water to drain back into the pot.

Place corned beef on the foil covered baking sheet, fat side facing up.

Gently skim the layer of fat off of the corned beef using a spatula; discard fat.

Mix mustard, brown sugar, pineapple juice and horseradish in a small bowl.

Smear the mustard mixture on top of the corned beef.

Place sliced pineapple on top

Bake in oven for 5 to 10 minutes; or until the mixture begins to bubble.

I sometimes use the broiler

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 15 minutes.

Slice against the grain and serve

Garlic Center Pork Loin Roast
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Garlic Center Pork Loin Roast

We are living in a weird time of Social Distancing, gloves, masks and fear of going out or shopping for necessities. Being basically confined to the house what does one do, watch TV – news to depressing, watching movies and binging series, search the net for needed items to be shipped or delivered and cook – gets a little old after a while. I’m extremely lucky to have woods behind my house with paths at the end of the street leading to the Upton town forest. Escaping to the silence except birds, peepers, the creaking of trees and the wind blowing through them sounding like a distant ocean all which calm the mind.  I have a 3 mile path that is starting to feel short to me did it in a half hour the other day. Ny fall back has been cooking for Lyn and I and trying to make it interesting with what we have in stock so to speak. IT started when Mike and Gail return from New Orleans after he proposed they came with masks on as to not infect us or was it to protect themselves? N.O, was named the next hot spot the week after they returned, but they always had plenty of and used hand sanitizer with them. Anyway, I made this when they came over to show the ring and their smiles.

 

Ingredients

  • 3 pound pork loin not tenderloin
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • Cut up apple

How

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Add the pork loin to your baking pan.

Slightly score (large diamonds shape) the fat cap to allow garlic and rub to sit in.

Coat with the garlic on top of the fat cap.

Mix the seasonings (salt, pepper and paprika) in small bowl and rub it on the pork. Spread apple around the roast.

Cook the pork for 60-75 minutes or until it has reached a temperature of 150-160 degrees.

  • Time will vary depending on your stove

Remove from the oven and let rest before serving.

Served with roasted acorn squash

Air Fryer Parmesan Coated Pork Chops
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Air Fryer Parmesan Coated Pork Chops

I love pork chops, bone in, boneless, stuffed, fried mostly like the taste of the crunchy fat…shhhh don’t tell Lyn she would not approve. Anyway, I wanted to try something different in the air fryer so I looked at a lot of recipes and came up with my take. My only complaint is that it was maybe a little too salty, Cooking Channel salty if you know what I mean. But parmesan cheese does have a lot of salt. Any suggestion on the salt let me know.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

How

  1. I like to quick brine pork especially if I’m grilling. Water, Honey and about a tablespoon of salt for about 15 minutes. Rinse when done with fresh water.
  2. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then coat both sides with oil.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan and spices. Coat both sides of pork chops with Parmesan mixture.
  4. Place pork chops in basket of air fryer and cook at 375-400° for 9 minutes, flipping halfway through. Depending on the size you may need to adjust the time. I use an instant read thermometer about 145 degrees internal.