THE TASTING ROOM FAQ
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THE TASTING ROOM FAQ

Lyn and I were doing our weekend chores, you know running around doing all the stuff you can’t do during the week or just can’t seem to get up off the couch after work to do. Anyway we passed the plaza that the Tasting Room was an Italian wine shop that we had read about in Milford Town Crier. We pulled in and stopped, a pleasant surprise. They, Guido & Son Italian Imports, import their wines from Italy, but the labels are only found in some restaurants and now on their shelfs. The store was welcoming with a horseshoe shape tasting bar and walls of wines. We were treated to a tasting of 5 wines with cheese, bread sticks and olive oil. He listened to our likes, choose wines and we ended up coming home with one of each and some bottles of chardonnay, the prices where reasonable. What a delightful find, we plan on visiting there for all our Italian wines.


I found this on their site THE TASTING ROOM. 

DID YOU KNOW?

ABOUT WINE SEDIMENT

Despite its negative appeal to American wine drinkers, sediment is usually an indication of a wine that was not only made years ago but made with extraordinary care to maintain its quality and character over time. This bitter tasting but harmless residue is the byproduct of the application of little or no filtration in the wine making process, thus enabling a wine's personality to more fully develop in the bottle.

Sediment in red wine is created over time by the breakdown of pigments and tannin within the wine. As time matures the wine, small amounts of these two phenolic compounds gradually settle at the bottom of the bottle. Phenolic compounds are antioxidants and are believed to be the reason for wine's various health benefits.

It is important to know that this is not an indication of a fault in the wine and is not harmful if consumed.
ABOUT RESVERATROL
*Resveratrol is found naturally in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts, and various other plants.
studies indicate....
*Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant with anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent cell damage, heart attacks and strokes. 

*These antioxidant benefits can also lessen the occurrence and severity of the common cold.
BAD BOTTLE OF WINE?

A bottle of wine is not bad if....

....it has little white crystals accumulated or adhering to the cork. These crystals (called tartrate) are a natural by-product of unfiltered, unprocessed fine wines and are totally harmless.

....the label is damaged. Most wines travel thousands of miles to get to you. Bottles that are packed tightly together can bump and even break, leaking wine onto hundreds of others. This does not affect the wine inside the intact bottles.

....if the wine has bits of cork in it. This is caused by the corkscrew being pushed all the way through the cork when opening, forcing pieces into the wine.

....if you simply don't like the wine you chose. Everyone has different palates.
Four things that constitute defects in a bottle of wine:

Corked....
Corks are natural products, and some microorganisms like to eat them. A wine is said to be "corked" when it has come in contact with a contaminated cork during the aging process. The results of this contamination is almost always unmistakable. The wine will smell moldy, nasty, and not at all enticing to the taster. On the palate, it will be astringent, lacking in fruit, with a raspy finish.

However, you cannot discover a corked wine by smelling the cork. Many fine wines have presented themselves from bottles with funky-smelling corks.

Oxidized....
Oxygen is wine's invisible enemy, and when wine gets exposed to air, it becomes "oxidized." The result is flat, lifeless wine that loses its pretty, vibrant fruit scents and is tasteless.

Maderized....
Heat is another destructive force exerted on wine, usually as a result of bad storage. It can happen on cargo ships as they cross the ocean in the summertime. An unopened bottle will have a cork that is pushed partly out of the neck (due to expansion within).

Refermented....
Fine wine is a living thing, the product of controlled fermentation. Occasionally, some residual, dormant yeast will wake up, and wine will undergo a second fermentation after it has been released and shipped. This manifests itself as effervescence, or fizziness, on the tongue.
copyright  2008-2012. Guido and Son Italian Imports. All rights reserved.
French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin
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French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Don’t you think that it is funny how when the leaves start to turn and cover the ground stews and roasts creep back into our diets? I suppose it’s because cooking something in the oven during the summer just heats up the kitchen and during the fall with windows closed the aroma fills the house. That is good because when you go out for the sweater weather walk and return to the house you are hit with that drool starting blast of goodness.   Pork Loin is one of my wife’s favorite cuts of meat, there is just so much you can do with it and we have. I saw this today and it reminded me of others I have tried and thought I would share it with you. Also included the how to double butterfly instructions on the bottom.

 

From America’s Test Kitchen

Why this recipe works:

Enchaud Perigordine is a fancy name for what’s actually a relatively simple French dish: slow-cooked pork loin. But given that American pork is so lean, this cooking method leads to bland, stringy pork. To improve the flavor and texture of our center-cut loin, we lowered the oven temperature (to 225 degrees) and removed the roast from the oven when it was medium-rare. Searing just three sides of the roast, rather than all four, prevented the bottom of the roast from overcooking from direct contact with the pot. Butterflying the pork allowed us to salt a maximum amount of surface area for a roast that was thoroughly seasoned throughout. And while we eliminated the hard-to-find trotter (or pig’s foot), we added butter for richness and sprinkled in gelatin to lend body to the sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 2. For tips on “double-butterflying,” see step-by-step below.

Ingredients

  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1(2 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4-3/4cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate.

2. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of roast about ½ inch from bottom of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and rub into pork until slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar over inside of loin, then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter (keeping fat on outside) and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on fat side and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, apple, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).

4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.

How to “Double-Butterflying” a Roast

Steve says: I have tried this on a lot of different roast and my god does it enhance the flavor

When butterflying a narrow roast like pork tenderloin, a single bisecting cut will usually suffice. But to open up wider roasts like the center-cut pork loin used in our French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin, we make two parallel cuts. This technique exposes more of the meat’s surface area to flavorful seasoning.

1. Holding chef’s knife parallel to cutting board, insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap.

 

2. Make another horizontal cut into thicker portion of roast about 1/2 inch from bottom, stopping about 1/2 inch before edge. Open up this flap, smoothing out rectangle of meat.

Step-by-Step

Secrets to Juicy, Rich-Tasting Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Thanks to their well-marbled pork, the French can get away with pot-roasting the loin, one of the leanest cuts of the pig, without drying it out. Here’s how we adapted their approach to super-lean American pork loin.

 

“DOUBLE-BUTTERFLY” AND SALT Opening up the roast like a tri-fold book creates more surface area for seasoning, ensuring that the salt thoroughly penetrates the meat.

ADD FAT Spreading garlic butter over the surface enriches this lean cut, bringing it closer in flavor and juiciness to well-marbled French pork. We then fold up and tie the roast.

 

 SEAR TIED ROAST ON 3 SIDES Browning only the sides of the roast that are not in contact with the pan during roasting prevents the bottom of the meat from overcooking.

COOK IN LOW OVEN Roasting the pork in a gentle 225-degree oven until medium guarantees that the meat will cook up tender and juicy, not chalky and dry.

 

ADD GELATIN Adding gelatin to the exuded meat juices replaces the body and richness lost by omitting the pig’s trotter used in the French original.

 

 

There is a good video of this recipe

 

Mexican Lasagna Recipe
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Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Still on the fend for myself diet, but I am proud of Lyn she is sticking to her strict diet the woman has will power. After all she has to avoid my cooking most of the time that is hard to do. So I am taking advantage of this whenever I can and trying to stay eating healthy. I think everyone likes TexMex inspired meals so when I saw this on Pinterest I grabbed it and decided to make it as healthy as I could so white turkey breast, organic black beans and corn but I refused to use low-fat cheese it just does not melt right ya know what I mean? BTW she was right this was a great meal.

Anyway after making this I believe adding fresh chopped cilantro to the mixture after cooking just before spreading it in the baking dish would add a nice addition.

I just copied her recipe below except I used turkey.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 cup taco sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • salt
  • 8 (8 inch) soft corn or flour tortillas
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • sliced black olives for topping
  • low-fat sour cream for topping

 

How:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet.

3.  Add ground turkey and season with chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat (about 5 minutes).

4.  Add taco sauce, black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through then season with salt to taste.

5.  Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining Tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Cut the tortillas in quarters for easy layering.

7. Start with a layer of the meat mixture, then layer with tortillas and then cheese.Repeat for a second layer, ending with cheese.

8. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.

9. Remove from oven, top with sliced black olives and serve.

   

Mixed Berry Shortcake
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Mixed Berry Shortcake

When midsummer rolls in just before the birds and chipmunks decide that their buffet is ready we grab what we can and make one of our old time favorite’s deserts, snack sometimes even breakfast. This has been one of our staples since 1991 the good thing is you choose the berries to change it up. I have tried nets and sprays but nothing really helps so with the berries, as with my garden the year before, I decided to share. If only they understood the concept. This year I only did a deck garden leaving the ground level for my herbs.

You can make this shortcake with any combination of fresh berries.  Use 8 cups of your favorite mixture.  10 servings

 

Ingredients

  • 2 pints strawberries
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 pint raspberries
  • 1 pint blackberries
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • grated zest of 1 orange
  • 10 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream

How

1.  Wash and hull strawberries.  Mash 1/4 of them with 3/4 cup of the sugar.  Cut the rest in half or quarters.  Combine mashed and cut up strawberries with raspberries and blackberries.  Set aside.

2.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter and flour baking two 9″ cake pans.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 cup sugar and orange zest.  Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

3.  Stir in milk.  Divide dough in half and put into pans with floured fingers.

4.  Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Turn out onto racks.

5.  Whip the cream with the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until it holds soft peaks.

6.  Just before serving put one shortcake layer on a serving plate.  Top with about 3/4 of the fruit mixture, letting juice trickle down sides.  Spread with about 3/4 of the whipped cream.  Top with second layer.  Spoon remaining

Smoked Wilfork Tender Brisket
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Smoked Wilfork Tender Brisket

I am still on the fend for yourself diet and very much against my promise to Lyn to eat healthy I could not resist the temptation when at BJs and there it was as if it had my name on it a full brisket sitting in an open space in the meat counter all by itself. It was calling me. I told her that I needed it for a Patriots game day recipe and besides most of the fat will render off. She begrudgingly let me win the discussion not only because the fat content in this cut of meat is not healthy for me but I feel more that she knew the aroma that spreads through the neighborhood and the house will be driving us crazy all day. I don’t know about you but there is something about cooking any style of slow cook meal that is tortuous. Go out for a little while and when you come back and enter the house OMG. And I never use that terminology. Think of last Turkeyday when you enter the house and you will know what I mean.

Remember this was a spur of the moment thing so I basically winged it.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole brisket about 8 lbs.
  • Favorite homemade or store bought rub
  • A few large onions chopped
  • Liquid your choice water, beer, broth

 

 

 

How

Presoak some wood chips when ready place in smoking tray. IF you do not have one I use two sheet of aluminum foil make a pouch and put some holes in it. I have used a disposable tin foil tray not covered place on the flame.

I dragged a sharp knife across the beef not going very deep and made a diamond pattern on both sides.

Then I rubbed the beef with my rub, see pulled pork receipe. Wrapped and refrigerate for 1 hour, overnight is much better.

Preheat oven to 225-250 degrees

Place chopped onions and liquid (your choice I only had one beer left so I used broth) enough to cover bottom of roasting pan and cover. If your roasting pan does not have tight cover, cover with aluminum foil tightly. I cook at this temp for about 4 hours

Towards the end prepare your grill. – I have an old gas grill that is only front and back so I cover one side with aluminum foil, poke a few drip holes and replace the grates. On the open side I place the woodchip pouch I made while the grill is heating up to high.

Place the meat on grill fat side up, over the aluminum foil side to get as close to cooking with indirect heat as I could. Next year I swear I will buy a new grill. Cook for another 3-6 hours checking the internal temperature toward the 3 hour mark see below for end temp 180-185. I also would watch the temp of the grill remember with smoking low and slow is the trick. I would open the grill cover from time to time to drop the temperature down around 225 degree.

Whn you reach the correct internal temp place the meat directly over flame and about cook 10 minutes each side.

When done place on platter cover loosely and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Trim the fat off by running knife under it and put aside there is a lot of great meat and burnt ends in there.

You should have most of the fat removed, now cut thin slices ACROSS the grain.

Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce, coleslaw, corn and beverages in my case only one beer.

With the flat fat piece you remove trim all the meat out and chop it mix with BBQ sauce and serve on buns.

Remember you have to have a lot of will power because it is tortuous smelling this cooking all day.

 

What do they mean by Fork tender

Barbecue experts with years of cooking experience say a brisket is done when it’s “fork tender”, meaning that a fork or a probe thermometer goes in and out of the meat with little resistance. The problem is that both a properly cooked brisket and an overcooked one will both be “fork tender”. For most folks like you and me, it’s best to rely on internal meat temperature to determine when a brisket is properly cooked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What most everyone does agree on is that a properly cooked slice of brisket should pull apart easily, while still maintaining good texture. Technically the meat is done at 160°F but continue on for more tender meat. An overcooked slice will fall apart when picked up. 188°F and 190°F seem to be the most popular target temps. When I barbecue a brisket entirely I cook to an internal temp of 185-190°F. In this temperature range, the flat will be fork-tender and the slices cut from the flat will hold together. Remember Slow and Low is the trick.

 

Pork with Pineapple
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Pork with Pineapple

Never really understood coupons, always seems that they are for something I do not use. Switching to another brand just because I can save 20 cents made no sense, will I like it, and back in the day will the kid eat it. Don’t get me wrong I am not against using them for something we already use that would be foolish. Then there are the coupons that print out when you are checking out, you know the ones they are counting on you to forget about or leave at home. Save $7.00 on your next order of $70 or more. Can’t tell you how many times we have forgotten about them until we see them on the counter at home, after shopping. Why can’t they just add it to your non privacy store card and automatically deduct it, makes more sense to me.  Better yet why not get rid of those cards all together and give us lower more reasonable prices. So back to my point, we had one of these coupons and remembered it but had to go around finding things that we use to get the total up to take advantage of the coupon. We did it but one of the things was a buy one and get one free package of center cut boneless pork chops. I am still on the fend for myself diet so I figure I could put them to good use.  I decided with the suggestion from my wife that I could slip each chop and make cutlets. I know that the loin in the better cut for this but one makes do with what they have. So split and pound I did.

I made the following first and then some pan fried cutlets for salads and other meals.

Ingredients

  • ½ small pineapple or 1- 15oz can unsweetened pineapple.
  • 8 oz. of pork cullet slice thinly across the grain
  • 1 Tbsp. Cornflour
  • 1/ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Light soy sauce
  • 2 Tsps. Sesame oil
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
  • 6 Spring Onions, slice
  • 1 green or red bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Sauce:

  • 2 Tsps. Cornflour
  • ½ cup pineapple juice (either juice from other half or can).
  • 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce.

How

Skin the pineapple, clear all the eyes, and cut lengthways into triangles wedges. Trim away the core then cut across into slices.

Pound the pork until very thin and slice thinly across the grain

Toss Pork in a mixture of cornflour, salt and pepper until well coated.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic to pork and mix well

Heat peanut oil in wok or fry pan, add pork and fry just until the color changes. Add pineapple, bell pepper and  red pepper flakes reduce heat cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and add to pork and stir until thicken, toss in spring onions and mix thoroughly. Spoon into serving dish.

Sauce: Add pineapple juice gradually to cornflour, mixing until smooth. Stir in soy sauce.

I prefer fresh pineapple rather than canned.

This can also be made with Chicken instead of pork, works well some might say better.

8 Healthy Facts About Pineapple

English: Pineapple on its plant, Costa Rica De...

From Webmd.comPineapple Discovery

In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Pineapples in Colonial America

American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

Pineapple Anatomy

A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

Pineapple Nutrition

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps strengthen your immune system.

Pineapples in Hawaii

Some of the largest pineapple crops are in Hawaii, which produces 500,000 tons of the fruit each year.

Pineapple Selection

Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

Pineapple Care

To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for one or two days before cutting.

Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.

Deionion Branch Dip
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Deionion Branch Dip

Makes 3 cups.Why this recipe works:

A good roasted onion and bacon dip recipe starts with a good technique for roasting the onions. We developed a roasted onions recipe that met three criteria. To get a tender and moist interior, we roasted them cut side down on a pan rubbed with a small amount of oil. Halving the onions also gave us a pleasing presentation, with the onions reasonably intact. Finally, we wanted a good amount of surface caramelization in our roasted onions recipe. We noticed that during cooking the outer rings of the onions rose off the pan and so caramelized less than the inner rings. The remedy was to cut two small X’s at the top of each onion half; these slits allow steam to escape during cooking and helped to limit the tendency of the outer rings to lift up and off the pan.

With its fresh ingredients, this dip tastes like an uptown version of the old standby made with powdered onion soup mix. Serve with chips, pita bread slices, carrots sticks or just stick your fingers in when no one is looking.

Ingredients

Roasted Onions

  • 6 medium yellow onions halved crosswise, root and stem ends X’d twice (see illustration below)
  •  1 Tbsp. olive oil

Dip

  • 6 – 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and drained, crumbled
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 2 ¼ tsps. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsps. Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsps. celery seed
  • 3 Tbsps. chopped fresh chives
  • ½ tsps. table salt
  • Ground black pepper

How

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil; rub foil with oil. Place onions cut side down on baking sheet. Roast until dark brown around bottom edge and tender when pierced with thin skewer or knife tip, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; let onions rest for 5 minutes before lifting off pan with metal spatula. Let onions cool then peel and chop fine.

2. Mix all ingredients (including onions) in medium bowl. Serve immediately or chill.

If you want spice it up with cayenne powder or some red pepper flakes

X’ing Onions

Cutting two small X’s near the end of the onion allows moisture to escape during cooking. This helps keep the rings level as they cook.

Original recipe is from Cooks illustrated 1997
Quick Grilled Rosemary Chicken and Sweet Potato
by

Quick Grilled Rosemary Chicken and Sweet Potato

Lyn is on a strict diet and I am on my own for meals but she made me promise to eat healthy and none of those bachelor meals eaten over the sink to save on plates. I feel I have done pretty well for the last two weeks. Only once did I go with a meal of prepackage frozen mac and cheese from Annie’s but it was organic and not bad. I think it is hard to cook for one, not sure about you but I tend to get more inventive no creative when I cook for someone else.  But on the other hand I am more willing to try something if I know that I will be the only one eating who cares if it was a failure, one learns from them.  I started with this grilled chicken, sweet potato and roasted cauliflower on the side. Ok I forgot to take a picture with the cauliflower you caught me.

Ingredients

  • 1 skinless chicken breast split
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic rosemary oil (I had a lot of rosemary from the garden so infused some oil, 1 just rosemary and one with rosemary and garlic)
  • Some fresh chopped rosemary.
  • 1-Sweet potato and cauliflower

How

Rinse and dry the chicken very well

Salt and pepper rub with olive oil

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high and clean off the grates

Grill trying only to turn once until done about 160 degree internally about 4-5 minutes per side.

Remove, cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes

Slice against the grain

See recipe for roasting vegetables.

Cook the sweet potato in the microwave so it is partially cooked then finish on the grill

Against the Grain

I not talking about rubbing someone the wrong way, I’m talking about the way to cut most meats so that they are tenderer a better chew if you will. We read it in cookbooks all the time: “Slice thinly against the grain.” But what does slicing against the grain really mean?

  • The grain is the most important characteristic: it is the direction which the muscle fibers are aligned, and properly identifying it can make the difference between tough and tender. Take a close look at your meat, and you’ll see that just like wood, it’s got a grain.
  • Grill marks are probably the lines most often confused with grain. Many a time, I’ve seen some start slicing meat at a 90° angle to the grill marks, rather than to the natural grain of the meat (which may or may not coincide with those grill marks).
  • Can’t see the grain well sometime if you bend the piece of meat you can see it or a thin slice on the end and then look at the cross section for the direction. I can’t tell you how many times I look at the grain precooking and then after I grill it is sometimes hard to tell.
Related articles
Replacement Referees Recipes.
by

Replacement Referees Recipes.

I have been doing a series of game time recipes for a site that my son has a lot to do with patriots life.com but I wanted to show my appreciation of the job that the Replacement Refs are doing by sharing some of their right on call for game time and halftime treats. One of my favorite lines I have heard so far is Oh Really they did not cover that at Footlocker orientation!

So in light of the brilliant job the Replacement Refs are doing I thought it only appropriate that we share some of their suggestions for during the game and halftime treats. You got to admit they could not miss calling the right snack at the right time. I have changed the name of the first of these into more appropriate football terminology and added my comments to others. I have to say after trying Scrapple the wait was worth …….. sorry I had to run, just made a touchdown of sorts.

 

Scramble, Fumble, Recovery Slow Cooked Stew (Scrapple)

As with preparing Sunday’s game plan this meal takes some time to make but the cheers of the crowd make up for it when you serve it up. You’ll score a real touch down with this halftime show.

Ingredients:

  • 1 hog’s head
  • 4 to 5 quarts cold water
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons powdered sage
  • yellow corn meal (about 3 cups)

How:

Separate one hog’s head into halves. Remove eyes and brains. Scrape head and clean thoroughly. Place in large kettle and cover with 4-5 quarts of cold water. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, or until meat falls from the bones. Skim grease carefully from the surface; remove meat. chop fine, and turn liquor ( Steve says I have no clue I think stir). Season with salt, pepper, and sage to taste. Sift in corn meal, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of mush. Cook slowly for 1 hour over low heat. When sufficiently cooked, pour into greased oblong pans and store in a cool place until ready to use. Cut in thin slices and fry until crisp and brown. Makes 6 pounds.

Server with a cup of nice cheddar coffee or a spam shake.

Spam Shake

Smooth delicious and full of protein

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of Spam
  • 1 tin of anchovies
  • 2 12oz cans of beer
  • 4 oz tomato juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup chopped up parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • dash of Tabasco
  • salt (if you’d need it), pepper to taste

How

Put it in blender and blend until smooth

Serve chilled with celery stick

Fried Hornworms on fried tomatoes

These lightly fried battered tomato slices topped off with a crunchy goodness will score big with your crowd.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 16 tomato hornworms
  • 4 medium green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • White cornmeal

How:

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil. Then lightly fry the hornworms, about 4 minutes, taking care not to rupture the cuticles of each insect under high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper, then coat with cornmeal on both sides. In a large skillet, fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides. Top each round with 2 fried tomato hornworms. Garnish the paired hornworms with a single basil leaf.

More suggestions

During the game

  • Cheddar Coffee –A little razzle dazzle – When the coffee is gone, slurp down the glob of melted cheese. 
  • Sunflower Worcestershire Delight – a fall twist of a favorite baseball treat.
  • Banana Worm Bread – The smell alone makes the mouth….
  • Rocky Mountain Oysters– Round and crunchy a prairie treat
  • Progresso Lentil Soup with Chocolate Pudding – Are there words to describe that first taste?
  • Cricket Cookies –These are not just a night game treat

 

Halftime

  • Pig’s Face and Cabbage – You had to do something with the rest after the footballs were made.
  • Clams Sundae – A typical Patriot’s press conference
  • Deer Poppers – 1, 2, 3 4,  I want some more…
  • Moose Nose Soup – It is Moose Nose Soup. First you need a moose nose and its tongue. Burn and scrape the hair off the nose on an open camp fire or use a blow torch. Cut the nose and tongue into cubes and boil for about an hour. Add onions if you wish. I enjoyed this soup, but people find it gross. Well you’re missing out.

Find more of these types of recipes at http://www.wildrecipes.com/

Halftime White Turkey Chili
by

Halftime White Turkey Chili

Nothing better than the fall it brings sweatshirt weather and football, not to mention the trees start to put on a show of their own. I grew up in the music department at Norwood high and spent at 4 years at every football game marching, first with those high topped hats then in our Norwood blue blazers and white bucks, ahhh white bucks. My most favorite memory is the one parade where they stuck us behind the cows or horses, I had it better than most I played the trombone, was in the first row and could see it coming.

I also like squash soups, butternut being my favorite fall treat.

We love Wholefoods and found this recipe on their site for a chili with a different twist from the red Chili we all picture in our minds eye. It makes for perfect halftime eating on a crisp autumn day.

Go Pats!

 

Ingredients:

  •  1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 can tomatillos, drained and chopped
  • 1 can diced green chiles, drained
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely sliced
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups cooked Great Northern beans, drained
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
  • 7 tsps. grated Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish (optional)
  • 7 tsps. sour cream, for garnish (optional)

How:

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook, stirring often, until browned. Transfer to a bowl and return pot to heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper and onion and cook until softened and golden brown. Return turkey to pot and add coriander, cumin, oregano and salt. Stir well to combine. Add bay leaf, tomatillos, chiles, jalapeños and broth, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes. Gently stir in beans and cook for 30 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, ladle chili into bowls and garnish with cheese and sourcream and Beer, if you like.

 

History of Chili

From International Chili Society

Perhaps it is the effect of Capisicum spices upon man’s mind; for, in the immortal words of Joe DeFrates, the only man ever to win the National and the World Chili Championships, “Chili powder makes you crazy.” That may say it all. To keep things straight, chile refers to the pepper pod, and chili to the concoction. The e and the i of it all.

The great debate, it seems, is not limited to whose chili is best. Even more heated is the argument over where the first bowl was made; and by whom. Estimates range from “somewhere west of Laramie,” in the early nineteenth century – being a product of a Texas trail drive – to a grisly tale of       enraged Aztecs, who cut up invading Spanish conquistadors, seasoned chunks of them with a passel of chile peppers, and ate them.   More