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[Haly]

Skewered. It goes lamb-lamb-fat-lamb-lamb-fat-lamb-lamb.

Grilled (not by me but by my father, cause I'll be damned if I'm standing in front of a grill in this heat). In hindsight I should've told him to grill for 4 minutes a side. They were a bit overcooked. Still tender from the marinating though.

They were a hit with the guests. There's nothing so satisfying as having your food praised.

If the olive oil burned, I couldn't tell. Most of the olive flavor was drowned under the spices, and whether the bitterness came from the char or the burned oil (or if the char was the burned oil), I have no clue. My palate just lacks experience with these things. The next time I do this I will experiment with oils.

(Tangentially related. Apparently the guests we had over are the ones I prepared Wellington for during New Year's. Now I have a stupid grin on my face and an odd sense of self satisfaction.)

 

[BriareosGAF]

It's like 96F outside and my AC is not very good, so I didn't want to cook anything for lunch. Luckily, there's enough leftovers in the fridge to build this plate for lunch.

Ha, my in-laws are travelling back to the Inland Empire today after spending three weeks with us in Maine. 68F -> 110F, don't envy them (or you).

Your tapas spread for outdoors looks wonderful, nice work. I really wish I could get a once-a-month rotating dining club going amongst my friends, but I think our appetite for entertaining outstrips most folks...

 

[peteykirch]

Well, got up at 6:30 in the morning to start making my Kalua pulled pork.

Put the pork on a bed of paper thin sliced onions, patted the pork down in smoked Hawaiian sea salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Made some thin strips of pickles for the sandwiches, and some Sriracha mayo as well.

Only 9 more hours left of cooking.

 

[OnkelC]

Looks great! thanks for sharing and please keep us posted with the results.

One question, though: Why did you slice the onions so thin? within 9 hours of cooking, even unpeeled whole ones would release enough flavor to the meat

 

[peteykirch]

Looks great! thanks for sharing and please keep us posted with the results.

One question, though: Why did you slice the onions so thin? within 9 hours of cooking, even unpeeled whole ones would release enough flavor to the meat

I just do a light layer on the bottom to start, and then after I shred the pork, I take the rest of the onion and put it on top, the residual heat adds a nice onion flavor, and they well for lack of a better word don't disintegrate into nothing.

 

[OnkelC]

OK, that's plausible. thought you used all the onions from the start. thanks for the explanation!

 

[peteykirch]

Roughly halfway through the cooking time for my Kalua pork.

Can't wait for it to finally be done later tonight.

 

[Metroid Killer]

Dude, DUDE!

You need to make a big pot of Ghormeh Sabzi with those dried limes/lemons!

Damn, did not realize this thread was moved to Community OT. Missed it for a month.

Please teach me then! I don't even know what Ghormeh Sabzi is, but any meal with dried lime is bound to be awesome!

Today I made yellow themed french nougat

Used dried apricot, mango and peanuts in the nougat itself and topped it off with freeze-dried buckthorn and carbonated candy. Crazy stuff!

Here's the motherload.

Nakedsushi your last couple of posts have been awesome, I really like the 'light' feel to your food.

 

[peteykirch]

Pulled Kalua pork is finally done!

Made some Bacon and Dill Red Potato salad to have on the side. Came out so damn good.

 

[Frank the Great]

Pulled pork is one of my favorite things. Looks great.

 

[Yes Boss!]

Please teach me then! I don't even know what Ghormeh Sabzi is, but any meal with dried lime is bound to be awesome!

It is the best Persian dish. Usually heavily reduced fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro/coriander, green onions, chives, and fresh fenugreek with onions, kidney beans, lamb, garlic, dried lemons.

Like any one-pot there is a lot of leeway and variations. I'll whip up a batch this weekend if the local indian store has those lemons on hand. The lemons cook a good while so kinda get very soft and extremely edible. Fresh fenugreek can be hard to find if not in a part of the country that has a large persian or indian population (like California). I'll reconstitute some dried fenugreek leaves and see how it works. Fenugreek can be omitted, though.

Usually served over a bed of rice that is a mixture of white and yellow (saffron or safflower) rice.

Here are some random pictures from google:

 

[Gr1mLock]

I made some rare steaks today. I let them rest for around five minutes but there was still a pool of blood. I am grilling them so i guess the high heat may have something to do with it?

 

[codswallop]

It's not blood, it's water and a liquid (myoglobin) that stores oxygen inside muscles. The animal will have been drained of blood when slaughtered.

Since beef can be eaten raw, I wouldn't worry about it if it tasted good.

 

[CrystalGemini]

I made some rare steaks today. I let them rest for around five minutes but there was still a pool of blood. I am grilling them so i guess the high heat may have something to do with it?

Pics?

 

[Gr1mLock]

It's not blood, it's water and a liquid (myoglobin) that stores oxygen inside muscles. The animal will have been drained of blood when slaughtered.

Since beef can be eaten raw, I wouldn't worry about it if it tasted good.

Oh ok. Makes sense. Thanks.

Pics?

No pics sorry )=

 

[CrankyJay]

I made some rare steaks today. I let them rest for around five minutes but there was still a pool of blood. I am grilling them so i guess the high heat may have something to do with it?

Eh, it happens...as long as the steak itself wasn't too dried out. You could always take those drippings and cook them down with some red wine for a really good sauce you can pour over the steak.

 

[Gr1mLock]

Thats actually a great idea.

 

[sharkmuncher]

Weekend of Burgers begins now!

Basil blue burger I made last night.Basil + Blue Cheese Crumbles + Blue Cheese dressing blended into a sauce, tomatoes, extra basil and onions fried in bacon grease. All on a Venison, pork, beef burger. It was delicious.

 

[Metroid Killer]

----~ Designer Dessert ~---- (June)

Matcha Cake with Kumquat Mousse

A bit late with this entry, but I just couldn't find any matcha tea powder anywhere in town, every store has been out of it for weeks! I ended up finding a package today, and eventhough it's insanely expensive it sure makes for some interesting cakes.
It's actually the first time using matcha in cake as well as kumquat. I don't even like matcha tea, but chose it as I wanted a green cake to compliment the green marble cake plate which my girlfriend got me for my birthday. Kumquats are in season and I read that matcha goes great together with citrus fruits, so I figured that this would make a good cake.

The matcha taste is very subtle(yay!), I'm glad I went with two layers or the kumquat mousse would have overpowered it completely. But a really special taste overall, the kumquat taste feels so familiar(to other citrus tastes) yet it's still very unique. If you are tired of the standard chocolate and vanilla cakes, this is bound to shake things up.

Recipe:
To come

 

[Yes Boss!]

That is cool metroid.

I've never actually seen kumquats used in a desert. In southern california, kumquat plants are use for decoration and landscaping (much like rosemary bushes).

 

[Datwheezy]

Metroid, those look killer! I love the taste of matcha in desserts.



I'm thinking of making banh mi hot dogs tomorrow for the holiday. Will post pics if I do.

 

[Deleted member 59090]

Awesome stuff as always Metroid. And that dog of yours...

 

[Yes Boss!]

That dog is an IronGAF star.

 

[Dom Brunt]

Haha the dog butt killed me <3

 

[Gr1mLock]

i just cooked for around 30 of people..and i made perfect medium rare burgers. I feel accomplished.

 

[Metroid Killer]

i just cooked for around 30 of people..and i made perfect medium rare burgers. I feel accomplished.

Good job. The most I've catered to was 12 people for a family dinner, and erm I also made cakes for a 45 group once.

I'm glad Shikko(my dog) brings a smile to the thread

Btw I'm making lobster tonight. What side dishes should I make to go with it?

 

[Keen]

i just cooked for around 30 of people..and i made perfect medium rare burgers. I feel accomplished.

Nice! I made pulled pork for 30 people last weekend! But that was more leaving it in the oven, cooking 30 burgers perfectly is something else!

Also welcome to the correct side of Medium!

 

[Funky Papa]

Shikko never fails to bring the lulz, Metroid Killer. Which breed is it?

Also, picking a goddamned steel sink shouldn't be this hard. Building my kitchen is taking an eternity. Sheesh.

 

[CrankyJay]

Nice! I made pulled pork for 30 people last weekend! But that was more leaving it in the oven, cooking 30 burgers perfectly is something else!

Also welcome to the correct side of Medium!

I like my steaks medium rare but my burgers medium. Had too many a soggy bun.

 

[Gr1mLock]

Good job. The most I've catered to was 12 people for a family dinner, and erm I also made cakes for a 45 group once.

I'm glad Shikko(my dog) brings a smile to the thread

Btw I'm making lobster tonight. What side dishes should I make to go with it?

Nice! I made pulled pork for 30 people last weekend! But that was more leaving it in the oven, cooking 30 burgers perfectly is something else!

Also welcome to the correct side of Medium!

Thank you. I do fear it may be too long before i see another proper grill though.

 

[Metroid Killer]

Had a really busy day yesterday, but you're never too busy to squeeze in a cake or two. I decided to cool the batter for cake number two in order to avoid going insane, there's a limit afterall...

Elderflower Mousse Cake

I've baked this chocolate cake close to 50 times these last two years, and it's just getting better and better somehow. This time it came out perfectly moist and soft, and as you can see in the picture below the layers came out flat as well.
Elderflower mousse is yet another new mousse, but yummy it's great. It's very fresh compared to a lot of other mousses which makes it perfect for chocolate cakes which can be a bit heavy in taste.

Shikko never fails to bring the lulz, Metroid Killer. Which breed is it?

He's an Icelandic Sheepdog. Incredible intelligent, I swear I would have made Cooking with Dog if it wasn't taken already!

 

[Gr1mLock]

Lmao. That dog knows hes a star

 

[Funky Papa]

Lmao. That dog knows hes a star

He works the camera like a pro.

Gorgeous cake, too. Now I'm curious about elderflower mousse, I don't think I've ever tasted it.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Such awesome treats these past several posts---feeding the dreams!

That dog has become more powerful than us all---all that could top it is a meeting of that Dog, Onkel, and that other dog that was once fused to Onkel in that picture.

 

[Mekere]

Please teach me then! I don't even know what Ghormeh Sabzi is, but any meal with dried lime is bound to be awesome!

Today I made yellow themed french nougat

What recipe do you use for your nougat base? I really really hate nougat (I was born in Montélimar, which is the capital of nougat now... and was surrounded by this disgusting stuff all my life) but yours looks really appetizing so I would like to give it a try. Thanks

 

[CrankyJay]

BBQ plate...

* Smoked loinback ribs, used a mix of hickory and apple wood.
* Smoked bbq beans with bacon, sat below the ribs to catch the drippings
* Mac Salad
* Home made jalepeno garlic dill pickles

 

[Maklershed]

That looks friggin incredible.

 

[Frank the Great]

That looks like the perfect meal. God damn.

 

[thespot84]

BBQ plate...

* Smoked loinback ribs, used a mix of hickory and apple wood.
* Smoked bbq beans with bacon, sat below the ribs to catch the drippings
* Mac Salad
* Home made jalepeno garlic dill pickles

Awesome. Is loinback the same as babyback?

 

[CrankyJay]

Awesome. Is loinback the same as babyback?

I guess they're the same but the purists will only call them baby back if they weigh less than 1 and 3/4 pounds, lol.

Excellent write up here if you are interested: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ribselect.html

 

[ameratsu]

Greek Salad. One of my favourite things to make because it's so easy and delicious

 

[Blake'sGrave]

BBQ plate...

* Smoked loinback ribs, used a mix of hickory and apple wood.
* Smoked bbq beans with bacon, sat below the ribs to catch the drippings
* Mac Salad
* Home made jalepeno garlic dill pickles

holy fucking god

 

[ElectricThunder]

Mmm

Cheese: Kerry Gold Skellig Sweet Cheddar The streak of Kerry Gold awesome continues unabated with this newcomer---as this is certainly a good kind of sweet, oddly slippery, and melts quite well and very much in place! Look for the blue label packaging to easily mark it at a glance.

Crumble: Viva La Papa Chili & Lime Nice, very rustic cut(lots of skin!) chip out of Peru---the heat is subtle and lingers and the lime just blends nicely at the start as opposed to being entirely too loud

 

[Ether_Snake]

Greek Salad. One of my favourite things to make because it's so easy and delicious

Yes! A proper Greek salad has no leaves/lettuce.

 

[Maklershed]

Need your help IronGaf - when I make burgers there never as good as at a restaurant so I decided to switch things up.

Does everyone agree with this guide: http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-perfect-burger/pictures/index.html

Also, what do you put in the burger mix? I've read all sorts of different suggestions, egg, crackers, bread crumb mix, Worcestershire, onion powder, etc. But then I've also read to just season the patty with salt and pepper and let it at that. I'd love to emulate a Five Guys type cheeseburger.

 

[CrankyJay]

Need your help IronGaf - when I make burgers there never as good as at a restaurant so I decided to switch things up.

Does everyone agree with this guide: http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-perfect-burger/pictures/index.html

Also, what do you put in the burger mix? I've read all sorts of different suggestions, egg, crackers, bread crumb mix, Worcestershire, onion powder, etc. But then I've also read to just season the patty with salt and pepper and let it at that. I'd love to emulate a Five Guys type cheeseburger.

I wouldn't doctor up the meat with anything except salt and pepper, otherwise you're masking the flavor of the beef. No eggs or crackers or bread crumbs, you're not making meatballs/meatloaf.

Just get 80/20 beef and go from there.

 

[Gibbo]

Had a really busy day yesterday, but you're never too busy to squeeze in a cake or two. I decided to cool the batter for cake number two in order to avoid going insane, there's a limit afterall...

Elderflower Mousse Cake




I've baked this chocolate cake close to 50 times these last two years, and it's just getting better and better somehow. This time it came out perfectly moist and soft, and as you can see in the picture below the layers came out flat as well.
Elderflower mousse is yet another new mousse, but yummy it's great. It's very fresh compared to a lot of other mousses which makes it perfect for chocolate cakes which can be a bit heavy in taste.
He's an Icelandic Sheepdog. Incredible intelligent, I swear I would have made Cooking with Dog if it wasn't taken already!

Mk, how do you prevent the strawberry juices from messing up the cake? Don't see any juice on the white cream at all. Looks so good!

 

[Keen]

Need your help IronGaf - when I make burgers there never as good as at a restaurant so I decided to switch things up.

Does everyone agree with this guide: http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-perfect-burger/pictures/index.html

Also, what do you put in the burger mix? I've read all sorts of different suggestions, egg, crackers, bread crumb mix, Worcestershire, onion powder, etc. But then I've also read to just season the patty with salt and pepper and let it at that. I'd love to emulate a Five Guys type cheeseburger.

What CrankyJay said. Get good quality ground beef, something like 80% Chuck and 20% brisket is recommended. As long as you get 20% fat or more.

Then follow Heston's recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=03h5T_tiyx0#t=648s.

If you can't grind your own meat or have the butcher do it for you, just make sure you don't overwork the patty. You want it kinda airy, otherwise it'll be dense and crappy.

Salting the meat like Heston, or just salt and pepper on the patty before it hits the grill is debated. But unless you grind yourself prior to grilling I would just salt the patty before you throw it on.

edit: More in-depth hamburger episode Heston Blumenthal In Search Of Perfection - Perfect Hamburger

 

[Mackenzie 92]

Need your help IronGaf - when I make burgers there never as good as at a restaurant so I decided to switch things up.

Does everyone agree with this guide: http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-perfect-burger/pictures/index.html

Also, what do you put in the burger mix? I've read all sorts of different suggestions, egg, crackers, bread crumb mix, Worcestershire, onion powder, etc. But then I've also read to just season the patty with salt and pepper and let it at that. I'd love to emulate a Five Guys type cheeseburger.

I never add any kind of fillers or liquid and I season while I'm cooking, just a little sea salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides (never turns out well when I try to season the meat before forming the patty, end up with sections that have clumps of seasoning). I cook on medium heat in bacon grease and usually flip only once or twice, never mashing down on the patty. When it's done I take it out and place it directly on a toasted bun and then add the cheese and let it rest a couple minutes before adding other toppings/condiments and eating.

 

[CrankyJay]

Tonight I made Tyler Florence's Chicken Parmesan, this was actually my second time doing so and I liked the results.

This was a good excuse to grab some fresh basil from my herb garden in the backyard.

The only deviation I made was using my immersion blender to puree the sauce a little bit...the amount of time the sauce cooks the tomatoes and onions don't break down enough.