IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)

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A little late. I was at my Uncle's restaurant (Sushi Bar) for Xmas. We basically had a bunch of seafood type dishes. Stuff you normally cannot find in a typical Chinese restaurant.

I didn't take any of the pictures. Well, if it weren't for my cousin, there wouldn't be any pictures. I got drunk before we even started eating. So I was just standing around the table talking trash. :lol

Pictures are that of one table. We had four tables set up with basically the same stuff.

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I just made bread. Everything tastes so much better when you make and season it yourself (I love Italian seasoning and have a special blend of a bunch of stuff that I use on everything I make.) :D
 
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Scottish Ale Cheddar with some delicious Old Bay Seasoning. The melt was OK, and the flavor solid with the strongest distinction being a smooth...almost silky...texture.

Good stuff and the last of that first Italian Chorizo---hunt for a replacement starts next week. :D
 
ElectricThunder said:
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Scottish Ale Cheddar with some delicious Old Bay Seasoning. The melt was OK, and the flavor solid with the strongest distinction being a smooth...almost silky...texture.

Good stuff and the last of that first Italian Chorizo---hunt for a replacement starts next week. :D
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Scottish Ale Cheddar

What?? You cant get this in Scotland...........
 
Zyzyxxz, do you have any good recipes for carnitas? I'm looking to use a crock pot or my dutch oven to braise some pork shoulder (whichever produces more tender pork), and I'm looking to do it with beer and spices. The only problem is I'm not sure which beer or spices to use.

How about condiments? Red onion? Cilantro?

Thanks in advance.
 
CrankyJay said:
Zyzyxxz, do you have any good recipes for carnitas? I'm looking to use a crock pot or my dutch oven to braise some pork shoulder (whichever produces more tender pork), and I'm looking to do it with beer and spices. The only problem is I'm not sure which beer or spices to use.

How about condiments? Red onion? Cilantro?

Thanks in advance.
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How unhealthy do you wish to be? Because traditional carnitas says to simmer your pork shoulder in fat. The last time I did it I had saved up rendered duck fat from 4-5 ducks not practical but not entirely impossible too.

You can use lard or you can use 1/4 lard and the rest canola oil, just enough to cover. I think its best to use a pot that barely fits your meat and so that you can get by with as little fat/oil as possible.

I would spice it with spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, pepper, a little chile powder. Simmer for 3 hours or until fork tender and after shredding, crisp it on a pan.
 
New Years Pizza Night. Got baked, got drunk, and made some fucking delicious pizzas at a friends brick oven. I made the pesto and bbq chicken and using that with other ingredients made like 10 throughout the whole night that varied from Pepperoni, Pesto and Mozarella, Chicken and Pesto, and BBQ Chicken.

Cell phone (sadly) image dump. (Click images for higher res)

 
Some awesome looking pizzas right there....:D

jamieson87: Heh, it is as it is---though I think the production itself(Or maybe it was distro...can't remember all the finer points on the packaging) was done out of California. Even then, only found it at one place near me, and only recently available, and it was $20 per lb---with the smallest cut I managed to get costing $9'ish. Only other cheese I think I've ran into that was infused with anything of the like was the Murcia al Vino, Drunken Goat Cheese, that was done up with red wine.
 
fna84 said:
Whats a fast and easy recipe for pizza dough?

Just need enough to make personal pizzas.
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Someone on here recommended I should try this http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html
I haven't had a chance to yet, but the ingredients are basically the same as the one i was using, its just in how you prepare it. It'll probably be about 2 hours before you can start making you pizza with it.

You can cut up the dough into balls smaller than your fist for personal pizzas and keep the rest of the dough (make it into balls first) in your freezer for a few months.
 
I keep finding recipes online that sound like they'd be good and require little effort and everything is turning out so bland. I think my problem is I'm letting my fear of cooking win, i should try something more difficult.
 
Gouty said:
I keep finding recipes online that sound like they'd be good and require little effort and everything is turning out so bland. I think my problem is I'm letting my fear of cooking win, i should try something more difficult.
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Or add your favorite seasonings.
 
Gouty said:
I keep finding recipes online that sound like they'd be good and require little effort and everything is turning out so bland. I think my problem is I'm letting my fear of cooking win, i should try something more difficult.
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Biggest difference between home cooks and professionals is seasoning. You'd be surprised how much better your food would taste if you season with salt every step of the way and taste your creations as you make it (as long as its safe to eat)
 
MrBig said:
Someone on here recommended I should try this http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html
I haven't had a chance to yet, but the ingredients are basically the same as the one i was using, its just in how you prepare it. It'll probably be about 2 hours before you can start making you pizza with it.

You can cut up the dough into balls smaller than your fist for personal pizzas and keep the rest of the dough (make it into balls first) in your freezer for a few months.
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I linked that recipe, and it's really easy to make the dough... you just have to leave it in the fridge overnight to develop... it's no "make 2 hours ahead of time" recipe. I've found that with any sort of bread, you need to let it develop overnight. I've tried bread recipes that involve making it the same day, and it just doesn't come out the same.

I'd highly recommend trying out that recipe. I've had nothing but success with it - and in fact I bought Peter Reinhart's book that the recipe came in. Everything I've made from it has come out great.

*edit*
if you want to know way more about making pizza than you really want to know, check out: http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm

I'm going to give it a go later this week, I'll post pictures of the result!
 
dkeane said:
Some holiday food:
Oysters


And some early morning egg nog spiced up with Grand Marnier

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Aaah, I love oysters! Is having oysters on NYE some sort of tradition? I noticed another poster had tons of oysters and shellfish.

I think I've finally had egg nog enough to say that I'm not a fan of it at all. It's too thick! I like eggs, I like liquor. But I don't like eggnog. Although, I do like a good flip now and then. Mmmm Cynar flips.
 
No pics, but I smoked a Ham a couple days before Christmas...it was incredible.

I injected it with pure maple syrup and made a bourbon gaze for the outside. People were getting thirds so I think I did well.
 
Salad of Boston lettuce, shallots, chives, chervil, parsley, tarragon and red wine vinaigrette
Sautéed veal rib chop with a cognac reduction, morels, Dijon mustard, and crème fraîche
Pommes purée a la Joël Robuchon, with enough butter to sink a elephant

Clockwise from left, the veal searing in a wildly inappropriate roasting pan, the pommes purée, and the morels sautéing with shallots, garlic, and parsley:
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The dog trying to be cute (and steal food)...
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The finished veal with the cognac reduction and morels:
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A tasty plate of food:
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jet1911 said:
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Pork, old style mustard sauce, grilled zucchinis and tomatoes.
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That looks delish. I just picked up a barbecue recently (only took me one and a half years after moving into a new house) and I've been getting jiggy with grilling vegetables on it - egg plant, asparagus, peppers, etc. Just wondering if you prepare your zucchini first or just slice and grill them. I'm thinking a bit of olive oil and salt perhaps?

I'm from an English background and my parents traditionally steamed or roasted the crap out of their zucchini - it wasn't until a few years ago that I realised that zucchini doesn't have to be a soggy, tasteless pulp.
 
BertramCooper said:
I got a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas. I'm so excited - I've wanted one for ages.
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My girlfriend bought one of these as well... It does give the kitchent character..

Nex Superne, please tell me more about that cognac reduction.
 
I've been hitting a mental block on menu concepts so nothing new from me except some old dishes redone.

Beef wellington with a flat iron steak inside instead of filet mignon
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broiled mackerel over puttanesca sauce
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A pickmeup dinner to bolster my Powers of Redoing needed for reposting in a topic over in Gaming---last of that runny pizza sauce, last of the Australian BBQ sauce, lots of the new Garlic Powder, Fresh Cracked Mixed Peppercorn, Zatar seasoning, last tiny bits of my Scottish Ale Cheddar after mom discovered she REALLY liked it and devoured most of it unmelted for breakfast, and finally a good helping of the Cotija to even it all out----Turkey Bacon added post-image. :D

Also got ahold of some Spicy Sopressata for Saturday's fixings as well as another new cheese----it is a weird one, but perhaps not SO weird...(Have one more newcomer for next week then I'm stuck empty again----really need to get back to that Farmer's Market and take proper inventory notes!)

:goes to open up extra superfluous tabs in Firefox, maybe an extra window, start an OpenOffice doc, and settle into the chair for the next 3-4 hours:
 
Any tips for making vindaloo? I tried it for the first time last night and it was mehtacular. The sauce wasn't spicy enough, the taste was kind of weak and the lamb was too tough. I didn't use a marinade and I thought that might be the problem but looking around not every recipe uses a marinade. Some people just dump everything in.

I used the ingredients in this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/lamb-vindaloo-99725

But I didn't have a food processor or slow cooker (at school on campus), so I just sauteed the lamb in the sauce. Removed the lamb, and then reduced the remaining sauce.

I have about 1.5 lbs of lamb left to experiment with. Mostly I just want to get the meat tender because I can always add more spice. Alas my available tools are sorely limited.
 
otake said:
Nex Superne, please tell me more about that cognac reduction.
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I deglazed the pan the veal seared in with ~1/2 cup of cognac, scraped up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, and let the alcohol cook off. Then I added a little Dijon mustard (Maille in this case), ~1/2 cup of crème fraîche, and the sautéed morels with finely chopped shallots, garlic, and flat-leaf parsley. After reducing the sauce to the right consistency and seasoning it to taste, I just put it on top of the veal.
 
Zyzyxxz said:
ugh I have no comment.

Please direct further inquiries to the owner. :D
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What's the tag line again? "Asian & Pacific rim flavors with French technique"? That shit was made for porn!

edit: WTF? Is Ron Jeremy smanging it IN THE TRUCK?
 
My first contribution, so I'm keeping it simple:

Roasted Brussle Sprouts (unfortunately I didn't think to post until after they were in the oven, so i'll describe up until then:

i used 3 'cups' of brussel sprouts (measurement isn't too important, just make as many as you need)

I blanched the whole sprouts for a minute, then,

trimmed the sprouts of the brown bottom and discarded any leaves with any discoloration. I halved the majority of the sprouts and quartered the big ones, as you'll see. You'll be left over after prep with a lot of spare leaves. Leave those in the mix, i'll explain in a minute.

I tossed them in olive oil, white pepper, black pepper, and kosher salt. You'll need more salt than you think to bring out the flavor. Spread evenly on a pan and roasted for 20 minutes @ 400 degrees F.

sprouts in the oven:

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Finished:

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The dark brown ones are the leaves left in the mix, and the crisp up like chips, it's all super delicious. Pretty easy too, though I can't take credit for it, i just like food porn (not the kind above). I'll put my carmalized green been recipe on here some day.
 
^ What a coincidence (or maybe not since Brussels Sprouts are in season in LA) I made brussels sprouts for dinner too. I also roasted them in the oven after I tossed with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Also put in some chopped cremini mushrooms tossed in lemon juice.
 
Halycon said:
Any tips for making vindaloo? I tried it for the first time last night and it was mehtacular. The sauce wasn't spicy enough, the taste was kind of weak and the lamb was too tough. I didn't use a marinade and I thought that might be the problem but looking around not every recipe uses a marinade. Some people just dump everything in.

I used the ingredients in this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/lamb-vindaloo-99725

But I didn't have a food processor or slow cooker (at school on campus), so I just sauteed the lamb in the sauce. Removed the lamb, and then reduced the remaining sauce.

I have about 1.5 lbs of lamb left to experiment with. Mostly I just want to get the meat tender because I can always add more spice. Alas my available tools are sorely limited.
Click to expand...

The longer the lamb cooks the more tender it will get. You could cook on a very low simmer for two hours in a saucepan with the lid mostly on, topping up the water as you need it. I'm definitely no expert, but I've made dishes like pea and ham soup where the meat falls apart and that's from simmering for about two hours.

Also you may look at getting a stick mixer with a chopper/blender attchment like this:
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They're very cheap, easy to clean and store fairly compactly.
 
dejay said:
The longer the lamb cooks the more tender it will get. You could cook on a very low simmer for two hours in a saucepan with the lid mostly on, topping up the water as you need it. I'm definitely no expert, but I've made dishes like pea and ham soup where the meat falls apart and that's from simmering for about two hours.
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Attempt number deux:

- Marinade for 3 hours (I went MacGuyver with the marinade paste by dumping all the spices and chopped stuff into a ziploc bag, going to my room, shutting the door, and then pounding it with various things including my fists, the blunt end of a screwdriver and parts of an iron gym)
- Cook on low simmer for 1 hour.

Result: Still kind of flaky and overcooked. But noticeable improvement over my last attempt. I think the issue was that I used too much water. To bring it to a boil I left it on high for too long and by the time bubbles started popping up and I could begin simmering, the lamb was already toughened. Also I used two different cuts, shoulder and leg. One was more tender than the other as far as I can tell but which is which I have no idea.

Sauce was too watery as well, going to add milk and use less vinegar next time I attempt this. Maybe I should try a chicken vindaloo first. Chicken's easier to cook than lamb isn't it?

(I have some leftover bits of lamb, trimmings and bone, can I make soup with that?)
 
Halycon said:
- Cook on low simmer for 1 hour.
Also I used two different cuts, shoulder and leg.
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The shoulder at least is going to need to cook a lot longer than that before it becomes tender, as dejay said. Figure two hours minimum, potentially longer. It's a tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked to the point the internal collagen breaks down and dissolves, and it will remain tough until that happens. Same idea as with cooking a pork shoulder or cuts from the beef chuck, if you've ever done that.
 
I do not know my meat cuts at all but I'll keep that in mind next time.
 
cooking lobster tail: how do you prefer it? boiled/baked/broiled/grilled?

i usually just boil them, but i'm going to butterfly some for the first time tomorrow. will probably just throw them in the oven and bake them. assume i'll have to watch closely to avoid drying out.
 
Challah from tonight:

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I should've used a bit more water than the recipe called for, but it came out pretty nice regardless. Has a deep, satisfying crust and that egg-y sweetness I hoped for.
 
Cosmic Bus said:
Challah from tonight:

I should've used a bit more water than the recipe called for, but it came out pretty nice regardless. Has a deep, satisfying crust and that egg-y sweetness I hoped for.
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That's good lookin bread. Our bread is definitely best bread
for french toast at least :D
 
Is it too early to start planning Valentines day dinners?

I don't want to go out this year, I'm planning on opening a nice bottle of wine with some killer steak dinner. So far, I'm thinking Filet Mignon, but with what?

What have you guys done for romantinc dinners?
 
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