Maggie’s Nom, Nom, Nom NYE 2017: Whatcha' Doin'?

[Veer_G]

Just the two of us, but we've laid in supplies and are ready to weather the storm of going from one year to another and realizing that tomorrow is just another Monday.

*SIGH* I doubt that I'd be this cynical if it weren't for dealing with the after affects of eight years of Obama's unprosecuted RICO case of an administration, and all the continuing partisan resistance to the conduct of government under Trump.

Anyway, the missus just carted the dogter off to the hospital for a stay after a three-seizure cluster, and my sails are starting to luff.

No big plans, and kind of glad now that we hadn't made them.

There will be leftovers, a very dead tube of insulin, and more than likely ramen and hot dogs through the back half of January.

But tonight, even if somewhat glumly, we feast!


Tonight's (and Today's, and Next Week's) Grazing Menu:

Sparkling Grape Juice

Pear Cider

Egg Nog

Anchovy-stuffed Olives

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota "Pata Negra" Etiqueta Roja
(No, I don't have an entire gazillion dollar ham on the frame.)

Queso Manchego

Olive Oil Crostini

Portuguese Bread

Burrata

Old English Cheese on English Muffins

Herring in Mustard Sauce (Senapssås)

Wispride and Crackers

Miniature Beef Wellington

Chorizos en Vino Tinto con Aioli
(Not my chorizo method, but dead-nuts simple: fire up red wine in a cast iron pan, 8 minutes one side, 8 minutes on the other, 4 minutes rest, slice)

Champiñones al Ajillo

Swedish Meatballs with Potato Pancakes, Cream Gravy, and Lingonberry Preserve
(Köttbullar, Raggmunk, Graddsas, och Lingonsylt)

Swedish Cookies and Chocolates

 

[Veer_G]

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"525","width":"699","src":"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/TgjV0yR.jpg?1"}[/IMG2]
Crustini, anchovy-stuffed olives, jamón serrano, and rosemary manchego cheese. All but the crustini from Spain.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"429","width":"700","src":"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2dE2xbm.jpg?2"}[/IMG2]
Miniature Beef Wellingtons, boxed, from Wegmans. What luxury.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"563","width":"750","src":"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/kSyFJHw.jpg?1"}[/IMG2]
Champiñones al ajillo. OMFG.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"1000","width":"750","src":"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/F4Y8yPm.jpg?1"}[/IMG2]
Chorizos en vino tinto, about halfway done. As the wine cooks down to nearly a syrup, they darken considerably.
And yes, I cook with wine and make no bones about it. To do otherwise would be sacrilege.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"723","width":"750","src":"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/jba6FAk.jpg?1"}[/IMG2]
Jamón ibérico de bellota "pata negra": inarguably the finest cured ham in the world. This is "etiqueta roja," a middle-grade,
top-end product, at $160/lb. The pigs live idyllic lives until their ends, feasting on acorns on carefully tended farms that are
more game preserve than anything else. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamón_ibérico

 

[1J04]

reserved ...

HA! You even made reservations. You smooth operator.

Sorry to hear about Bella, Buddy. I know how much you guys have been through with this, as well as Her. Wish you all a Happy New Year and that she comes home well and soonest.

 

[Nodakplowboy]

Stay home and warm.
Prepare and enjoy pan fried sirloin, oven baked sourdough bread, little white taters and IPA's.
Sketch out plans for the new reloading bench
Avoid large crowds and drunken idiots. Enjoy the quiet.
Tomorrow, call all the kids.

 

[1J04]

Oh ya, and working. Working till at least 1600, if not 2400. The next 15 hrs of 'amateur night' is always so very special to us. Let the games begin.

 

[Rthur]

Going to the Nieces for this:

And this:

And I'll be baby sitting as a result of this:

Happy F'in New Year!


R

 

[Mike Casselton]

Rebecca has a big pot of potato, broccoli and ham soup on the stove.
The oven has a big loaf of fresh bread baking. 4 minutes to go.

And, to wash out down, a bottle of Allegrini reserve Valpolicella.
Yeah, I know it's not the right pairing, but it's tasty and that's all the wine left in the house.
Happy new year fellas!!

 

[bogeybrown]

I just finished the first day's cooking on a vat of chili to bring up to the bar tomorrow for the football games. Momma is up in Chicago, so I'm heading out shortly to have some early evening beverages then get home and barricaded before the amateurs take over. I made some Veggy Beef soup earlier this week with Christmas leftovers, saved myself a bowl to eat in front of a fire tonight.

 

[timesublime]

Mustard/rosemary sirloin roast.
Roasted Brussels sprouts with olive oil and a tinge of fire salt.
Cranberry almond boule with maple butter.

And cheapo domestic rice lager.

 

[Veer_G]

I just finished the first day's cooking on a vat of chili to bring up to the bar tomorrow for the football games. Momma is up in Chicago, so I'm heading out shortly to have some early evening beverages then get home and barricaded before the amateurs take over. I made some Veggy Beef soup earlier this week with Christmas leftovers, saved myself a bowl to eat in front of a fire tonight.

I cooked yesterday: Honduran chicken soup, and braised pork belly in chicken stock and white wine with root veggies and aromatics. When I make soup I'm fairly inclusive of all the poor little unloved cookables hanging about the place, so my results aren't quite the same each time. But it's warming, which I'm sure is a constant issue in ... Alabama? BTW, as I write this, it's 9 ℉ here.

 

[Whiskey 2-1]

Cast iron chicken fried Axis backstrap with pan gravy, skillet potatoes, fresh biscuits, bacon, and a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

 

[tnichols]

I just finished the first day's cooking on a vat of chili to bring up to the bar tomorrow for the football games. Momma is up in Chicago, so I'm heading out shortly to have some early evening beverages then get home and barricaded before the amateurs take over. I made some Veggy Beef soup earlier this week with Christmas leftovers, saved myself a bowl to eat in front of a fire tonight.

You hit the nail on the head. I always said New Years Eve was amateurs night. Us seasoned veterans hole up at home, warm and safe.

 

[tnichols]

Miss Lori baked a ham, mashed reds with her killer ham gravy. Simple farm boy stuff. It was stupid good.

 

[tnichols]

Going to the Nieces for this:
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/eggrolls-feature.jpg"}[/IMG2]
And this:
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/www.simplyscratch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Roasted-Tomato-Salsa-+-Baked-Tortilla-Chips-www.SimplyScratch.com-dip.jpg"}[/IMG2]
And I'll be baby sitting as a result of this:
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/pikfly.com\/images\/products\/164\/39917.jpg"}[/IMG2]




Happy F'in New Year!


R

Dilly dilly

 

[Veer_G]

The chorizo is about halfway done. The aioli is waiting on it, and I got more crusty bread.

The Swedish team didn't make tonight's cut, but there's always later today, which would have been tomorrow had I typed this about 18 minutes ago.

Damn. I'm glad I don't drink.

Anyway, Happy New Year to all y'all!

 

[tnichols]

Happy New Year Fellas

 

[1J04]

Happy New Year Guy's !!!!! Chops n home made fries down the gullet since I didn't know for sure I'd be home before 0100. It was Nom enough. Best to ya'll in the coming year !!!!!

 

[Mike Casselton]

Happy, Happy New Year boys!
Looks like us veterans of the years are home safe and sound ('cept for our sergeant at arms) and we'll have that full belly, dry diaper feeling (no reference to maser here) going on.
It hit me right after the dinner of soup and that heavy, almost biscuit like bread Rebecca made. Add a glass of wine and I was prone on the couch before 8:30.
I did wake up in time to see the new year come in.

 

[bogeybrown]

I cooked yesterday: Honduran chicken soup, and braised pork belly in chicken stock and white wine with root veggies and aromatics. When I make soup I'm fairly inclusive of all the poor little unloved cookables hanging about the place, so my results aren't quite the same each time. But it's warming, which I'm sure is a constant issue in ... Alabama? BTW, as I write this, it's 9 ℉ here.

As with you, when I do soup it's because I've got enough tasty bits already in the house to throw one together. I think we hit 20s last night, but just like our heat, or cold is VERY humid. The missus is from Northern Wisconsin and has been colder here this winter than ever before in her life. I'm flying to Chicago this week for a funeral, arriving to -15 or so, and almost looking forward to the dry cold, ALMOST.

That Honduran Chicken soup definitely sounds like a winner.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Well, it's -27 here, with a -37 windchill. I've spent a few days making Turkey Soup and to that we also made a big batch of Turkey Gravy. Both were divided up, vacuum packed in portion bags, then froze. That may sound weird to a few, but we do scratch cookin' here, and use the winter months for pre-prepping meals whilst out on the boat come thaw. There's no oven on it, only 2 electric/alcohol burners and meals are definitely cooked 'differently'.

Veer's definitely throwing the tease out there, with that Iberico Ham. Had that a time or two and there's nothing else like it.

My Lady has been yearning for a 14" cast iron pan for quite some time. She just happened to get a 2 pan combination set from Cabela's, under the tree. We scraped it/them, then seasoned 'em properly and now they are fantastic for cooking with. She never used to cook before we met. Then was given a whole aluminum/teflon set by her mom. I initiated the 'stainless steel' to accompany the few cast-iron pans I had. Now, she's a Cast Iron Freak (definitely not a bitch so don't go there) and I can honestly say that she especially (but we both, together) are cooking so much differently than we have/had for quite some time.

"It's all in how it's seasoned" takes on a whole new meaning.

So this, to go with the sous-vide cooker that we were given last year at Christmas, really REALLY changes the food menu.

 

[bogeybrown]

Well, it's -27 here, with a -37 windchill. I've spent a few days making Turkey Soup and to that we also made a big batch of Turkey Gravy. Both were divided up, vacuum packed in portion bags, then froze. That may sound weird to a few, but we do scratch cookin' here, and use the winter months for pre-prepping meals whilst out on the boat come thaw. There's no oven on it, only 2 electric/alcohol burners and meals are definitely cooked 'differently'.

Veer's definitely throwing the tease out there, with that Iberico Ham. Had that a time or two and there's nothing else like it.

My Lady has been yearning for a 14" cast iron pan for quite some time. She just happened to get a 2 pan combination set from Cabela's, under the tree. We scraped it/them, then seasoned 'em properly and now they are fantastic for cooking with. She never used to cook before we met. Then was given a whole aluminum/teflon set by her mom. I initiated the 'stainless steel' to accompany the few cast-iron pans I had. Now, she's a Cast Iron Freak (definitely not a bitch so don't go there) and I can honestly say that she especially (but we both, together) are cooking so much differently than we have/had for quite some time.

"It's all in how it's seasoned" takes on a whole new meaning.

So this, to go with the sous-vide cooker that we were given last year at Christmas, really REALLY changes the food menu.

Great stuff Sean. Which vacuum sealer are you using for wet foods? I've killed a few "regular" sealers trying seal those kinds of items.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Bogey, for some years now we've been using the 'foodsaver' brand, model number: V3460

I wrote that in lower case on purpose, and can't stress enough how WE HATE IT. With a passion. Both myself AND My Lady are so looking forward to buying one from Cabela's that we've our eye on.
https://www.cabelas.ca/product/64883/cabelas-12-commercial-grade-vacuum-sealer

And here is why:
What we have is a 'stand up' model, and we now know that for us the 'lay down' model/style would be so much better.
What we have has a 'single' heat bar, whereas what we want has 2, which would be so much better'er.
What we have wastes SO MUCH bag, both on the cuts and the seals. Whereas what we want is designed to work so much 'closer', which would be so much gooder.

As to how we do 'liquids' such as soups and gravies, My Lady holds the bag with two hands to feed it into the machine 'just so' which often takes a few tries because of the shit-design. It is set to 'moist' (as opposed to 'dry') and 'gentle' (as opposed to 'normal') and I have my hand poised over the 'stop/seal' button.

[I know that there are a few of you who're just chomping at the bit, to run with that paragraph, aren't you?]

Almost as soon as the vacuum process starts, when the air is removed from the bag and you can see the moisture rising up the bag is when I hit the button and it seals. We may not be vacuuming the bags down to 'full-whack' or whatever the Bar value is, but what we do works. Most of the time. The thing is, way too often the seal process doesn't do a good enough job, and we've had to do this over and over again for the same bag, 2,3, and even 4 times.

The 'lay down' model has a much closer suck/seal distance so we won't be wasting nearly 1.75" of material with every bag. When you're buying it by the rolls, believe me that is A LOT of material that is wasted each time. You do a dozen bags and you've literally wasted almost 2 feet of bag material, just in scrap. Not to mention scrapping whole bags because of a hole somewhere (from the factory) which is yet another problem that we've come across TOO MANY TIMES from that shitty 'foodsaver' brand of crap.

If one is portioning 10-20 lbs of ground beef/pork/moose/venison or any combination therein, that is a lot of bags. And an insane amount of wastage. I have a very poor opinion of bad/wasteful design. And they obviously don't give their bags/rolls away. That's how they make their money.

The 'stand up' version has a very narrow window with an inflatable 'bladder' on top that once activated, inflates and holds the bag in place. Thing is, the stupid unit is activated by moving two 'triggers' that are deep inside the machine. If you don't hit them both 'just so' then you're wasting your time and having to move things around/try again, and again, and again.

[Believe me, I know what I'm typing.... and you can't imagine how hard (pun intended) it is to say all this, with such hatred towards the machine at the same time having other thoughts towards..... ]

With the 'lay down' model, one simply lifts the front 'hatch', places the bag opening right where one wants it, closes the hatch and 'wa-laaaaa', it works as desired.

Now, years ago when I worked in a meat packing plant, I maintained industrial Cryo-Vac machines. Those things were beaut's, and all this little 'consumer grade' stuff is merely "toys" in comparison. There is/was also a slight cost difference too, not to mention hourly throughput. It's hard trying to get what you know you used-to in the past, with what one can have on hand now.... but that's another story.

So yeah, I hope that this post was both specific and educational (learn vicariously) and at the same time humorous and full of lewd innuendo.

We can't afford to waste good food, hence why we aim at preserving it as best we can. At the same time, we can't afford to waste money doing so, or time, which is why we both hate this machine AND brand. The only way it could be designed worse would be to substitute a hand crank for the electric motor.

Then it'd all have to be done by hand.

And on that note.......

 

[Veer_G]

Mmm. Tandoori quarter of elk. I mean, it's like it's just made for it, eh?

 

[bogeybrown]

Thanks Sean the Nailer , in the past I've used the horizontal foodsaver machines, but must have been too ambitious with true vacuuming because the machine would suck some liquid in and kill itself. I had a few of them laying around in a cupboard, I may pull one out and see if it's come back to life and willing to cooperate.

 

[Veer_G]

Thanks Sean the Nailer , in the past I've used the horizontal foodsaver machines, but must have been too ambitious with true vacuuming because the machine would suck some liquid in and kill itself. I had a few of them laying around in a cupboard, I may pull one out and see if it's come back to life and willing to cooperate.

Are the chamber machines worth the insane cost jump? This thread has me thinking.

 

[bogeybrown]

Are the chamber machines worth the insane cost jump? This thread has me thinking.

I've only used ONE, and that was back in the 80's or very early 90's working for a butcher. That damn thing was awesome, and hugely expensive. The consumer and light commercial models seem to have a long way in affordability. Ive talked to a few restaurant owners who use them for their sous vide thermal immersion circulators and they swear by them. I'd looked at them as a means of properly sealing meats in a wet marinade, but have no desire to ever sous vide anything, so the price is a bit harder to justify.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Ok, just for a bit of clarity here, each of the vacuum machines that I've spoken about that are consumer grade have 'moisture chambers' (no, not 'reservoir tips') and they have wires in them that 'shut off' the machine when they are shorted out by liquid. So, for that matter, it works on the model that we have and that isn't a problem. The same seems to exist on the other but we haven't tried it yet.

Now Veer, as to the industrial machines that I was reminiscing about earlier, the package itself goes into a chamber. The whole package. I don't know what you have access to, but the machines I worked on were at the very least many tens of thousands of dollars each. Not including vacuum pumps, which is a whole other set of costs.
https://www.clarkefussellsbrokerage...c-octopus-8620-rotary-vacuum-packing-machine/ is an example. Typically, when one purchases a vacuum packed and shrunk whole beef loin, brisket, or rack of pork ribs they are done on a machine such as these.

The shrink tunnel follows the machine, which is essentially a submerged hot-water bath to reduce size as much as possible for the fastest cooling potential. Safe-food-handling, and all that. Temp shift needs to be as fast as possible and the blast freezer which was next in the process was kept at -70 to -72 with a whole wall of fans running continuously. The wall was ~40' long and just under 30' tall and held somewhere in the area of 40 or 50 fans. Working in there required minimum 2 man, double-lockout and 8ish minutes max.

But I digress. Back to the elk. (sorry for the diversion.....) For anyone interested in actually progressing with the home food preservation using a vacuum bag and sealer.... stay away from ANYTHING made by 'foodsaver'. They are the Yugo of the industry.

 

[Barneybdb]

Many of us on our fishing forum use a unit made by Maxkon, most of us have got 6 - 8 years of hard use out of them. They are a horizontal style but it does help to put a cutting board in front of it to keep the bag level with the unit. https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...=YC9miRC-W3s&usg=AOvVaw2ViAKTUa08VbgdIY8vtPFE

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Many of us on our fishing forum use a unit made by Maxkon, most of us have got 6 - 8 years of hard use out of them. They are a horizontal style but it does help to put a cutting board in front of it to keep the bag level with the unit. https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...=YC9miRC-W3s&usg=AOvVaw2ViAKTUa08VbgdIY8vtPFE

Excellent. That looks similar to the Cabela's one I linked. I've more investigating to do, thanks.