Post your food recipes here! Official Audioholics Cookbook

[MinusTheBear]

My version of Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients (For Meat Mixture)
• 1 Pound Ground Beef
• 1 Pound Ground Chicken
• 1 Large Onion Minced Finely
• 2 Small Carrots Diced or 1 Large Carrot Diced
• 1 Green Pepper Diced
• ½ Cup Sliced Mushrooms
• ½ Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Tablespoon Worsteshire Sauce
• Couple Dashes of Hot Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
• 1 and ½ Cups of Beef or Veal Stock
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

Ingredients (For Mashed Potato Mixture)
• 5-7 Large Russet Potatoes (or any other good boiling potato)
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
• ½ Cup Sour Cream
• ¼ Cup of Cream
• Pad of butter (optional)
• Bunch Of Finely Chopped Fresh Chives
• Salt and Pepper To Taste


1. Brown ground beef and chicken, drain excessive grease and set meat aside.

2. In the same pan add the onions, carrots, green pepper and mushrooms (leave aside the frozen peas for now, they will be added into the mixture at the very last moment).

3. Sauté vegetables until tender.

4. Add the beef and chicken to the vegetable mixture. Now add the beef stock, tomato paste, hot sauce, bay leaves and thyme to the meat and vegetable mixture. Leave over a medium heat to reduce till the mixture becomes nice and thick (we do not want it watery). Stir occasionally so no sticking or burning occurs on the bottom of the pot.

5. Once reduced to a nice and thick consistency take out the bay leaves and discard, add the peas, stir and taste the mixture to see if it needs anything like salt or pepper etc. Place the mixture into the bottom of a deep baking dish (same thing you would use for a lasagne), use a spatula and spread the mixture evenly along the baking dish. Let cool and refrigerate to stiffen up.

6. Peel potatoes and chop them to an even size for consistent cooking, place in pot.

7. Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and throw them into the pot with the potatoes (leaving them whole).

8. Cover potatoes and garlic cloves with water and boil till the potatoes are fork tender.

9. Once cooked drain potatoes, add them back to the pot with the cooked garlic. Add sour cream, cream, butter and chives. If potatoes are still a little dry add more sour cream, butter or cream to your liking. Mash to a nice and smooth consistency (no lumps). Taste to see if it needs any further seasoning.

10. Take potato mixture and with a spatula evenly spread potatoes over the meat and vegetable mixture. For a fancy presentation you can take a piping bag and with the fancy attachment you can pipe the potatoes over the meat mixture. This option makes for an excellent presentation.

Bake in 350 degree oven covered with tinfoil. When the Shepherd’s pie is bubbling nicely, uncover and place under the broiler until the top layer of the potatoes are golden brown. Take out of oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

Enjoy!

 

[Midcow2]

My spicy Gumbo

This makes a medium spicy Gumbo.

First Instead of making Roux (cooking flour in water over heat until it turns into a dark brown sauce, kind of like gravy but much harder to make right) which is rather time consuming and if not careful you can burn it and it then tastes awful, I use a base of two boxes of Zataran Rice mixes: Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice and or Gumbo. Any two of these together or in combination work.

This recipe is for about 8 quarts; you can easily cut it in half. It will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and/or you can freeze it.

Ingredients (8 quart size, will make about 20-24 meal size servings):

2 boxes Zataran Rice Mix
2 ½ pounds Earl Campbell “Hot” Hot links (same amount of Eckrich Sausage can be substituted).
2 ½ pounds large shrimp
I package of Crab Boil
1 stalk of celery
1 large white onion
1 package imitation crab meat (12-16 oz size)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Optional:
1 pint raw Oyster
2 boneless chicken breasts
1-2 small blue crabs (whole)


Different ways to increase Hotness with good flavor:
3 to 5 Jalapeno peppers (can be fresh or canned)
Cut open Crab Boil and put in Gumbo after cooking Shrimp

You can also add 1-2 cans of Rotel and/or 1 Jar of Ariba Hot salsa.


Preparation:

Start a pot of water to cook the shrimp.
Start large pot of water (8 quarts size) with about 3-4 quarts of water.


In the Shrimp water add the package of Crab Boil and bring to a boil
Add the Shrimp and cook 10-15 minutes until red.
Drain in a Colander (pot with holes), add ice and let cool.
After cool peel the shrimp and put in a bowl.
If you are going to add the Crab Boil, get a nice and open the spice sack and empty the contents into the large water pot.
…..

Large Pot of Water:

Add the two packages of Zataran Rice Mixes and stir occasionally, this will need to cook 20-30 minutes total.

Begin cutting the Celery into 1/8 inch slices. Add to the large pot of water.
Peel the other layers of onion and discard, cut into quarter inch pieces. Add to the large pot of water.
If you are adding the Jalapenos slice into 1/8 inch slices and add at this time (leave seeds in). Also add Rotel and/or Ariba sauce.

Cut the sausage to pieces about ½ inches long and add to large pot of water.
Cut the artificial crab meat into ½ inch size cubes and add to the water.
If you are using the chicken breast cut in to ½ inch cubes and adds to the large pot.
Put oysters in the large pot if you are going to use them.
Cut the Blue crabs in half and add whole to the large pot (you can break into smaller piece if you want).

Cook until the rice is done, usually about 30 minutes total and then it is ready to serve.
If the mixture becomes too thick add water as needed to keep somewhat soupy.

Bon Appetite!





Start one large pot of water and put the two Zataran rice mixes in. Occasionally stirring

 

[Midcow2]

my "Clam Bake"

This makes a complete meal and is fairly easy to make. Large size 20 quarts ( huge pot), portions can be reduced.

Bring a large pot of water to boil ( pot should be half full of water)

Preparation:
6 lemons cut in half
10 pounds of baking potatoes whether quartered or ¼ inch sliced or
10 pounds of new potatoes ( about Lemon size reddish skin ) cut in half
4-6 White onions, outer layers peeled and Onions Quartered
2 stalks of Celery cut into ½ pieces
5-10 pounds medium to Extra –larg shrimp ( How much do you like Shrimp ?) in the shell not cooked with heads off
3 - 5 pounds Hot Dogs ( the original ingredient) whole or cut in half
Or substiute ( Earl Campbell Hot Links 2 ½ or 5 Pounds)
Or substitute ( Eckrich Sausage 2 1/12 to 5 pounds) cut into 2 inch pieces
20-30 ears of corn ( the 2-3 inch length)
3 bags of Crab Boil


Time: -10 minutes Start pot boiling
Time: 0 Add Crab Boil and Lemons
Time: 0 Add Potatoes
Time: 15 minutes Add Celery and Onions
Time: 25 minutes Add Corn
Time: 35 minutes Add Hot Dogs ( or sausage)
Time: 40 minutes Add Shrimp

Time 50 Minutes: Complete scoop and serve.

This will last a week to week and one half in the refrigerator (Need to remove corn and potatoes).

 

[jwenthold99]

I really like this recipe, I always grill the tenderloin on a charcoal grill, and I use Door County Cherries (when available) or tart cherries instead of the cranberries.

roast pork tenderloins with cranberry-port sauce Bon Appétit | October 2001

White and red wines go equally well with pork. A lightly oaked Chardonnay and a fruity Merlot would be nice.

Makes 8 servings.
ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
5 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup tawny Port
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 1-pound pork tenderloins, excess fat trimmed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
preparation
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, sage, and 1 teaspoon thyme; stir 1 minute. Add broth and cranberry juice; simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Strain sauce into heavy medium saucepan, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Add cranberries and sugar; boil just until berries pop, about 5 minutes. Mix Port and cornstarch in small bowl to blend. Add to sauce; boil until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Cranberry sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mix remaining 4 1/2 teaspoons thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in small bowl. Place pork in large baking dish. Pat dry with paper towel. Brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Rub thyme mixture over pork. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork and cook until brown, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to platter; cover to keep warm. Add cranberry sauce and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel to same skillet and bring to simmer, stirring frequently.

Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Divide slices among 8 plates. Drizzle sauce over and serve.

Mix remaining 4 1/2 teaspoons thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in small bowl. Place pork in large baking dish. Pat dry with paper towel. Brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Rub thyme mixture over pork. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork and cook until brown, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to platter; cover to keep warm. Add cranberry sauce and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel to same skillet and bring to simmer, stirring frequently.

Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Divide slices among 8 plates. Drizzle sauce over and serve.

 

[jostenmeat]

jeezus, my tummy is grumbling right now.

 

[jwenthold99]

jeezus, my tummy is grumbling right now.

Tell me about it! Although we grilled pork loin chops at the office today for lunch 2.5" thick.... mmmmmm......

 

[itschris]

Now this is what I'm talking about!!! Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. My wife used to own a gourmet bakery in Cleveland and I've spent a lot of time honing my skills over the years. My claim to fame amongst family and friends and what has won me a few local professional invitations to cook is taking everyday comfort food and making it something special. My theory on gourmet is: If you can't pronounce it, can't tell what it is, or is too small an amount to feed even an infant, than it has no business on my plate!! That being said... I love soup. There's nothing like a good bowl of soup to start a meal or one that's hearty enough to be a meal in itself.

I combined a couple of different recipes and played around for awhile and after a lot of tweaking, came up with this soup... a cream of onion cheese soup. I hope you guys like it. I attached a word doc to print out as well.

Cream of Onion Cheese Soup
 4 cups sweet onions, Very Thinly Sliced
(I would use 1015’s or Vidalia first, but regular large sweet onions work fine.)
 1 stick of butter (salted)
 1 box of chicken broth (about 30-35 oz)
(I like to use Swanson’s Organic. I’ve tried lots of other fancier brands, but I think this works best)
 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper, Ground
 4 chicken bouillon cubes or comparable substitute
(Often times I like to use a paste called Better Than Bouillon which has a more natural flavor)
 Cheese:
 1/4 cup Velveeta cheese, (Diced and pushed down into the measuring cup for good measure)
 1/8 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese. (Use the finest holes on your grater)
 1/8 cup of sharp white cheddar (Grate finely like the Gruyere)


Preheat a 4 to 8 quart sauce pan to low or low-medium. About 10 min.

a) Add the butter and melt it slowly careful not to let it brown too much
b) Once just about melted, add the finely sliced sweet onions.
c) Stir them often to coat them in butter and cook them very slowly so they don’t brown. You want them very soft and clear. This can take about 20 minutes maybe up to 30 or so depending on how low and slow you go. The longer the better.. Lower the heat to low if they appear to be cooking to fast or starting to brown. This is an important part which really builds the flavor profile of the soup.
d) Once the onions are very soft and clear, add the broth, the bouillon, the pepper, and slowly stir
e) Let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes until it’s heated through, lightly stirring every few minutes.
f) Add the white sauce which will be pretty thick, and the Velveeta. Carefully stir the mixture until the sauce is incorporated and the Velveeta is well melted.
g) Add the finely grated Gruyere and white cheddar and stir carefully until melted and the entire mixture is well blended.
h) Reduce the temp to simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 45 minutes.




Classic French White Sauce
(this may differ to some of the classic recipes but it works really well in every recipe that needed it)

 6 tablespoons butter to 1 stick (use unsalted (sweet) butter)
 6 tablespoons flour
 1/4 teaspoon salt (sea salt works best)
 3 cups whole milk (don’t substitute low fat milk – use whole milk)

a) Heat a 2-4 quart sauce pan on medium heat and melt the butter
b) Add the flour and cook on medium heat until the flour turns thick and comes away from the sides of the sauce pan and turns just lightly golden.
c) Pour in the milk a little bit at a time stirring constantly. Add the salt. (The mixture should thicken and become like thick pudding).
d) Remember to stir constantly taking care not to let mixture lump. This can be set aside off of the heat until you’re ready to use it for the soup. I would start making it once you get the onions about half way through.

 

[itschris]

These are great recipes guys! I will add them all to my collection. I'd officially say "thanks" but as usual my THANKS button isn't working again!

 

[jwenthold99]

My claim to fame amongst family and friends and what has won me a few local professional invitations to cook is taking everyday comfort food and making it something special.

EXACTLY!

That is what I love to do as well.... Find a good recipe, and then tweak it, make it with the freshest ingredients, and if at all possible, make it on a charcoal grill.

I don't ever write down the recipe, or the things I change, so it is usually a little different every time.

 

[itschris]

This is one of my favorites for Ribeye Steaks or whole Tenderloin. It may not sound appealing at first, but trust me, it's a winner. I begged the chef at one my favorite restaurants for his recipe, but he wouldn't cough it up. After a lot of missteps, I thought it was really close. I showed him my version and let him try it and he said it was very very close. Pleased... this is the version I've stuck with for a couple of years now and has been a really fine crowd pleaser:

Kona Spice Rub

• 1/4 cup finely ground Kona coffee beans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup Turbinado Sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 Red onion, quartered


Kona Beef Coffee Gravy

• 1 can (15-ounce) beef broth, Swanson Organic works very well.
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals.
• 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt,
• About a teaspoon of Sea Salt and black pepper
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into large chunks


a) In a medium saucepan, combine broth, Worcestershire sauce, coffee crystals, and seasoned salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
b) In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and whisk into broth mixture. Cook until gravy has thickened to the consistency of cream. Whisk in butter 1 chunk at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

[jwenthold99]

Kona Spice Rub

Kona Beef Coffee Gravy

I know Kona coffee is extremely smooth brewed, but do you think it would matter if another high quality medium roast coffee would work?

Good Kona coffee is at least twice the price of everything else!

 

[MinusTheBear]

Chicken Marsala My Way

Simple yet very tasty !

• 4-6 Chicken Breasts Pounded Flat
• 1 Cup Of Flour For Breading the Chicken
• 2 Shallots Minced
• 2 Cups of Sliced Mushrooms ( A mixture of Crimini,Portobello, and Button mushrooms would be nice, you can get crazy and use the really fancy wild mushrooms too )
• 1 Cup Marsala Wine (Do not use the dry)
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh Sage (Dry would work as well)
• Mixture of Olive Oil and Butter to sear floured chicken (use to your taste)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Get a cutting board and place some plastic wrap over it. Take a chicken breast and place on top. Cover chicken breast with another piece of plastic wrap. Get a mallet or a pan and beat the chicken breast until it becomes flat and of even consistency. Repeat step until all chicken breasts are done.

2. Take a cup of flour and put it into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix to incorporate seasoning.

3. Dredge each piece of pounded chicken in the seasoned flour.

4. Heat a large pan with olive oil and butter. Place chicken in pan. DO NOT OVERCROWD THE PAN. If you have to sear the chicken in steps that would be your best option. You are looking for a nice golden brown colour on the outside of the chicken. Repeat until all chicken is seared. Reserve until later.

5. Now using the same pan you cooked the chicken in, there will be some nice crusty bits on the bottom of the pan. This is called the fond. Basically this is concentrated/caramelized juices of meat/food which holds all the flavour for good sauces. To extract the fond add 3 tablespoons of the Marsala wine reserving the rest for later.

6. If the pan is a little dry at this point you can add more butter or olive oil and add the shallots and the mushrooms. Let them both cook down until nice and soft. At this point add the seared chicken and the rest of the Marsala Wine, cook over low heat until the sauce is nicely reduced and chicken fully cooked.

7. Let the Marsala reduce until the sauce is of a thick consistency. Taste at this point and see if it needs any salt and pepper.

8. Optional - You can take some very cold cubed butter and “mount” the sauce. (Stir in a couple tablespoons of cold butter off heat). This obviously adds more flavour and gives a nice sheen to the sauce.

9. Finish with the chopped fresh sage. Serve Immediately

Enjoy!

 

[MinusTheBear]

This is one of my favorites for Ribeye Steaks or whole Tenderloin. It may not sound appealing at first, but trust me, it's a winner. I begged the chef at one my favorite restaurants for his recipe, but he wouldn't cough it up. After a lot of missteps, I thought it was really close. I showed him my version and let him try it and he said it was very very close. Pleased... this is the version I've stuck with for a couple of years now and has been a really fine crowd pleaser:

Kona Spice Rub

• 1/4 cup finely ground Kona coffee beans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup Turbinado Sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 Red onion, quartered


Kona Beef Coffee Gravy

• 1 can (15-ounce) beef broth, Swanson Organic works very well.
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals.
• 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt,
• About a teaspoon of Sea Salt and black pepper
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into large chunks


a) In a medium saucepan, combine broth, Worcestershire sauce, coffee crystals, and seasoned salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
b) In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and whisk into broth mixture. Cook until gravy has thickened to the consistency of cream. Whisk in butter 1 chunk at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I have done some coffee based dry rubs for NY Strips and Ribeye's before over gas and charcoal grills, it was absolutely delicious. Let the grilling begin!!!!!!!!! I have only had Kona coffee a couple of times in my life and it was amazing. For me to get it I would have to order it online, it is very special coffee and expensive!!!!

 

[Midcow2]

Easy , Great Taste- Name? Cornbread casserole

I am not sure this dish has a name, or at least on that sounds appetizing, but it is very,very good and very,very easy to make. There are also a couple of variations, so noted.

Hamburger -Cornbread casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat ( or ground turkey, or ground sirloin)
1 can ranch beans
1 can corn
1 can tomatoes ( diced or whole, your preference)
1 package Jiff cornbread mix ( or other cornbread mix)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup jalapenos ( optional for spicy)
1 tablespoon chilli powder ( leave out if you want a sweeter meal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

===========

steps 1:

1. Brown and drain meat.

2. mix cornbread in a bowl: cornbread mix, milk, egg

3,. In a casserole dish mix hamburger, ranch beans , corn and tomatoe, chillipoweder , salt ,pepper.

4. Put cornbread on top; doesn't have to cover all, the last part use a tablespoon.

5. Bake in an oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread is baked and starts to turn a golden brown.

6. Then serve ( pretty easy !); Also stores well in refigerator and reheats in microwave.


Try it an let me know what you think

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Midcow2 likes the spice. So do I!



We had mussels in white wine & garlic last nite...simple and common sea food dish and...........UmmmmmmmmmmGooooood!

(Serves 4)
4lbs live mussels
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion or 2 shallots finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine or cider
fresh parsley sprigs
ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish
French bread (to serve)

(1) Check for bad mussels. (broken or open) Clean under cold water.(remove any beards) rinse well in multiple changes of water.

(2) Heat the oil and butter in a large pan then fry the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes.

(3) Add the wine (or cider) and parsley sprigs, stir well, bring to boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. (shake the pan occasionally). Discard any mussels that have not opened fully.

(4) Serve in shell with juices (a bowl works best) and chopped parsley and ground black pepper. Accompany with hot French bread.

(5) Don't eat shells...HaHa

As always play with the ingredient list an make it your own.
SBF1

 

[itschris]

I know Kona coffee is extremely smooth brewed, but do you think it would matter if another high quality medium roast coffee would work?

Good Kona coffee is at least twice the price of everything else!

Sure. I use Kona only for more special occasions. I've done this with other coffees and it's turned out just fine... I've even used the old stand by 8 o'clock brand you can pick up in any grocery store (It's actually rather fine coffee). Really what you're trying to do is just impart the flavor of the coffee. It is a lot like using wine for cooking, A lot of folks use the cheapest wine they can find for making sauces and adding to things. The problem is, even though it's just used for cooking, it will take on the characteristics of the source. So, if you use wine you wouldn't want to drink, the sauce or reduction you make probably won't taste good to you either.

The same is true for rubs. I do a lot of bbq. I have a commercial grade smoker that I've had a lot of fun with and has taught me a lot. For instance, I've come across many recipes for rubs that just don't taste good dry. The theory is though that once it's in the low slow heat, the ingredients meld together. I've never found that to be true. If I try a rub and it tastes awful, chances are it won't taste good after 16 hours in the smoker either. That's been my experience.

So that being said, use a bold smooth coffee that you like. Here's a good site for getting coffee. They have really good specials all the time. I've bought a lot of coffee over the years from these folks and have never been dissappointed. You can really fine boutique roasted coffees for less than you'd buy a pound of mediocre beans from Starbucks.

http://www.greatcoffee.com/trlanding.cfm

I learned a few years ago that they review coffee much the same way they do wine. They rate it and assign characteristics to each roast. It's actually interesting. I like their top rated section which I linked above. This is what I usually buy from.

 

[itschris]

I have done some coffee based dry rubs for NY Strips and Ribeye's before over gas and charcoal grills, it was absolutely delicious. Let the grilling begin!!!!!!!!! I have only had Kona coffee a couple of times in my life and it was amazing. For me to get it I would have to order it online, it is very special coffee and expensive!!!!

See my post above. I included a link to a great coffee site that I've bought a lot of coffee from.

Have you ever cooked steak on a Big Green Egg? It's the way to go. Using real hardwood charcoal like Royal Oak Hardwood, will get the egg up to 800-900 degrees. It changes everything about cooking steak. Over at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, they cook their steaks at 1200 degrees. Heat is everything

 

[itschris]

This is one of my favorites, but I've never quite got it perfected. This differs a bit from how I do it. I'll definately give this a try. What wine do you like to use?

Midcow2 likes the spice. So do I!



We had mussels in white wine & garlic last nite...simple and common sea food dish and...........UmmmmmmmmmmGooooood!

(Serves 4)
4lbs live mussels
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion or 2 shallots finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine or cider
fresh parsley sprigs
ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish
French bread (to serve)

(1) Check for bad mussels. (broken or open) Clean under cold water.(remove any beards) rinse well in multiple changes of water.

(2) Heat the oil and butter in a large pan then fry the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes.

(3) Add the wine (or cider) and parsley sprigs, stir well, bring to boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. (shake the pan occasionally). Discard any mussels that have not opened fully.

(4) Serve in shell with juices (a bowl works best) and chopped parsley and ground black pepper. Accompany with hot French bread.

(5) Don't eat shells...HaHa

As always play with the ingredient list an make it your own.
SBF1

 

[jwenthold99]

Sure. I use Kona only for more special occasions. I've done this with other coffees and it's turned out just fine... I've even used the old stand by 8 o'clock brand you can pick up in any grocery store (It's actually rather fine coffee). Really what you're trying to do is just impart the flavor of the coffee. It is a lot like using wine for cooking, A lot of folks use the cheapest wine they can find for making sauces and adding to things. The problem is, even though it's just used for cooking, it will take on the characteristics of the source. So, if you use wine you wouldn't want to drink, the sauce or reduction you make probably won't taste good to you either.

The same is true for rubs. I do a lot of bbq. I have a commercial grade smoker that I've had a lot of fun with and has taught me a lot. For instance, I've come across many recipes for rubs that just don't taste good dry. The theory is though that once it's in the low slow heat, the ingredients meld together. I've never found that to be true. If I try a rub and it tastes awful, chances are it won't taste good after 16 hours in the smoker either. That's been my experience.

So that being said, use a bold smooth coffee that you like. Here's a good site for getting coffee. They have really good specials all the time. I've bought a lot of coffee over the years from these folks and have never been dissappointed. You can really fine boutique roasted coffees for less than you'd buy a pound of mediocre beans from Starbucks.

http://www.greatcoffee.com/trlanding.cfm

I learned a few years ago that they review coffee much the same way they do wine. They rate it and assign characteristics to each roast. It's actually interesting. I like their top rated section which I linked above. This is what I usually buy from.

Thanks. I have a couple of local roasters that are pretty good within a mile of my place.... I will have to give this recipe a try.

I do a lot of barbecue as well, and I agree completely about the rubs. I always taste them as I mix them. We have some really nice spice places, so I am always trying new stuff in rubs. And if they don't taste halfway decent as a plain rub, they won't change THAT much on the grill. I would love to get a smoker, I have done a little bit on the Weber with banked coals and chips/chunks, but you just can't keep the temp low enough for true smoking. It still tastes pretty good though

 

[jwenthold99]

This is one of my favorites, but I've never quite got it perfected. This differs a bit from how I do it. I'll definately give this a try. What wine do you like to use?

I made a seafood stew that was really good, with mussels, scallops, shrimp etc.

i think it had a tomato/wine base. I will have to try to dig it up.