March 2006: What are you Dining On?

Last night was gluttony central - brother in law in town, so all my wife's family was over, total about 18.

Hors d - various baked goods, crostini with pesto and sundried tomato and mozzarella
Fish - grilled halibut with fruit salsa
Salad - new greens with simple emulsified vinaigrette
main - killer 15 lb standing rib roast with roasted garlic, rosemary and thyme sauce, rosemary roast new potatoes and broccoli au citron
dessert - chocolate mousse, homemade, with 7 layer cake, brought by father in law.

Was awesome!

chorizo
sweet potato
steamed asparagus
an a glass of Argentinian plonk

One of our go-to meals... chicken in a mushroom sauce. I've posted the recipe before.

Tonight, NY strips on the grill.

Last night -

Grilled tri-tip with '01 Plumpjack Estate Cab

Nothing last night, too dead to anything. Today - painkillers! Snowboarding at 40 is very painful the next day, but what powder, dudes! Me and new my homies (some crazy kids who skipped school to shred fresh powder instead), we ripped that mountain in half!

quote:

Snowboarding at 40 is very painful the next day

Hopefully it'll be warmer today.

Oh, it's warmer alright - 56F - just not any younger somehow.

Spaghetti rigati with a meat sauce and an '01 Shafer Firebreak....

Grilled marinated flank steak.

NOT Iguana!

BBQ pork sandwhiches, coleslaw and corn.

Grilled marinated pork chops and a salad. Nothing so special as to be called a "side salad," but a nice one just the same.

I guess it was a "pork" kinda' night, huh?

quote:

Originally posted by mwagner7700:
BBQ pork sandwhiches, coleslaw and corn.

You eat sandwiches for dinner? That's strange. And where do you get edible corn in March, it's all frozen starch by now, no?

It's summer in the southern hemisphere, no?

quote:

Grilled marinated pork chops

I am thinking about doing the exact same thing.

I overdid ours, spo. The meat is extremely lean. I should have placed them over an off-burner after searing.

Mine turned out ok. They had bones and I cooked them slow, and they were not very lean. I wish I had marinated them in Italian dressing though. It is kind of like old reliable even if it is not that imaginative.

Were your chops boneless? I think I like steak, pork, lamb and chicken better when it is cooked with the bone.

With the bone. These go from perfectly cooked to shoe leather very quickly becauyse of the leanness of the meat. These were center cut pork chops.

quote:

You eat sandwiches for dinner? That's strange.

Reminds me of a German friend of mine. Our families were living in Indonesia at the time. I invited him over for lunch one day. Our cook made up a nice platter of assorted sandwiches and some chips, pickles and olives for us. It was a pretty fancy lunch for me, based on my experience at the time. My friend, Reinhardt, as hard as he tried to be polite seemed a little confused by the meal. The next week he invited me to lunch at his house. Homemade sauerbraten, red cabbage, potato pancakes followed by a delicious slice of cake and fresh sliced pineapple drizzled in Grand Marnier.

He smiled when were were done, and said, "Zis is how vee luntch in Tchermany, my friend!" So much for sandwiches.....

Oh, and last night. Hamburgers on the grill. Hamburger sandwiches, that is...

PH

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
With the bone. These go from perfectly cooked to shoe leather very quickly becauyse of the leanness of the meat. These were center cut pork chops.

I have great luck with these on the grill. They need to be very thick, and as Board-O said after searing need to be slow cooked over a dead burner with other burners dialed back to Medium. Always come out tasty and juicy!

PH

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
after searing need to be slow cooked over a dead burner with other burners dialed back to Medium. Always come out tasty and juicy!

Now you tell me!

It's a very similar technique to the Pork Surprise Packages, which I know you've made before! Just doesn't need quite as long.

PH

You can call me Gunther, PurpleH.

As far as pork goes, always with the bone and always marinate in olive oil for several hours before cooking. My typical marinade is olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, all pounded in mortar and spread over meat. Grill quikly on high heat (i do it on the stove), then finish in the hot oven for 7-9 minutes. Let rest. Eat.

Yesterday for lunch I had some Thai food. It was duck prepared with ginger, soy and it also had celery and chives. It was pretty tasty.

I also made another omlette last night. Diced onions, olives, tomatoes and cooked in olive oil.

Last night butter ckicken with saffron basmati and homemade roti. Tonight will be mango curry shrimps with jasmine rice. Need a good idea for company tomorrow. I am thinking of trying the pork surprise packages.

Blue Cheese crusted Beef Tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, mixed veg; wine a 1998 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cab. Made a nice Cab sauce to serve with the beef (the Don Melchor was good for something). Dessert: molten chocolate cakes with a heap of whipped cream. All prepped and finished by yours truly. Nothing from a box, ever, is my motto.

I was craving beef and nothing filled the pie hole quite like a decent Cab, some blue cheese on a nicely marinated piece of beef, creamy mashed and chocolate for dessert. YMMMMM GOOD.

Last night -

Linguine with arugula, prosciutto, red chile and capers.

Cold lobster terrine with Jaquesson vintage 1993 Chamapagne. De-li-te!

Tonight for a good friend's birthday:

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with PH's homemade cocktail sauce

Mini backfin crab cakes with PH's homemade tartar sauce.

Pepper crusted brie with fresh baguette slices.

NV Billecart Salmon Brut Rose
NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve

PH

won-ton fried duck rolls

crusted rack of lamb over whipped potatoes in a plum reduction

quote:

crusted rack of lamb over whipped potatoes in a plum reduction

That sounds great.

Shrimp remoulade
Magret with a Sherry curry sauce

Saturday: Black beans and rice with blackened chicken

Sunday: (to usher in Season 6) homemade pasta sauce (again, using Pastene... fantastic) with three-cheese tortellini.

Saturday night was the Grand Assemblage dinner:

Cheeses, fruit, shrimp and bruschetta.
Pan Seared Foie Gras over bitter herbs.
Lobster Bisque
One unbelieveable honking lamb shank.
Pineapple sorbet
Roasted duck salad
Creme Brulle

Porterhouse on the grill
Risotto
Salad

PH

I made a nice Chicken Parm yesterday.

Eating a few at my desk now too.

I make sandwiches with my leftover Veal Parms.... Great stuff!

PH

Grilled marinated skirt steak