Thread: just wanted to share tonight's dinner with you guys..

I made Beef Wellington once, not really knowing what cut of meat it actually was. I had some major sticker shock at the cash register!

Tonight I made a cut of tilapia and some good old fashioned Southern cornbread.

Usual tweaks of course, grandma's secrets: 1 cup sugar (I actually use stevia, but it works as well), 1 can of corn.

Per Cudarunner's suggestions a week or so ago: 1/2 cup home made bacon bits, and vegetable oil substituted with grease saved while creating said bacon bits.



Might could've used a little more time to get that nice golden color up top, but I got impatient and pulled it a few minutes early. I did toss the skillet in the oven while preheating to get some heat in it before adding the cornbread mix though. Deeeelicious!

I also forgot to setup the tilapia on the plate for a pretty picture. It got eaten before that thought occurred to me, but I'm sure we've all seen what a fish filet slathered with Old Bay looks like anyway.

Team USA wins the Bocuse d'Or!!!!!!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/d...mpetition.html

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Team USA wins the Bocuse d'Or!!!!!!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/d...mpetition.html

I would have never thought of government supported cooking contests.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Team USA wins the Bocuse d'Or!!!!!!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/d...mpetition.html

Fascinated by the morel mushroom sausage and a Meyer lemon confit ? Cool !

Originally Posted by Nightblade

Fascinated by the morel mushroom sausage and a Meyer lemon confit ? Cool !

I got a mushroom knife for Christmas. I am waiting for spring and Morels to try it out!

Simplicity for tonight, just started a Pork Shoulder in the Slow Cooker with Mexican Seasoning...

Thinking Pork Avocado Burritos are on the menu for Dinner

While it's not going to be 'On the Plate or In the Glass' it will be in 'Hand'.

I had a package of Elk coarse grind in the freezer that needed to be used so I decided to 'Play'.

The elk was right at 4#'s so I picked up some pork fat trimmings from the store and froze it. I then cut the frozen fat into small dice and then put it back in the freezer while the elk thawed.

I'd found a recipe for pepperoni stick sausage but it was for pork with a little beef but I decided to try it anyway.

I then mixed the two together and coarse ground the two, after mixing by hand I then re-ground though an 1/8" die and then mixed in the spices, wine etc and stuffed them into 17mm (don't ask me what the hell that is in inches) mahogany collagen casings.

Then I put them in the pre-heated smoker and let them dry for about an hour. I then added a pan of damp hickory chips and started smoking. After the chips were used up I removed the pan and raised the heat. When I checked an hour later I'd lost temp in the smoker so I raised the temp a bit and then set a timer for 30 minutes to remind me to check on the sausage. I was still losing heat.

Upon inspection my heating unit had died so I had to finish in the oven. What should have been very nice straight pieces were now sort of a mangled mess. However by keeping the oven set to about 150 degs with a folded bath towel under the pan I finished the sausage in about 2 and 1/2 hours and without it actually 'Cooking' just slowly warming up to temp to keep things moist and tender.

I let them bloom at room temp for an hour then hung them in the cold smoker for the night

I tried a piece and it's 'OK' but I think that it would be much better with the pork and beef, however I'd made it primarily for the grand kids and I know they will love it. Little Carnivores that they are!

Anyway here's a few of the better pics.

Right after stuffing and ready to put in the smoker:



Taken inside this morning, cut and ready to package:



Packaged labeled and ready to freeze:



Thanks for looking :

I think Grampa deserves a cold Budweiser for all that sausage.

Originally Posted by Benz

I think Grampa deserves a cold Budweiser for all that sausage.

Well it's not all that much sausage, only about 3.75#'s with the shrinkage and the slop in the stuffer, grinder dies etc. I added a drop or so of liquid smoke to what was left in the before mentioned items and formed some 'cigar sausage' and slowly baked it.

This is my first attempt at using the really small collagen casings. The longest length after stuffing was 6'. With that said, I had approximately 20 feet of sausage before smoking.