Hot Off The Grill !

[Radagast]

Many of us enjoy grilling our meals. Some prefer the classic Charcoal grill and are masters at it. Others use the more modern Propane grills. Still others use a smoker and slow cook wonderful tasty treats. As for me, I use a small propane grill with small quantities. I have family / friends that have/use all those mentioned at various times. What is your choice?

We mostly know that simply placing steak or chicken on a hot grill is the basic technique, however many of us marinate ahead of time, or rub a special spice on before cooking. Some have spent years perfecting a Bar-B-Q sauce or some special condiment to give their work that final special touch

Hamburger can be a whole chapter, but let's just say that many have developed a special recipe that may be mixing spices or onions or peppers into the meat before it is grilled.

From Brats to Chicken to Steak to Fish, grilled food is always special and should not just be confined to meats. Vegetables like Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, and Tomatoes are only a few of the items that grillers make regularly. O and let's not forget things like Baked Beans or toasting our Hamburger/Hot Dog Rolls.

Are you a grill master? Would you share your knowledge? Recipes, grilling techniques, past grilling triumphs are all welcome in this thread.



:glug:

[mraynrand]

shish kebab!

[Radagast]

Cooking, indoors or outdoors, is an honored skill that deserves recognition. Some can barely grill a hot dog, while others can Bar-B-Q a Beef Brisket that people would fight over. My brother blends several brands of Barbeque sauces together to create special sauce that works particularly well for grilling chicken. Some like to marinate their poultry or beef for up to 24 hours prier to cooking. Most grocery stores carry a large selection of sauces and marinades.

One of my favorite meals starts by marinating cubed steak or lean beef kabobs overnight in Italian Salad Dressing. The next day divide into meal size portions along with red potatoes, onion, carrots, corn on the cob (1/2 ear per portion), and tomato. Carefully enclose each portion in heavy aluminum foil along with some salt/pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place portions on low to medium heat grill and after 20 minutes turn them all over for another 20 to 30 minutes. Cooking time will vary with the size of items being cooked. Next, pull one portion to the side, open, and test for desired tenderness/meat color. Cook more time if necessary. When ready serve each with some fresh baked bread and real butter.

You see, sharing is not that difficult. Do you have a great Rib or Fish grilling style? Share it here !

[hoosier]

Grilled chicken feet. Cook em into oblivion, the kids will think they're eating pulled pork.

[mraynrand]

Grilled chicken feet. Cook em into oblivion, the kids will think they're eating pulled pork.

ew

[Radagast]

Grilled chicken feet. Cook em into oblivion, the kids will think they're eating pulled pork.

We can always save the part that went over the fence last for you, it should match well with you.


I just can't believe that I'm the only member that has grilled Ribs, or hovered over a steak to ensure that it is just right. I'll be having slow grilled Pork Chops tonight, with potato salad, grilled Corn on the Cob, and cubed Watermelon. It is not that difficult if you just think and plan ahead.

[hoosier]

As they say, a watched steak never broils. My favorite grilling moment is the scene in Village of the Damned (the John Carpenter remake from the mid 90s) when the town picnickers get overrun by the invading evil force.

https://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/styd/assets/uploads/2015/04/VillageGrill.png

[Radagast]

As they say, a watched steak never broils. My favorite grilling moment is the scene in Village of the Damned (the John Carpenter remake from the mid 90s) when the town picnickers get overrun by the invading evil force.

The Walking Dead, graphicly staged bloody videos, and such are neither funny or cool. Don't get me wrong, I like the Trolls and Goblins in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth films, yet at the same time his depiction of the characters being attacked by enormous bugs in his King Kong film, for me, crosses the line of good tate. The propagation of such material only makes me sad as I see it undercutting what used to be a foundation of solid good taste that would not cross the line into the gutter. Now, such trash is everyday normal and people like yourself see it as cool and exciting.

If you are capable of posting a comment about cooking or grilling that is readable, I'd be pleased to read it. Do you have any skills beyond those you have already put on display? Can you cook your own food or do you still depend on others to do that for you ?

[Radagast]

How many put salt and pepper on their steak before they grill it. Perhaps even a seasoning like "Montreal Steak" gets shaken onto your steak as well. Allow me to advise some of you a method that will work better. Clean the meat using tap water, but be sure to dry it with a paper towel. Next, coat the meat with olive oil on all surfaces. The oil grabs and holds the salt, pepper, and seasonings better and also helps to seal in more of the natural flavor of the meat as you grill. Cooking times will vary from one grill to the next, but rare - medium - well done are easy if you are careful.

Some of us also like sauteed onions along with our steak. If your grill surface is large enough, use a cast iron skillet to fry those chopped onions in butter as the steaks cook. A tasty treat to go with that juicy hot steak.

[hoosier]

The Walking Dead, graphicly staged bloody videos, and such are neither funny or cool. Don't get me wrong, I like the Trolls and Goblins in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth films, yet at the same time his depiction of the characters being attacked by enormous bugs in his King Kong film, for me, crosses the line of good tate. The propagation of such material only makes me sad as I see it undercutting what used to be a foundation of solid good taste that would not cross the line into the gutter. Now, such trash is everyday normal and people like yourself see it as cool and exciting.

If you are capable of posting a comment about cooking or grilling that is readable, I'd be pleased to read it. Do you have any skills beyond those you have already put on display? Can you cook your own food or do you still depend on others to do that for you ?

De gustibus non est disputandum.

[mraynrand]

Hot Dogs

[hoosier]

How many put salt and pepper on their steak before they grill it. Perhaps even a seasoning like "Montreal Steak" gets shaken onto your steak as well. Allow me to advise some of you a method that will work better. Clean the meat using tap water, but be sure to dry it with a paper towel. Next, coat the meat with olive oil on all surfaces. The oil grabs and holds the salt, pepper, and seasonings better and also helps to seal in more of the natural flavor of the meat as you grill. Cooking times will vary from one grill to the next, but rare - medium - well done are easy if you are careful.

Some of us also like sauteed onions along with our steak. If your grill surface is large enough, use a cast iron skillet to fry those chopped onions in butter as the steaks cook. A tasty treat to go with that juicy hot steak.

Oil prevents salt from doing its thing. Salt the meat at least 45 minutes before cooking to give it time to penetrate, draw out the juices and convert to brine, and then reabsorb. Otherwise you're just grilling a piece of slime.

Washing meat before cooking might be ok for red, but for chicken it will just generate a fine e coli mist in your kitchen.

[hoosier]

Hot Dogs

That'll get you in the HOF!

[Upnorth]

So on this weeks grill,
Monday - Lamb Chops marinated 2 days in oil, lime, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, pressed garlic. Then added some montreal steak spice while grilling. My oldest made her heart attack mashed potatoes and I char grilled some onions and some pepper.
Tuesday - Chicken breasts - marinated since morning in kraft zesty italian, montreal chicken spice, oregano and grated lemon rhine. Chopped into 1/2" cubes then mixed with black eyed peas that had butter onions and dill, peaches and cream corn, peppers and mushrooms. once it was all cooked i added diced cherry tomatoes and then served over rice. First time all of my kids liked eating black eyed peas.
Wednesday - eye of round medallions, marinated in a can of bud cheladas with some montreal steak spice and montreal korean bbq spice. Of the 3 this was the worst meal, but still dam good. Had mixed vegetables from a bag and a garden salad my wife pulled from the garden. We had a bad drought until 2 weeks ago, the only things growing worth a dam are radishes, lettuce and onions. Never had better onions than this year.

All of the lamb and chicken is our own. The beef is my father in laws. It was about a 3000 lbs beef, stupid huge and a pain in the ass. I have never had so much trouble getting a cow in the loading chute. I enjoy every meal a little more thanks to the added spice.

[hoosier]

Radagast, do you by chance have a relative named Woodbuck?

[Radagast]

I salute all of you that have posted to this thread. I've never eaten much lamb though, not high on the grocery list in my area. Perhaps I'll try some soon.

Let's try this.

What is your favorite cheese to melt on your hamburger?

Do you have a favorite table condiment?

What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?

What is your favorite part of the chicken?

What is your favorite fish to grill?

Beyond hamburger, what is your favorite cut of beef to grill?

Has anyone ever grilled wild game? Deer, Duck, or any other wild game?

Grilling vegetables, do you have a favorite?

Do you have a favorite side dish? Some like mellon and some like pasta or rice, what do you like?

[Radagast]

Oil prevents salt from doing its thing. Salt the meat at least 45 minutes before cooking to give it time to penetrate, draw out the juices and convert to brine, and then reabsorb. Otherwise you're just grilling a piece of slime.

Washing meat before cooking might be ok for red, but for chicken it will just generate a fine e coli mist in your kitchen.

I hope that none of you are believing any of this. Every steak grilling authority says to clean, dry, oil , then salt/pepper /season. 20 minutes is usually the normal grilling time.

As for chicken, not cleaning before cooking is the easiest way to court disaster. The next is undercooking your meats. Poultry needs to reach a minimum of 165* F to kill off potential bad food poisoning toxins.

hoosier, did you not learn to wash your hands (with soap) following every lavatory visit, or are you that nasty fellow people avoid in public.

[Zool]

I hope that none of you are believing any of this. Every steak grilling authority says to clean, dry, oil , then salt/pepper /season. 20 minutes is usually the normal grilling time.

As for chicken, not cleaning before cooking is the easiest way to court disaster. The next is undercooking your meats. Poultry needs to reach a minimum of 165* F to kill off potential bad food poisoning toxins.

hoosier, did you not learn to wash your hands (with soap) following every lavatory visit, or are you that nasty fellow people avoid in public.

I've always gone with the theory posted here https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html

If I'm going to grill the steak in less than an hour, I season right before going on the grill. If I have time, I prefer to salt and rest for 2+ hours

[Upnorth]

I salute all of you that have posted to this thread. I've never eaten much lamb though, not high on the grocery list in my area. Perhaps I'll try some soon.

Let's try this.

What is your favorite cheese to melt on your hamburger?

Do you have a favorite table condiment?

What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?

What is your favorite part of the chicken?

What is your favorite fish to grill?

Beyond hamburger, what is your favorite cut of beef to grill?

Has anyone ever grilled wild game? Deer, Duck, or any other wild game?

Grilling vegetables, do you have a favorite?

Do you have a favorite side dish? Some like mellon and some like pasta or rice, what do you like?

in order
no favorite
don`t have a favorite either, but for store bought marinades, https://msita.com/product/mama-sitas-barbecue-marinade/
dude, still no favorite depends what Im eating
thigh,
salmon
flank
moose by a mile, better than anything in the world imo
corn on the cob
right now that bean thing i wrote about just above, but long standing in our house hold is basically a taco salad that you add a meat to if you want.

[Radagast]

in order
no favorite
don`t have a favorite either, but for store bought marinades, https://msita.com/product/mama-sitas-barbecue-marinade/
dude, still no favorite depends what Im eating
thigh,
salmon
flank
moose by a mile, better than anything in the world imo
corn on the cob
right now that bean thing i wrote about just above, but long standing in our house hold is basically a taco salad that you add a meat to if you want.

Living in Virginia as I do, I've never tried Moose or Alligator or Beaver or Bear, but I'd welcome the opportunity. I've seen Beefalo in a store before, but the timing was not right to buy some. I will be talking with my brother about grilling some Mahi-mahi this Sunday if he can.

I love Taco Salad. Chicken or Seasoned ground Beef suits me just fine. For me, sour cream is a must have ingredient along with all of the other salad fixings. Have you ever used grilled fish as the Taco Salad meat? Selecting a fish type would need to fit (taste wise) with the rest of the salad though. I would go with a White Fish or Pollock that would not overpower the other taste included in the meal.

I look forward to your next post. Perhaps a good game day buffet idea as fall draws near. :glug:

[Cheesehead Craig]

I've always gone with the theory posted here https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html

If I'm going to grill the steak in less than an hour, I season right before going on the grill. If I have time, I prefer to salt and rest for 2+ hours

Excellent site and I agree with you on the salting. I love this site: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/how-grill-better-steakhouse-steaks-recipe. The 2 zone cooking and reverse searing works fantastically.

Big fan of Amazing Ribs website overall. Great science behind why they do what they do and recommend.

[Radagast]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=105&v=w-c3gR9_3O4

enough said

[Patler]

I've always gone with the theory posted here https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html

If I'm going to grill the steak in less than an hour, I season right before going on the grill. If I have time, I prefer to salt and rest for 2+ hours


Excellent site and I agree with you on the salting. I love this site: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/how-grill-better-steakhouse-steaks-recipe. The 2 zone cooking and reverse searing works fantastically.

Big fan of Amazing Ribs website overall. Great science behind why they do what they do and recommend.

I agree. I try to plan ahead enough that I salt the night before. I have always followed many of the suggestions from The Food Lab/Serious Eats. I especially like his prime rib roast recipe, with jus from braised oxtail and veal bonus in red wine.

I have recently gotten into doing my own dry aging. Did 20 day, then 40 day rib eyes. Big difference, 40 day were much better. I grilled some on my ceramic grill at about 700 degrees, which I really liked because I enjoy rare-ish interior, but a crusty outer sear. Others I cooked in a sous vide bath at 128 degrees, then flash seared in a cast iron skillet. These were Mrs. Patler's favorite.

As for grilling generally, I cook anything on the grill that I cook in the kitchen, including whole turkeys at Thanksgiving. I really like scallops on the grill, but finding good scallops in WI is not always easy. Did three racks of ribs last weekend, which is a lot for the two of us, but I have a vacuum sealer, so two went right into the freezer in smaller packages for quick, effortless meals in the future. I often do the same with pork butts for pulled pork. If I set up the grill and my time for a long slow cook like that, I load it up!

I'm not big into marinades, but do use some on occasion. Usually I just make up something that sounds good to me at the time. I do use dry rubs for ribs and butts, but usually make them myself.

[Zool]

Patler, I’ve been too chicken to dry my own dry aging. Do you have a recipe/instructions you’ve followed? Also 40 days in the fridge still freaks me out, but the one 30 day aged steak I had at a steak house was amazing.

[Patler]

Patler, I’ve been too chicken to dry my own dry aging. Do you have a recipe/instructions you’ve followed? Also 40 days in the fridge still freaks me out, but the one 30 day aged steak I had at a steak house was amazing.

I use special bags from Umai:

https://umaidry.com/

It's pretty simple. Vacuum seal the meat in the bag, and let it sit in your frig with adequate circulation all around it, including underneath. The material of the bag has selective unidirectional permeability, so moisture leaves the meat and oxygen goes in. At 20 days, my meat had lost about 15% weight, at 40 days it was around 20%. That was consistent with what the website taught. The flavor gets deeper the longer you age. They say tenderizing is insignificant until after 20 days, and my 40 day steaks were much more tender than the 20 day. There is some waste, as the meat develops a hard, waxing skin that most people trim away.

My experience is limited to one 20 lb prime rib that I halved and bagged separately. One I cut one into steaks at 20 days, the other at 40 days. So far, I am a big fan of the process. I will do more.

[Zool]

Great info. Thanks much Patler. I'll give it a try sometime and report back.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Ditto on that Patler.

[call_me_ishmael]

I love grilling and serious eats. Dry aging is next level though. Sounds super interesting. I've never had a steak done that way before. Would love to try when our basement fridge isn't stuffed to the gills with gallons of milk lol.

I have been getting my steaks at Costco lately and I must say they are far superior to what we'd get from our other local grocery stores (Pick n save). My wife can't handle Rib eye without an upset stomach so we normally go for New York Strip and they're fantastic. I've been making this garlic-parmesan topping that I learned about from Butler Inn in Pewaukee and it's really quite delicious.

[HowardRoark]

I like to boil water in a kettle on my Webber grill and then throw my hot dogs in them. I have found 9 minutes is perfect; everyone is satisfied.

[Radagast]

I like to boil water in a kettle on my Webber grill and then throw my hot dogs in them. I have found 9 minutes is perfect; everyone is satisfied.


Wow, what a WEENIE !

9 minutes per for each and you satisfy everyone? :wow:

[HowardRoark]

When in Canada, it’s about 12 minutes because of the exchange rate

[mraynrand]

As for chicken, not cleaning before cooking is the easiest way to court disaster. The next is undercooking your meats. Poultry needs to reach a minimum of 165* F to kill off potential bad food poisoning toxins.

I always wash my chicken with a power wash with a number 3 nozzle. Just put it on an old screen window so it doesn't blow down the street.

If you clean the old fashioned way, remember to wear your jewelry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWe2T85JsEU

[Patler]

Great info. Thanks much Patler. I'll give it a try sometime and report back.


Ditto on that Patler.

I'll be interested in getting your impressions.

The guy from Ballistic BBQ has done a lot of Youtube videos on using the Umai Dry bags. He is very thorough on the recommended techniques to ensure success. He did bone-in and boneless prime ribs, 30 and 60 day briskets and others. He shows and explains different techniques to use if you don't have a vacuum sealer, if you have cryovac packaged meat or "dry" open meat from a butcher counter, covering bone ends so they don't puncture the bag, etc. He explains everything quite thoroughly from initial prep through final cooking.

[Patler]

If you clean the old fashioned way, remember to wear your jewelry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWe2T85JsEU


She sure doesn't seem too concerned about cross-contamination. I'm sure nothing hangs out in that ring of hers!




I always wash my chicken with a power wash with a number 3 nozzle. Just put it on an old screen window so it doesn't blow down the street.

Rather than using your power washer, may I suggest using the top rack of your dishwasher, or your clothes washing machine on gentle cycle? Not as much setup as the power washer and window screen.

[mraynrand]

Rather than using your power washer, may I suggest using the top rack of your dishwasher, or your clothes washing machine on gentle cycle? Not as much setup as the power washer and window screen.

that's how I cook my turkey. safer than a boiling oil bath.

[call_me_ishmael]

Had to clean the grill today. Used a pressure washer to clean all of the cast iron grates. Would highly recommend. Looks like a brand new freaking grill.

[Radagast]

Had to clean the grill today. Used a pressure washer to clean all of the cast iron grates. Would highly recommend. Looks like a brand new freaking grill.

Good work!
Was that intended for immediate use or are you wisely getting prepared for the 4th of July?

Looking for some burger ideas. Mixing minced onion/and or finely chopped Bell Pepper is great with salt/pepper, but does anyone do a special burger that we may not all know. Moose Burgers or Deer Burgers or perhaps some exotic ingredient that mixes well with high quality Ground Beef, all good ideas are most welcome.

[Patler]

Looking for some burger ideas. Mixing minced onion/and or finely chopped Bell Pepper is great with salt/pepper, but does anyone do a special burger that we may not all know. Moose Burgers or Deer Burgers or perhaps some exotic ingredient that mixes well with high quality Ground Beef, all good ideas are most welcome.

When I want something better for burgers, I grind my own. As for additives, most often I keep it simple: salt & pepper always, garlic powder most of the time, fresh minced garlic and chopped jalapenos only for those who want it when I feel like "special orders". Occasionally, I sprinkle in some Worcester sauce or soy sauce. I work more on getting the meat I want than what I add to it.

Years ago, I would add a lot of things to the meat mixture, like onion, egg, bread crumbs, a dash ketchup, etc. Then, I realized I was basically making a meatloaf burger, and decided to emphasize more the meat flavor itself. Now I just provide lots of options for guests to put things on their burgers, rather than putting things into everyones' burgers..

[Zool]

50/50 burger. Half ground beef, half ground bacon. Thank me later.

[Radagast]

Love that Bacon !

Here's a time tested and proven winner.

Add 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix to 1 or 2 lbs of your favorite hamburger. Mix thoroughly before you prepare your hamburger patties. Salt/pepper as you desire and cook as normal. Melt on cheese if desired before they leave the grill. Along with your standard condiments, supply bacon for those that like it (and most will). The dry soup mix adds a wonderful flavor. Also, you could have a few unseasoned patties for those that prefer it that way.

For such a feast I like Baked Beans, Mixed Fruit Salad, Lays Potato Chips, and lots of assorted beverages. A desert might be Ice Cream or a Cream Pie or perhaps a freshly baked Cake.


:glug:

[call_me_ishmael]

Grilling up some marinated flank steak from Costco tonight. It is so damn good. If you're a fajita person, you'll love it.

[Radagast]

Grilling up some marinated flank steak from Costco tonight. It is so damn good. If you're a fajita person, you'll love it.

Sounds great. Do you make or buy your marinate? If you buy it ready bottled, what do you purchase? If you make your own, would you be willing to share your recipe?


Had a great 4th of July with my Brother and his family. I arrived with beer, ice cream, a cherry pie, and a watermelon. I was expecting burgers, but was surprised to find find that my brother had been slow smoking Ribs sense early that morning. Wow, they were fantastic! Baked Beans and Corn on the Cob were also served. It was a fine gathering and enjoyed by all.


:glug:

[Upnorth]

Currently have some sirloin steack marinating in a steak reccado, which is 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic lightly browned in 1/4 cup canola oil. tehn after cooling add 2 tblsp oregeno, 3 tbsp parsley, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1/8th tsp ground cloves, 1/4 cup vinager, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 tsp of something i cant remember right now... sorry.
doing a black bean, with mushroom peppers corn carrots peas cabbage side salad (im finishing the beans with zesty italian so doesn't need any more sauce) and then rice belive it or not...

[Radagast]

Currently have some sirloin steack marinating in a steak reccado, which is 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic lightly browned in 1/4 cup canola oil. tehn after cooling add 2 tblsp oregeno, 3 tbsp parsley, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1/8th tsp ground cloves, 1/4 cup vinager, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 tsp of something i cant remember right now... sorry.
doing a black bean, with mushroom peppers corn carrots peas cabbage side salad (im finishing the beans with zesty italian so doesn't need any more sauce) and then rice belive it or not...

Wow !!! What time is Dinner? :tup:

[Upnorth]

Im stuck here for another 1 1/2 hrs, then drive to my place, a short 30 hr commute if you live in Virginia. It might get cold, sorry.

[Iron Mike]

Two pages of thread on grilling, and not a single mention of brats??? WTHH???

Anyone parboil them before grilling?? I've had buddies fire up brats in a cast iron skillet with beer and onions while the grill is heating. The grill is only for putting grill marks on the brat. And, yeah....the accompaniment is stone-ground mustard with a little sauerkraut with caraway. And a Crown Royal Regal Apple Mule.

https://drivito2.imgix.drizly.com/76499b0d22de3d77/84aa6b12af36/AppleMule_Hero.png

[Radagast]

Iron Mike,

Your Brats sound fantastic, but I prefer ice cold beer instead. Also as filling as it sounds, I believe I would also serve a pasta or potato salad as a side dish. I too love sauerkraut on All Beef Hot Dogs and at times as a side dish on it's own.

Now, do you have a good chili recipe that you can share? :wow:

[hoosier]

Two pages of thread on grilling, and not a single mention of brats??? WTHH???

Anyone parboil them before grilling?? I've had buddies fire up brats in a cast iron skillet with beer and onions while the grill is heating. The grill is only for putting grill marks on the brat. And, yeah....the accompaniment is stone-ground mustard with a little sauerkraut with caraway. And a Crown Royal Regal Apple Mule.



I find parboiling dries them out and leaves the skin soggy. Grilling on a low temp with frequent rotation develops a nice brown, crisp skin with no drying. Brats, beer, corn and grilled vegetables.

[Upnorth]

Mike, Caraway seed in th e sauerkraut? or a paste?

I never really cook with caraway, but now will.

[Upnorth]

So tonight my 15 year old is doing salmon. Having the left over black eyed peas and rice. I made it like I made my wiskey last night, extra large.

[Radagast]

My curiosity is wanting to ask, what is the most exotic meat / vegetable that you have had the honor to prepare?

For me exotic would be rabbit or bear or shark. Vegetables might include grilling bananas or avocados or mangos. I never have had such things and I wonder about what grilled snake or buffalo is like.

If you have a tale to tell, please share it with us here.

THANKS ! :glug:

[Radagast]

As much as I enjoy grilling, there are times when it becomes just too hot to hang out at the grill. At such times it is most enjoyable remain indoors with the air conditioning, but we can still enjoy some very tasty meals.

Without a lot of heating up the kitchen, what I call Cold Serve meals fit just perfectly. Recipes not included, here are some of my Cold Serve favorites.


Tuna Salad, Ham Salad, Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, Three Bean Salad, Deviled Eggs, A Cold Cut Platter, A Chef Salad, A Garden Salad, A Greek Salad, A Caesar Salad, Cole Slaw, Cucumbers & Onions in Vinegar, Cold Sliced Beets in Vinegar, Vegetable trays with assorted dips/spreads, Fresh Sliced Pineapple, Cubed Watermelon, Strawberries, and Jello.

This is just a sample of the sort of enjoyable hot weather fare that many enjoy. Crackers, Chips, Assorted Beverages, Pickles, and more are also interchangeable. Some dishes take some pre-planning to enjoy, but none are overly difficult. Consider what you need to get from the grocery store ahead of time and all should go well. Mayonnaise, Pickle Relish, Vinegar,Salad Dressings, and fresh Veggies are a few of the supplies that are good to have on hand

What are your Cold Serve favorites?

Want to share one or more of your recipes, then please do so. Recipes for most can be found on line, but I and others will be happy to share, just ask.



:glug:

[Iron Mike]

Mike, Caraway seed in th e sauerkraut? or a paste?

I never really cook with caraway, but now will.

You used to be able to buy it like so:

https://www.foodsco.net/p/bush-s-best-bavarian-style-sauerkraut/0003940001235

[Iron Mike]

My curiosity is wanting to ask, what is the most exotic meat / vegetable that you have had the honor to prepare?

For me exotic would be rabbit or bear or shark. Vegetables might include grilling bananas or avocados or mangos. I never have had such things and I wonder about what grilled snake or buffalo is like.

If you have a tale to tell, please share it with us here.

THANKS ! :glug:

My ex-wife used to like swordfish when I'd grill shish kebabs. I'd usually marinate in Italian dressing, but here's a recipe:

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-swordfish-kabobs

[Radagast]

My ex-wife used to like swordfish when I'd grill shish kebabs. I'd usually marinate in Italian dressing, but here's a recipe:

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-swordfish-kabobs


What no Moose Steaks or Grilled Goose? LOL

Good job and keep those ideas/stories coming ! :glug:

[Radagast]

Does anyone know a good Bourbon based, homemade Steak/London Broil marinade? I love the flavor but I believe that a homemade bourbon based marinade would be better than a store bought one.

I could look on line, but often it's that unpublished private recipe that just outdoes all the rest.

Also looking for Chili and Baked Bean recipes as well !!! Maybe one for Bourbon Baked Beans,
WOW !


:glug:

[Upnorth]

My go to on bbq is Steven raichlen.

Currently have a chicken split into 4 pieces with a sweet chili sauce on the grill. The chicken was alive on our farm 3 hours ago.

[Radagast]

My go to on bbq is Steven raichlen.

Currently have a chicken split into 4 pieces with a sweet chili sauce on the grill. The chicken was alive on our farm 3 hours ago.


Chicken don't get any fresher than that. As for Steven Raichlen, I was unfamiliar with him, but you have expanded my knowledge. I'll be looking into him more for new taste ideas.

I came across a great slow cooker recipe for chicken breast, very basic with Chicken broth and butter as the base ingredients. With additional spices for flavor, it should cook for 6 hours and be moist, tender, and flavorful. I plan to try it this fall.

Speaking of chicken, I plan to visit a nearby Bojangles Restaurant for a special lunch/dinner around 4pm Sunday. A treat that I try to enjoy at lest twice a year.


:glug:

[MadtownPacker]

Two pages of thread on grilling, and not a single mention of brats??? WTHH???

Anyone parboil them before grilling?? I've had buddies fire up brats in a cast iron skillet with beer and onions while the grill is heating. The grill is only for putting grill marks on the brat. And, yeah....the accompaniment is stone-ground mustard with a little sauerkraut with caraway. And a Crown Royal Regal Apple Mule.

Hellz yeah!!! I saw them done that way when I went to GB and that is the only was I make em. Soaks the flavor up better then going straight on the grill and letting and the juices run out.

You got the brass cups for the mule?

[MadtownPacker]

If all you masterchef wannabes' steaks are so damn good get down with salt and pepper only! Make it about how it was cooked/technique not how many hipster ingredients you can use. :lol:

I have a newer gas grill and an old skool smoker I use for wood (not chips, logs). Pecan smoke is the shit on a pork shoulder with garlic chucks embedded in it and some rub. I start in the morning and 8-10 hours later it is heaven on Earth. I used it to make tamales one year and the reviews where off the charts!

Do you mofos cooks tri-tips outside of Cali? I have heard it is considered a low cut of beef but very popular here.

[Cheesehead Craig]

All I ever use is salt and pepper on steak. Let the steak speak for itself.

[Radagast]

My brother's gas grill is on it's last legs and I fully expect that he will replace it soon. Another full size one with a separate burner and I expect before Labor Day arrives. He has been using a Brinkman, but may try another brand.

What gas grills, smokers, charcoal grills do you all recommend and why ?



:glug:

[Radagast]

https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/z-grills-5-1200x630-c-ar1.91.jpg

That's what I call getting busy with it !

:glug:

[MadScientist]

Two pages of thread on grilling, and not a single mention of brats??? WTHH???

Anyone parboil them before grilling?? I've had buddies fire up brats in a cast iron skillet with beer and onions while the grill is heating. The grill is only for putting grill marks on the brat. And, yeah....the accompaniment is stone-ground mustard with a little sauerkraut with caraway. And a Crown Royal Regal Apple Mule.

https://drivito2.imgix.drizly.com/76499b0d22de3d77/84aa6b12af36/AppleMule_Hero.png

To me parboil leaves them mushy and not that flavorful. With all the stuff you put on it, it probably makes no difference. I prefer to just throw them on the grill (not too hot) and put them on a bun with nothing else. Gives a strong, sharp flavor and a texture that can never be confused with a hot dog.

[MadScientist]

My brother's gas grill is on it's last legs and I fully expect that he will replace it soon. Another full size one with a separate burner and I expect before Labor Day arrives. He has been using a Brinkman, but may try another brand.

What gas grills, smokers, charcoal grills do you all recommend and why ?



:glug:

I got a CharBroil last year and am very happy with it. It's a smaller one so I can't say how the larger ones are, and I don't know about durability yet. It cooks fairly even across the whole surface, and it actually has folding sides so it fits in my garage when not in use.

[Patler]

To me parboil leaves them mushy and not that flavorful. With all the stuff you put on it, it probably makes no difference. I prefer to just throw them on the grill (not too hot) and put them on a bun with nothing else. Gives a strong, sharp flavor and a texture that can never be confused with a hot dog.

Yup, me too. I "tend" them on the grill carefully, to get them thoroughly browned all around without rupturing the casing. I roll them frequently and almost continuously at the end. If you can prevent them from bursting open, or at least delay it from happening until very near the end, you eliminate grease flareups, and keep them deliciously juicy.

[Radagast]

To me parboil leaves them mushy and not that flavorful. With all the stuff you put on it, it probably makes no difference. I prefer to just throw them on the grill (not too hot) and put them on a bun with nothing else. Gives a strong, sharp flavor and a texture that can never be confused with a hot dog.


I don't see any wrong answers on the parboil method. Some say that boiling in beer prior to grilling adds flavor and removes some of the grease. I've tried both methods and find that each has it's good points. That said, let's take a short look at Sauerkraut, fried Onions/Green Peppers, and the like.

I love Sauerkraut on Brats and on all beef Hot Dogs too. It is also a great side dish for Kielbasa as well. Sauteed Onions (in butter) I love with everything.What type of onion do you prefer? Yellow, sweet, white, or other? I have a problem with the Green Peppers though, as they give me gas in the extreme. The taste great, but they don't agree with me.

Mustard/s are yet another area for discussion. I like most, however I'm not a fan of hot mustards. :glug:

I am a fan of ice cold beer with Brats and Hot Dogs !!!

[Zool]

Yup, me too. I "tend" them on the grill carefully, to get them thoroughly browned all around without rupturing the casing. I roll them frequently and almost continuously at the end. If you can prevent them from bursting open, or at least delay it from happening until very near the end, you eliminate grease flareups, and keep them deliciously juicy.

My grill has an upper rack. That's where I always grill sausages, as well as portabella and veggie burgers. I put them on the rack right after I start the grill. That way I can grill other things on the main level when the grill gets to 350 and never burn/char/pop the brats.

[mraynrand]

My grill has an upper rack. That's where I always grill sausages, as well as portabella and veggie burgers. I put them on the rack right after I start the grill. That way I can grill other things on the main level when the grill gets to 350 and never burn/char/pop the brats.

Look at the rack on that girl...errr....grill! I think I might pop my brat.

[Radagast]

A great weekend to fire up the grill. I'll be purchasing supplies at one of my local grocery stores today. I'm ready to buy beef today, but not a steak or brisket. I'm thinking of getting a high grade of Hamburger, adding salt, pepper, and a few finely chopped onions, and making up some Hamburger Steaks for my grill. Additionally, using beef broth and more onions and flower to make some Gravy to place my grilled steaks in to soak for 1 to 2 hours on a medium/low heat. White Rice, Country Biscuits, a garden salad should nearly complete the meal. I like Iced Tea, so I'll be brewing up some and get it chilling today.

That good of a meal deserves a desert, but I'll be too full for ice cream or cream pie. :-)

[Radagast]

All right sports fans there is a football game tonight. The HOF Game.

To celebrate, today I'll be getting prepared for the game with a good meal. Falcons vs Broncos, horse meat is out of the question as is falcon, but chicken will serve as as fine substitute. My local grocer makes / sells great Fried Chicken and also sells a killer Potato Salad. Add fresh baked Biscuits with Honey along with ice cold beer and oh yeah baby.
I'm a breast man so two should serve me just right.

Enjoy the game !

[Radagast]

My brother and I recently spoke, and he is currently looking into buying a new grill. He told me that Stainless Steel may in the equation as rust will not be a problem. He can afford the very best and most likely will get something world class.

Know about gas grills or a great grilling method or have a super great recipe, then please share it here.


Thanks

[Radagast]

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/1a/e3/b6/huge-bacon-cheeseburger.jpg

A Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Rings !

A feast for a King !

[Radagast]

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/1a/e3/b6/huge-bacon-cheeseburger.jpg

A Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Rings !

A feast for a King !



Encore

:flag:

[Radagast]

Let's take a moment to talk about grilling Chicken. There are many good methods. Ranging from marinating to dry rubs to all of the huge variety of Bar-B-Q sauces, the grilling method is pretty much a personal choice.

Many only grill the breast fillets and others prefer to cook all of the parts. Still others may have a motorized rotisserie that can deliver a feast for the gods. Smokers too offer up a way to prepare up a savory Chicken, Duck, Turkey, or other poultry delights.

I just love a good Rice Dish with poultry. Many fine ingredients can turn plain rice into a special treat. Sliced Almonds to Water Chestnuts to Mushrooms to chopped onions or peppers, rice can offer a way to be creative and serve a new flavor sensation to your table. Ton's of great easy rice recipes are out there, so go for it !

For me, Great Bread can be the special element that completes a great meal. I just love Sourdough rolls or freshly baked Country Style Buttermilk Biscuits with real butter and maybe some honey too. You get the idea.

So what beverage goes best with a great poultry feast? Some keep it simple with Ice Water, others like Ice Tea or Cold Beer or a nice glass of Wine. I like a glass of Burgundy Wine, but again it's another personal preference.

The only thing holding many of you back is a trip to the store. Share your grilling ideas here or post up a photo of your grill/table soon.




https://d2v9y0dukr6mq2.cloudfront.net/video/thumbnail/kZge1KW/jamaican-jerk-chicken-barbeque-on-charcoal-grill_smo2udyo_thumbnail-full01.png

[mraynrand]

you should add that to the Wiki page.

Also, add Stubb's https://www.stubbsbbq.com.

[Patler]

Mrs Patler likes it when I spatchcock the bird.

[Radagast]

Sauers, a local Richmond company, makes as a part of their product line, a very good Bar-B-Que sauce. I don't know the range of it's distribution, but if you can find it in your local grocery store, I recommend to all to give it a try. It is a great sauce/marinate (especially with chicken). I like to combine Sauers Barbecue sauce, 1 to 1, with another thicker sauce like Krafts Original or Sweet Baby Rays or even a Bourbon flavored barbeque sauce. I prefer to marinate my chicken with the combination sauce for not less than 90 minutes (overnight if time permits), before grilling. This sauce combination is a product of decades of careful consideration and has been proven to be a favorite at cookouts with family and friends.


https://www.cfsauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bbq_squeeze.png

[mraynrand]

Mrs Patler likes it when I spatchcock the bird.

watch your language, mister.

[hoosier]

Pre-spatchcock, chickens were noticeably smaller and but they were juicier. Consider this variety from 1977. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-49t5iuUF1Vo/VaNBv-Qe2_I/AAAAAAAAcik/shYs-G_Xwyw/s1600/giphy%2B%25281%2529.gif

[Radagast]

To begin with, to Spatchcck a bird is to cut it down the back in order to "butterfly" it. Then the entire bird can be grilled without a rotisserie.


https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/images/2012/10/20121108-spatchcock-turkey-food-lab-12.jpg.

Next, I don't understand and never will "get" the fascination that some have with the most bloody or the most strange or the grossest possible images. If being offensive to others is the end goal, then I must ask how one derives enjoyment from such things. Isn't the world sick enough without adding zombies and entrails at every turn?

Finally, now is a great time of the year to grill seafood. If you know a great grilling method/s for seafood, please post your recipe, technique, and/or super side dish for seafood. Such things as Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops or Crab Stuffed Flounder or Spiced Steamed Shrimp are a few great melt in your mouth specialities. Grilled Catfish or Tuna are some more great grilling treats.

What's on your grill ? :glug:

[Radagast]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSyKxXyGitQjlaXyscxhpToUwVcnumoS Py62gCyoJmpvqlK2mYL


What's on your grill ?

[Radagast]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Pp1.jpg

The best way ever to eat pork. A whole hog/pig pickin is a special treat indeed !

[Radagast]

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/mixed-american-barbecue-food-hot-grill-hamburgers-hotdogs-corn-being-grilled-tasty-composition-outdoor-party-149836048.jpg

Will your grill look this fine on the Labor Day Holiday ?


:flag:

[3irty1]

I've recently been playing with making my own bratwurst. For those who've never ground or cased sausage, there's not much to be intimidated by. Each time I tinker the results get better but even my first batch was good eating.

For special equipment you need a grinder and a stuffer. These can be the same device with a tube added to the end of a the grinder. The most popular version of this is a Kitchenaid attachment but I would advise against it. The kitchenaid attachment is plastic, slow, expensive for what it is, and you need a KitchenAid. These days dedicated motorized grinders with a stuffing attachment are cheap, powerful, and have cast aluminum and stainless components. I have some $60 amazon rig that is much better than the KitchenAid attachment. If you must have a KitchenAid attachment, look for an ebay older metal one made by hobart or a 3rd party one with aluminum/stainless construction.

My recipe is still in the works but I'm zeroing in on the platonic brat. I say "platonic" instead of "best" because with a comfort food the goal isn't to make the most delicious brat, it's to make the most bratwursty brat; the fact that brats are delicious is besides the point. In other words I don't put pineapple on pizza and I think that people who do, and still call the result pizza, shouldn't have rights.

God's idea of a brat:
5 lbs of pork shoulder. By eyeball test this should be 30-40% fat. You may need to buy fat at the butcher to achieve this ratio.
1.5 oz salt
0.5 oz white pepper
0.25 oz ground ginger
0.25 oz ground nutmeg (buy whole nutmeg and grind with a microplane it makes a difference)
2 eggs
1 c cream
hand full of hog casings
beer to taste

Cut pork and fat into inch size cubes. Put cut pork into the freezer. For the rest of this recipe you'll want your meat to be cold enough to hurt your hands without being frozen solid. If at any point before going into the casing the mixture is not cold enough to hurt your hands, put it in the freezer and drink a beer. Its also a good idea to start soaking your casings in warm water before you start grinding. And its a good idea to get a second pair of hands. IMO sausage making is a two person job even if one person is just there to laugh at all the situational sausage jokes. When pork is sufficiently cold, grind it using a medium die. Now fold in the seasonings, cream, and eggs. Put the mixture through the grinder on medium again. Now it's time to stuff. For me that means adding a tube after the grinding die on my grinder. Previously I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by adding the stuffing tube before the second grind but I do not recommend this. Stuffing is a slower process and the result is that the sausage spends too much time near the knives and die being ground into an emulsified paste even with a medium or large die size. What I do now is disassemble the grinder and put the knife on backwards so it's not shearing against the die. This makes my rig effectively just a motorized stuffer. Soaked casings go on the stuffer tube, leave 6" to tie but don't tie yet. At the beginning of this process there is plenty of air that will be trapped in the casing if you were to tie immediately. There is a technique to feeding the sausage into the stuffer without introducing extra air. The trick is to push it through in short steady strokes. I've found that it is best to stuff the whole casing, twist sections to form links, and THEN tie off the ends. After a few hours in the fridge the twists can be cut and will stay together. Alternatively you can cook the whole rope at once and cut them afterwards. Now you have brats! Oh, and to clean your grinder put bread through it. It should wipe everything pretty darn clean. Any remaining bread can be dissolved by soaking.

Compared to store bought brats, these naturally cased brats will be harder to cook. Pressure inside builds quickly and the casings will want to burst. Also compared to store bought brats, they casing will brown very quickly. The best technique I've found to grill these brats is to use low, maybe even indirect heat on the grill and create an environment more like an oven. Open the lid once in a while and brush each link with beer. This technique was the genesis of the uber-Wisconsin practice of boiling brats in beer btw. Germans typically fry their brats in a pan with butter so to adapt them to the heat of a grill, a pot of beer was placed on the grill to constantly brush/dunk each link to keep them from bursting. When synthetic cases came about that hold up better to the grill, the process morphed into precooking your brats in beer to replicate the old flavor and then grilling them briefly just for color. If completely unburdened by tradition and completely secure in one's masculinity, you might even try roasting these on a sheet pan in the oven at 350. It'd probably come out nice.

[mraynrand]

In other words I don't put pineapple on pizza and I think that people who do, and still call the result pizza, shouldn't have rights.

Lock me up! Lock me up!

[Radagast]

3irt1, your post was great. It takes a true artist to make your own sausage.

You brought up a favorite of mine. In fact, my brother and I have already planned to enjoy Brats with Sauerkraut and Krispy Fries on Sept 5th as the Packers play the Bears. Did I forget to mention the Ice Cold Beer. We always Ice down the beer in a cooler on the patio (close at hand).


:glug:

[Radagast]

https://assets.bonappetit.com/photos/57d963b87c2b8d77607811f4/16:9/w_1280,c_limit/texas-style-smoked-brisket-646.jpg

Beef Brisket Baby !


:flm:

[hoosier]

I've recently been playing with making my own bratwurst. For those who've never ground or cased sausage, there's not much to be intimidated by. Each time I tinker the results get better but even my first batch was good eating.

For special equipment you need a grinder and a stuffer. These can be the same device with a tube added to the end of a the grinder. The most popular version of this is a Kitchenaid attachment but I would advise against it. The kitchenaid attachment is plastic, slow, expensive for what it is, and you need a KitchenAid. These days dedicated motorized grinders with a stuffing attachment are cheap, powerful, and have cast aluminum and stainless components. I have some $60 amazon rig that is much better than the KitchenAid attachment. If you must have a KitchenAid attachment, look for an ebay older metal one made by hobart or a 3rd party one with aluminum/stainless construction.

My recipe is still in the works but I'm zeroing in on the platonic brat. I say "platonic" instead of "best" because with a comfort food the goal isn't to make the most delicious brat, it's to make the most bratwursty brat; the fact that brats are delicious is besides the point. In other words I don't put pineapple on pizza and I think that people who do, and still call the result pizza, shouldn't have rights.

God's idea of a brat:
5 lbs of pork shoulder. By eyeball test this should be 30-40% fat. You may need to buy fat at the butcher to achieve this ratio.
1.5 oz salt
0.5 oz white pepper
0.25 oz ground ginger
0.25 oz ground nutmeg (buy whole nutmeg and grind with a microplane it makes a difference)
2 eggs
1 c cream
hand full of hog casings
beer to taste

Cut pork and fat into inch size cubes. Put cut pork into the freezer. For the rest of this recipe you'll want your meat to be cold enough to hurt your hands without being frozen solid. If at any point before going into the casing the mixture is not cold enough to hurt your hands, put it in the freezer and drink a beer. Its also a good idea to start soaking your casings in warm water before you start grinding. And its a good idea to get a second pair of hands. IMO sausage making is a two person job even if one person is just there to laugh at all the situational sausage jokes. When pork is sufficiently cold, grind it using a medium die. Now fold in the seasonings, cream, and eggs. Put the mixture through the grinder on medium again. Now it's time to stuff. For me that means adding a tube after the grinding die on my grinder. Previously I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by adding the stuffing tube before the second grind but I do not recommend this. Stuffing is a slower process and the result is that the sausage spends too much time near the knives and die being ground into an emulsified paste even with a medium or large die size. What I do now is disassemble the grinder and put the knife on backwards so it's not shearing against the die. This makes my rig effectively just a motorized stuffer. Soaked casings go on the stuffer tube, leave 6" to tie but don't tie yet. At the beginning of this process there is plenty of air that will be trapped in the casing if you were to tie immediately. There is a technique to feeding the sausage into the stuffer without introducing extra air. The trick is to push it through in short steady strokes. I've found that it is best to stuff the whole casing, twist sections to form links, and THEN tie off the ends. After a few hours in the fridge the twists can be cut and will stay together. Alternatively you can cook the whole rope at once and cut them afterwards. Now you have brats! Oh, and to clean your grinder put bread through it. It should wipe everything pretty darn clean. Any remaining bread can be dissolved by soaking.

Compared to store bought brats, these naturally cased brats will be harder to cook. Pressure inside builds quickly and the casings will want to burst. Also compared to store bought brats, they casing will brown very quickly. The best technique I've found to grill these brats is to use low, maybe even indirect heat on the grill and create an environment more like an oven. Open the lid once in a while and brush each link with beer. This technique was the genesis of the uber-Wisconsin practice of boiling brats in beer btw. Germans typically fry their brats in a pan with butter so to adapt them to the heat of a grill, a pot of beer was placed on the grill to constantly brush/dunk each link to keep them from bursting. When synthetic cases came about that hold up better to the grill, the process morphed into precooking your brats in beer to replicate the old flavor and then grilling them briefly just for color. If completely unburdened by tradition and completely secure in one's masculinity, you might even try roasting these on a sheet pan in the oven at 350. It'd probably come out nice.

This is the key for me. I admire your initiative but the whole enterprise just sounds so goddamned complicated, messy, and time consuming. I guess if I didn't have to work 10 hours and then come home to kids running amok, I might be able to envision something like this. But there would have to be a payoff. Is the taste of the well done homemade brat significantly better than a good brat from the local butchers?

[Radagast]

3irty1

Hoosier colors his post with his own tough struggles. While I fully empathise with hooser, what he fails to see is the challenge and the final rewards of producing your own sausage (or jellies or canning your own vegetables or etc.). He may not have ever felt the satisfaction derived from "doing it yourself".

My family grew, canned, and enjoyed our own vegetables, pickles, jellies/jams, etc. So I was truly impressed once to witness someone making his own Deer Hamburger. He used a hand meat grinder to mix approx. 50% Deer meat with fairly fatty beef cuts (as deer meat can be too lean). We grilled up some for dinner that night and it was the Bomb. Wow that was special.

In the same way, creating your own fare is special. Like hooser, I too must buy my sausage or brats at the local grocer. Yet anyone that can create their own deserves a SALUTE !


:flag:

[mraynrand]

This is the key for me. I admire your initiative but the whole enterprise just sounds so goddamned complicated, messy, and time consuming. I guess if I didn't have to work 10 hours and then come home to kids running amok, I might be able to envision something like this. But there would have to be a payoff. Is the taste of the well done homemade brat significantly better than a good brat from the local butchers?

Your kids wouldn’t be running amok (amuck?, adv) if they worked 12 hours a day in the cannery like mine. Alternatively, they could work at the meat packing plant. Win win.

[hoosier]

We tried but the meat packing plant wouldn't have them.

[mraynrand]

We tried but the meat packing plant wouldn't have them.

I hear ya. My kids weren’t fast enough to avoid the automated forklift trucks at the Amazon distribution center, but they were small enough and limber enough to get into the presses and remove the lard and gristle at the packing plant. Children are a blessing.

[hoosier]

I hear ya. My kids weren’t fast enough to avoid the automated forklift trucks at the Amazon distribution center, but they were small enough and limber enough to get into the presses and remove the lard and gristle at the packing plant. Children are a blessing.

I have observed in life that quick change of direction is only useful if you're actually paying attention to what's going on around you. More often than not, those who still have fast twitch muscles in abundance typically don't put themselves in a position to use them. And that is the tragedy of human history.

[mraynrand]

I have observed in life that quick change of direction is only useful if you're actually paying attention to what's going on around you. More often than not, those who still have fast twitch muscles in abundance typically don't put themselves in a position to use them. And that is the tragedy of human history.

lol

And those in a position to use them, sometimes don’t, to our benefit, like Issac Newton and to their own detriment, like Phil Hartman.

[MadtownPacker]

Mrs Patler likes it when I spatchcock the bird.
Ha! Total set up for wisecracks!
I looked up what it meant. I was also going to suggest the same, style is known as butterflied to me. But it has to be done over fire (wood or charcoal) not gas to be right.


Rad - Cancel that ovenbaked shit, it need to come out like this. The quarters need to cover the breast so they don't dry out.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8MJLeG6-aA/Ths7NCMgjbI/AAAAAAAAAwY/2kkZpnI1pYI/s1600/BSC.jpg

[MadtownPacker]

Went ocean fishing (Santa Cruz area) with my son 2 weeks ago. Had a decent hall and next day grilled the rock cods we caught whole. Just salt and pepper and tangerine slices inside where the guts had been. Started them direct to get nice lines then wrapped in foil to keep them hot until serving.

[mraynrand]

Went ocean fishing (Santa Cruz area) with my son 2 weeks ago. Had a decent hall and next day grilled the rock cods we caught whole. Just salt and pepper and tangerine slices inside where the guts had been. Started them direct to get nice lines then wrapped in foil to keep them hot until serving.

Sounds tasty, but what about fish tacos?

[MadtownPacker]

Sounds tasty, but what about fish tacos?Whats up with Patler and you perving up the food thread? :lol:

[hoosier]

Rockfish on the grill: first thought comes to mind is, with or without the eyes?

https://www.hmlanding.com/booking/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Copy-of-Custom-Bob-600x454.jpg

[MadtownPacker]

Damn that’s a nice red snapper. Is that you?

Whole fish except for the guts and most of the scales scraped off.

[call_me_ishmael]

Went ocean fishing (Santa Cruz area) with my son 2 weeks ago. Had a decent hall and next day grilled the rock cods we caught whole. Just salt and pepper and tangerine slices inside where the guts had been. Started them direct to get nice lines then wrapped in foil to keep them hot until serving.

Sounds delicious. Next time in Cruz hit up Palomar for tacos. So damn good. Even for a native like yourself you'll love 'em.

[3irty1]

This is the key for me. I admire your initiative but the whole enterprise just sounds so goddamned complicated, messy, and time consuming. I guess if I didn't have to work 10 hours and then come home to kids running amok, I might be able to envision something like this. But there would have to be a payoff. Is the taste of the well done homemade brat significantly better than a good brat from the local butchers?

There is nothing stopping the local butchers from making exactly what I make, but I've not had it. Butchers are a bit of a culinary silo. Like all good cooking the devil is in the details and I could probably give 10 different butchers the same recipe and get 10 different things back. Hence my verbose recipe that gives all the technique and thought. But to answer your question if you're satisfied with your butcher's brats and lack whatever autism makes someone focus on incrementally improving standard comfort fare, no its not worth getting into sausage just for brats. You at least need to make Italian sausage too.

[Radagast]

There is nothing stopping the local butchers from making exactly what I make, but I've not had it. Butchers are a bit of a culinary silo. Like all good cooking the devil is in the details and I could probably give 10 different butchers the same recipe and get 10 different things back. Hence my verbose recipe that gives all the technique and thought. But to answer your question if you're satisfied with your butcher's brats and lack whatever autism makes someone focus on incrementally improving standard comfort fare, no its not worth getting into sausage just for brats. You at least need to make Italian sausage too.


:wow:

I'll bet your neighbor/neighbors love you. The cooking smells alone must be incredible.Were I you and had enough to share, I'd invite the close by neighbors over for a feast. You supply your awesome meats and they could bring everything else from baked beans to cake to beverages. A Fall Feast to remember! Talk about a great community gathering other than clearing snow or trees.


:glug:

[hoosier]

Damn that’s a nice red snapper. Is that you?

Whole fish except for the guts and most of the scales scraped off.

Nah, stock photo selected for the fish eyes.

[hoosier]

There is nothing stopping the local butchers from making exactly what I make, but I've not had it. Butchers are a bit of a culinary silo. Like all good cooking the devil is in the details and I could probably give 10 different butchers the same recipe and get 10 different things back. Hence my verbose recipe that gives all the technique and thought. But to answer your question if you're satisfied with your butcher's brats and lack whatever autism makes someone focus on incrementally improving standard comfort fare, no its not worth getting into sausage just for brats. You at least need to make Italian sausage too.

In other words, to each his own perversion. I can drink to that.

[Radagast]

hoosier, I don't recall you boasting about any of your culinary skills. PB & J sandwiches don't count either. :no:

[hoosier]

I don't have the time I used to have to spend on cooking. In my world, anything that takes more than 30 minutes to prepare (maybe an hour on a weekend) is just an invitation to mutiny. On the rare occasion when I do get to do something serious, the last thing in the world I want to do is take a photo of it or talk about it.

[mraynrand]

Cmon Hoosier. Get with the program. Start using exchange-o-gram.

[hoosier]

Whenever I see that thing referenced I think of that bizarre scene from Blazing Saddles: "Candygram for Mongo!"


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ciVBQixpU

[Radagast]

https://live.staticflickr.com/4358/36278288243_0dd3e6f7f2_b.jpg

Hungry ?

:glug:
Pass the beer please !

[mraynrand]

^^^. Sausage is over baked.

[MadtownPacker]

Have grilled pork chops been mentioned?

[Radagast]

Have grilled pork chops been mentioned?

They have now ! Sounds fantastic !

[MadtownPacker]

They have now ! Sounds fantastic !I tend to use gas on them dues to the even heat. Made some inch thick ones last night with chipotle rub.

[Radagast]

I tend to use gas on them dues to the even heat. Made some inch thick ones last night with chipotle rub.

Have you ever split and stuffed your pork chops? It opens a lot of doors ! Oh Yea Baby.

[MadtownPacker]

That sounds fucking great. I am into combining shit so it works.
When I grill the thick pork chops I start with med-high heat until they look fully cooked outside. But they are not and once the color is right I sealed them stacked all together is one large piece of foil. I leave lots of air space inside. From there they stay on the grill low heat while I get the sides ready in the house. This makes it so that they are juicy all the way thru not just the middle. Plus I know it reaches the heat level needed to be safe.

I’m going to use your stuffed idea with this method. Thinking mushroom, red peppers, and Muenster.

When done you can bite all the way through them like nada.

[Radagast]

That sounds fucking great. I am into combining shit so it works.
When I grill the thick pork chops I start with med-high heat until they look fully cooked outside. But they are not and once the color is right I sealed them stacked all together is one large piece of foil. I leave lots of air space inside. From there they stay on the grill low heat while I get the sides ready in the house. This makes it so that they are juicy all the way thru not just the middle. Plus I know it reaches the heat level needed to be safe.

I’m going to use your stuffed idea with this method. Thinking mushroom, red peppers, and Muenster.

When done you can bite all the way through them like nada.



https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer//XXjGMpINdPy_9wdYgmkv2xjvwMY=/1660x934/smart/filters:no_upscale()/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2YN6JE7S7B4GFZQ4ROXU3X43LI.jpg


Wow, that sounds awesome baby !

[Zool]

That sounds fucking great. I am into combining shit so it works.
When I grill the thick pork chops I start with med-high heat until they look fully cooked outside. But they are not and once the color is right I sealed them stacked all together is one large piece of foil. I leave lots of air space inside. From there they stay on the grill low heat while I get the sides ready in the house. This makes it so that they are juicy all the way thru not just the middle. Plus I know it reaches the heat level needed to be safe.

I’m going to use your stuffed idea with this method. Thinking mushroom, red peppers, and Muenster.

When done you can bite all the way through them like nada.

Try spinach, garlic and goat cheese. I make a pork loin roll with that and it’s fantastic. Cherry and red wine sauce over the top.

[MadtownPacker]

I just Patlerized some brats/sausage (Italian style to be used with pasta). I also did some brats that same way about two weeks ago. There is some merit to it. The flavor and the texture are different. More flavor for sure.

[Radagast]

I just Patlerized some brats/sausage (Italian style to be used with pasta). I also did some brats that same way about two weeks ago. There is some merit to it. The flavor and the texture are different. More flavor for sure.

Sounds great !

Have you ever done a Brat or Kielbasa or Polish Sausage Stir Fry? Slice the meat in chunks slowly stir fry in extra large skillet with whatever turns you on. Onions, Peppers, Squash, etc. In addition, the choice of oil/spices/citrus/or .whatever is nearly endless. One can go from simple to as exotic as you want.


https://previews.123rf.com/images/stockbakery/stockbakery1708/stockbakery170801878/84641527-upset-man-screaming-going-crazy.jpg

You could go crazy man !

[Radagast]

https://cdn.styleblueprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/styleblueprint_tacobar_2013_09_09-6-620x413.jpg

The Great Taco Salad Buffet Bar !

A Festiva

[hoosier]

Grilled lettuce and shredded cheese, yum!

[Cheesehead Craig]

I believe this is more of a Festiva:

https://file.kelleybluebookimages.com/kbb/base/house/1992/1992-Ford-Festiva-FrontSide_FOFES921_505x366.jpg

[Radagast]

http://fandbfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/buffet.jpg

Love a Buffet.

[Radagast]

https://previews.123rf.com/images/gdolgikh/gdolgikh1610/gdolgikh161000681/64944627-traditional-german-food-of-pretzels-sauerkraut-bratwurst-and-beer-on-wooden-table.jpg

[mraynrand]

http://fandbfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/buffet.jpg

Love a Buffet.

So does Stubby. Is this the Golden. Corral?

[call_me_ishmael]

I am sure this is very fatty and artery clogging, but hot damn burgers cooked this way were damn good.

https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/letter-from-the-editor-columns/article/ed-letter

Normally I buy the premade pub burgers at the grocery store. They grill up great, but my kids won't eat 'em for whatever reason. I wanted to make a very thin patty to coerce the kids into eating them, and sure enough, this was mission accomplished and both the two and the four year old scarffed 'em down.

[Radagast]

I am sure this is very fatty and artery clogging, but hot damn burgers cooked this way were damn good.

https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/letter-from-the-editor-columns/article/ed-letter

Normally I buy the premade pub burgers at the grocery store. They grill up great, but my kids won't eat 'em for whatever reason. I wanted to make a very thin patty to coerce the kids into eating them, and sure enough, this was mission accomplished and both the two and the four year old scarffed 'em down.


There are loads of methods for pre preparing hamburgers. I'd like to suggest one of them.

To 1 lb. or more of your prefered hamburger, add:

1 package of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Thoroughly work the mix into the meat and then shape your patties as you prefer. Grill as desired and add cheese (if desired).

Also, I like to toast my Hamburger Rolls on the grill too.

Additionally, potato or pasta salad complements the meal.

To round out the meal, cubed melon (honeydew or watermelon) goes very well.

I like cold beer with such a meal, but Tea or Lemonade are great too.



:glug:

[MadtownPacker]

I am sure this is very fatty and artery clogging, but hot damn burgers cooked this way were damn good.

https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/letter-from-the-editor-columns/article/ed-letter

Normally I buy the premade pub burgers at the grocery store. They grill up great, but my kids won't eat 'em for whatever reason. I wanted to make a very thin patty to coerce the kids into eating them, and sure enough, this was mission accomplished and both the two and the four year old scarffed 'em down.You have kids P??? Well I’ll be damn, high five foo!

I also like thin patties. Much more layered flavor versus one thick one. Stacking them with cheese in between is the ultimate tasty greasefest. The biting experience is also better with multiple layers of bark on the patties. I like to put them in direct contact with the flames. For a fast cook that leaves the thin inside about medium.

[Radagast]

You have kids P??? Well I’ll be damn, high five foo!

I also like thin patties. Much more layered flavor versus one thick one. Stacking them with cheese in between is the ultimate tasty greasefest. The biting experience is also better with multiple layers of bark on the patties. I like to put them in direct contact with the flames. For a fast cook that leaves the thin inside about medium.


I must say, it's all good. :five:

Now, let's talk bacon. I like bacon on burgers. Bacon wrapped/grilled scallops or bacon wrapped bacon is good with me !

I like bacon in my garden salad and in my baked beans as well. I'm waiting for Taco Bell to have a Bacon Taco or Bacon Burrito. Bacon over sausage with my fried breakfast eggs suits me tastefully.

https://thebakermama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fullsizeoutput_15a7c.jpg

[MadtownPacker]

Ok Rad are rolling off the grill theme here. You obviously no respect for bacon because it merits its own thread.

But yes it is damn great on anything. Maple bacon donut was the best I have ever tried.

[Radagast]

Ok Rad are rolling off the grill theme here. You obviously no respect for bacon because it merits its own thread.

But yes it is damn great on anything. Maple bacon donut was the best I have ever tried.


I disagree, bacon and grilling go hand in hand. A cast iron skillet serves very well alongside those hamburger patties. In addition, bacon wrapped scallops work well with butter as they cook in a skillet beside grilling Tuna or Salmon.

I'm sure that many other fine bacon/grilling ideas can be found. Point is there are an abundance of different ways to grill with bacon.

[Radagast]

Thanksgiving is drawing near. Most will bake their Turkey in an indoor oven, which is great. Question is do any of you Smoke or Roast (with a grill) 0r even fry your big birds. I've eaten it cooked so and all are terrific.

Any advice, warnings, stories (good/bad), traditions, favorites, etc. regarding the holiday would be great. My family gathers for a traditional holiday and often are joined by 1 to 2 unexpected guest. All are welcome and no one leaves hungry.


https://um-insight.net/downloads/6316/download/Norman_Rockwell_Mural_%28Marion_County%2C_Oregon_s cenic_images%29_%28marDA0166%29.jpg?cb=8f9a015c728 8eaf3bbb92952f23e8652

[Cheesehead Craig]

You hear that rand? You are welcome at Rad's house for Thanksgiving!

[mraynrand]

You hear that rand? You are welcome at Rad's house for Thanksgiving!

He hasnt PMed me his address.

[mraynrand]

I must say, it's all good. :five:

Now, let's talk bacon. I like bacon on burgers. Bacon wrapped/grilled scallops or bacon wrapped bacon is good with me !

I like bacon in my garden salad and in my baked beans as well. I'm waiting for Taco Bell to have a Bacon Taco or Bacon Burrito. Bacon over sausage with my fried breakfast eggs suits me tastefully.

https://thebakermama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/fullsizeoutput_15a7c.jpg

Bacon makes everything better!!!

#baconator

[Radagast]

You hear that rand? You are welcome at Rad's house for Thanksgiving!


First, my family gathers at my brothers home.

Second, any Thanksgiving guest are specially invited by my brother or his family only.

Last, I could get "Mr.W.Va" an invitation, but he would have to supply a completely clean criminal background check, a certified/notarized letter of recommendation from a ordained minister/pastor, and a certified/notarized letter from an accredited Medical Doctor stating that he has no communicable diseases. I highly doubt that he could supply a clean record, morals recommendation, or a clean bill of health. Psychotic mental deficients need not apply.

P.S. As I don't read his vomit infused crap, following my post to make comments only proves that he needs to go back to work in that nasty coal mine, they accept anyone.



Happy Thanksgiving !

[mraynrand]

First, my family gathers at my brothers home.

Second, any Thanksgiving guest are specially invited by my brother or his family only.

Last, I could get "Mr.W.Va" an invitation, but he would have to supply a completely clean criminal background check, a certified/notarized letter of recommendation from a ordained minister/pastor, and a certified/notarized letter from an accredited Medical Doctor stating that he has no communicable diseases. I highly doubt that he could supply a clean record, morals recommendation, or a clean bill of health. Psychotic mental deficients need not apply.

P.S. As I don't read his vomit infused crap, following my post to make comments only proves that he needs to go back to work in that nasty coal mine, they accept anyone.



Happy Thanksgiving !

I can provide all those things, except vomit infused crap - I suspect such a thing might only result from a tainted bird.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I can provide all those things, except vomit infused crap - I suspect such a thing might only result from a tainted bird.

Tainted Bird, wasn't that a song by Soft Cell?

[hoosier]

Tainted bird: rhymes with a great novel by Jerzy Kosinski.

[mraynrand]

Tainted bird: rhymes with a great novel by Jerzy Kosinski.

Been There, done that.

[Radagast]

Thanksgiving/Christmas is no time to read post from a dick, so let's all just ignore and move past the resident buffon's (mraynrand) regular ravings and be civil this holiday season.

Still looking for those holiday grilling stories. Do you fry or smoke your turkey? Do you have a great dressing recipe or perhaps some fab. desert maybe. I'm considering making a peach cobbler from scratch and topping it with vanilla ice cream.

What's on your holiday menu? :glug:

[mraynrand]

Thanksgiving/Christmas is no time to read post from a dick, so let's all just ignore and move past the resident buffon's (mraynrand) regular ravings and be civil this holiday season.

FYI - this isn’t really civil.

[Radagast]

Any post from a serious poster would be most welcome.

West Virginia baked racoon is not considered a traditional holiday favorite.

Anyone know a great glazed ham recipe ?

:-)

[mraynrand]

[

West Virginia baked racoon is not considered a traditional holiday favorite.

Collecting and Cooking roadkill is legal in WV, and the price is right.

[MadtownPacker]

Deep frying this year most likely. Just a lot faster and don’t have to worry about drying the mofo out.

I have never fully baked one but did smoke one for a few hours then put in oven to finish. The flavor sinks in and I got good reviews.

[Zool]

Deep frying this year most likely. Just a lot faster and don’t have to worry about drying the mofo out.

I have never fully baked one but did smoke one for a few hours then put in oven to finish. The flavor sinks in and I got good reviews.

Brine then spatchcock that bird and it’ll cook in 90 minutes. Plus you get to make a shit ton of jokes about the term spatchcock.

[Radagast]

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe I heard that using Peanut Oil to deep fry a Turkey delivers both flavor and a great crispy outer layer as it seals in the moisture of the bird. Most Costcos/etc. sell the large jugs at a fair price.

Additionally, not many know that using the cooking oil to make homemade Potato Chips following the cooking of the bird is a special bonus. It does require some planning and preparation though. A Deep Fry Basket comes in handy for this.

Special Note: Special care should be used cooking outdoors with hot oil. To many unintended fires happen every year because errors were made. Many online sites cover all the ins and outs for frying a turkey. I wish all a Safe as well as a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Best of Luck and please take care.

[MadtownPacker]

Brine then spatchcock that bird and it’ll cook in 90 minutes. Plus you get to make a shit ton of jokes about the term spatchcock.I have read about brining, pretty much soaking in salt water right?

At least give the jokes a chance to develop!

[MadtownPacker]

Rad - I believe the peanut oil is recommended due to its ability to handle higher heat compares to others. It does also seem to add a different flavor. I have used it (fresh not used) to make deep fried Oreos, Twinkies and other Fair style goodies.

But the thought of making chips with it after turkey sounds interesting. Are you leaving somewheres?

[Zool]

I have read about brining, pretty much soaking in salt water right?

At least give the jokes a chance to develop!

Yeah salt water with seasonings. I’ve done a few different, but I always end up back at sage, rosemary and thyme. Butter directly under the skin on the breast with more rosemary. Aromatics on the bottom of a sheet pan. Cooling rack over those, and the bird on the rack.

[MadtownPacker]

Does sound munchies worthy. I can see where the salt would open things up to absorb the seasoning better. Going to have to try it but Mex it up with some chile powder though. Thinking chipotle and cayenne blend.

[Radagast]

Rad - I believe the peanut oil is recommended due to its ability to handle higher heat compares to others. It does also seem to add a different flavor. I have used it (fresh not used) to make deep fried Oreos, Twinkies and other Fair style goodies.

But the thought of making chips with it after turkey sounds interesting. Are you leaving somewheres?

Not going anywhere. I simply recall that every year I see/hear of those that get burned or set their garage/house on fire frying turkeys. There must be some basic rules governing it so safety is maintained. No sense having a tragedy ruin your's or anyone's holiday.I wish you a most happy and safe holiday.

Regardless of how a Turkey is prepared, use a meat thermometer to ensure the inside of the thickest part (the breast) is 165 Degrees F. . This ensures that the meat is cooked and safe to eat. Most groceries sell then and they are a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Spend the extra money and get an instant read thermometer.

[hoosier]

Deep frying this year most likely. Just a lot faster and don’t have to worry about drying the mofo out.

I have never fully baked one but did smoke one for a few hours then put in oven to finish. The flavor sinks in and I got good reviews.

The only time a turkey should ever get baked is right before it loses its head. Roast it in the oven, save the baking for cookies.

[call_me_ishmael]

Spend the extra money and get an instant read thermometer.

Easily the best item I've purchased in the past year or two. Easily. And it was like 15 bucks. Can't beat it!

[Zool]

Does sound munchies worthy. I can see where the salt would open things up to absorb the seasoning better. Going to have to try it but Mex it up with some chile powder though. Thinking chipotle and cayenne blend.

Send me some.

[MadtownPacker]

The only time a turkey should ever get baked is right before it loses its head. Roast it in the oven, save the baking for cookies.I thought that’s what it meant. I have cooked for years on the grill, griddle, stove, or smoker and just recently started utilizing the oven. Guess baked only applies to stuff like cookie and brownies?

I use a thermometer on pork but just a simple poke it in to the bone kind. Hasn’t failed yet.

[MadtownPacker]

Send me some.Munchies inducing supplies? :lol:

It would be possible but your pale ass would be better served with a dozen of my Mama’s tamales. She send them overnight shipping (surrounded by dry ice I think) to my cuz in Seattle. They steam them up and he says they are just as good as when just made.

[Radagast]

With my family, the Thanksgiving feast does not begin until 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. So beginning around !2:00 as people are arriving, drinks and appetisers ar the normal routine.A full bar is laid out and on the patio the Xlarge cooler is full of beer and ice. Cheese trays and boxes of party crackers are inhaled by all. One special treat sometimes takes place when a few steaks hit the grill. When cooked they are cubed up and served as a special appetiser. The cocktail sticks quickly disappear along with the delicious cubes of steak. I've heard that some do the same with Shrimp or veggies. Crab stuffed mushrooms are my favorite appetizers, as ars bacon wrapped scallops with butter dipping sauce.

Perhaps I've given someone a new holiday idea, I hope so ! :-)

[Zool]

Munchies inducing supplies? :lol:

It would be possible but your pale ass would be better served with a dozen of my Mama’s tamales. She send them overnight shipping (surrounded by dry ice I think) to my cuz in Seattle. They steam them up and he says they are just as good as when just made.

OM effing G. How much? Since I moved from East LA, I haven’t had a good tamale.

[hoosier]

I thought that’s what it meant. I have cooked for years on the grill, griddle, stove, or smoker and just recently started utilizing the oven. Guess baked only applies to stuff like cookie and brownies?

I use a thermometer on pork but just a simple poke it in to the bone kind. Hasn’t failed yet.

Yeah, baking is for soft stuff that you want to solidify, like cakes and cookies. Apples and potatoes, you could probably do either one. But it all depends on your oven, too. In lower end ovens, bake and roast settings do exactly the same thing. With better ovens, roasting will give you a nicer brown crust. If you have a roast convection setting, use that for the turkey.

[Radagast]

I was wondering, will/does anyone grill wild game at Thanksgiving or Christmas. I've known some to grill anything from Deer to Duck/Geese to Rabbits. For some it i an acceptable substitute for a Turkey. Fish too has also seen some holiday grills as well.

Any accomplished hunters out there?

[MadtownPacker]

OM effing G. How much? Since I moved from East LA, I haven’t had a good tamale.That is sad. Tamales are how we make sure we have something to unwrap on Christmas Day!

[MadtownPacker]

Yeah, baking is for soft stuff that you want to solidify, like cakes and cookies. Apples and potatoes, you could probably do either one. But it all depends on your oven, too. In lower end ovens, bake and roast settings do exactly the same thing. With better ovens, roasting will give you a nicer brown crust. If you have a roast convection setting, use that for the turkey.Further my culinary education. How does a baked ham work? This is why I love my smoker and grill!

[Zool]

That is sad. Tamales are how we make sure we have something to unwrap on Christmas Day!

Hectors mom made me a dozen assorted every Christmas. I miss them so much.

[hoosier]

Further my culinary education. How does a baked ham work? This is why I love my smoker and grill!

As a rule of thumb, the more it tokes the less it works :-)

[3irty1]

Most important thing you can do to respect the turkey that died for you is to sharpen your knife and watch a youtube video or something on how to carve if you're not comfortable with it. I can lube an overcooked bird in gravy but bad carving turns a holiday into a corpse mutilation.

I consider ideal to be 160F which means pulling the bird from the fryer/oven/smoker at 153-155 depending on your Turkey's thermal mass. The center will continue to cook on the counter for a while. Those thermometers with the flexible probe that can monitor the bird the whole time makes this fool proof.

Those two things done well put any Turkey in the 99th percentile IMO. I'll be using brine this year because I'm doing a wild bird but for your typical 6 month old farm raised butterball I honestly can't tell the difference. I just thaw it early, salt the cavity, dry off the outside, and smear with room temp butter+salt+pepper just to let the skin get about a day worth of cure.

[Radagast]

Most important thing you can do to respect the turkey that died for you is to sharpen your knife and watch a youtube video or something on how to carve if you're not comfortable with it. I can lube an overcooked bird in gravy but bad carving turns a holiday into a corpse mutilation.

I consider ideal to be 160F which means pulling the bird from the fryer/oven/smoker at 153-155 depending on your Turkey's thermal mass. The center will continue to cook on the counter for a while. Those thermometers with the flexible probe that can monitor the bird the whole time makes this fool proof.

Those two things done well put any Turkey in the 99th percentile IMO. I'll be using brine this year because I'm doing a wild bird but for your typical 6 month old farm raised butterball I honestly can't tell the difference. I just thaw it early, salt the cavity, dry off the outside, and smear with room temp butter+salt+pepper just to let the skin get about a day worth of cure.


I agree, carving a Turkey is an important part of serving a Turkey. However professional chefs and health professionals all agree that undercooking a Turkey can be unsafe. Butterball and all others agree that a Turkey is not fully cooked until a meat thermometer inserted deep into the breast area reads 165 degrees F. Basting and other methods can ensure a moist bird.

Your welcome to do as you please, but I would hate for your feast to make anyone ill.

[MadtownPacker]

As a rule of thumb, the more it tokes the less it works :-)Hah! Cooking humor, this tread truly has it all!

[3irty1]

I agree, carving a Turkey is an important part of serving a Turkey. However professional chefs and health professionals all agree that undercooking a Turkey can be unsafe. Butterball and all others agree that a Turkey is not fully cooked until a meat thermometer inserted deep into the breast area reads 165 degrees F. Basting and other methods can ensure a moist bird.

Your welcome to do as you please, but I would hate for your feast to make anyone ill.

Well I was a professional and I can assure you that 165 F is no more pasteurized than 160 F is when it comes to roasting a Turkey. In cooking we are concerned with safety while at Butterball they are concerned with liability. The latter is determined by lawyers. As cooks we want to play it safe, as lawyers they want to play it lawsuit-proof which means simple instructions with endless room for error.

Pasteurization is not just a function of temperature but also of time. Here's a table from the USDA (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwjO3u-etublAhVBYKwKHeMHDAcQFjAAegQIABAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2FOPPDE%2Frdad %2FFRPubs%2F97-013P%2FCOMPLIANCE%2520GUIDELINES%2520FOR%2520RTE%2 520MEAT%2520AND%2520POULTRY.doc&usg=AOvVaw2rrnn0OFPnPLf1uXlWhtXp) which is not the kind of thing lawyers would allow on a butterball label:
https://i.ibb.co/MVKYF6n/turkey.png
Lawyers like the numbers in excess of 165 because at this temperature pasteurization is more or less instantaneous and removes the variable of time altogether. As cooks we have to look at this table and wonder how could you ever serve a Turkey that was not safe? A bird needs to be at my suggested temperature of 160F for less than 30 seconds to be safe. Even at an internal temp of 150 degrees it takes only 3.7 minutes to pasteurize our bird and no matter what we do, how poorly calibrated our thermometer is or how fast our watch is, we can guarantee our cooking times and temperatures will far exceed this.

[hoosier]

Biggest turkey challenge for me is uneven cooking. It's probably the size of the bird (>23lb.) that is the biggest contributing factor, but I regularly have birds come out with perfectly done breasts and some lingering sushi-level doneness in the dark meat areas. I usually just carve it and then throw the underdone stuff back in the oven to finish it off, but it would be nice to have an evenly cooked experience once in a while.

[3irty1]

Biggest turkey challenge for me is uneven cooking. It's probably the size of the bird (>23lb.) that is the biggest contributing factor, but I regularly have birds come out with perfectly done breasts and some lingering sushi-level doneness in the dark meat areas. I usually just carve it and then throw the underdone stuff back in the oven to finish it off, but it would be nice to have an evenly cooked experience once in a while.

It might not be uneven cooking, the dark stuff needs more time to look right. This is a modern problem of the Turkey industrial complex. Whatever Ivan Drago tubes and hormones it takes for a Turkey to be 20+ lbs at 5 or 6 months old doesn't change the fact that this bird has unappetizing pink joints of a baby even when cooked to temp. In my job I used to have to carve turkeys table side and so this was not acceptable even if entirely cosmetic. To mitigate it I found 18lbs to be about the right size so that the thighs would look right by the time that the breasts were done. On a big boy you could try foiling the breasts or even stuffing the cavity with a bag of ice to give the thighs a head start. If you don't care about carving table side then ya, lop off the tits and put the rest back in the oven. You can make a better platter that way anyhow.

[Radagast]

Biggest turkey challenge for me is uneven cooking. It's probably the size of the bird (>23lb.) that is the biggest contributing factor, but I regularly have birds come out with perfectly done breasts and some lingering sushi-level doneness in the dark meat areas. I usually just carve it and then throw the underdone stuff back in the oven to finish it off, but it would be nice to have an evenly cooked experience once in a while.

A few questions, no harm intended.

1. Is your salted and peppered bird placed on some kind of a rack or does it rest on the bottom of the roasting pan? Elevating an inch above the bottom of the roasting pan allows for juices/drippings to turn to steam and fill the tightly covered pan with hot moisture.

2. Is your roasting pan covered with a fitted lid or a tightly made tent of aluminum foil? This allows for the juices/drippings to help steam the bird as well as the roasting heat. Placing additional broth in the bottom of the roasting pan can help with this and helps to provide fluids to baiste the bird with. A Turkey baster (looks like a big eye dropper) comes in handy and they are not that expensive to buy.

3. Is your bird placed breast up in your roasting pan. This allows for easier basting and elevates that portion of the bird

4. To complete the process, most remove the lid/foil, spread a little butter/oil on the birds skin and Brown the bird fr 10 or so minutes. Delivering a more crispy skin rather than a less pleasing skin color.

5. Allow the bird to rest and cool down before carving. Place whole bird on a large platter as drippings/broth are used to make gravy with!

I've tried to cover all of the bases, but any additional ideas/tips are certainly welcome.

The idea is to help each other succeed and I wish you all the best of good luck.

[Zool]

Biggest turkey challenge for me is uneven cooking. It's probably the size of the bird (>23lb.) that is the biggest contributing factor, but I regularly have birds come out with perfectly done breasts and some lingering sushi-level doneness in the dark meat areas. I usually just carve it and then throw the underdone stuff back in the oven to finish it off, but it would be nice to have an evenly cooked experience once in a while.

Spatchcocking resolves this issue for me. Doing a brine helps everything cook faster also.

[hoosier]

It might not be uneven cooking, the dark stuff needs more time to look right. This is a modern problem of the Turkey industrial complex. Whatever Ivan Drago tubes and hormones it takes for a Turkey to be 20+ lbs at 5 or 6 months old doesn't change the fact that this bird has unappetizing pink joints of a baby even when cooked to temp. In my job I used to have to carve turkeys table side and so this was not acceptable even if entirely cosmetic. To mitigate it I found 18lbs to be about the right size so that the thighs would look right by the time that the breasts were done. On a big boy you could try foiling the breasts or even stuffing the cavity with a bag of ice to give the thighs a head start. If you don't care about carving table side then ya, lop off the tits and put the rest back in the oven. You can make a better platter that way anyhow.

For my taste it would be nice if the "white meat popsicle" that is the modern turkey were really just all white meat. But I carve em in the kitchen, so nobody is scandalized by the thought of having a bit of e coli with their drumstick. I'm going to try downsizing this year, maybe do two of the smaller variety with the added bonus of additional leftovers.

[hoosier]

Spatchcocking resolves this issue for me. Doing a brine helps everything cook faster also.

You spatchcock a 20 lb turkey????

[Zool]

You spatchcock a 20 lb turkey????

Damn straight! Good poultry sheers are worth every penny.

[hoosier]

A few questions, no harm intended.

1. Is your salted and peppered bird placed on some kind of a rack or does it rest on the bottom of the roasting pan? Elevating an inch above the bottom of the roasting pan allows for juices/drippings to turn to steam and fill the tightly covered pan with hot moisture.

2. Is your roasting pan covered with a fitted lid or a tightly made tent of aluminum foil? This allows for the juices/drippings to help steam the bird as well as the roasting heat. Placing additional broth in the bottom of the roasting pan can help with this and helps to provide fluids to baiste the bird with. A Turkey baster (looks like a big eye dropper) comes in handy and they are not that expensive to buy.

3. Is your bird placed breast up in your roasting pan. This allows for easier basting and elevates that portion of the bird

4. To complete the process, most remove the lid/foil, spread a little butter/oil on the birds skin and Brown the bird fr 10 or so minutes. Delivering a more crispy skin rather than a less pleasing skin color.

5. Allow the bird to rest and cool down before carving. Place whole bird on a large platter as drippings/broth are used to make gravy with!

I've tried to cover all of the bases, but any additional ideas/tips are certainly welcome.

The idea is to help each other succeed and I wish you all the best of good luck.

Because heat rises, breast up will tend to exacerbate unevenness. I start it off breast down then flip it so the breast skin gets nice and brown. I've tried cooking in a turkey cooker with a fitting lid but had a hard time moderating the temp. Turkey ended up dry AND pasty looking, the worst of both worlds. I'm sure there are better turkey cookers out there that can do the job right, but not worth the effort for once a year.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Agree with 3irty1, once you get to those 20+ lb birds, it just gets real tricky on cooking them. I remember my mom just doing 2 smaller ones after a few years (family of 6 kids) and that worked out so much better. Plus, there's 4 drumsticks so less fighting over who gets one.

We have brined our turkeys for the past few years and it's simply fantastic.

However, the best reason to make the turkey is the leftover sandwiches.

[MadtownPacker]

Because heat rises, breast up will tend to exacerbate unevenness. I start it off breast down then flip it so the breast skin gets nice and brown. I've tried cooking in a turkey cooker with a fitting lid but had a hard time moderating the temp. Turkey ended up dry AND pasty looking, the worst of both worlds. I'm sure there are better turkey cookers out there that can do the job right, but not worth the effort for once a year.I was gonna asked about the breast down. Had seen it on a show and while I didn’t cook it myself made the suggestion, she cooked it that way the whole time, and it came out plenty juicy. Something was put so it would stay balanced.

[hoosier]

I was gonna asked about the breast down. Had seen it on a show and while I didn’t cook it myself made the suggestion, she cooked it that way the whole time, and it came out plenty juicy. Something was put so it would stay balanced.

I like it--for the white meat at least, which is all I care about. Those who want to fight over the underdone dark meat, they're on their own! The one downside to starting it out breast down is that you lose some of that distinctive crest above the breastbone, the meat kind of settles on either side of the continental divide and you get a slightly flatter look. But it tastes the same and it definitely doesn't dry out before the dark meat is done--some of it anyway....

[3irty1]

When you spatchcock a 20 lb turkey what do you cook it in? You'd need like a paella pan or something. Do you set bricks on it?

Don't think I've ever cooked or eaten a turkey cooked breast down. What is the reasoning for this?

[hoosier]

Don't think I've ever cooked or eaten a turkey cooked breast down. What is the reasoning for this?

Slows the cooking process for the part of the bird that is prone to drying out quickly. I don't leave it breast down for the whole process: flip for the last 45-60 minutes for a nice crisp brown. It really does prevent the breast from drying out, the only sacrifice is you lose that crest.

[Radagast]

https://www.foodnetwork.com/content/dam/images/food/video/6/61/610/6100/61005.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving to All !

[MadtownPacker]

When you spatchcock a 20 lb turkey what do you cook it in? You'd need like a paella pan or something. Do you set bricks on it?

Don't think I've ever cooked or eaten a turkey cooked breast down. What is the reasoning for this?Shit I just looked spatchcock up. I call that butterflied. Zool just likes talking about cock. When I smoked a turkey for tday that is how I did it. Worked very well because the whole bird had smoke rings which I doubt would have happened in standard shape.

As Hoosier mentioned it keeps it juicy in spots that usually dry. The juice draining down is what I think does it. And the typically soggy bottom side comes out perfect IMO.

[3irty1]

I honestly don't know what these usual dry spots are. The two ways I know to get dry turkey is to 1. overcook 2. squeeze the juices out while carving when not resting long enough or using a dull knife.

[MadtownPacker]

I honestly don't know what these usual dry spots are. The two ways I know to get dry turkey is to 1. overcook 2. squeeze the juices out while carving when not resting long enough or using a dull knife.The breast and the top of the leg are the spots that I have come across dry. You are probably correct in that it is due to overcooking but I think oven size and the way the heat circulates would come into play also. We ain’t all Flash Gordon Ramsey like former pros. I’m not a fan of oven cooked meats in general. I guess the savage in me likes to have the smoke taste even if it probably cancer inducing.

[3irty1]

The breast and the top of the leg are the spots that I have come across dry. You are probably correct in that it is due to overcooking but I think oven size and the way the heat circulates would come into play also. We ain’t all Flash Gordon Ramsey like former pros. I’m not a fan of oven cooked meats in general. I guess the savage in me likes to have the smoke taste even if it probably cancer inducing.

Whether oven, smoker, or deep fryer this type of gizmo is your best friend: https://www.thermoworks.com/DOT

There are cheaper ones but the probes tend to be very fragile so careful.

Stick that probe in the boob, set the alarm for 155 F for a 18lb bird (degree or two less for a big bird), and drink beer until your gizmo says you have to work again. Leave the probe in, set the bird on the counter and now set the alarm to 160. It'll finish on the counter. Then wait 15 or so to carve. Whatever wacky mad science beer-can-up-the-ass Turducken recipe you're doing, follow those instructions and you will not have dry Turkey.

[Patler]

Whether oven, smoker, or deep fryer this type of gizmo is your best friend: https://www.thermoworks.com/DOT

There are cheaper ones but the probes tend to be very fragile so careful.

Stick that probe in the boob, set the alarm for 155 F for a 18lb bird (degree or two less for a big bird), and drink beer until your gizmo says you have to work again. Leave the probe in, set the bird on the counter and now set the alarm to 160. It'll finish on the counter. Then wait 15 or so to carve. Whatever wacky mad science beer-can-up-the-ass Turducken recipe you're doing, follow those instructions and you will not have dry Turkey.

I've been a fan of Thermoworks for years! First came across them for their industrial/lab meters and probes. When I became aware of their cooking line, I was an instant customer. Their thermopen instant read thermometer is the best friend of a hack-cook like me! I have given them as gifts to most of my family, and they love them. Built industrial strong. I also have a multichannel meter from thermoworks, with different types of probes that I use with my ceramic grill/smoker. One probe on the grate for grill temp and others in meat for food temp. They are fantastic.

[3irty1]

I've been a fan of Thermoworks for years! First came across them for their industrial/lab meters and probes. When I became aware of their cooking line, I was an instant customer. Their thermopen instant read thermometer is the best friend of a hack-cook like me! I have given them as gifts to most of my family, and they love them. Built industrial strong. I also have a multichannel meter from thermoworks, with different types of probes that I use with my ceramic grill/smoker. One probe on the grate for grill temp and others in meat for food temp. They are fantastic.

Those thermapens were game changers. Fantastic gifts too as its one of those things most people don't know that they need it until they've used it.

[George Cumby]

Been Breast Down for years. ~2/3 cooking time then flip the bird for the remaining 1/3. Juicy breast meat every time. Flipping the bird can be slightly epic.

[3irty1]

I've been to a thanksgiving (girlfriend's parents) where the turkey was cooked in a microwave. Apparently this tradition was a holdover from early microwave days. When microwaves were first developed they didn't know how people were going to use them which is why those early ones were so big and overbuilt--they expected the service life of an oven would be needed and that people would actually cook things rather than reheat. There were lots of microwave cookbooks printed in that era to adopt just about everything for microwave cooking. Including a whole 20lb Turkey. The result was much more normal than you'd imagine. The outside browned, the inside was overcooked but edible.

I've had a turkey before where the host injected the bird with a marinade and then spun the whole thing on a pottery wheel to make the centrifugal force disperse the injection. This particular host was a competitive BBQ guru so presumably this was a technique he was re-purposing from brisket. The process was more memorable than the bird I'm afraid.

It wasn't Thanksgiving but I had a Turkey once where the skin was separated from the bird with an air compressor and then blanched and cured like a giant Peking duck. Frozen apple juice concentrate was used to marinate the cavity. Then it was smoked with apple or pecan or something. That one was actually pretty cool.

I had a dinner at a coworker's house where he made a giant ballottine with a Turkey. The whole bird was tediously boned so as to keep the meat all in once piece totally separate from the carcass. This big slab was then rolled with chicken liver mousse and cream cheese and then roasted. He served with a gastrique that was finished with Turkey drippings.

I once broke down a Turkey, sealed the pieces in vacuum bags with butter and thyme, and cooked sousvide in a 160 degree water bath for over a day. Then quickly seared the outside and served. From a technical perspective that Turkey was flawlessly cooked but I haven't done anything like that since on Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving when Turkey is cheap sure, but never the big day. I consider the Gf's microwave Turkey more appropriate and more successful.

Why?

It's a huge waste. The pleasure of food is at least half psychological. The best chowder you ever had was when you were cold and wet. At the most famous restaurant I worked (and by worked I mean a 3 week unpaid internship), Alinea in Chicago, an army of cooks assemble plate with tweezers. The food is exotic, artistic, and everything is a spectacle. But at this level there is only so much you can do to manipulate the food, what you really want is to serve the best food but serve it to the guest who's in a state where it'll be most pleasurable. Guests come in with a predictable bias for what's in season, all decent restaurants know that. The haute cuisine frontier at that time was manipulating the guest as well as the food to make them as receptive as possible to what you were going to serve them. This could mean adjusting the lights for a course, it could mean choosing a tin bowl and wooden spoon for a course to make this upscale restaurant sound briefly like a mess hall, it could mean serving a plate of oysters on a pillow of mud scented air made with a rotovap and marijuana vaporizor to make the dining room temporarily smell like it just rained.

The principle of pairing food with the guest's state of mind is just as valid for Thanksgiving except all that stuff Alinea does to fabricate an experience for food critics is already done for us. Thanksgiving is the superbowl of comfort food. Everybody comes with a mental model of exactly what they expect and they are already hungry for it. They've been thinking about it all week. There is no worse time to get cute or experiment. Even if my sous vide Turkey is technically perfect it's wholly inappropriate. The roasted Turkey is better even if it's only 90% as technically perfect because guests got to smell it all day in the oven and have it carved in front of them.

So that's where I'm at as a Thanksgiving host. I just try to get out of my own way. I'll put more creative energy into what sweater I wear when I carve the bird than how I'll prepare it.

[MadtownPacker]

Nice post 31 and 100% agree. Presentation, perception and showmanship do make it better. Same as if you watch the cow or pig processed. Would take the appetite away from many no matter how hungry.

Good example is teppanyaki, but I did have a whack ass rookie the last time and left a minimal tip. MFer couldn't even get the onion volcano going!

[George Cumby]

Cut and paste material, 31.

Really great post.

[Radagast]

3irty1, MadtownPacker, and others have posted some valid and important Turkey Day points. The holiday is supposed to be a day of family, feasting, and for me NFL Football games. Like many, my family roots go back to rural country/small town living. Comfort food for me is rural eastern North Carolina. Turkey for sure, but also loads of mashed potatoes, stuffing, fresh baked rolls and enough gravy to cover every plate twice. I'm not forgetting the green bean casserole, whole kernel corn, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, plus the traditional cranberry sauce. In addition, an apple/walnut salad has become a favorite over the last 6 years.

Later, after the feast, if you can find room for it there is the traditional Pecan and Apple Pie to be had. I still like Pumpkin pie myself, but I'm not on the desert committee.


Thanksgiving should be what gives us have that warm and secure family atmosphere that is not found at the office, on the road, or in a crowded store. For some the holiday is an oasis from their daily workaday task. A chance to relax and recharge internal batteries.

All too often a holiday like Thanksgiving can also turn bad as family quarles/differences surface. Instead of peace and family harmony, old issues get dragged out in the open again and can lead to more than just harsh words. I encourage all to put such things aside for the holiday and be good to each other.



Happy Thanksgiving !

[MadtownPacker]

We gonna be taking our own advice on that last paragraph right?

[3irty1]

No can do Radagast. Thanksgiving is first and foremost about confronting relatives about their white privilege.

[hoosier]

No can do Radagast. Thanksgiving is first and foremost about confronting relatives about their white privilege.

No, it's about standing up to microwave abuse. That was a disgusting story, the bad taste of which is going to stick with me long after Thanksgiving is gone and forgotten. Thanks a fucking lot.

[Radagast]

No can do Radagast. Thanksgiving is first and foremost about confronting relatives about their white privilege.

Playing the race card is both unwaredted and bigoted. Continuing to stir up the pot only promotes the negative instead of working toward a better tomorrow.

[MadtownPacker]

Looks like Thanksgiving is starting a little early at PackerRats! :duel::alc:

[Patler]

All too often a holiday like Thanksgiving can also turn bad as family quarles/differences surface. Instead of peace and family harmony, old issues get dragged out in the open again and can lead to more than just harsh words. I encourage all to put such things aside for the holiday and be good to each other.


Knock on wood, we have never experienced that at any family gathering.

[George Cumby]

God forbid, issues or grievances get aired publicly. Far better for things to fester unaddressed for years or decades.

[MadtownPacker]

Knock on wood, we have never experienced that at any family gathering.Is alcohol served?

[MadtownPacker]

God forbid, issues or grievances get aired publicly. Far better for things to fester unaddressed for years or decades.I have an interesting situation coming up that will have pretty much all my Mothers side of the family (yes we rented a hall). The interesting part is my sister is not talking to me. Bitch wouldn’t even come to my moms house on Mamas bday while I was there and didn’t show until I left. She is also pissed at a few of our cousins at the moment. She will be invited but I am thinking will not show because that’s the shitty petty kind of person she is. If it was me I would still go since the person it is for is not part of the argument. But then us dudes tend get over shit fast. So TDay and Christmas will likely be more of the same even though we have always spent it together.

It bothers cuz of my mom because I know it hurts her but she still makes excuses for her daughter.

[George Cumby]

Playing the race card is both unwaredted and bigoted. Continuing to stir up the pot only promotes the negative instead of working toward a better tomorrow.

*sigh*

He was being sarcastic and funny.

[George Cumby]

I have an interesting situation coming up that will have pretty much all my Mothers side of the family (yes we rented a hall). The interesting part is my sister is not talking to me. Bitch wouldn’t even come to my moms house on Mamas bday while I was there and didn’t show until I left. She is also pissed at a few of our cousins at the moment. She will be invited but I am thinking will not show because that’s the shitty petty kind of person she is. If it was me I would still go since the person it is for is not part of the argument. But then us dudes tend get over shit fast. So TDay and Christmas will likely be more of the same even though we have always spent it together.

It bothers cuz of my mom because I know it hurts her but she still makes excuses for her daughter.

Why's she pissed at you? You'll note I posted that question in a non-inflammatory way, Red would have asked "What did you do to piss her off, asshole?" But I'm not Red so I didn't ask it that way.

Yeah, the whole dragging others into it is lame-o. "I'm pisssed at Mad so I'm not coming so now everyone should be pissed at Mad." Whatevs, sis.

[Patler]

God forbid, issues or grievances get aired publicly. Far better for things to fester unaddressed for years or decades.

Our family is quite mellow. Mostly, a live and let live attitude. Everyone minds their own and doesn't interject themselves in the others.

[Patler]

Is alcohol served?

Lots of wine for everyone, fair amount of beer for some. Various whiskeys usually show up.

[George Cumby]

Our family is quite mellow. Mostly, a live and let live attitude. Everyone minds their own and doesn't interject themselves in the others.

I posted that on a phone so it's kind of hard to see and maintain thread awareness. My intent was to needle Rad/Woodblock, I later realized that the post could be misinterpreted as a shot at you.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. Peaceable, drama free family gatherings are a wonderful thing.

[Patler]

I posted that on a phone so it's kind of hard to see and maintain thread awareness. My intent was to needle Rad/Woodblock, I later realized that the post could be misinterpreted as a shot at you.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. Peaceable, drama free family gatherings are a wonderful thing.

No problem, I took it more as good natured kidding than anything else.

[MadtownPacker]

Why's she pissed at you? You'll note I posted that question in a non-inflammatory way, Red would have asked "What did you do to piss her off, asshole?" But I'm not Red so I didn't ask it that way.

Yeah, the whole dragging others into it is lame-o. "I'm pisssed at Mad so I'm not coming so now everyone should be pissed at Mad." Whatevs, sis.Pull up a chair and smoke this fatty while I tell you....

I don’t look down on anyone attending city college. I just want him to have the adventure and learn to be on his own. As I told him he has earned it and to deny it because of money, well then I would be failing him.

[George Cumby]

Right on. Thanks for sharing.

My guess Sis spends too much time on Facebook and has some legit narcissistic tendencies. The projection speaks volumes. DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim-Offender.

Sis might want to remember the words "Comparison is the thief of joy."

Ain't nothing wrong with CC and with tuition costs these days, it's a good option for so many kids. I have no problem with my kids doing that their first two years.

Glad to hear your boy is doing well, what school he get into?

[MadtownPacker]

She ain’t changing.

My apologies if I implied CC isn’t good enough. Not what I meant at all. In Mexico higher education is probably more important than here. My father always wanted more for his family and my son is fulfilling that dream for him. He is the first in my family to attend a four year university. Part of the American dream for us.

[George Cumby]

She ain’t changing.

My apologies if I implied CC isn’t good enough. Not what I meant at all. In Mexico higher education is probably more important than here. My father always wanted more for his family and my son is fulfilling that dream for him. He is the first in my family to attend a four year university. Part of the American dream for us.

Lol. No apology necessary. My dad is an immigrant who ultimately got his PhD from mother fucking Princeton, and education is a HUGE deal for us.

But society has changed and the economics of it have changed, so I've adapted my approach to the changing world we live in.

[Radagast]

Winter is upon us and grilling may not be a high priority, but it can be a great idea. Firing up a gas grill or lighting up some charcoal can be a way of brightening up the mood and changing the winter routine. From Hamburgers/Hot Dogs to a Pork Loin Roast, the possibilities are exciting.


https://previews.123rf.com/images/foodandmore/foodandmore1809/foodandmore180900003/107683905-delicious-spicy-marinated-chicken-legs-grilling-over-winter-barbecue-outdoors-in-snow-with-fresh-fru.jpg

[Radagast]

OK folks, Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us. time to plan our SB feast/snack trays.

1st: Beverages, ensure that your Beer/Liquor/Wine is properly on hand and ready to serve. Ice/mixers/and limes/salt/olives/etc are on hand and read to serve.

2nd: Food, get your food act together. Weather its a big meal, a buffet, or snack trays, you don't want to be rushing around at the last minute because you forgot to buy something or yor started cooking too late in the day. Get organized and triple check all long before SB Sunday is upon you.

3rd: Be Smart, get good quality disposable plates, cups, utensils and save yourself on cleanup latter. Have a convenient, bag lined, garbage bin for easy and convenient availability. Bin should have some sort of a lid.

4th: Test/clean TV, screen, audio system. Ensure enough chairs, tv trays, etc. Be sure that your bathrooms are guest ready.

I've been invited to a SB party and I plan to bring Tortilla Chips and a Xlarge size Salsa Dip. I also will be bringing a six pack of beer as well.

[Radagast]

What's on your Super Bowl Menu ?

[mraynrand]

OK folks, Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us. time to plan our SB feast/snack trays.

1st: Beverages, ensure that your Beer/Liquor/Wine is properly on hand and ready to serve. Ice/mixers/and limes/salt/olives/etc are on hand and read to serve.

2nd: Food, get your food act together. Weather its a big meal, a buffet, or snack trays, you don't want to be rushing around at the last minute because you forgot to buy something or yor started cooking too late in the day. Get organized and triple check all long before SB Sunday is upon you.

3rd: Be Smart, get good quality disposable plates, cups, utensils and save yourself on cleanup latter. Have a convenient, bag lined, garbage bin for easy and convenient availability. Bin should have some sort of a lid.

4th: Test/clean TV, screen, audio system. Ensure enough chairs, tv trays, etc. Be sure that your bathrooms are guest ready.

I've been invited to a SB party and I plan to bring Tortilla Chips and a Xlarge size Salsa Dip. I also will be bringing a six pack of beer as well.

did you send this suggestion list to the person who invited you in time to get disinvited?

[MadtownPacker]

I though it was a decent list until Radster said he was gonna bring chips and salsa.

He may want to look into a better paying career. Sanitation engineers get paid pretty good.

[mraynrand]

I though it was a decent list until Radster said he was gonna bring chips and salsa.

He may want to look into a better paying career. Sanitation engineers get paid pretty good.

I am preparing roadkill dip for my party (1/2 roadkill and 1/2 Millies sausage - the rubes will never know the difference).

[Radagast]

I though it was a decent list until Radster said he was gonna bring chips and salsa.

He may want to look into a better paying career. Sanitation engineers get paid pretty good.


Big party, lots of people bringing loads of food and beverages.

No need to be concerned, I'm very comfortably retired. Life is very good.

[MadtownPacker]

I am preparing roadkill dip for my party (1/2 roadkill and 1/2 Millies sausage - the rubes will never know the difference).Somewhere someplace Red is salivating.

[Bretsky]

I am kinda bummed this year; I'm watching the Super Bowl with me 16 year old daughter (and I think she's doing that for me). I can't currently drive and get around well so no party for me this year. TypicallY I have a shindig at my house.

[Radagast]

I am kinda bummed this year; I'm watching the Super Bowl with me 16 year old daughter (and I think she's doing that for me). I can't currently drive and get around well so no party for me this year. TypicallY I have a shindig at my house.

Sorry to hear that your not well. Be glad however that you have a family that cares for you, it's more than a party or a game.

Perhaps as you recover, your daughter will load up a Slow Cooker for Beef Stew or Chili or a nice pot of ham seasoned beans (your choice of the beans of course).

Get well soon.