BGP Cookbook (Part 2)

[JDEaston]

Hanger steak is one of my favorites.

None of our local butchers carry it so it’s tough to find around here.

 

I see it at Walmart occasionally but I try to avoid that place like the plague.

 

Get to know your butcher then ask if they can get you a hanger steak. If they're actually butchering the meat themselves they can get you the hanger steak.

 

It's just a cut of meat that most people don't know what it is so they shy away from buying it. Hence why you don't see it on display very often. I'd venture to guess that the owners or employees typically are who gets it, at least I found that to be the case at the butcher I frequent. Once I asked the owner about it while checking out one day he told me to just call ahead a day before I wanted it and they would have it ready for me.

[coldweatherfan]

Hanger steak is one of my favorites.

None of our local butchers carry it so it’s tough to find around here.

 

I see it at Walmart occasionally but I try to avoid that place like the plague.

 

That's the one good thing about where I live. My butcher will order me anything.

[coldweatherfan]

This particular cut is called a coulotte, if it still had it's fat cap on it it would be called Picanha.

 

Sous vide 1.25 hours at 120 degrees. Bring my egg up to 600 degrees. Grill steak until internal temp up to 125 degrees. Let it rest for 15 minutes. It finished out at 131 degrees.

 

 

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

1-Pot Pasta Shells with Sausage, Mushrooms & Peas

 

2 shallots, chopped

1 pound cremini or portabella mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I use bulk sausage so I don't have to remove casings)

4-1/2 cups (12 oz) uncooked medium pasta shells

4 cups water

2 cups frozen peas

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1-1/4 teaspoons table salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake

 

1) Add the mushrooms, sausage, shallots, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes into a large dutch oven over high heat and cook while stirring for about 15 minutes, until the meat is broken up, any liquid has evaporated and brown bits are showing on the bottom of the dutch oven.

 

2) Leaving everything in the dutch oven, add the wine and stir to scrape up the brown bits until the liquid has evaporated.

 

3) Stir in pasta and add the water, and allow the water to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta has cooked through. About 10 minutes.

 

4) Remove from heat and add in the peas, basil, lemon zest and Parmesan and stir for a minute or two until everything thickens. Serve with extra grated Parmesan on top.

[coldweatherfan]

My Bolognese sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbls Butter

1 Tbls Olive oil

2 Carrots minced

2 Celery minced

1 red onion minced

6 cloves of garlic minced

1 lb ground beef higher fat

1 lb Italian sausage

2 cups of halved tomatoes

2 15 oz tomato sauce

1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup dry white wine

Zest of 1 lemon

A squeeze of lemon juice

dash of nutmeg

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese for serving

 

Instructions

 

1 Heat an oven to 425 degrees.

2 Place 2 Cups of fresh tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt.

3 Roast for 20 minutes or until soft and charred bits are appearing.

4 Remove the tomatoes and set aside.

5 Once cooled a little, blend the tomatoes in a blender to make a tomato sauce.

6 In a Dutch Oven , over medium high heat, add the butter and oil. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, and onion.

7 Saute, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.

8 Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

9 Add the ground beef and sausage, stir and cook.

10 Once the meat is cooked, start adding all other ingredients.

11 Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 hours or up to an entire afternoon.

12 Remove the bay leaves and serve with fresh pasta and fresh parmesan cheese.

 

I use this sauce in my lasagna and on pasta.

[coldweatherfan]

Forgot to mention. For the Bolognese sauce.

 

About 50% of the time I throw it into my crock pot once it's all mixed together, instead of simmering on the stove.

[JDEaston]

Forgot to mention. For the Bolognese sauce.

 

About 50% of the time I throw it into my crock pot once it's all mixed together, instead of simmering on the stove.

 

That's a good thought process for about anything that is already partially cooked or just needs to simmer or be kept warm. Crockpots are perfect for stuff like that, not just roasts, soups etc.

 

To be honest my favorite way to make a Mississippi roast is to smoke it in the kamado for a while then transfer it to the crockpot. You get a different flavor from the charcoal (or wood if you add some of that as well) but it's still a really simple cook and comes out just as tender as crock potting it the whole time.

[coldweatherfan]

That's a good thought process for about anything that is already partially cooked or just needs to simmer or be kept warm. Crockpots are perfect for stuff like that, not just roasts, soups etc.

 

To be honest my favorite way to make a Mississippi roast is to smoke it in the kamado for a while then transfer it to the crockpot. You get a different flavor from the charcoal (or wood if you add some of that as well) but it's still a really simple cook and comes out just as tender as crock potting it the whole time.

 

I do similar, I combine smoking and sous vide all the time. I will put a butt on my egg for 3-4 hours to get a good smoke ring. Then I pull it off, vac seal it, and sous vide at 150. Throw some flame at the end for a hot char. Juiciest pork butt you've ever had.

[JDEaston]

I do similar, I combine smoking and sous vide all the time. I will put a butt on my egg for 3-4 hours to get a good smoke ring. Then I pull it off, vac seal it, and sous vide at 150. Throw some flame at the end for a hot char. Juiciest pork butt you've ever had.

 

I'm sure it is super juicy. I'd be open to giving it a try that way but I'd have to get a good sear on it at the end or my better half would consider it a disappointment lol. She's all about the crispy skin/fat cap that comes from the long time in the kamado when it comes to pork shoulders/butts. I would love it either way though.

 

Sous vide works great for a lot of things, its probably the best way there is to cook a thick ribeye, strip or filet. Take it out of the bath and give it a good sear and you're gonna have as good of a steak as can be cooked. I've noticed that a lot of restaurants are starting to use sous vide quite regularly. The one she manages just remodeled their kitchen and added several sous vide stations. As soon as I tried a few things that were cooked that way I could notice the difference in tenderness/juiciness.

[coldweatherfan]

I'm sure it is super juicy. I'd be open to giving it a try that way but I'd have to get a good sear on it at the end or my better half would consider it a disappointment lol. She's all about the crispy skin/fat cap that comes from the long time in the kamado when it comes to pork shoulders/butts. I would love it either way though.

 

Sous vide works great for a lot of things, its probably the best way there is to cook a thick ribeye, strip or filet. Take it out of the bath and give it a good sear and you're gonna have as good of a steak as can be cooked. I've noticed that a lot of restaurants are starting to use sous vide quite regularly. The one she manages just remodeled their kitchen and added several sous vide stations. As soon as I tried a few things that were cooked that way I could notice the difference in tenderness/juiciness.

 

You're wife sounds like MrsC. I actually got one of those flame thrower things for burning weeds at Harbor freight. It'll put a char on anything.

[Runcible Owl]

You're wife sounds like MrsC. I actually got one of those flame thrower things for burning weeds at Harbor freight. It'll put a char on anything.

 

Not sure you were kidding. Just spoke to a master chef friend. Please don't do this. A plumbers torch, sure, this NO.

[coldweatherfan]

Not sure you were kidding. Just spoke to a master chef friend. Please don't do this. A plumbers torch, sure, this NO.

 

Not sure why he would say that. They are both propane torches. One just has higher btus

[JDEaston]

You're wife sounds like MrsC. I actually got one of those flame thrower things for burning weeds at Harbor freight. It'll put a char on anything.

 

Her mom is Columbian, pork is a staple in that family but the outside has to be crispy. When her family from NYC comes to visit we do a whole pig roast and they mostly eat the skin.

[JDEaston]

Not sure why he would say that. They are both propane torches. One just has higher btus

 

I've never heard that the weed burner things are bad for food but if they are lower btu then there could be some unburnt fuel hitting the meat. I feel like you would taste that though, so if you haven't I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Chefs use mapp torches frequently to sear meats and deserts like creme brulee.

[coldweatherfan]

I've never heard that the weed burner things are bad for food but if they are lower btu then there could be some unburnt fuel hitting the meat. I feel like you would taste that though, so if you haven't I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Chefs use mapp torches frequently to sear meats and deserts like creme brulee.

 

They are way higher btu.