FEBRUARY 2016 Dinner / Meals

Barbara101 wrote:

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:This one is a great tasting recipe, and mild. You would have to do a re-measure for a smaller amount!

• BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

• 6-3/4 pounds ground pork

2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
•
2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
•
1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
•
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon brown sugar
•
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes  ( The sweet pepper, NOT HOT )
•
3-1/4 pinches ground cloves (( Watch the clove, not too much! PINCHES ))

Then what??

Then... mix ... take your thumb and stuff it.
Into the casings that is! ...or make patties and freeze or them . We have a tupperware patty stacker. I love that thing!

Barbara101 wrote:ok  I have 2 of those lol..I may have to make some of this..Patties tho.

Bugster2 wrote:A slider press would make a better sized patty.

Barbara101 wrote:I like hot and sweet Italian sausage.What do I add?

Crybaby wrote:I tried something new for 1-inch thick center cut pork chops last night.  I saw a recipe for pork tenderloin online and just adapted it for the two pork chops Brian had defrosted.  Made a "rub" of sorts with brown sugar, Kosher salt, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and rubbed it on the dry pork chops on both sides and the edges.  Then I wrapped each pork chop with slices of bacon, securing each slice of bacon with toothpicks on the side of each chop, so the toothpicks wouldn't interfere with the browning of the bacon.

Then I seared them in a cast iron skillet with canola oil until they were a deep brown, about 6 to 7 minutes per side.  I didn't disturb them in the pan while doing this either.  After mixing together a glaze made of apricot preserves and Zatarain's whole grain mustard, I brushed the chops on both sides with the glaze and baked them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Took them out of the oven when the Thermapen said the temp was 135 degrees, and tented them while I finished up the other stuff prior to serving, knowing the temp would rise a bit to 140 or beyond, which was perfect.  

They really turned out well and were delicious -- very tasty and nice and juicy.  Wish I had a camera as they were really divine looking, as was the finished plate, which we had with leftover pork fried rice and apple sauce (wish I had had some of Jimmy's homemade apple sauce).

Only one piece of bacon on one chop came loose, too, so I was completely satisfied.  I had thought about par-cooking the bacon prior to wrapping it around the chops but decided not to.  Glad I didn't, as it wasn't necessary at all.  

It's funny, as when I asked Brian a couple of years ago to pick up two containers of smoked paprika, he bought two containers of the regular paprika.  So I dumped one of the containers in a metal cake pan and put it on the smoker when we were smoking something else.  I guess we left it on the smoker for about 1-1/2 hours; it has the best smoked flavor!  We also smoke Kosher salt like that, too.  It adds a subtle smoked flavor to the salt but added a bit more of a smoked flavor to the paprika.

bethk wrote:Sounds like it would be delicious with either the tenderloin or, as you did, the center cut chops.

Uncle Jimmy wrote:Don't need a camera. It was well described to the tee!
Oh! and that bacon that dropped off! I could see the scramble to get that in the chefs mouth! LOL...

bethk wrote:For some reason I was hungry for hot dogs.....hmmmm, wonder why?

bethk wrote:For some reason I was hungry for hot dogs.....hmmmm, wonder why?

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:I learned NOT to open and look for aanything in the new bottom freezer we just recently got.
Yesterday, I needed to put a few small containers of chili sauce in the freezer.
Tina was in the living room on the recliner watchng the TV, and I found a spot only if I could remove a big container of stupid Pumpkin that DD made from the pumpkins she grew on the farm.

I carefully pulled it out, and all I did was pop the lid, and Big Ears Tina right away, heard the lid pop! Darn it! She said,"What was that?" I said,"Oh the container of pumpkin fell and cracked!" ... ( I lied ). She said," Oh That's Maria's!"
Not No More, I said. It's going out to the animals to eat!

Now, if you were to go into the basement and in the garage, I swear, there are at least 27 to 35 big cans of pumpkin. Most are Libby's Brand. 28 oz. ones.

So, I prefer not to even open the freezer. I told Tina, I am going to tie a string of butcher twine with a tag on the end, and all we need to do, is follow the string for whatever we have and need if it is on the tag! ....


I hate having to dig in the freezer. Usually something heavy and frozen falls out and lands on my foot. That is when I wish I had a walk-in freezer. I have a friend who used to have a walk-in fridge and freezer. What a luxury that was. I was in awe because I had never seen one before.
Our freezers are like a Corn Maze!!!

Bugster2 wrote:
I hate having to dig in the freezer. Usually something heavy and frozen falls out and lands on my foot. That is when I wish I had a walk-in freezer. I have a friend who used to have a walk-in fridge and freezer. What a luxury that was. I was in awe because I had never seen one before.
Our freezers are like a Corn Maze!!! [/font][/size]

A walk in freezer is nice. I'm sure a 6 foot x 10 foot one would be perfect for a home. If I had one, Tina would manage to pack it to the gills.
A double sliding door, all medium temperature refrigerator would be nice, with glass see through doors. LOL... That way, it would have to be kept neat and in order. hahahahaha

I always wanted to have a walk in freezer, but I got old too fast! Time just flew by so fast. I could have installed it myself too! I did commercial refrigeration for years when I was younger. The weirdest being cryogenic sperm bank storage, to morgues, and even freezing climate rooms for penguins at the zoo! hahahahahaha

Uncle Jimmy wrote:I carefully pulled it out, and all I did was pop the lid, and Big Ears Tina right away, heard the lid pop! Darn it! She said,"What was that?" I said,"Oh the container of pumpkin fell and cracked!" ... ( I lied ). She said," Oh That's Maria's!"
Not No More, I said. It's going out to the animals to eat!

Crybaby wrote:

Uncle Jimmy wrote:I carefully pulled it out, and all I did was pop the lid, and Big Ears Tina right away, heard the lid pop! Darn it! She said,"What was that?" I said,"Oh the container of pumpkin fell and cracked!" ... ( I lied ). She said," Oh That's Maria's!"
Not No More, I said. It's going out to the animals to eat!

You can tell Tina has kids, 'cause she has ears just like a mom!  Had to laugh about the huge container of pumpkin in the freezer with all the cans of it in the basement.  I've read before that the canned pumpkin actually tastes better than the fresh pumpkin, though I've never compared the two.

You also cracked me up telling Tina the container cracked!!!

NormM wrote:I can tell the difference between pie made from pumpkin and pumpkin in a can.  I think it tastes better but I am seldom ambitious enough anymore to make it from scratch.  It isn't all that much better.