Beef Brisket And Burger Stove Top Chili

First, this is NOT my Buffalo Dick's competition chili! This is home chili, using what good ingredients I have on hand! I use basic ingredients integral to my first string chili, but with certain variations....
In a large pot, place the following:
1. 1 can diced tomatoes
2. 1 can red beans, drained
3. 1 medium onion, diced large
4. 1 blanched tomato, skin off, chopped
5. 1 can beef broth, 6 oz. of V-8 juice, 4oz of POM pomegranate pure juice
6. 2 chopped Jalapeno peppers, diced fine
7. 4 tablespoons of mild dark chili powder
8. 2 " " chopped garlic
9. 1 " " Mexican oregano
10. Start all this on stove top until simmering
11. Brown 1LB. ground beef, seasoned with chili powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, ground, toasted cumin to taste.. to sweeten a bit use brown sugar, or some jelly, honey, etc.( about 1 big tablespoon)
12. Drain and add to chili
13. Add chopped beef brisket(already cooked)
14. Simmer all until tender, uncovered until proper thickness
15. Add 1 tablespoon of Cholula(Pequin pepper) hot sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cumin 20 min. before serving
16. Top with a soft mild cheese(shredded) with a side of Tortilla chips..
The people at POM were kind enough to send out samples of their fine product to me. I incorporated it into a delicious chili, and plan to do a salsa and BBQ sauce using it also!

Thin Cut Pork Steaks And Butter Noodles

I like a thin cut pork steak, as I usually quick pan fry them in real butter. By not cooking them forever, they come out pretty tender..with a higher fat content than a pork chop, they stay a bit juicier, too!
We had some no yolk egg noodles, that we discussed doing either Alfredo, or just buttered with parsley sprinkled on.. The buttered noodle won, and went well with the pork.
I used to run big Super Bowl parties at the club I belong to, but got tired of feeding 100+ people,, then cleaning up... Today, I'll stay home, watch the game, and hope I win the few bets I made!

An Egg McMuffin, Before The World Ever Had One!

As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a West Michigan Dutch background.. My Grampa Jake went to a neighborhood bakery twice a week to get cracked wheat bread and cookies.. Oatmeal raisin cookies, hot from the oven are still hard to beat! About once a week, my mom would dump me off at his house(1/2 block away!) to go do mom stuff.. I think he could only cook oatmeal, eggs, and tea- as that all I remember him eating while I was around! A fried egg sandwich was a staple- and I liked them! As I got older, I started cooking- but wanted to dress up this plain Jane sammich! I added cheese, then later, ham- still using a grain bread, unfried.
With the wife still working a goofy shift, I made a two fried egg, one piece of cheese, two slices of ham in a sandwich on whole wheat... That brought back memories of simpler days.. Good food grounds you. Good food brings back memories of times when you were hungry, and devoured simple things done well. Escargot are great, and I love many gourmet dishes- but anything that helps you remember where you came from should never be lost!
Share with us your humble meal while growing up.. there is nothing to be ashamed of, and a lot to be proud of!

German Chocolate Cake- Kind Of...

We like to keep a sweet in the house, for when the sugar attack hits. The carrot cake was gone, so I decided to whip up a quick dessert. I had a box mix for German Chocolate cake, and a frosting mix that was pecan and coconut..I had some left over dried, sweetened cranberries, and some walnuts left- so I threw them in the batter! It came out tasty...usually all people throw in a cake is some chocolate chips, so this was kind of different- in a good way!
Wife goes on normal schedule starting next week, so food postings should start being a little more regular, and hopefully interesting!

Oven Beef Brisket Prepared Like BB-Q Brisket- Except Indoors!

Saturday, I took a thawed beef brisket weighing 7.8lbs, trimmed it a bit, and dry rubbed it generously with coarse salt,coarse pepper,garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, various herbs and spices, with a splash of Worcestershire sauce- and placed it in the fridge overnight. People are often intimidated by this cut of meat. Not cooked long enough, you could beat someone to death with it. Cooked too long, and it doesn't cut well, gets dry, and shreds instead of cuts...
I learned to do brisket in an offset fire box smoker from a guy who won that category at our State cook-off. 215F unwrapped for 5 hours, 5 hours wrapped, rest for 45 minutes.
Too cold to smoke outdoors Sunday, I decided to try a technique in the oven very similar- but different!
I took the brisket out of the fridge an hour before cooking, slathered it in in mustard and Worcestershire sauce, with another hit of seasoning. Placed in an aluminum pan, I poured a can of beef broth in the bottom for moisture. I baked at 390F for 1-1/4 hour uncovered, allowing a nice flavored crust to form, then turned it down to 315F tightly covered with aluminum foil for 3-1/2 hrs. Removed from oven, I opened the foil and let the meat rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Sliced beautifully, with a tender, moist, flavorful taste. The sauce was a mix of K.C., Asian, and a touch more of Worcestershire sauce in it.
Leftovers for sandwiches tonight!

Loaded Chicken Breast

Knowing we were to have a 7-1/2 lb. beef brisket Sunday, I steered clear of beef Saturday.. Two huge chicken breasts were seasoned and covered with cheddar cheese and bacon, after they had roasted until done.. One was enough to split with wife, other will be converted into chicken salad! We are still on a weird schedule, but doing what we can to enjoy food when possible! Our freezer is stocked, our pantry is full- so good things could be happening in the next couple of weeks..
I have never done a brisket in the oven before, even though I have taken 3rd and 4th in the Brisket category in the State BB-Q cook-off... We'll see how I did in the next post!
P.S.- Crappy photo...sorry!

The Best Kind Of Pizza- Free!

Well, not exactly... a couple of months back, I ordered a pizza from my go to pizza joint- Florentines'.. two blocks from my house, we have had nothing but great pizza, delivered on time(or earlier!) for almost 20 years! Except the last time... Told it would be here in 1/2 hour, it came 1/2 hour late.. cold and pretty much inedible. I'm not the sort who complains to hear my own voice, but over 20 years, you'd think we had formed what I call a bond... I called up and asked for the manager.. a woman came to the phone and wanted to know the problem. I did not recognize her voice, and had never seen a woman in charge of this place. She proceeded to tell me she had been in charge the whole time- which I know was B.S... She was quite short with me, and said she would send out a gift certificate to cover the cost of the pizza.. We finally received it, and plan to use it tonight, as it's colder than all get out and we don't want to grocery shop! After watching some of those shows on TV where employees do nasty things to your food- I'm a little nervous!