This was one of those meals when you only have 45 minutes to get ready, the sun is setting and the children want food now. The pork roast I bought was completely devoid of visible fat and figured just cook the damned thing and get dinner over with. I had originally purchased it for the smoker (was going to wrap it in bacon). All that, and I was tired, cranky and my back was a little sore, grrrrr. Get it? Grrrr?
It wasn’t until I turned the little gem over to reveal the reversed side was completely covered in a nice layer of fat! Um, make a u-turn Biggles and get back on track. And you know what? I did just that, and quite a bit more. I totally rule, come see why.
Category Archives: Oven Roasted Meat
If you had fat to rub?
Where would you put it?
This fat rub went on a beef roast, rosemary, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice.
xo, Biggles
Impulse buys – When window shopping pays off
I know many people who go shopping for food and have a list, I’ve tried it. Yeah well, my list is usually the one blowing through the parking lot after it falls from an ill placed spot in my front pocket. I’ve given up long ago at keeping up with the routine and figure if I miss something, I can come back tomorrow.
Yeah, so I was shopping for tonight’s dinner at my local Latino market, Joya de Ceren. All I needed was a pound of Molida (ground beef), but the pork caught my eye. And because I’ve made friends with the butcher, I knew I could get other cuts, like right now. We do loin chops frequently, but what about a roast? Pork loin roast.
I made a few gestures, pigeon Spanish and Carlito was dragging out a full pork loin! I motioned about yay big. Um, that comes to 8.25 pounds in English. Did I have any plans? Nope. Do I now? Nope.
The fruit shown are all gifts from friends. The peaches are from Zoomie at Zoomie Station, large pears from from Cookie of I’m Mad and I Eat, and the cute little juicy pear rigs are from Claire of Clutter Coach.
Anyone got any idears? What you gots?
xo, Biggles
Joya de Ceren
12545 San Pablo Ave
Richmond California
(510) 235-5315
Tent with foil? That’s so 1969.
I asked Z what he wanted for dinner, it’s Saturday after all. I ran down a short list, but his eyes lit up at Beef Roast. I can do that, so I headed off to our local mart that’s going through some renovation (it’s time they put some money in the poor ol’ gal).
Hurm, the meat department is still under construction and the choices were either this chuck roast or spending nearly 30 dollars on some fancy cut. Considering the source (no ideas), I opted for this 3 pound rig. I figured if I cooked it gently, with some flavors, pulled at 130 or so, we’d get something we could sink our teefs in to. This remains to be seen since it just went in to the oven.
Extra virgin, s&p, fresh rosemary, tent with bacon on the little end. Install to 14″ cast iron fry pan with trivet in to 325 degree oven. Jack heat to 350. In an hour, will drizzle with red wine, squeeze of fresh lemon juice with a few pats of butter. When done, I’ll pull and let rest.
The jury is out, but I’ll bet you dimes to limes, this roast will do just fine.
xo, Biggles
Smoky Day, Smoky Oven – A Wedgewood Smoker Adventure
Not sure really, on how to start this one. So, I think I’ll do it this way.
Oh yes I did.
I had a little rack of ribs all ready to go. It was too icky outside, the wildfires are way out of control and makes being outside just plain miserable. Um, but I had a rack of ribs to cook. I sat around the house with the air filter going, attempting to come up with something simple, good and smoky. Wildfires are kinda inspirational that way.
What if I put the ribs in my kitchen’s gas oven, at 250 or so and put a smouldering pan of hardwood dust in there? Jack the exhaust fan way up and let’er go for a few hours?
Oh yes I did. Didn’t think Wedgewood made a smoker, did you?
Chicken Creole – A Family Circle Recipe Meathenge Style
Um, this recipe actually turned out really tasty. I pulled it out of a 1968 Family Circle Great Chicken Recipes book, see?
Yeah, that one. I had originally wanted to do a recipe from a recent Food & Wine issue. But after nodding off while reading the list of ingredients I decided this book would do just fine for a Saturday evening. Come see, the pictures are quit tastee.
Bottom Round Beef Roast with Butter on Top
You know the ones, they’re shaped like a triangle log. Fat on one lengthy side and the rest looks pretty lean? Was looking for a tri-tip or sirloin, but no luck. It’s the holidays for crissakes, why would they have those cuts? Sigh.
It was 4:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, I had a preheated oven, could I get this on the table in time?
El Salvadorian Meatloaf or Biggles is playing with his food again
I call this, Meat Therapy. I had a hankerin’ for some meatloaf the other night, a good solid hank. I knew Tiny E wouldn’t have anything to do with it, so I figured I could really mess with the recipe I usually use and not hurt anyone. Or piss them off, that’s no good. Wanna come see what I did to this one?
Beef Brisket – Pulled an all nighter
Saturday morning found Biggles thumbing through a few cookbooks. He ran across a recipe wherein the roast was cooked all night at 250 degrees F. With a nod, some rustlin’s, and note taking, he was off.
Please read on and find out why he’s never going to do that again.
Pork & Fruit & Pork & Fruit & Pork & Fruit
Well, that was a lot tastier than I thought it was going to be. Okay, so people have been putting fruit with pork since pork began. But you see, I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have a meat tooth. So Fruit & Pork have never crossed my path, until last night.
a late saturday night meal, what you gots? I have a pork stuffed with breakfast sausage.
Music: anything by Deep Purple
Meat: country style pork ribs seasoned cajun like stuff with fatted calf’s breakfast sausage
Heat: 300 degrees
Time: 6 hours
ETE: after that
Ah the joys of simple foods.
xo, Biggles
ps- Here we are 6 hours later and cooling. What’s next? Anything we want. Warm as is, fry in lard, install in to soups or stews. It’s juicy, tender and yet more than tasty. How do I know? I ate some. Get to it!
Pork Chops simmered in milk – an unexpected surprise
Whull, this turned out a heck of a lot better than I figured. I had planned on doing a basic pan seared porky chop dinner that would finish in the oven. Something with browny pork goodness that was quick and darned tasty. Well, as quick as you could slice a jalapeno pepper I decided to finish the chops in milk, in the oven. An unexected surprise indeed!
Red Wattle Piglet Roulade stuffed with peppery sausage – Food Porn and nothin’ but
As you can see, I went for the Piglet Roulade this last weekend. Ovened it up last night for dinner. Prolly a bit fancy and yet quite rich for a Tuesday evening after work’s kinda meal. What the hell, eh? A Biggles has to eat.
If you look, you can see the skin was on, got all crunchy! The pork roast was filled with juicy flavors that it got from not only the fancy meat, but the peppery sausage kicked in and did its part too.
I think next time I’m going to give myself more time and knock the oven’s temp from 350 to 325 and drag the time out a bit. And since they offered, have them wrap it up with the head included. Thank you team Fatted Calf!
UPDATE: December 6th 2006
Hey, check this out! A friend of Meathenge and obviously a consumer of Fatted Calf’s fine goodies sends this over for our enjoyment. Remember that roast, up there? The piglet roulade? This is the optional head!
Dang, I wish I’d got all the options on my model. Mebbe next time. Thank you Stephen!
Biggles
Happy Monday, Little Lamb Leg Roast for Chilly Weather
I’d like to preface this entry by saying it was meant for Robert over at Get Your Grill On. A few weeks ago he sent me a kind invitation to do some writing over there. I bought this little roast and had planned on doing this outside, in a certain manner, which will remain a secret for now. But we had some nasty ass cold rain and while I don’t mind the cold, I’m not going to cook outside in the pouring rain. So, I moved today’s entry in to the dry kitchen inside. I’ll be posting a notification here when I get my first piece up for those fine people. I can hardly wait !!! It’ll be later this week, me thinks.
***
Okay, on one week we’re playing around outside. It’s pleasant, sunny & does a body good. The next week? I got my scarf on, gloves and all the windows are closed for the first time in 8 months. Time for a little lamb leg roast on a Monday night.
Prep time was about 45 minutes with oven roasting time of 1 hour and 15 minutes (meat only).
Romancing the Brisket – A Danish Viking Smoked Sea Salt Adventure
I was standing in line at Highland Hills Farm’s stall on Saturday morning. Ted was tending to a customer who ended up spending 77 dollars on a handful of beef roasts. One of the items they passed up was a cute little brisket, a few pounds worf. Snatch and grab, I had me a brisket. This wasn’t planned, but the lure of the slow cooked beef brisket in my mowf was too much, I had to make it go.
But Biggles, how come the brisket you’re picturing here is clearly a brisket a little more than twice just 2 pounds?
Cause I switched gears mainstream, doof. What was to be a little happy meal turned quickly in to an all day affair with a pink slab of beautiful beefy love. And I’m man enough to admit when I’m smitten and on my knees pleading for more.
Come in to my parlor, got your ring ready? You’d better be able to support my brisket or you’ll have me to deal with me little mister. Beware all who enter here, it’s beefy!