RECIPES

[echris 1,425]

@pullstart got me reading this thread again and it's making me hungry. 


One of my Nona's depression era 3 ingredient Italian meals.

"Rabi's and Roni's."

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of broccoli-rabe, chopped into ~1" chunks, stems and all.

1 box ziti, rigatoni, don't really care.

Every clove of garlic in your house, sliced thin. 6-8 big cloves is the starter recipe.

Olive oil

Salt

Fresh pecorino Romano
(Actually it's really only 1 ingredient. Any self-respecting Italian household always has everything else on hand except for maybe Broccoli-rabe. Ha!)

 

DO IT LIKE THIS

In a large pot, bring water to a boil with salt and olive oil.

Add pasta, stir then add broccoli-rabe, stir.

Cook. Stirring occasionally until pasta is al-dente.

 

Strain pasta/broccoli-rabe and set aside.

Return large pot to stove, add ~3tbs of olive oil and garlic.

Stir garlic until is gently browned and remove from heat.

 

Return pasta/broccoli-rabe to large pot and stir evenly to coat.

Serve with fresh grated pecorino Romano and bread.

 

If you like garlic, this might be the best non-meat pasta dish you ever eat.

You could also throw some browned sausage chunks in there too. Nona would approve. 


 

[Pullstart 62,906]

5 minutes ago, echris said:

@pullstart got me reading this thread again and it's making me hungry. 


One of my Nona's depression era 3 ingredient Italian meals.

"Rabi's and Roni's."

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of broccoli-rabe, chopped into ~1" chunks, stems and all.

1 box ziti, rigatoni, don't really care.

Every clove of garlic in your house, sliced thin. 6-8 big cloves is the starter recipe.

Olive oil

Salt

Fresh pecorino Romano
(Actually it's really only 1 ingredient. Any self-respecting Italian household always has everything else on hand except for maybe Broccoli-rabe. Ha!)

 

DO IT LIKE THIS

In a large pot, bring water to a boil with salt and olive oil.

Add pasta, stir then add broccoli-rabe, stir.

Cook. Stirring occasionally until pasta is al-dente.

 

Strain pasta/broccoli-rabe and set aside.

Return large pot to stove, add ~3tbs of olive oil and garlic.

Stir garlic until is gently browned and remove from heat.

 

Return pasta/broccoli-rabe to large pot and stir evenly to coat.

Serve with fresh grated pecorino Romano and bread.

 

If you like garlic, this might be the best non-meat pasta dish you ever eat.

You could also throw some browned sausage chunks in there too. Nona would approve. 


 

yep, surely looks like depression savings, don’t waste a bit of broccoli and DELICIOUS!  Everything’s better with some pig in it!

[echris 1,425]

On 11/13/2020 at 8:02 PM, pullstart said:

yep, surely looks like depression savings, don’t waste a bit of broccoli and DELICIOUS!  Everything’s better with some pig in it!

One of her other ones is "Meatless meatballs"

Imagine? Dirt poor during the depression, Italians, who don't take kindly to shitty food...

No meat, but we need meatballs!

Nona's solution:

Stale Italian bread (don't waste anything!), soak in water.
Squeeze out excess water
Add to bowl with parsley, garlic, romano cheese, salt, etc, etc.

Squish it all together to mix.
Squeeze into balls.
Throw your balls into the giant tomato sauce pot and cook all day long.
(If you have any other pieces of meat that aren't completely spoiled, throw them in the pot too)

They're like....the best stuffing you ever had, infused with home-made tomato sauce. Yeah, that good.

[Pullstart 62,906]

I love Nona, for teaching you to eat good food!  

[echris 1,425]

10 minutes ago, pullstart said:

I love Nona, for teaching you to eat good food!  

She would spend all day making "Hats"... home-made cavatelli.
She'd have these 3 foot long rolls of 1/2" diameter dough, slice off a chunk and roll it over her thumb.
They looked like little derby hats.


I'm not a violent person, but I might be willing to commit unspeakable acts to get a bowl of Nona's Hats.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

That italian depression era food my grandmother made all the time, she called it peasant food.  She was an amazing cook and never wrote or used recipes.  You learned by watching.  Which is how I learned to cook.  

[Pullstart 62,906]

On 11/13/2020 at 12:51 PM, pullstart said:

We are having an early Thanksgiving dinner with my brother’s family and our mother tomorrow.  I did up a sweet dry rub, the I’ll smoke the pig butt tomorrow.

 

1 cup dark brown sugar

 

2 tsp pumpkin spice

 

1/2 tsp mustard powder

 

1/3-ish tsp onion powder

 

dash of sea salt

 

fresh ground black pepper too

 

I tossed the pig back in the bag and wrapped it up.  I’ll cook it starting in the AM!

I put the pig on this morning, poured the leftover brine / juices over around noon, now it’s done!  I piled the charcoal snake a bit bigger than usual, it was just about perfect!

 

 

 

 

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

My Grandmothers shortcake recipe.   The upper version is the reduced quantity Mrs K uses...makes about a dozen 4" cakes.

[Crazyredhorse 295]

Egg bake

Butter a 13x9 baking dish.heat oven to 400 line dish with bread chunks.i like to use Italian bread any white will do.fry some meat any you like ham bacon what ever. I use Tennessee pride hot breakfast sausage. nom 🤗 beat 6 to 8 eggs with milk then pour on bread crumbs sprinkle some cheddar all over then put cooked meat on top bake 30 to 45 min till cheese is good n melted little browned.can use many ingredients peppers potatoes also have heard of using bisquick and rolls for bread never tried.good stuff🥘

[Crazyredhorse 295]

On 6/7/2021 at 11:49 PM, Crazyredhorse said:

Egg bake

Butter a 13x9 baking dish.heat oven to 400 line dish with bread chunks.i like to use Italian bread any white will do.fry some meat any you like ham bacon what ever. I use Tennessee pride hot breakfast sausage. nom 🤗 beat 6 to 8 eggs with milk then pour on bread crumbs sprinkle some cheddar all over then put cooked meat on top bake 30 to 45 min till cheese is good n melted little browned.can use many ingredients peppers potatoes also have heard of using bisquick and rolls for bread never tried.good stuff🥘

 

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

I'm tomato heavy this year.   The neighbors are starting to close the curtains when they see me coming with a bucket full.

The food bank won't take any more.  I'm gettin tired of BLTs, so I came up with this.

 FRIED STUFFED TOMATO RINGS

Slice a couple bigguns and scoop out the center.

Chop up the insides and drain off the juice.

 

Stir in a couple eggs, chopped pepper, onion, bacon bits, crushed Ritz crackers, and any lefover meats in the fridge.    A cheeseburger, sausage, ham,etc.   I had some chicken.

 

Throw them in a hot skillet of melted butter and fill the rings.

 

Flip one time and cover with cheese.

While the cheese is melting, run out back and pull an ear of corn.    4 minutes in the zapper.

 

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

24 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

tomato heavy

 

Me too... but I never tire of a big fat Southern Style 'mater sammich!

 

Still, I know I'm going to end up with a bushel of green ones again this year.  I love to fry 'em up and eat 'em right out of the frying pan.

 

BUT... last year I thought to myself... I wonder if anyone has ever made "Green Tomato Parmesan" and a little Googling told me yes.

 

So I made three large pans of Green Tomato Parmesan.

 

The process is exactly the same as for Eggplant Parmesan, use your favorite recipe for that and substitute the fried green maters for the eggplant.

 

[Pullstart 62,906]

It’s almost Thanksgiving!  Does anyone have any smoker recipes for turkey?  We have an electric smoker and I’m thinking maybe a dry rub on the bird?  What keeps it moist?  A beer?  @Achto you got any smoking culinary masterpiece recipes?

[Achto 27,601]

46 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

Does anyone have any smoker recipes for turkey?

 

A rub on a bird is good but I prefer to brine or inject as well. A brine will even lessen your cook time a little.

 

I soak my turkey in a brine for at least 24hr before it goes in the smoker.

 

Recipe for the brine I use.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/54614/turkey-brine/

 

Then I stuff it with apples and onions, Put it in a aluminum pan with a little bit of the brine in the bottom, (about a 1 1/2 cups) Then in the smoker it goes. If you have room to place a pan of water off to the side or under the bird in the smoker this is a good idea. The steam from the water will help drive the smoke flavor into the bird.

 

Safe meat temp is 165 degrees. I like to run my meat temp up to about 180 to 195, this will give you that fall off the bone meat. Figure around 30 to 40min per pound at 225 degrees. I start smoking at 250 for a large bird (19+lbs) until the meat temp reaches 140+. You do not want to be in the 40 to 140 meat temp range for more than 4hrs, this temp range is known as the "Danger Zone" , bacteria can grow rapidly in a bird in this temp range.

 

Leave your bird uncovered while smoking unless you notice that it is starting to blacken the skin. If you notice this you can stop that process placing a lose piece of foil over it.

 

Never had a dry bird yet following these steps.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Achto

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

I had a friend who would deep fry the birds for friends and neighbors... he would inject them with his special concoction and deep fry them... UNTIL ...

 

He had an accident with the deep fryer on his back porch. I always told him he should not do this in the house.  Either it tipped over, or he fed the bird in too fast and the oil boiled over and set his 1800's farmhouse on fire.  It burned to the ground in about a half hour or so.  

 

It was pretty tragic, he lost everything!  Not something that should happen on Thanksgiving.

 

[stevasaurus 22,764]

Achto's recipe is how I do it.  I use a large tin foil pan (no clean up).  I add about 2 cps of home made wine.  The gravy and the dark meat are to die for.    My rub is just salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, sage.  An 18 lb turkey takes about 4 to 4 1/2 hours...depending on the temperature outside.  I usually smoke for about 2 hours and then cover bird and braze.

[WHX?? 48,828]

Deep fried is always great but yes the bird must be fairly dry and lowered into the fryer. Lets be careful out there. 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

14 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Lets be careful out there. 

 

Ed thought he was being careful...  famous last words, right ?  He had been doing this for at least ten years.  I believe he was doing something like 20-25 birds each T'giving.

 

He had a pulley system he used to lower the bird into the oil slowly.  He had sheet metal heat shields all around and under the cooker.  He kept towels as 'pigs' on the floor around the cooker to catch spilled oil.  But whatever happened was so fast that there was no stopping it.  And that old farmhouse was dry as a bone.  Went up like a Lucifer!

 

Those people in that video are STUPID!  Here, hold my beer, I'm going to burn down the house!  The video calls them 'accidents' but most of them seemed intentional!  ID10TS!

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[WHX?? 48,828]

Sounds like he was a veteran then Jeff but no never on combustible flooring. Gotta have a thermometer in that oil too... never above 350. Turkey fryer can easily go well above that. 

Clowns in that tube were well above 450. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by WHX??

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

7 hours ago, Pullstart said:

smoking culinary masterpiece

Kool ride for your bird.

 

[WHX?? 48,828]

Never did a  beer can turk  Ed ..couple a chickens ... but that looks delish. 

How would your recipe do in a deep fryer @Achto? Beat eating mac n cheese with a side salad off the doggy spoon? 

Edited November 17, 2021 by WHX??

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

Not my smoked  turkey pic Jim.       I only do beer can chickens now.    I dry rub my chicks wih a seasoning I made years ago when I was  smoking turkey.   I know it has black,white, and red pepper and oregano and a few other herbs.   Lucky I made a lifetime supply of it cause I lost the recipe.       I rub the chicks inside and out with butter, then rub on the seasoning and let them in the fridge overnight.     Bout 3 hours before meal time, Stuff it with 3/4 can of Old Mill and stand him on the center of the grill.  I don't have a Harley bird bike.

I always place the bird over the center unlit burner on the grill.  Use the heat fron the side burners only.  About 2 hours to get the deepest part of the breast and thighs up to 180F.

 

[Achto 27,601]

10 hours ago, WHX?? said:

How would your recipe do in a deep fryer @Achto?

 

Would work just fine, but you wouldn't be able to stuff the inside with apples & onions. I used to deep fry but now I'm too cheap to spring for the peanut oil. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Achto

[oliver2-44 9,759]

Saturday I smoked two 14 lb turkeys using @Achto method with some of my own tweaks. 30 minutes a lb So 7 hours and 180F meat temp and it was falling off the drumstick and thighs. I brindled them overnight. I had a little butter injectable in Reggio from last year so I used it up on Brest. Then one I put apples in but just had a few. So once on grill I filled bird cavity and pan with apple juice.  Thist one came out great good taste and white breast meat was a Lille moister than the non injected 2nd bird   The 2nd one I brined overnight and put some brine in pan and brine inside of bird. This one was maybe a little salty to some peoples taste but others said just right   Sunday family said it was best turkey they had in a while.  I used Maple I got from a neighbor that had a tree die. Rare to have Maple in Texas. So @Pullstart for my 2 cents I like the brine and inject 

[Achto 27,601]

7 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

with some of my own tweaks

 

I'm glad that the recipe worked out for you. Even happier that you put your own spin on things. Rubs are good but brines and injections allow the flavors to really soak into the meat for that wow factor.

 

Also glad to hear that you got to try a different wood in your smoker. For me with grilling and smoking the food flavor only starts in the kitchen, I like to try different woods as well. Hickory is always my first go to with cherry right behind, often a mix of both. Specially with pork. If you want a little extra bite to chicken or pork, try some pecan wood in your smoker. It really adds some spice to the meat. Some times it's not even the wood making the smoke but wood that the meat is sitting on. I was reluctant to try this as I don't like the smell of cedar but... Seasoning salmon, placing it on a cedar plank and putting it in the smoker is a game changer. It adds an extremely good flavor. 

 

Keep experimenting.