Whatcha Cooking today?

[Tormahto]

@Tormato Yes, only because I injured my dominant right shoulder. Any attempt to cast the fly rod with the right shoulder resulted in instant knee buckling pain. Faced with abandoning fly fishing or learning to cast from the sinister side, I went over to the dark side. My right shoulder subsequently healed, but the left hand cast remained as a permanent fixture. As it worked out, learning to cast left handed was much quicker and easier than learning to cast right handed. I can’t explain that other than I wasn’t fighting decades of counterproductive baitcasting rod and reel muscle memory. The left side was a blank slate.

I have no preference for which hand I use to cast, I let the wind decide. As it has worked out, many of my most memorable fish have come after making left handed casts.

My only experience with fly fishing is with a 5 weight or lighter. And, I still wouldn't want a cross wind pushing the line and fly into the back of my head.

As for muscle memory, it happens to me every year when the weather warms up for topwater fishing. The instance I get a strike, I impulsively set the hook (and yank the lure away, of course). That first lost fish gets me to slow down.

And, I grew up with spinning reels (mostly left hand retrieve), and baitcasters (ALL were right hand retrieve in the early days). So, I learned to cast and retrieve with either hand. Now that many spinning reels are convertible and there are plenty of left-handed baitcasters, I basically do all casting with the right hand, and retrieving with the left. Decades ago, almost all of the bass pros cast and retrieved with the right hand, having to switch the rod to the other hand after the cast. I can't count the number of fish I might have lost If I was switching hands during a quick strike by a fish.

The largest smallmouth bass that I ever caught (6 lbs+) hit the lure before the lure hit the water. I could see its speedy wake following the cast, and it came out of the water with the lure still about a foot above the surface. I could see why that bass got to be that size.

[Tormahto]

E6817E5C-16B0-4CF7-8AED-9BAEB02539E4.jpeg

Pork chops marinating in EVOO, lemon juice, Lorz Italian garlic, Worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Going on the grill later this evening.

I LOVE pork chops. I do stink at cooking them though. We've taken to thinner chops, grilled for a very short amount of time. If you have a Trader Joe's near, they have a fantastic coffee rub seasoning that is the bomb on pork chops!

Truth be told, almost everyone stinks at cooking (bone-in) pork chops.

[karstopography]

E6817E5C-16B0-4CF7-8AED-9BAEB02539E4.jpeg

Pork chops marinating in EVOO, lemon juice, Lorz Italian garlic, Worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Going on the grill later this evening.

I LOVE pork chops. I do stink at cooking them though. We've taken to thinner chops, grilled for a very short amount of time. If you have a Trader Joe's near, they have a fantastic coffee rub seasoning that is the bomb on pork chops!

Truth be told, almost everyone stinks at cooking (bone-in) pork chops.

There’s a fine line or small sweet spot with pork chops between raw and inedible and over done dry and inedible. I also cheat and use an instant read digital thermometer and pull at 130-135°. During the resting period, the meat temperature rises to ~145° I also use a much cooler fire than I might do with a beef New York sirlon strip. The Grill Grates really help get the pretty grill marks at much lower temperatures. Semi-direct heat at 280-320° is much more forgiving on timing than one with direct heat at 500°.

My wife would rather pork and chicken be sahara dry than be anything close to underdone. It’s a tight rope.

[Tormahto]

A roast pork loin is about the only thing I can do right, with pork.

[worth1]

You have to beeee the pork chop.

[karstopography]

Pork loins need a lot of dressing up for me to like them. Some sort of delicious crust, or a yummy marinade, or wrapped in bacon, swimming in a savory sauce, something besides a little salt and pepper seasoning. There’s just no fat on a pork loin. Pork fat is my favorite fat. It’s like icing on the cake, I don’t want the cake unless there’s frosting that comes with it. I want pork, but only pork with some fat on it to sweeten the deal.

[Sue_CT]

Marinate a pork loin, slice off 1"-1 1/2" thick medallions, and grill, a few minutes per side, with nice char marks. Will be moist, not over cooked and the char adds so much flavor! In addition, takes less then 10 minutes to cook

Pork Chops: I perfer thicker and boneless but bone-in works too. That is what shake and bake is for. Your own or store bought. Moist inside, crispy on the outside.

[worth1]

Pork loins need a lot of dressing up for me to like them. Some sort of delicious crust, or a yummy marinade, or wrapped in bacon, swimming in a savory sauce, something besides a little salt and pepper seasoning. There’s just no fat on a pork loin. Pork fat is my favorite fat. It’s like icing on the cake, I don’t want the cake unless there’s frosting that comes with it. I want pork, but only pork with some fat on it to sweeten the deal.

That's why I prefer pork steak cut from the butt/shoulder.

[worth1]

Burger and fries.
Washed down with a frosty mug of root beer.

20220920_185342.jpg

[karstopography]

@worth1 I see you toast the top of the bun, nice touch. Burgers without toasted buns are just…disappointing.

[worth1]

@worth1 I see you toast the top of the bun, nice touch. Burgers without toasted buns are just…disappointing.

It's the little things that count.
I've been craving a burger and fries for some time now.
The red stuff is Sriracha sauce the diamond back brand.
Not a huge fan because it's to much garlic even for me.
At least for a hot sauce.

[Tormahto]

Marinate a pork loin, slice off 1"-1 1/2" thick medallions, and grill, a few minutes per side, with nice char marks. Will be moist, not over cooked and the char adds so much flavor! In addition, takes less then 10 minutes to cook

Pork Chops: I perfer thicker and boneless but bone-in works too. That is what shake and bake is for. Your own or store bought. Moist inside, crispy on the outside.

Shake 'N Bake, that's so 1960s.

But, I think that I'll give it a try, either store bought or more likely homemade. My regular sized fridge just died, and I've got a 2-week wait for a new one. I've no room to thaw out meat in the current mini-fridge that I'm using. It gives me 2 weeks to come up with a coating recipe from scratch.

[Sue_CT]

Retro comfort food, lol! Must be served with applesauce to be true to the times.

[worth1]

I frigging hate shake and bake.
As far as I'm concerned it's a chicken grease trap
Might as well fry..

[worth1]

As soon as I get out of this nightmare of a job I'm gonna make a meat spaghetti sauce for supper.
With crushed tomatoes and some pepperocini that need picked off a broken stem.

[Sue_CT]

Never used it for chicken so I don't know. Talking about pork chops.

[Tormahto]

As soon as I get out of this nightmare of a job I'm gonna make a meat spaghetti sauce for supper.
With crushed tomatoes and some pepperocini that need picked off a broken stem.

That's what I'll also be cooking today.

However, the meal is for tomorrow (and onward). An overnight of resting in the fridge makes for a much tastier sauce.

[worth1]

Made a fantastic spaghetti sauce with little meat balls in it and the few scraps I had.
Like a half tomato and onion just to get rid of them.
I used a big can of crushed tomatoes as well.
Put in some HEB brand steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce too.
Mexican oregano.
Turmeric.
Fennel.
Paprika.
Black pepper.
The tomatoes already had garlic in it.
For extra cooking liquid I use about two cups of red wine and reduced it back.
The wine was burgundy.
I've pretty much stopped using water for a cooking liquid.
Probably one of the best sauces I've ever made.

20220922_051657.jpg

[karstopography]

Buffalo Wings tonight. Ranch dressing, carrots, celery, and oven kohlrabi chips, again

3CFD0542-9869-4C56-BE72-BF5A74F02719.jpeg

. Made kohlrabi for the first time ever last night, wow, why I hadn’t had this before I’ll never know, but delicious these were.

Figured out I can put them closer together. This was the before photo, these shrink up quite a bit. Simply tossed with a bit of EVOO and sea salt and baked at 275° until browned a touch. The flavor is outstanding. I ordered kohlrabi seeds this morning, I will be growing kohlrabi this fall and winter.

[Tormahto]

You have to beeee the pork chop.

I've beeeen the pork chop for a very long time. My dry humor shows it.