Venison and T-Bones

Okay, so venison and a beef T-bone are an unusual combination. I agree. However, upon checking the deep freeze and seeing what option we had this is what stood out. There were several t-bone steaks and plenty of venison items.

Pork Chops

We do not regularly eat pork. No specific reason. We do enjoy the taste of pork but usually keep our eyes open for chicken to go on sale. However, this weekend I decided to cook pork chops. I made a rub and a dipping sauce.

In the rub I used:

1 t. fresh pepper

1 t. paprika

1 t. brown sugar

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

Though I do not often make a dipping sauce I do enjoy it from time to time. I am a total amateur when it comes to knowing what to include in a dipping sauce. I followed a recipe but did add to it. This is what I used:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water

2 T. sorghum

1 T. white vinegar

1 T. brown sugar

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. fresh black pepper

a few drops of Tabasco

Splash of bourbon

I combined these ingredients and cooked them on the stove top until boiling. Next time I make the dipping sauce I would probably use less water in order to have a thicker sauce. I would probably also use slightly more Tabasco.

Cedar Plank Fish

After Aunt Ellen's birthday we had two left-over catfish filets. These filets were "blackened" following a recipe that I found on All Recipes.com. That recipe called for cooking the fish in a cast-iron skillet. Instead, as you can see, I cooked them on a cedar plank. The "blackened" recipe called for:

1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

The fish took longer to cook than I anticipated but were perfect.

Grilled Catfish

Happy Birthday Aunt Ellen. Last week Aunt Ellen had a birthday and requested some type of fish. I grilled catfish and they turned out nice. To prepare them, I crushed a sleeve of crackers and added a little bit of Greek seasoning. They were dipped in melted butter, of course, to help the crackers mixture stick to the fish. Grilled on gas for about fifteen minutes.

I purchased six catfish filets. They were so large that two were saved to cook later.

Are you crazy or just plain stupid?

Earlier this week I posted a picture of the backyard with the beginning of the root removal. The root removal continued this weekend. All day Saturday and much of the afternoon on Sunday we worked on removing the roots. Needless to say, I did not grill out once this weekend. Saturday we cooked a pizza and tonight we had "breakfast for dinner".

From the front yard we have removed the roots for three trees. The final tree has some large roots that I hope to tackle tomorrow night. I asked junior to pose in front of the pile so you could appreciate the number of roots that we have dug.

During the kid's nap time both Renie and I were working together to get the roots out. Renie asked, "Do the neighbors think we are crazy." I was reminded of this great quote from Forrest Gump and have titled the post accordingly. Yes, the neighbors think we are crazy.

Leftover burgers

I cooked way too many burgers last Friday night for family in town for Helen's birthday party. Renie and I had them as leftovers at least twice this week. A tip I learned, I think, from college roommate Michael, is to put the burgers in a bowl of water to warm them.

I microwave them for one minute. Sometimes I will add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce (we are out right now) to the water. After a minute of nuking them in water I empty the water, add the cheese, and microwave it again long enough to melt the cheese.

Delicious.

Dead Tree Removed

If you saw our yard right now I would be pretty embarassed. One dead tree in the back yard was removed and you can see the roots that Renie and I have been digging. The stumps were ground but the roots, for the most part, were not touched.

In the front yard three trees were cut out. One tree was damaging the sidewalk and another was breaking up the driveway. The final tree was in the middle and we were worried that removing the trees and roots of the other trees would kill it...so all came out. The front yard is also a mess but I hope to have it back to normal soon.