What's cooking / VT cookbook merge

[BOF]

MV has you there and yet, dried pasta is better than fresh for most things. I haven't had lasagne in ages. Might give it a try (I've never made it either).

[mottaloo]

I've rediscovered two thing recently :

 

My local butcher for proper cuts of meat ( a lil more expensive at times but wee's all over supermarket meat)

 

and :

 

my slow cooker.

 

As I type this, a beef, tomato & baby new potato curry is simmering away........ready in 3 hours......bliss !!

[leemond2008]

I only got a slow cooker about a month ago, absolutely love the thing, stew's and curries are brilliant in it, the winner hands down though is cola gammon

 

chuck the gammon in cover it with coke cook it on low for 6 hours then take it out smother it in honey and chuck it in the oven for 25 minutes it really is the mutts nuts

[Meath_Villan]

Its a home made tagliatelle bolognese with garlic pesto flatbreads kinda day ......and a large glass of bushmills later  in front of a fire type of a day 

[Shillzz]

Its a home made tagliatelle bolognese with garlic pesto flatbreads kinda day ......and a large glass of bushmills later  in front of a fire type of a day 

 

Just out of interest, how do you do your Bolognese...

 

My rendition comes as follows:

 

Large onion gently cooked for some time in a liberal amount of Olive oil

Add 3 mashed cloves of garlic, a sprinkle of Oregano

Add some red chilis if I want it picante

Add the mince, brown for some time.

Add Passata.

Add decent quality beefstock cube or jelly

Season after the beefstock so you don't make it too salty.

Finish with Basil and Parmesan.

 

No I can't afford to use red wine for cooking, nor can I really afford to add another protein in the form of bacon/pancetta, but the above comes out pretty well. The peppery heat from the Basil marries really well to the chilli. Perhaps it's more of an arrabiati, but it's pretty good.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Shillzz

[Meath_Villan]

quarter some plum tomatoes quarter some shallots or red onion 2-3 cloves of garlic some rosemary , thyme sea salt and pepper a good splosh of olive oil and throw that into a hot oven

leave for about 10-20 mins till the edges are starting to burn on the toms and onions .....in a big pot and blitz add puree after if you want a darker thicker sauce or just reduce over a medium heat over an hour season to taste..add a pinch of sugar if needed to take the edge off the puree if needed ....should be enough sweetness from the onions and fresh toms

In another pot on a high heat without oil add the mince and break it apart with a whisk ,,when meat is brown and cooked drain and add it to your tom sauce and let it bubble on a low heat for an hour or two .... and tear some basil at the end serve top with some fresh pecorino and cracked black pepper

Edited October 10, 2013 by Meath_Villan

[Meath_Villan]

add mushrooms if you want as well 

[leemond2008]

Mushrooms are my arch nemesis

[peterms]

quarter some plum tomatoes quarter some shallots or red onion 2-3 cloves of garlic some rosemary , thyme sea salt and pepper a good splosh of olive oil and throw that into a hot oven 

 

leave for about 10-20 mins till the edges are starting to burn on the toms and onions .....in a big put and blitz   add puree after if you want a darker thicker sauce or just reduce over a medium heat over an hour season to taste..add a pinch of sugar if needed to take the edge off the puree if needed ....should be enough sweetness from the onions and fresh toms 

 

 

In another pot on a high heat without oil add the mince and break it apart with a whisk ,,when meat is brown and cooked drain and add it to your tom sauce and let it bubble on a low heat for an hour or two .... and tear some basil at the end serve   top with some fresh pecorino and cracked black pepper

 

Good stuff.  I have some homegrown tomatoes gently drying in the oven at the moment, the ones that were split when we came to pick them.  I'll make a ragu like this with them.

 

But what's this "mince"?  So many people buy the watery, grey, fatty shite from the supermarket, which will never make a decent sauce.  What do you use?

[leemond2008]

Good stuff. I have some homegrown tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes

What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes

Only two things that money can't buy

And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes

[peterms]

 

Good stuff. I have some homegrown tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes

What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes

Only two things that money can't buy

And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes

 

 

I confess I didn't grow them.  My true love did.  I just prepare them, and share the eating of them.  Oh, and carry the **** compost around, as directed.

[Shillzz]

quarter some plum tomatoes quarter some shallots or red onion 2-3 cloves of garlic some rosemary , thyme sea salt and pepper a good splosh of olive oil and throw that into a hot oven

leave for about 10-20 mins till the edges are starting to burn on the toms and onions .....in a big pot and blitz add puree after if you want a darker thicker sauce or just reduce over a medium heat over an hour season to taste..add a pinch of sugar if needed to take the edge off the puree if needed ....should be enough sweetness from the onions and fresh toms

In another pot on a high heat without oil add the mince and break it apart with a whisk ,,when meat is brown and cooked drain and add it to your tom sauce and let it bubble on a low heat for an hour or two .... and tear some basil at the end serve top with some fresh pecorino and cracked black pepper

 

Sounds good, completely different take on it to mine.

 

Do you lose some of the flavour from the mince by doing it this way?

[Meath_Villan]

 

quarter some plum tomatoes quarter some shallots or red onion 2-3 cloves of garlic some rosemary , thyme sea salt and pepper a good splosh of olive oil and throw that into a hot oven 

 

leave for about 10-20 mins till the edges are starting to burn on the toms and onions .....in a big put and blitz   add puree after if you want a darker thicker sauce or just reduce over a medium heat over an hour season to taste..add a pinch of sugar if needed to take the edge off the puree if needed ....should be enough sweetness from the onions and fresh toms 

 

In another pot on a high heat without oil add the mince and break it apart with a whisk ,,when meat is brown and cooked drain and add it to your tom sauce and let it bubble on a low heat for an hour or two .... and tear some basil at the end serve   top with some fresh pecorino and cracked black pepper

 

Good stuff.  I have some homegrown tomatoes gently drying in the oven at the moment, the ones that were split when we came to pick them.  I'll make a ragu like this with them.

 

But what's this "mince"?  So many people buy the watery, grey, fatty shite from the supermarket, which will never make a decent sauce.  What do you use?

 

 

Lean steak mince ..you should go to a butcher you know/trust as I have seen and talked with many butchers and most use the same shite  as its mainly a by product from other cuts trimmings etc and its an easy revenue generator ........and yes I have my own machine at home think it was 40 quid in argos so if need be I can by steak and do it myself 

[Meath_Villan]

 

quarter some plum tomatoes quarter some shallots or red onion 2-3 cloves of garlic some rosemary , thyme sea salt and pepper a good splosh of olive oil and throw that into a hot oven

leave for about 10-20 mins till the edges are starting to burn on the toms and onions .....in a big pot and blitz add puree after if you want a darker thicker sauce or just reduce over a medium heat over an hour season to taste..add a pinch of sugar if needed to take the edge off the puree if needed ....should be enough sweetness from the onions and fresh toms

In another pot on a high heat without oil add the mince and break it apart with a whisk ,,when meat is brown and cooked drain and add it to your tom sauce and let it bubble on a low heat for an hour or two .... and tear some basil at the end serve top with some fresh pecorino and cracked black pepper

 

Sounds good, completely different take on it to mine.

 

Do you lose some of the flavour from the mince by doing it this way?

 

 

 

Nope the secret is in the sauce ....many sauce recipes from all over the world take at least a day maybe two to get the flavors going ...you should always drain minced meat as its just pure fat that will float on top of you nice sauce 

[LoughboroughLion]

There is a debate going on in my house atm, can anyone settle it for me? Do you need to peel Chorizo before you cook it?

[Meath_Villan]

There is a debate going on in my house atm, can anyone settle it for me? Do you need to peel Chorizo before you cook it?

 

what type of Chorizo

[LoughboroughLion]

 

There is a debate going on in my house atm, can anyone settle it for me? Do you need to peel Chorizo before you cook it?

 

what type of Chorizo

 

 

Tesco's Finest cured chorizo 

[PompeyVillan]

They don't peel the chorizo in Spain most of the time.

[villaajax]

 

 

There is a debate going on in my house atm, can anyone settle it for me? Do you need to peel Chorizo before you cook it?

 

what type of Chorizo

 

 

Tesco's Finest cured chorizo 

 

 

We never do.

[peterms]

 

 

There is a debate going on in my house atm, can anyone settle it for me? Do you need to peel Chorizo before you cook it?

 

what type of Chorizo

 

 

Tesco's Finest cured chorizo

 

Personal choice.

 

If I'm using the cured one in eg a quick pasta dressing, or a pizza topping, I don't bother.

 

If it's a better grade of chorizo that you're serving as a cold meat with decent bread and butter and some other things, you might peel it (but you wouldn't get it from Tesco).  Depends how thick the skin is.  I guess we've all got memories of salami with plasticky skin that you try to pull between your teeth to get the meat off - not good.

 

If it's uncured cooking chorizo that you're making into something like a ragu, you might want to take the skin off, to let the meat break down more easily.  If you're grilling or barbecueing it  to put between sliced focaccia, maybe with melted mozzarella and fresh basil, I wouldn't bother, if the skin isn't thick.