Smithy

I used this same approach with a mixed bag of peppers of all heats. A few onions, a bit of garlic, and some tomatoes went into the mix. Very tasty, very aromatic, and very versatile. (Nothing was peeled except the garlic, @Shelby ) i'd post a photo, but (a) I didn't take one and (b) it doesn't look very different from my last picture from this topic. It tastes, different, though: aHOOA! there are some hot peppers in my mix!

Please share the feedback you get. My sense from the photo is that those are exactly the brownies I would go for first - and often. Then again, I like brownies.

My neighbor down the road makes decent - that is, pleasantly drinkable - stuff from kits and juices, but I've never tried making it myself. I'm too fond of the good stuff that can be purchased for not too much money around here. France and Italy, yes, but also California, Spain, Argentina, Chile and occasionally South Africa contribute to our shops' stock. All that said, I'd love to see documentation of the process when you get going, @DiggingDogFarm - or anyone else who's making wine at home.

I confess, I have yet to see the fascination with oxtail. I've enjoyed the soup when I've had it, but when I've tried cooking oxtail i've been disappointed. Several delicious-looking oxtail recipes (including a daube from Paula Wolfert, one of my culinary goddesses) have turned out meat that was stringy, almost mealy. I probably didn't know enough about what I was doing at the time to make adjustments on the fly, and would get better results now. Still - is the flavor truly that much better, richer, meatier than other cuts of beef when the meat is cooked properly? Based on my experience to date I'd probably substitute - oh, chuck roast, I think.

That's a good question. Judging by the shape and the muscle structure, I think they're blade-cut steaks, from the shoulder.

Pork steaks are ultra-cheap these days, and happen to be one of my darling's favorite cuts of meat. I decided to try a different approach than our usual breaded-and-baked method. Inspired (or perhaps bedeviled) by a discussion about pork braised in Hatch chile verde sauce I put the steaks into a bag with a batch of mild Hatch chiles that had been roasted, peeled and chopped. The steaks sat in the bag, marinating in the chiles, for about 24 hours. I added a finely chopped onion and tossed the bag into a 65C bath for 2 hours. Hmm. It didn't seem to be tenderizing. I gave it another 20 minutes, then decided that it was time to change tacks. Out came an enameled cast iron gratin pan. Over medium heat I melted butter, then threw in rice; when the rice had absorbed enough butter I threw the contents of the bag (chiles, onion, meat and juices) into the pan and put the lot into the oven in high heat. By "high heat" I mean a dither: first a broil, then a high roast, then back to the broil. The exposed surfaces gained a lovely brown color. This was cooking on the fly. All told, I think this wasn't an optimal way to treat pork steaks. Our usual method of breading and baking them takes much less time and energy but yields a satisfying, albeit salty, result. On the other hand, by the time this was dolled up with the roasted pepper salsa I also made, it was darned good. And pretty. And much less salty than our home breading. And a change of pace.*... ...And maybe, actually, as tender. We don't know to what degree the time of year contributes to pork tenderness; my darling asserts that we are now eating boars and sows instead of their progeny, and that the meat will inevitably be tougher. The only way I can think of to resolve the question is side-by-side testing of cooking methods. Having written that this was a less efficient way to cook the meat, I may still try it again. It was good, and the leftovers will be good also. *(Do you ever get tired of cooking a particular cut of meat the same way, every single time? I do.)

We're coming up on Labor Day and still haven't had really wonderful tomatoes this year. That BAT makes me want to swoon.

I think there's a bit more juice with the big boys, and the texture is a bit different because it starts with chunks instead of intact orbs, but it's still very, very good.

Incidentally, this recipe is also brilliant with large tomatoes, cut into smaller chunks. This is what I did with a surfeit of Beefsteak and Early Girl tomatoes: ...and no, I did not bother peeling them.

Hmm, or maybe it could have been pork loin, then, because of the low fat content? I think home experiments are in order. Thanks again for the inspiration!

Hmm, maybe pork loin, then, because of the low fat content. I think home experiments are in order.

What cut of pork was that, do you think? Shoulder?

It's hard for me to believe it's already harvest time for those Hatch chiles, David. Thanks for reminding me to get after some of my frozen stock from this spring's trip through the area. That braised pork looks a treat!

OkieFarmer, we're always interested in helping people learn more about the computer stuff, especially if it leads to pictures. Give this help article a try sometime, and see if it helps. (If not, send me a message for more help. If I can't help, I'll put you in touch with one of the real pros.)

Not a product, per se, but this advertisement on the radio has been catching my ear for the past week: "...brought to you in part by Trader Joe's, ...bringing you brioche, ciabatta, naan and other things that aren't bread."

I remember that recall. My parents had been using their Corning percolator for years. When they heard about the recall and heard that a pot replacement was NOT an option, and that the compensation would be credit toward the purchase of items they didn't need, my mother said "fiddle dee dee" and went right on using it. I have that pot now.

Have you a trivet they could be set upon until they dry? Or are you talking about setting wet pots atop hot ceramic?

Welcome, @OkieFarmer. As noted above, you're among friends here: plenty of folks who love to eat smoked meats, and often smoke it themselves. My husband and I keep working at smoking meats at home, but we're still working to get the hang of it. If you have any questions about how or where to post something, or how the forums are supposed to work, please don't hesitate to contact a host (I am one) or ask publicly in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum.

Welcome, @willrodriguezfl! Does your wife have particular specialties - things that she loves to cook and that you adore eating, more than others? My husband and I share (if 20% - 80% is sharing) the cookery, but our styles are radically different. He claims to like most of what I cook. :-) If you have questions about where to find things or how the forums work, don't hesitate to ask a host by PM, or ask aloud in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum. C'mon in, wander around and join the fun!

That looks like a delightful end to an excellent trip, even if you had to go to a mall to do so. (I found the mall's "Joy of Shopping" sign quite amusing.) Thank you for a lovely and inspiring virtual tour!

Yes, that's right. If you click on a link with an Amazon/eGullet format, then the system will track any purchase you make on that trip to their site, and benefit eGullet - even if you buy something other than the linked object. For instance, if you click on a link for a cookbook recommended on one of the innumerable such topics, then end up buying a skillet, eGullet will get a small commission. The formatting is right, so it should still work. (No, I'm not a manager, but I've spent a lot of time looking at this stuff lately.) For information on how to generate an Amazon link like that in a new post, please see this Help article.

I was able to find a block of American Cheese instead of Velveeta, but I admit that I'm not sure there's much difference. I wish I'd thought of sriracha last night when I was looking for the Tabasco. Well, this was a first try at the recipe, and I wanted to be as true to it as possible. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Might altitude be a factor?

Well, I've taken my first step (as an adult) into pimento cheese. My mother, a Floridian, loved pimento cheese: store-bought, out of the jar. We had a lot of small juice jars from those purchases, growing up. I loathed the stuff. This topic, and a few glancing blows in other topics, have made me think I should try a different version. The occasion is an imminent trip to Missouri to see (we hope) the Total Solar Eclipse; I've been asked to bring a selection of vegetables and dips. @kayb's recipe looked good. This advice looked stellar: Alas, the picture I took before I put it in the refrigerator to mellow is indistinguishable from, oh, rice and ham and cheese, with or without saffron. I'll post something later, if I come up with a better photo. My first and second impressions are that it's very good - not at all like that nasty stuff my mother liked so well. I might could have added more Lawry's salt and heat, but I was afraid to overpower it for other tastebuds and it may change as it settles in. (In addition - I couldn't find the cayenne, couldn't find Tabasco. Settled for white pepper and touches of Aleppo pepper and chipotle. What the heck, I'm mostly a Yankee.) Another discrepancy is that I used 2 4-oz jars of pimentos, twice the amount recommended here. Based on my rereading of this topic, that won't get me kicked out of the pimento club. My third impression will have to wait until it's had time to mellow. Right now, I'm very pleased with the result. Thank you, kayb!

...and if I read it in bed, as I was wont to do with the Kindle, I'll get credit for weight-lifting, too!