Duvel

Part II of my sister’s visit: the Schnitzel evening. She specifically requested with Bratkartoffeln & mushroom cream sauce, so that’s what we had (plus Kochkäse and lingonberry jam for me). Little one breaded again enthusiastically … Mine ! Bratkartoffeln were very good. I upped the caraway & garlic powder. Since the oil was hot and there was some Mett left over from breakfast … Scotch eggs 🥳 ! The rest of my family did not share my enthusiasm for these - I on the other hand loved them ! Some Manhattan as a digestif … Asking for some bar snacks. I‘ll sleep well tonight …

Nooooo - the man wants to make a terrine … I fully support that !

Lobster & salmon will do … if not, let me send you a astaxanthin sample 🤗

Yeap … astaxanthin.

My sister came over this weekend for a long due visit. When I asked what she wanted to eat her list was Schnitzel, potato soup or lasagna. Little one narrowed it down to Schnitzel and potato soup, so tonight we had the latter. When I asked why he likes the soup better than the lasagna (which would have been my first pick) he answered „because of the bread bowl“ 🙄 It wasn’t really part of the original plan, but hey … Served with a smoked Frankfurter sausage and a great local unfiltered & unpasteurized beer … Happy camper … And a little liquid dessert for my BIL and me 🥳

This one …

Truth to be told, I never had cretons. From what I have read so far it is softer & spreadable compared to a firm pâté; more similar to rillettes. But this is a Cook-Off and we want to embrace the topic in all its facets, so please show and teach us how to make your cretons, and we‘ll compare together 🤗

I am pretty certain (and can wholeheartedly recommend) to have a pâté on the table 🤗 …

The meat was marinated (salt, bit of vinegar, garlic, spices) and was nice and tender.

That is correct. @rotuts asked whether the cuts change much in the course of the whole piece, and from my view - despite being comprised of several distinct muscles - the resulting steaks are pretty similar, with the remark the ones closer to the head have a bit more connective tissue …

It makes me wonder what those shops/vendors do with that cut if they don’t sell it as such …

I am not quite sure. As far as I know the pig has two collars, and they are separated left and right of the spinal cord …

A whole collar (as sold here) looks like this … It is more or less uniform; the „head“ end has a bit more connective tissue than the „body“ end, but it doesn’t matter much.

Collar steaks (German: Nackensteak) are by far the most popular cut for grilling/BBQ in Germany. You can get them in any shop that sells meat in literally dozens of marinates and of course also au nature. The whole collar is equally ubiquitous ...

Lazy dinner: Nackensteakbrötchen … Grilled pork collar, salad, dijonnaise, pickles on a fresh wheat roll.

Thanks, @Baron d'Apcher. So, you‘d make the distinction that pâtés are assembled raw and binding occurs via the cooking process, while terrines are assembled from already cooked ingredients and binding does happen via the gelatine-rich juices ?

Yeap, that’s the one …

The „duo“ was a a combination of two cuts. A piece of probably tenderloin (medium, super tender) and two kind of spring rolls, filled with braised cheek. Served with a super rich demi-glace type of sauce. The restaurant is open at all times. It consists of a large dining room in the second floor for a-la-carte lunch or dinner and plenty of rooms for private functions (doubling as meeting rooms for business during the day). I had booked a room for 10 in the top floor, and picked above menu. At night, the large dining room is open to the public and the food is pretty good. Wine is even better (the company I work for operates one of the largest wine shops in Germany, conveniently located just next to restaurant).

Business dinner at our company‘s restaurant … Lecker !

So … which one will you make ? 😉

Pâtés & Terrines What can be more inviting than a slice of a carefully balanced, well spiced and rich pâté, perhaps with a fresh tart side salad and a warm crusty bread? Well, you’ll soon be in for exactly that treat: welcome to eGullet Cook-Off #89 - Pâtés & Terrines! Although at first glance* a bit more technical & complex than our previous wings topic, it offers plenty of space to explore and experiment: from a simple pâté de campagne to a foie gras-centered pâté en croute with a delectable pasty shell and a jellied Sauterne cover. There has been a longstanding topic on terrines with spectacular entries in the past, so we felt it would be more than justified to open the topic up for a spirited exchange in the course of our popular Cook-Offs. Typically something rather enjoyed in a restaurant setting (where these time-consuming, yet economical preparations have undergone a renaissance due to the nose-to-tail movement) or as a treat from your deli or traditional butcher, pâtés and terrines are surprisingly not difficult to prepare. They make – however – usually more than two servings, so maybe the upcoming Easter holidays could help to encourage you to give it a try and surprise your family and friends** … There are many definitions of what makes a pâté a pâté, and how and why terrines are different. I am happy to discuss with you the intricacies of these, but for setting a non-threatening starting point I’d like to think of both as a fancy meatloaf or maybe an oversized sausage (in a funky rectangular shape perhaps) with interesting, maybe surprising additions (such as liver, offal, nuts, dried and alcohol-soaked fruits), herbs, liquors and spices (quatre épice anyone?). What kind of meat do you prefer? The world is your oyster, and beside all types of game, domestic animals, poultry and fowl, fish & seafood (including said oyster) can be used as well. Do you like a smooth texture or a coarser product, maybe with inlays ? You can shape your loaf into animal shapes, wrap it in bacon, fatback or puff pastry perhaps and glaze it with any gelled liquid you fancy. I can already see your minds starting to get creative … Rabbit terrine from the Rabbit Cook-Off. So break out your books and magazines, peruse your favourite websites and maybe even show off tried & trusted family recipes and show us what you are capable of – if you can get ground meat and have an oven*** I’ll repeat my mantra: there is really no excuse this time 😊 See the complete eG Cook-Off Index here: https://forums.egullet.org/topic/143994-egullet-recipe-cook-off-index/ —- * well – having seen how much work can be put into a humble chicken wing, only at first glance. ** they make a terrific presents as well. *** or sous-vide setup, or …

While I can’t recommend any brasserie in NYC, I think you might need a bit more than just gigot d‘agneau to start comparing preparation techniques. Gigot d‘agneau refers primarily to a leg of lamb, so a cut of meat and not a dish per se. You can start by checking different preparations of this cut: grilled, braised, confit, SV’ed, … You may look into different chef‘s ideas what to do with leg of lamb (a modern classic would be Thomas Keller‘s Bouchon version). You can - of course - eat your way through all the brasseries in NYC (which I would admire). But to get an overview maybe do a bit of research first which type of preparation for gigot d’agneau you‘d like to compare to the one you‘ve experienced at Abidjan, and then … enjoy ?! Or create your own version ? Good luck !

Now … this I‘d like to learn 🙏

Little one had a sleepover guest, so Pizza & Movie night was moved to Saturday evening. Needed to keep things simple as the guest was a bit “unadventurous” concerning toppings … Salami … ”Triple A”: anchovies, artichokes and asiago cheese. Could have been great with Provolone, but then it wouldn’t sound as good. Raw state shot, as pizza loading produced a significant dent in the round shape. This is the parents pizza … Margherita pizza with a lovely buffalo mozzarella. Enjoyed while watching Pokemon for the XXth time 🤔

Leftovers. Still pretty good - must be the butter 😉 …