Dinner 2025

[rotuts]

@Norm Matthews

 

blade is the best of the chuck

 

remember the shape , and buy more .

[Norm Matthews]

@rotuts Thanks again. If I ever see it again I certainly will.  I don't see flat iron steaks very much any more and they are good too.

[rotuts]

@Norm Matthews

 

the flat iron is from the blade , w the middle tendon removed , giving two thin steaks

 

the grain on the F.I. runs parallel to the cut.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_iron_steak

 

if you ever see ' blade roasts '  go for that , and remove the center tendon = 2 flat irons.

 

blade roast should be on the less expensive side of cost

Edited 5 hours ago by rotuts (log)

[KennethT]

It constantly amazes me how much time and effort traditionally made Indonesian dishes can be. This past Labor Day weekend, I wanted to experiment in making a dish called sambal hitam - or black chilli sauce - from the small island of Madura which is just off the coast of the large city of Surabaya, in East Java. We had it several times while in Jakarta a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. After watching maybe 10 different recipe videos, it seems that, while none of them are the same, they fall into two groups - those that use kluwek (aka keluak, aka buah keluak, aka black nuts) and those that don't. I was hoping to get to make both versions to compare - spoiler alert, I only had time to make one and that was pushing it!

 

Anyway, you make a spice paste with chillies (I used two different types - the large red chillies I can buy at HMart, and the curly red chillies that I grow using seeds that came back with me), shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves (the first time I've ever seen them blended in the paste), candlenuts and coriander powder. The spice paste is mixed with enough water to submerge the protein of choice - typically either duck or chicken - and simmered until the poultry is tender. The poultry is then removed and the spice laden liquid is then reduced to a thick paste, and then, in another wok, fried in some oil until it is a dark dark dark brown - just about black (hence the name). The poultry is then deep fried for a short while to brown, then drained and the black paste is spread on top.

 

From start to finish, it probably took me about 4 hours!!!!! So, I definitely didn't have time to make both versions.....

 

 

With some stir fried bok choy 

 

[BeeZee]

@KennethT, that sounds really delicious, and truly a labor of love!

[KennethT]

23 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

@KennethT, that sounds really delicious, and truly a labor of love!

It definitely was delicious - more so than the versions we had in the food court of the mall in Jakarta - so much more complex.  I imagine that industrially produced sambal hitam exists (as well as lots of other time consuming favorites) and is slathered on by most people other than me, in my quest to become a SE Asian grandmother....