Elder wrote:
> In article >, says...
>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>
>> I'd wish for...?
>>
>>
> Square sausage, sliced fried Bury black pudding, dry cured english bacon
> (grilled), fried potato scone (farls), griddle cooked tomatos, two fried
> eggs, 2 beef sausage, 1 slice fried bread, fried mushrooms, several good
> cups of turkish coffee.
>
> And a defibrilator.

Elder -

Thanks for the "fried bread" reminder. I haven't done that in ages, but
it was always one of my favorite bread uses. Right up there next to
garlic toast. Not good for you, but now a days everything is bad for
you... it's just portion control that matters.

Cheers,

Bob

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Sat 20 Jun 2009 02:28:23a, Sky told us...
>
>> WAndy wrote:
>>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>>
>>> I'd wish for...?
>> World PEAs!
>>
>> Sky, who just couldn't resist!!!!
>>
>> P.S. I blame it on a particular other RFCer ;>
>>
>> P.P.S. J/K
>>
>
> Shouldn't that be Whirled Peas?
>
Hey! I resemble that remark :-)

My current tried-and-true favorite breakfast is what I call "Huevos in a
Hurry", inspired by watching the cafeteria cooks make Huevos Rancheros
to order at the University of Arizona. My version takes longer to heat
the pan than to cook everything.

Huevos in a Hurry

2 Tbsp. cooking oil (Canola)
2 corn tortillas
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup commercial salsa (such as Pace or La Victoria)

Heat the oil in a skillet until nearly smoking. While it's heating,
collect the other ingredients to have handy.

Fry each tortilla a few seconds on each side until tender but nowhere
near crispy. They should blister. Stack or artfully arrange the
tortillas on a plate as you go.

(At this point, I turn off the heat. The electric coils on the range and
the cast iron skillet retain enough heat to cook the egg.) Break the egg
directly into the skillet. Turn when set on the bottom. Cook only until
the white is firmly set and the yolk is still runny. Place the egg on
the tortillas.

Shred some cheese directly onto the egg. Splash on some hot sauce if you
like. Top it all with the salsa. Nuke about 20 seconds to take the chill
off the cheese.

Serve with a warmed flour tortilla.

Kathleen said...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Sat 20 Jun 2009 05:21:47a, Bob Muncie told us...
>>
>>
>>>Steve Y wrote:
>>>
>>>>Proper English Sausages, Dry cured Unsmoked back bacon, grilled
tomatoes
>>>>and fried new potatoes , served with some granary bread and a chilled
>>>>Brouilly
>>>>
>>>>Steve
>>>>
>>>>Andy wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>>>>
>>>>>I'd wish for...?
>>>>>
>>>
>>>You mean those unregulated sausages that are mostly filler? And what
>>>makes it proper anyway?
>>>
>>>I'd skip the sausage, but the rest sounds pretty good.
>>>
>>>
>>>My breaky:
>>>
>>>Three large pancakes with two over easy eggs sandwiched between, good
>>>maple syrup over the top. A side of pork bulk sausage patties on the
>>>side along with some cottage potatoes. Wheat toast, and and a small
>>>glass of OJ, and a large glass of whole milk.
>>>
>>>Bob
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Is that for *one* person?
>>
>
> My 14 year old son could scarf all that and be pointing to your side of
> bacon and asking, "Are you going to eat that?" before you'd so much as
> taken the first bite off of your veggie omelet.
>
> And then he'd be asking if he could order a chocolate chip muffin (the
> ones that are the size of a cantelope), and guzzling from your coffee
cup.
>
> "Keep hands and feet away from chute"


[APPLAUSE]

Andy

Bob Muncie wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> Andy wrote:
>>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>>
>>> I'd wish for...?
>>>
>> How about eggs benedict--or, if someone else is cooking it, eggs
>> sardou... Or maybe eggs hussarde?
>>
>
> Okay, if you are really planning on getting decadent, how about:
>
> A freshly cooked prime rib steak (with rib) and a nice horse radish
> sauce (or Bearnaise)
>
> A slice of a asparagus Frittata (for your veggie :-))
>
> A nice slice of Sourdough to sup up the steak juices
>
> A glass of OJ
>
> A slice of strawberry/rhubarb pie still hot with a pat of butter on top,
> and a glass of whole milk.
>
> Complete the meal with a nice Bloody Mary
>
> That's what I'd do if I had a reason.
>
> Bob

Oh my! That DOES sound rather decadent.

--
Jean B.

Bob Muncie wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> Denise in NH wrote:
>>> My "make a wish breakfast" would be:
>>> Very dense, moist banana bread with cream cheese, 1/2 lb of bacon, bowl
>>> of fresh strawberries and a gin and grapefruit juice.
>>
>>> Denise
>>
>> Are strawberries in season up there? I assume so, but I am not quite
>> sure how much farther north you are.
>>
>> I have no made banana bread for so long! It's pretty cool here, so I
>> could rectify that soon.
>>
>
> Jean -
>
> I don't know about NH, but here in Michigan, if it wasn't for so much
> rain the last couple of days I'd be out at a local fruit farm where the
> are ready to start picking (and they don't watch for what you eat while
> picking) :-) I just wish my tomato plants weren't drowning... I waited a
> little too long to get them into the ground.
>
> Strawberry is one of my favorite fruits. Yum! What I can't eat, I shall
> freeze.
>
> Bob

Rain doesn't deter me from at least buying them at the farmstand.
The fields have been rather soggy for PYO though. Maybe next week.

I should go tend my tomato plants before it starts raining again.
BUT this same farmstand has MANY different kinds of tomato, most
of which are heirlooms, in season.

--
Jean B.

Andy wrote:
> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>
> I'd wish for...?
>



Aaargh--so many choices! All with good coffee and cream:

Blintzes with sour cream and warm apricot sauce

or:

Pancakes with real maple syrup and crisp bacon

or:

fluffy scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and bacon

or:

French toast (pain perdue) with maple syrup and bacon

or:

Fried eggs, over easy with oat bread toast and bacon

NOT: waffles or most sausage

I love breakfast--I could eat it three meals a day.

gloria p

gloria.p wrote:
> Andy wrote:
>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>
>> I'd wish for...?
>>
>
>
>
> Aaargh--so many choices! All with good coffee and cream:
>
> Blintzes with sour cream and warm apricot sauce
>
> or:
>
> Pancakes with real maple syrup and crisp bacon
>
> or:
>
> fluffy scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and bacon
>
> or:
>
> French toast (pain perdue) with maple syrup and bacon
>
> or:
>
> Fried eggs, over easy with oat bread toast and bacon
>
> NOT: waffles or most sausage
>
> I love breakfast--I could eat it three meals a day.
>
> gloria p


Cat bread? for some reason that sounds familiar, but I don't remember
the particulars. I think I heard about it on RFC a while back.

I'll have to go search now.. Thanks! Gloria.

Bob

On Sat 20 Jun 2009 12:33:36p, whirled peas told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Sat 20 Jun 2009 02:28:23a, Sky told us...
>>
>>> WAndy wrote:
>>>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>>>
>>>> I'd wish for...?
>>> World PEAs!
>>>
>>> Sky, who just couldn't resist!!!!
>>>
>>> P.S. I blame it on a particular other RFCer ;>
>>>
>>> P.P.S. J/K
>>>
>>
>> Shouldn't that be Whirled Peas?
>>
> Hey! I resemble that remark :-)
>
> My current tried-and-true favorite breakfast is what I call "Huevos in a
> Hurry", inspired by watching the cafeteria cooks make Huevos Rancheros
> to order at the University of Arizona. My version takes longer to heat
> the pan than to cook everything.
>
> Huevos in a Hurry
>
> 2 Tbsp. cooking oil (Canola)
> 2 corn tortillas
> 1 egg
> 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
> hot sauce (optional)
> 1/4 cup commercial salsa (such as Pace or La Victoria)
>
> Heat the oil in a skillet until nearly smoking. While it's heating,
> collect the other ingredients to have handy.
>
> Fry each tortilla a few seconds on each side until tender but nowhere
> near crispy. They should blister. Stack or artfully arrange the
> tortillas on a plate as you go.
>
> (At this point, I turn off the heat. The electric coils on the range and
> the cast iron skillet retain enough heat to cook the egg.) Break the egg
> directly into the skillet. Turn when set on the bottom. Cook only until
> the white is firmly set and the yolk is still runny. Place the egg on
> the tortillas.
>
> Shred some cheese directly onto the egg. Splash on some hot sauce if you
> like. Top it all with the salsa. Nuke about 20 seconds to take the chill
> off the cheese.
>
> Serve with a warmed flour tortilla.
>

Sounds good!

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual
"food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or
40 postage stamps. ~Miss Piggy

On Jun 20, 2:02*pm, Bob Muncie > wrote:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > On Sat 20 Jun 2009 05:21:47a, Bob Muncie told us...
>
> >> Steve Y wrote:
> >>> Proper English Sausages, Dry cured Unsmoked back bacon, grilled tomatoes
> >>> and fried new potatoes , served with some granary bread and a chilled
> >>> Brouilly
>
> >>> Steve
>
> >>> Andy wrote:
> >>>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>
> >>>> I'd wish for...?
>
> >> You mean those unregulated sausages that are mostly filler? And what
> >> makes it proper anyway?
>
> >> I'd skip the sausage, but the rest sounds pretty good.
>
> >> My breaky:
>
> >> Three large pancakes with two over easy eggs sandwiched between, good
> >> maple syrup over the top. A side of pork bulk sausage patties on the
> >> side along with some cottage potatoes. Wheat toast, and and a small
> >> glass of OJ, and a large glass of whole milk.
>
> >> Bob
>
> > Is that for *one* person?
>
> Yes, that is because I am still a growing boy, and indulge myself as I
> amone of my Mom's little snowflakes... LOL But yes, and BTW, I forgot
> you must add a nice size slice of unsalted butter on top the pancakes
> before adding the maple syrup. |:-) (that's the wrinkle on my forehead
> as I gain 6 lbs eating this).

I realized on my list, I forgot the sliced avocado.
>
> Bob

--Bryan

Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> On Jun 20, 2:02 pm, Bob Muncie > wrote:
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Sat 20 Jun 2009 05:21:47a, Bob Muncie told us...
>>>> Steve Y wrote:
>>>>> Proper English Sausages, Dry cured Unsmoked back bacon, grilled tomatoes
>>>>> and fried new potatoes , served with some granary bread and a chilled
>>>>> Brouilly
>>>>> Steve
>>>>> Andy wrote:
>>>>>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>>>>> I'd wish for...?
>>>> You mean those unregulated sausages that are mostly filler? And what
>>>> makes it proper anyway?
>>>> I'd skip the sausage, but the rest sounds pretty good.
>>>> My breaky:
>>>> Three large pancakes with two over easy eggs sandwiched between, good
>>>> maple syrup over the top. A side of pork bulk sausage patties on the
>>>> side along with some cottage potatoes. Wheat toast, and and a small
>>>> glass of OJ, and a large glass of whole milk.
>>>> Bob
>>> Is that for *one* person?
>> Yes, that is because I am still a growing boy, and indulge myself as I
>> amone of my Mom's little snowflakes... LOL But yes, and BTW, I forgot
>> you must add a nice size slice of unsalted butter on top the pancakes
>> before adding the maple syrup. |:-) (that's the wrinkle on my forehead
>> as I gain 6 lbs eating this).
>
> I realized on my list, I forgot the sliced avocado.
>> Bob
>
> --Bryan

Bryan - I'll keep that in mind if I ever invite you over :-)

Bob

Gloria wrote:

> Aaargh--so many choices! All with good coffee and cream:
>
> Blintzes with sour cream and warm apricot sauce
>
> or:
>
> Pancakes with real maple syrup and crisp bacon
>
> or:
>
> fluffy scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and bacon
>
> or:
>
> French toast (pain perdue) with maple syrup and bacon
>
> or:
>
> Fried eggs, over easy with oat bread toast and bacon
>
> NOT: waffles or most sausage


I'll go along with any of those, and I'll add:

Fettuccine carbonara with sausage and avocado on the side

or:

2 soft-boiled eggs, 3 honey-wheat English muffins with butter, and homemade
strawberry preserves on the side

or:

Monte Cristo sandwich

or:

Frisée salad with poached egg and toast points

or:

Basted eggs, hash brown potatoes, thick-sliced peppered bacon, multi-grain
toast, and spicy V-8


Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Gloria wrote:
>
>> Aaargh--so many choices! All with good coffee and cream:
>>
>> Blintzes with sour cream and warm apricot sauce
>>
>> or:
>>
>> Pancakes with real maple syrup and crisp bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> fluffy scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> French toast (pain perdue) with maple syrup and bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> Fried eggs, over easy with oat bread toast and bacon
>>
>> NOT: waffles or most sausage
>
>
> I'll go along with any of those, and I'll add:
>
> Fettuccine carbonara with sausage and avocado on the side
>
> or:
>
> 2 soft-boiled eggs, 3 honey-wheat English muffins with butter, and
> homemade strawberry preserves on the side
>
> or:
>
> Monte Cristo sandwich
>
> or:
>
> Frisée salad with poached egg and toast points
>
> or:
>
> Basted eggs, hash brown potatoes, thick-sliced peppered bacon,
> multi-grain toast, and spicy V-8
>
>
> Bob\
Thanks Bob -

You just hit my favorite "lunch" button :-) and it's not even mid-night
snack time!

Bob

In article >, Andy > wrote:

> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>
> I'd wish for...?

Eggs Benedict.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

In the UK it would be called "sausagemeat" and would be used for
things like Scotch eggs or roasted in ball form with the Xmas turkey,
here in France you can buy "chair de saucisse" which would be stuffed
into things.

Can't imagine it being eaten for breakfast though.

Steve

Bob Muncie wrote:

> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side of
> the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you wish
> :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>
> Bob

Steve Y wrote:
> In the UK it would be called "sausagemeat" and would be used for
> things like Scotch eggs or roasted in ball form with the Xmas turkey,
> here in France you can buy "chair de saucisse" which would be stuffed
> into things.
>
> Can't imagine it being eaten for breakfast though.
>
> Steve
>
> Bob Muncie wrote:
>
>> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side
>> of the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you
>> wish :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>>
>> Bob

Steve - It's a very common breakfast meat here in the US. Patty it up
like miniature hamburgers, and fry till crusting on the outside, and
juicy on the inside. But we also use it in other ways, like the scotch
eggs you mentioned. One of my favorites is fried and broken up into
small pieces to add to a poultry stuffing (Turkey, chicken, etc.).

Regards,

Bob

Bob Muncie wrote:
> Steve Y wrote:
>> In the UK it would be called "sausagemeat" and would be used for
>> things like Scotch eggs or roasted in ball form with the Xmas turkey,
>> here in France you can buy "chair de saucisse" which would be stuffed
>> into things.
>>
>> Can't imagine it being eaten for breakfast though.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> Bob Muncie wrote:
>>
>>> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side
>>> of the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you
>>> wish :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>>>
>>> Bob
>
> Steve - It's a very common breakfast meat here in the US. Patty it up
> like miniature hamburgers, and fry till crusting on the outside, and
> juicy on the inside. But we also use it in other ways, like the scotch
> eggs you mentioned. One of my favorites is fried and broken up into
> small pieces to add to a poultry stuffing (Turkey, chicken, etc.).
>
> Regards,
>
> Bob
Or fried and broken up then mixed with a cream gravy to put over some
nice big biscuits.

it gets worse !

George Shirley wrote:

> Or fried and broken up then mixed with a cream gravy to put over some
> nice big biscuits.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Gloria wrote:
>
>> Aaargh--so many choices! All with good coffee and cream:
>>
>> Blintzes with sour cream and warm apricot sauce
>>
>> or:
>>
>> Pancakes with real maple syrup and crisp bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> fluffy scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> French toast (pain perdue) with maple syrup and bacon
>>
>> or:
>>
>> Fried eggs, over easy with oat bread toast and bacon
>>
>> NOT: waffles or most sausage
>
>
> I'll go along with any of those, and I'll add:
>
> Fettuccine carbonara with sausage and avocado on the side
>
> or:
>
> 2 soft-boiled eggs, 3 honey-wheat English muffins with butter, and
> homemade strawberry preserves on the side
>
> or:
>
> Monte Cristo sandwich
>
> or:
>
> Frisée salad with poached egg and toast points
>
> or:
>
> Basted eggs, hash brown potatoes, thick-sliced peppered bacon,
> multi-grain toast, and spicy V-8
>
>
> Bob

The last sounds best to me. The carbonara and accompaniments
sounds kind-of deadly, and I don't think I'd like the unctuous
avocado with carbonara at all.

--
Jean B.

Omelet wrote:
> In article >, Andy > wrote:
>
>> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>>
>> I'd wish for...?
>
> Eggs Benedict.

Sounds like Andy is going to be making that, or variants thereof,
for a crowd!

--
Jean B.

Paraphrashing someone "Breakfast is in the tastebuds of the beholder",

I don't think I'll ever find summat for me that beats a proper English
fry-up (made using decent ingredients).

Steve

brooklyn1 wrote:

> Why not... there are as many different recipes for sausage as there are
> sausagemakers... there is even a sub catagory of sausage called "Breakfast
> Sausage". I'm not a big fan of breakfast sausage (not into sage), but many
> a time my breakfast consists of cold left over pizza topped with dago
> sausage, yummy. If I had to choose a favorite sausage dish for breakfast it
> would have to be "Jewish Pizza", a slab of fried kosher salami and eggs on a
> bagel.

In article >,
says...
> Thanks for the "fried bread" reminder. I haven't done that in ages, but
> it was always one of my favorite bread uses. Right up there next to
> garlic toast. Not good for you, but now a days everything is bad for
> you... it's just portion control that matters.
>
I tend to limit it to my Birthday, and when I plan to be driving a lot
and not eating properly for many hours.

Used to be a regular thing when I was much younger, but not my fat
middle aged body needs toning down.
--
Carl Robson
Get cashback on your purchases
Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm
Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553

In article >,
"Jean B." > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >, Andy > wrote:
> >
> >> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
> >>
> >> I'd wish for...?
> >
> > Eggs Benedict.
>
> Sounds like Andy is going to be making that, or variants thereof,
> for a crowd!

English muffins make a good base. Toasted sourdough ones. ;-d
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Omelet wrote:

>
> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
>
> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.

I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
>
> I want to tweak that last one tho' and try using roasted fresh garlic
> instead of granulated.
>
> I really need to get a toaster oven...

If you lived next door, you could come over anytime you want to use mine :-)

Bob

Bob Muncie > wrote:

>Omelet wrote:

>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.

>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.

>I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
>the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.

Most butcher counters will grind up your purchase for you.

If they will not, find another butcher...

S.

Steve Pope wrote:
> Bob Muncie > wrote:
>
>> Omelet wrote:
>
>>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
>>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
>
>>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
>>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
>
>> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
>> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
>
> Most butcher counters will grind up your purchase for you.
>
> If they will not, find another butcher...
>
> S.

One of the few things I dislike about where I live is lack of a butcher
shop.

But I have many other things to be thankful for.

Bob

Steve Pope wrote:
> Bob Muncie > wrote:
>
>
>> Omelet wrote:
>>
>
>
>>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
>>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
>>>
>
>
>>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
>>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
>>>
>
>
>> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
>> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
>>
>
> Most butcher counters will grind up your purchase for you.
>
> If they will not, find another butcher...
>
> S.
>

It is easier to get that done at a butcher shop, although you might have
to wait. Having meat cutters in supermarkets grind your meat, is getting
more difficult. Due to health concerns, each time they grind meat, they
have to break the equipment down, wash it with soap and water, then
sanitize the equipment. When I was a kid, they would grind up a beef
roast, then grind up a pork shoulder without taking the equipment apart.


Supermarkets used to get carcases of beef, now the meat and poultry
arrives case ready, or in boxes of primals, which they cut into
individual portions.


Becca

In article >,
Bob Muncie > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> >
> > I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
> > make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
> >
> > I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
> > sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
>
> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
> >
> > I want to tweak that last one tho' and try using roasted fresh garlic
> > instead of granulated.
> >
> > I really need to get a toaster oven...
>
> If you lived next door, you could come over anytime you want to use mine :-)
>
> Bob

<smiles> That's sweet of you thanks!
I want one to make roasted garlic.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Andy wrote:
>
> Order up! "Make a wish breakfast"
>
> I'd wish for...?

Someone else to make me a very nice breakfast buffet, served on a
terrace overlooking the sea. Preferably the one of the nicer parts of
the Mediterranean...perhaps around Monte Carlo *sigh*.

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> Bob Muncie > wrote:
>
>> Omelet wrote:
>>
>>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
>>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
>>>
>>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
>>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
>> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
>> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
>>> I want to tweak that last one tho' and try using roasted fresh garlic
>>> instead of granulated.
>>>
>>> I really need to get a toaster oven...
>> If you lived next door, you could come over anytime you want to use mine :-)
>>
>> Bob
>
> <smiles> That's sweet of you thanks!
> I want one to make roasted garlic.

You can roast anything you want in it my dear. It's not a convection,
but it does have temp & time control. I've even been thinking lately of
roasting beets it it.

Bob

"Becca" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Pope wrote:
>> Bob Muncie > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Omelet wrote:
>>>
>>
>>
>>>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
>>>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
>>>>
>>
>>
>>>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
>>>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
>>>>
>>
>>
>>> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
>>> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
>>>
>>
>> Most butcher counters will grind up your purchase for you.
>>
>> If they will not, find another butcher...
>>
>> S.
>>
>
> It is easier to get that done at a butcher shop, although you might have
> to wait. Having meat cutters in supermarkets grind your meat, is getting
> more difficult. Due to health concerns, each time they grind meat, they
> have to break the equipment down, wash it with soap and water, then
> sanitize the equipment. When I was a kid, they would grind up a beef
> roast, then grind up a pork shoulder without taking the equipment apart.
>

There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department is
not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it will
be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll simply
point to the mystery meat in their meat case.

Commercial grinders hold 2-3 pounds of meat in their body, if you ask them
to grind a three pound roast you will not get any of the the meat you chose,
you'll get whatever was left in the hopper from the previous grind, probably
trimmings and scraps from their sale mystery meat... then the butcher will
push out your nice expensive cut that you agonaized over choosing with the
next batch of crap meat, the butcher will bring your good beef home to feed
his family and you will have a couple pounds of freshly ground shit. Plus
when a butcher shop grinds your meat you have no idea what was previously
ground and how long ago... you could well get your beef ground by a machine
that was last used to grind turkey, 3-4 hours ago.


Many years ago when there were several real butcher shops in every
neighborhood houswives would arrive with a dozen slices of stale bread and
an onion or two... with eagle eyes they watched as the butcher ground
several slices of stale bread until they saw the bread come out and then the
butcher would grind the meat they chose, then push through the onion and a
few more slices of bread. This way they got the meat they paid for and with
bread crumbs and chopped onion for whatever they wanted to cook... back then
hardly anyone cooked plain burgers, meat was stretched to make meatballs,
meat loaf, and many versions of fried burgers with filler like salisbury
steak. Back then when I was a tyke my mother could send me up to the corner
butcher with a note on a brown paper bag that said 5 pounds double ground
chuck - LEAN and with the bread and onions... all I had to do was hand the
butcher the bag and say "My mother said". I was five years old but the
magid words "My mother said" was all it took... the buthers all knew their
regular customers, they wouldn't cheat, especially not a kid, or there were
plenty other butcher shops nearby... back then what small supermarkets there
were had no meat department. no produce section either... if they tried the
local butchers and green grocers would literally burn them down... years
passed before the little Key Food markets in Brooklyn developed the cajones
to try.

You're not going to find any butcher that will do that anymore... the ONLY
way to know what/who is in your ground beef is to grind it yourself, there
is no other way... and with your own grinder you know it was scrupulously
clean before you grind. Decent electric home meat grinders are not very
expensive (I own two), I do not recommend a hand cranked grinder, for health
reasons, and they are deadly dangerous.... more then one home cook has lost
the rhythm of cranking with one hand and feeding with the other hand (like
patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time) and has cranked
off their own thumb and a couple of fingers before they even realized, it's
just that fast and you won't feel it right away. And never ever have
children around when grinding (or using any kitchen apparatus), in fact have
no one around to distract you. Electric grinders are much safer because you
only use one hand and the hopper is made tall and narrow so that your
fingers can't go in that far... electric grinders are as safe as using a
chefs knife, actually safer because you'll be using only one hand. A
grinder is a far more useful kitchen tool than a food processor. Don't even
think about a commercial grinder for home use, a little Oster Pro is more
than adequate. You don't want to waste $50 on the toys r us KA attachment
either... it's not about the price of that toy, it's about all the dollars
worth of meat you'll ruin, that thing doesn't grind, it smears, it produces
playdough.

On Jun 20, 12:38*pm, Steve Y > wrote:
> Not sure which show you watched but there are standards as to minimum
> meat content (by *% weight) but they don't specify which cuts the meat
> should be. *

Here in the U.S., I'd expect sausages to be nearly 100% meat content
(including
fat). The rest would be spices.

No filler.

Cindy Hamilton

In article >,
Bob Muncie > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > Bob Muncie > wrote:
> >
> >> Omelet wrote:
> >>
> >>> I've been playing with sausage recipes lately as it's FAR cheaper to
> >>> make my own, and I can control the amount of salt and fat in it.
> >>>
> >>> I have 4 successful recipes if anyone is interested. 2 for "breakfast"
> >>> sausage and 1 for Italian, and one more recent one for a garlic/basil.
> >> I would if I had a grinder, but for the amount of use it would get, and
> >> the space it would take up, I wouldn't buy one.
> >>> I want to tweak that last one tho' and try using roasted fresh garlic
> >>> instead of granulated.
> >>>
> >>> I really need to get a toaster oven...
> >> If you lived next door, you could come over anytime you want to use mine
> >> :-)
> >>
> >> Bob
> >
> > <smiles> That's sweet of you thanks!
> > I want one to make roasted garlic.
>
> You can roast anything you want in it my dear. It's not a convection,
> but it does have temp & time control. I've even been thinking lately of
> roasting beets it it.
>
> Bob

<lol>!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

In article >,
"brooklyn1" > wrote:

> There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department is
> not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it will
> be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
> you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
> grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
> custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll simply
> point to the mystery meat in their meat case.

It is possible to simply "grind" a very small amount of meat using a
good sharp knife and a cutting board...

When I grind meat or make sausage, I never do less than 10 lbs. or more.

I actually do sometimes purchase "mystery meat" from the butcher shop at
HEB, but just the fresh ground stuff. In that, I know I'm getting good
meat as they take all the steaks and roasts that are fixin' to outdate,
grind them and sell them for around $2.80 per lb. I have yet to be
disappointed by it and you can visibly see the difference in those
packages when comparing them to the regular 80/20 etc. ground beef.

The "butcher shop" is visible to everyone behind the main meat counter
and I've watched them work a lot. I've talked with the meat shop
manager more than once, exchanged recipes with him and gotten some
useful grinding and prep hints from him. ;-) He's a cool guy and the
place is very, VERY clean.

He will not grind meat for me either (I only asked once) for the very
reason you mention above. He was up front about it. Now that I own my
own grinder, it's a moot point. I don't use it often but it's worth the
space it takes up in the pantry imho.

As far as making sausage is concerned, it's just spiced ground meat.
It's not rocket science. The trick is just getting the spicing
proportions down right and that can come with careful experimentation to
suit it to your personal tastes.

Cabelas sells pre-packaged mixes but I've never used them. The salt
content, for one thing, is WAY too high! I use about 1/4 the salt
called for in sausage recipes I've googled.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:05:07 -0400, Bob Muncie wrote:
>
> Steve - Please don't feel I was poking at your sausages... I'm sure they
> are nice.
>
> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side of
> the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you wish
> :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>
> Bob

you old sausage-poker!

your pal,
blake

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:05:07 -0400, Bob Muncie wrote:
>>
>> Steve - Please don't feel I was poking at your sausages... I'm sure they
>> are nice.
>>
>> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side of
>> the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you wish
>> :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>>
>> Bob
>
> you old sausage-poker!
>
It wrecks me when you talk dirty.

"Omelet" writes:
> "brooklyn1" wrote:
>
>> There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department
>> is
>> not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it
>> will
>> be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
>> you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
>> grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
>> custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll
>> simply
>> point to the mystery meat in their meat case.
>
> It is possible to simply "grind" a very small amount of meat using a
> good sharp knife and a cutting board...

I'd not call that grinding, it does not produce the same texture, but is
often used for specific recipes where that's the texture desired as for
tartar. That method is (or used to be used) for making forced meat, for
chopping potted meat, becaeu it was too soft for grinding and would just
smear. That procedure was most often accomplished in a wooden bowl with a
chopping knife that was curved to match the bowl... was called "hock
fleish"/chop meat... typically used for stuffing pasta.

> When I grind meat or make sausage, I never do less than 10 lbs. or more.
>
> I actually do sometimes purchase "mystery meat" from the butcher shop at
> HEB, but just the fresh ground stuff. In that, I know I'm getting good
> meat as they take all the steaks and roasts that are fixin' to outdate,
> grind them and sell them for around $2.80 per lb. I have yet to be
> disappointed by it and you can visibly see the difference in those
> packages when comparing them to the regular 80/20 etc. ground beef.

If you're grinding in batches of 10 lbs and more why do you need to buy
mystery meat, don't you make up packages for your freezer? When I grind
beef I almost always make up a few large burgers, those can always be used
for a small amount of ground beef. My beef burgers are anywhere between 8-14
ounces... larger don't usually get a bun, those are eaten as chopped steak.

> The "butcher shop" is visible to everyone behind the main meat counter
> and I've watched them work a lot. I've talked with the meat shop
> manager more than once, exchanged recipes with him and gotten some
> useful grinding and prep hints from him. ;-) He's a cool guy and the
> place is very, VERY clean.


The stupidmarket where I shop is part of a big New England chain (Price
Chopper), most of their stores have two entirely separate meat departments,
one large department that sells the usual prepackaged but will custom trim.
The smaller department is just like the old fashioned butcher shop, they
don't sell any prepackaged and they sell a better quality including USDA
Prime. Naturally they charge more and I do buy certain cuts, like
porterhouse, short ribs, deckle, marrow bones, etc. Deckle is the cut used
to make kosher pastrami but is also excellent braised. Their regular meat
department will not custom grind, the custom meat shop will custom grind but
you'd not want to pay their prices... and you'd still not really know what
was ground in that machine previously and how long ago, so it would still be
mystery meat.

> He will not grind meat for me either (I only asked once) for the very
> reason you mention above. He was up front about it. Now that I own my
> own grinder, it's a moot point. I don't use it often but it's worth the
> space it takes up in the pantry imho.

Home grinders have the footprint about that of an electric can opener, they
are not very heavy, perhaps 7-8 lbs, and don't need to be left on the
counter. I keep mine in a small pantry with all my pots and other
appliances... but there is no reason a grinder can't be stored anywhere, the
floor of a coat closet works if one is so short of space... but I really
don't believe a space can't be found in even the tiniest kitchen... and most
people have a lot of crap cluttering their kitchen space that they never
use, dump it.

> As far as making sausage is concerned, it's just spiced ground meat.
> It's not rocket science. The trick is just getting the spicing
> proportions down right and that can come with careful experimentation to
> suit it to your personal tastes.
>
> Cabelas sells pre-packaged mixes but I've never used them. The salt
> content, for one thing, is WAY too high! I use about 1/4 the salt
> called for in sausage recipes I've googled.

Ordinary spices and herbs every cook keeps will suffice, there are no rare
difficult to find items in sausage. And there are all kinds of sausage,
from ordinary fresh, to cured, smoked, fermented, and there is no rule says
you have to stuff casings, I rarely do, I mostly make sausage pattys. If
anyone is going to dabble in sausage making beyond ordinary fresh I strongly
urge they read a book on sausage making.

I don't eat much cured/smoked sausage so I don't make that and when I get
the urge I'd rather buy a small amount of a premium brand. In fact I don't
like to have a large amount of salami, pepperoni or even balogna in my
fridge because I'll pig out on it. But I do eat a lot of ground beef/pork
and that I always grind myself. I actually prefer a ground round/chuck beef
steak to those expensive beef steaks, half they time I'm disappointed as
even when I choose them myself they often contain a lot of fat bone and
gristle... I hardly ever order steak out, I think the last time has to be
like seven years ago when I first moved here and it was suggested I try a
particular steak house, was just okay, not something I'd ever try for steak
again, a smallish porterhouse for $35, and only like half was edible, not
even enough to feed my cats. I frequent this restaurant about ten times a
year but I never order their steak dinners. I much prefer to buy
stupidmarket steak and grill it at home.

Their web site sucks (menu is down) but The Quarry Steakhouse has a great
bartender (top notch 2nis), their salad bar is excellent, real homemade
soups, bread baked on premises, and they have plenty of other entree choices
besides steak... their chicken, pork, and veal dishes are perfect Since
it's only a half hour away sometimes I do lunch and just have the salad bar
and drinks... dinner time and weekends they are crowded and you need
reservations.

http://www.quarrysteakhouse.com/qsh/index.htm

Cindy wrote:

> Here in the U.S., I'd expect sausages to be nearly 100% meat content
> (including fat). The rest would be spices.
>
> No filler.

Huh... I heard there's a manufacturer who put a big lump of cornmeal at one
end of every hot dog they made. When asked about it, a representative said
that the company wasn't able to make both ends meat.

Bob

In article >,
"brooklyn1" > wrote:

> "Omelet" writes:
> > "brooklyn1" wrote:
> >
> >> There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department
> >> is
> >> not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it
> >> will
> >> be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
> >> you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
> >> grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
> >> custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll
> >> simply
> >> point to the mystery meat in their meat case.
> >
> > It is possible to simply "grind" a very small amount of meat using a
> > good sharp knife and a cutting board...
>
> I'd not call that grinding, it does not produce the same texture, but is
> often used for specific recipes where that's the texture desired as for
> tartar. That method is (or used to be used) for making forced meat, for
> chopping potted meat, becaeu it was too soft for grinding and would just
> smear. That procedure was most often accomplished in a wooden bowl with a
> chopping knife that was curved to match the bowl... was called "hock
> fleish"/chop meat... typically used for stuffing pasta.

Picky picky. <g>

>
> > When I grind meat or make sausage, I never do less than 10 lbs. or more.
> >
> > I actually do sometimes purchase "mystery meat" from the butcher shop at
> > HEB, but just the fresh ground stuff. In that, I know I'm getting good
> > meat as they take all the steaks and roasts that are fixin' to outdate,
> > grind them and sell them for around $2.80 per lb. I have yet to be
> > disappointed by it and you can visibly see the difference in those
> > packages when comparing them to the regular 80/20 etc. ground beef.
>
> If you're grinding in batches of 10 lbs and more why do you need to buy
> mystery meat, don't you make up packages for your freezer?

I do. But I sometimes run out and need a small amount for a recipe.
It's not often. And suitable meat priced right for grinding was not
available for quite awhile. Reasonably priced beef has only recently
become available again. I'm well stocked at the moment so won't need
any for at least a month or three.


> When I grind
> beef I almost always make up a few large burgers, those can always be used
> for a small amount of ground beef. My beef burgers are anywhere between 8-14
> ounces... larger don't usually get a bun, those are eaten as chopped steak.

I use a 3/4 cup measuring cup to portion my patties and freeze them
layered with waxed paper.

>
> > The "butcher shop" is visible to everyone behind the main meat counter
> > and I've watched them work a lot. I've talked with the meat shop
> > manager more than once, exchanged recipes with him and gotten some
> > useful grinding and prep hints from him. ;-) He's a cool guy and the
> > place is very, VERY clean.
>
>
> The stupidmarket where I shop is part of a big New England chain (Price
> Chopper), most of their stores have two entirely separate meat departments,
> one large department that sells the usual prepackaged but will custom trim.
> The smaller department is just like the old fashioned butcher shop, they
> don't sell any prepackaged and they sell a better quality including USDA
> Prime. Naturally they charge more and I do buy certain cuts, like
> porterhouse, short ribs, deckle, marrow bones, etc. Deckle is the cut used
> to make kosher pastrami but is also excellent braised. Their regular meat
> department will not custom grind, the custom meat shop will custom grind but
> you'd not want to pay their prices... and you'd still not really know what
> was ground in that machine previously and how long ago, so it would still be
> mystery meat.

I totally understand. I was simply told "no" because they'd have to
take the machine apart and clean it after my order was done. Not worth
their hassle and they stay quite busy as it is.

They will, however, custom cut (and package) just about anything I ask
them to. I can get a thicker cut, for instance, of on sale steaks that
I deem to be cut too thinly. I can also get a hyooge custom roast cut
if I ask. They are cool about that.

They will also slice a whole cheap ham into ham steaks for me and
re-package it and leave it at the same price!

>
> > He will not grind meat for me either (I only asked once) for the very
> > reason you mention above. He was up front about it. Now that I own my
> > own grinder, it's a moot point. I don't use it often but it's worth the
> > space it takes up in the pantry imho.
>
> Home grinders have the footprint about that of an electric can opener, they
> are not very heavy, perhaps 7-8 lbs, and don't need to be left on the
> counter. I keep mine in a small pantry with all my pots and other
> appliances... but there is no reason a grinder can't be stored anywhere, the
> floor of a coat closet works if one is so short of space... but I really
> don't believe a space can't be found in even the tiniest kitchen... and most
> people have a lot of crap cluttering their kitchen space that they never
> use, dump it.

Mine is re-boxed every time along with it's accessories and stored on
the pantry shelf. The box is about 12" x 12" x 12". It's not large or
heavy. I've posted pics of it more than once. ;-)

>
> > As far as making sausage is concerned, it's just spiced ground meat.
> > It's not rocket science. The trick is just getting the spicing
> > proportions down right and that can come with careful experimentation to
> > suit it to your personal tastes.
> >
> > Cabelas sells pre-packaged mixes but I've never used them. The salt
> > content, for one thing, is WAY too high! I use about 1/4 the salt
> > called for in sausage recipes I've googled.
>
> Ordinary spices and herbs every cook keeps will suffice, there are no rare
> difficult to find items in sausage.

Absolutely agree. I'll sometimes re-stock something I'm running low on
when I plan a sausage making spree. Things like ground celery seed for
instance, or fennel for italian sausage.


> And there are all kinds of sausage,
> from ordinary fresh, to cured, smoked, fermented, and there is no rule says
> you have to stuff casings, I rarely do, I mostly make sausage pattys. If
> anyone is going to dabble in sausage making beyond ordinary fresh I strongly
> urge they read a book on sausage making.

I've done both patties and stuffed. I find stuffed to be faster and
easier as I don't have to stand there and make the patties. <g> I still
have not tried smoking sausage yet, but I want to.

>
> I don't eat much cured/smoked sausage so I don't make that and when I get
> the urge I'd rather buy a small amount of a premium brand. In fact I don't
> like to have a large amount of salami, pepperoni or even balogna in my
> fridge because I'll pig out on it. But I do eat a lot of ground beef/pork
> and that I always grind myself. I actually prefer a ground round/chuck beef
> steak to those expensive beef steaks, half they time I'm disappointed as
> even when I choose them myself they often contain a lot of fat bone and
> gristle... I hardly ever order steak out, I think the last time has to be
> like seven years ago when I first moved here and it was suggested I try a
> particular steak house, was just okay, not something I'd ever try for steak
> again, a smallish porterhouse for $35, and only like half was edible, not
> even enough to feed my cats. I frequent this restaurant about ten times a
> year but I never order their steak dinners. I much prefer to buy
> stupidmarket steak and grill it at home.

My favorite cut is rib-eye followed by t-bone or strip steak. Chuck is
also quite good flavor-wise, just a bit tougher. But I have good teeth.
<G> Chuck eye makes a nice presentation when bacon-wrapped.

As for eating steak out, I really do prefer to cook it myself. I just
cannot justify the cost of eating steak out more than once every few
years on a special occasion.

Then they better jolly well serve it to me as rare as I ask them to! We
are blessed with a very good cook at our local "Outback" chain (don't
laugh, he's really cool) that will cook it to my preference. But when I
go there, I generally get the rack of lamb.

>
> Their web site sucks (menu is down) but The Quarry Steakhouse has a great
> bartender (top notch 2nis), their salad bar is excellent, real homemade
> soups, bread baked on premises, and they have plenty of other entree choices
> besides steak... their chicken, pork, and veal dishes are perfect Since
> it's only a half hour away sometimes I do lunch and just have the salad bar
> and drinks... dinner time and weekends they are crowded and you need
> reservations.
>
> http://www.quarrysteakhouse.com/qsh/index.htm

A packed house is generally very telling. :-) Cheers!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> "brooklyn1" > wrote:
>
>> "Omelet" writes:
>>> "brooklyn1" wrote:
>>>
>>>> There are very few butcher shops anymore (a stupidmarket meat department
>>>> is
>>>> not a butcher shop) and of those very few butcher shops that exist it
>>>> will
>>>> be even more difficult to find one that will custom grind anymore, and if
>>>> you say you don't use enough ground beef to warrant your buying a meat
>>>> grinder then you are certainly not going to find a butcher shop that will
>>>> custom grind your mere pittance... they won't even explain, they'll
>>>> simply
>>>> point to the mystery meat in their meat case.
>>> It is possible to simply "grind" a very small amount of meat using a
>>> good sharp knife and a cutting board...
>> I'd not call that grinding, it does not produce the same texture, but is
>> often used for specific recipes where that's the texture desired as for
>> tartar. That method is (or used to be used) for making forced meat, for
>> chopping potted meat, becaeu it was too soft for grinding and would just
>> smear. That procedure was most often accomplished in a wooden bowl with a
>> chopping knife that was curved to match the bowl... was called "hock
>> fleish"/chop meat... typically used for stuffing pasta.
>
> Picky picky. <g>
>
>>> When I grind meat or make sausage, I never do less than 10 lbs. or more.
>>>
>>> I actually do sometimes purchase "mystery meat" from the butcher shop at
>>> HEB, but just the fresh ground stuff. In that, I know I'm getting good
>>> meat as they take all the steaks and roasts that are fixin' to outdate,
>>> grind them and sell them for around $2.80 per lb. I have yet to be
>>> disappointed by it and you can visibly see the difference in those
>>> packages when comparing them to the regular 80/20 etc. ground beef.
>> If you're grinding in batches of 10 lbs and more why do you need to buy
>> mystery meat, don't you make up packages for your freezer?
>
> I do. But I sometimes run out and need a small amount for a recipe.
> It's not often. And suitable meat priced right for grinding was not
> available for quite awhile. Reasonably priced beef has only recently
> become available again. I'm well stocked at the moment so won't need
> any for at least a month or three.
>
>
>> When I grind
>> beef I almost always make up a few large burgers, those can always be used
>> for a small amount of ground beef. My beef burgers are anywhere between 8-14
>> ounces... larger don't usually get a bun, those are eaten as chopped steak.
>
> I use a 3/4 cup measuring cup to portion my patties and freeze them
> layered with waxed paper.
>
>>> The "butcher shop" is visible to everyone behind the main meat counter
>>> and I've watched them work a lot. I've talked with the meat shop
>>> manager more than once, exchanged recipes with him and gotten some
>>> useful grinding and prep hints from him. ;-) He's a cool guy and the
>>> place is very, VERY clean.
>>
>> The stupidmarket where I shop is part of a big New England chain (Price
>> Chopper), most of their stores have two entirely separate meat departments,
>> one large department that sells the usual prepackaged but will custom trim.
>> The smaller department is just like the old fashioned butcher shop, they
>> don't sell any prepackaged and they sell a better quality including USDA
>> Prime. Naturally they charge more and I do buy certain cuts, like
>> porterhouse, short ribs, deckle, marrow bones, etc. Deckle is the cut used
>> to make kosher pastrami but is also excellent braised. Their regular meat
>> department will not custom grind, the custom meat shop will custom grind but
>> you'd not want to pay their prices... and you'd still not really know what
>> was ground in that machine previously and how long ago, so it would still be
>> mystery meat.
>
> I totally understand. I was simply told "no" because they'd have to
> take the machine apart and clean it after my order was done. Not worth
> their hassle and they stay quite busy as it is.
>
> They will, however, custom cut (and package) just about anything I ask
> them to. I can get a thicker cut, for instance, of on sale steaks that
> I deem to be cut too thinly. I can also get a hyooge custom roast cut
> if I ask. They are cool about that.
>
> They will also slice a whole cheap ham into ham steaks for me and
> re-package it and leave it at the same price!
>
>>> He will not grind meat for me either (I only asked once) for the very
>>> reason you mention above. He was up front about it. Now that I own my
>>> own grinder, it's a moot point. I don't use it often but it's worth the
>>> space it takes up in the pantry imho.
>> Home grinders have the footprint about that of an electric can opener, they
>> are not very heavy, perhaps 7-8 lbs, and don't need to be left on the
>> counter. I keep mine in a small pantry with all my pots and other
>> appliances... but there is no reason a grinder can't be stored anywhere, the
>> floor of a coat closet works if one is so short of space... but I really
>> don't believe a space can't be found in even the tiniest kitchen... and most
>> people have a lot of crap cluttering their kitchen space that they never
>> use, dump it.
>
> Mine is re-boxed every time along with it's accessories and stored on
> the pantry shelf. The box is about 12" x 12" x 12". It's not large or
> heavy. I've posted pics of it more than once. ;-)
>
>>> As far as making sausage is concerned, it's just spiced ground meat.
>>> It's not rocket science. The trick is just getting the spicing
>>> proportions down right and that can come with careful experimentation to
>>> suit it to your personal tastes.
>>>
>>> Cabelas sells pre-packaged mixes but I've never used them. The salt
>>> content, for one thing, is WAY too high! I use about 1/4 the salt
>>> called for in sausage recipes I've googled.
>> Ordinary spices and herbs every cook keeps will suffice, there are no rare
>> difficult to find items in sausage.
>
> Absolutely agree. I'll sometimes re-stock something I'm running low on
> when I plan a sausage making spree. Things like ground celery seed for
> instance, or fennel for italian sausage.
>
>
>> And there are all kinds of sausage,
>> from ordinary fresh, to cured, smoked, fermented, and there is no rule says
>> you have to stuff casings, I rarely do, I mostly make sausage pattys. If
>> anyone is going to dabble in sausage making beyond ordinary fresh I strongly
>> urge they read a book on sausage making.
>
> I've done both patties and stuffed. I find stuffed to be faster and
> easier as I don't have to stand there and make the patties. <g> I still
> have not tried smoking sausage yet, but I want to.
>
>> I don't eat much cured/smoked sausage so I don't make that and when I get
>> the urge I'd rather buy a small amount of a premium brand. In fact I don't
>> like to have a large amount of salami, pepperoni or even balogna in my
>> fridge because I'll pig out on it. But I do eat a lot of ground beef/pork
>> and that I always grind myself. I actually prefer a ground round/chuck beef
>> steak to those expensive beef steaks, half they time I'm disappointed as
>> even when I choose them myself they often contain a lot of fat bone and
>> gristle... I hardly ever order steak out, I think the last time has to be
>> like seven years ago when I first moved here and it was suggested I try a
>> particular steak house, was just okay, not something I'd ever try for steak
>> again, a smallish porterhouse for $35, and only like half was edible, not
>> even enough to feed my cats. I frequent this restaurant about ten times a
>> year but I never order their steak dinners. I much prefer to buy
>> stupidmarket steak and grill it at home.
>
> My favorite cut is rib-eye followed by t-bone or strip steak. Chuck is
> also quite good flavor-wise, just a bit tougher. But I have good teeth.
> <G> Chuck eye makes a nice presentation when bacon-wrapped.
>
> As for eating steak out, I really do prefer to cook it myself. I just
> cannot justify the cost of eating steak out more than once every few
> years on a special occasion.
>
> Then they better jolly well serve it to me as rare as I ask them to! We
> are blessed with a very good cook at our local "Outback" chain (don't
> laugh, he's really cool) that will cook it to my preference. But when I
> go there, I generally get the rack of lamb.
>
>> Their web site sucks (menu is down) but The Quarry Steakhouse has a great
>> bartender (top notch 2nis), their salad bar is excellent, real homemade
>> soups, bread baked on premises, and they have plenty of other entree choices
>> besides steak... their chicken, pork, and veal dishes are perfect Since
>> it's only a half hour away sometimes I do lunch and just have the salad bar
>> and drinks... dinner time and weekends they are crowded and you need
>> reservations.
>>
>> http://www.quarrysteakhouse.com/qsh/index.htm
>
> A packed house is generally very telling. :-) Cheers!

I think Om just wanted to bring up the whole issue about cutting boards
again :-)

Bob

cybercat wrote:
> "blake murphy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:05:07 -0400, Bob Muncie wrote:
>>> Steve - Please don't feel I was poking at your sausages... I'm sure they
>>> are nice.
>>>
>>> But don't poke at my "bulk" sausage! That just indicates on this side of
>>> the pond, that is it without a casing and can be shaped like you wish
>>> :-) Quality has nothing to do with it. Tasty is, Tasty gone.
>>>
>>> Bob
>> you old sausage-poker!
>>
> It wrecks me when you talk dirty.
>
>

True, but he almost makes it cute.

Bob