Duck Curry

She came home with a duck and put it in the fridge. Then life happened. We just couldn’t get a plan together for us to do something with it. I took the initiative on a Saturday while she was out and decided to do a coconut milk and yellow curry. This is one of my favorited ways to cook.

I heated the pan and cooked down a whole yellow onion in olive oil. I added garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves before adding two cans of coconut milk and a generous dollop of yellow curry paste. After coming to a boil I added about two cups of homemade turkey and ham hock broth before letting it simmer. 

While I was doing the curry prep I had already tied up the bird, salted it liberally, and put it in the oven. 425° F for about 90 minutes and it was mostly cooked with a nice crispy skin. After letting it cool far enough that I could handle it I broke it down and added it to the stock to finish braising. 

The end result was a warm soup that kept us going in the cold wasteland of winter. 

9.2/10

Burger Time

Sometimes you have a hankering that just won’t go away. She’s been saying “hmmmmm, burger would be nice for days”. We finally got some ground lamb and thawed out the ground beef in the freezer. She mixed the two  together with some salt and pepper and I smoked up the kitchen with a screaming hot skillet.  I’d like to say that I have some food whisperer type power when cooking the meets but the truth is I just set a timer and trust. This had 3 minutes a side and came out perfect. We used her sourdough toasted in the fat from the burgers as a bun. Target brand chips filled out the plates.

7.9/10 - It’s always nice when you can scratch that itch. 

Ribeye with Corn and Salad

Not too long ago we were looking for some steaks to grill and found that our normal places to shop were closed for the day. We instead found ourselves at one of the big name/box grocery stores trying to find something. We settled on a couple steaks that looked pretty good and bought them.

After the usual pat dry, and add a little salt and pepper moves I threw them on a screaming hot grill for the normal 5 minutes a side (more or less depending on thickness). All seemed well until the first flip and I was confronted with a grey mass that had no browning at all. Not sure exactly what to do I left it flipped and gave the other side the 5 minute treatment. Ultimately, after an excruciating amount of time, they looked palatable. They were dry, and tough, and terrible.

I don’t know what was different about those steaks but I do have thoughts. I never seemed to be able to dry the exterior enough to allow the surface to brown. They seemed to be dumping off liquid the whole time leading me to believe that maybe they were injected somehow with liquid?

This wasn’t those. This was a perfect steak that took a light salt and pepper coating and an almost immediate crust from the grill. It was thicker than the others and this meant that, after the five minute treatment, I was able to pull it off the direct heat and let the center temp rise to just short of rare. Another ten minutes rest and it was perfect from the crust to the center. Along with the corn and salad (beet, grilled green onions, and kale) we had dinner.

It might be too cliche or repetitious for some, but for me a steak on the grill with some corn is like home. If it’s a good one.

Grilling in the summer - 10/10

Sausage and Grains

She’s been reading a lot and came across this idea for grains with confit onions and kale. We also had some radish greens that were sauteed up and tossed in. The sausage came from the coop meat counter.

Rich, wholesome, warming - 8.9/10

Venison Sandwiches

She toasted a baguette in the skillet and gave it a healthy spread of horseradish mayo then thin sliced the leftover venison (see previous post).  I caramelized some thick cuts of sweet onion and we assembled with shavings of cheese and some of Jeremy's homemade pickles.

Leftovers - 8.9/10

Pork Chop and Rice

Typical dinner for us. We gave the pork chops a quick marinade and on to the grill. I wanted to make rice with onions and broth and was welcomed with a perfectly savory version of our favorite side dish. We backed it up with a salad of greens, olives tomatoes, and peppers.

Who says you need to go out for good food - 8.8/10

Open Face Sandwiches

Needed a quick bite before heading out for the afternoon. I was given a couple slices of bread to toast in a skillet and she started slicing veggies and sorting greens and herbs. The protein was smoked steak and sliced chorizo. I decided to chunk up the remainder of the cucumber on the side.

Easy, satisfying, quick - 7.9/10

Pasta with Tuna and Vegtables

We've taken to tossing pasta together with whatever we have and calling it dinner. I was puttering around the kitchen and decided to start boiling water for pasta with no real idea where it was headed. As she came in the door I was just finishing prepping some Brussels sprouts and carrots to go into the pot for the last minute. She excitedly asked what was for dinner and what she could do? I gave her the rundown and she suggested some Tuna and finish it with some Tobiko butter. A lovely and satisfying dinner was born.

To teamwork - 7.9/10