Thanks to the Hubs

Well, Hubby gets credit for this post. With only nine fingers in use I am out of commission, at least for things like mixing ingredients into ground meat. Also, I've been placed on restriction from using sharp objects until further notice. But we plowed ahead and the hubs helped me get  got dinner under control.

Meatloaf is something it took me a long time to try. It always carried a sort of negative connotation. Ewww, meatloaf! (Ok, that's hard to convey in type.) Then when I got around to trying it, what I had was really good. I had one barbecue beef meatloaf and then I had a turkey meatloaf. In our effort to eat (somewhat) healthier, we attacked the turkey meatloaf first. So thanks to my wifey Jen for sending the estimated measurements on this my way!

Jen and Cory's Meatloaf

1 lb. ground turkey meat
1 small onion, chopped
1 small (or one half) red bell pepper, chopped
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 - 1 1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
black pepper, to taste
ketchup, on top
4 - 5 slices bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. This is quite the easy one... mix all ingredients together except for the ketchup and bacon. This is easiest to just do with your hands. When all ingredients are well-mixed, form into a loaf shape. Place on a lightly greased or non-stick baking sheet. Drizzle a few strips of ketchup across the top. Lay a few slices of bacon across the top cross-wise. You can leave the bacon off or opt for turkey bacon for healthier options. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half.

Although I love recipe that can be converted into vegetarian versions, I think this one has to stay all meat. Sorry about that! However, if you are an omnivore, enjoy this classic and comforting dish!

A New Favorite?

I have grown up eating the same chili my whole life. I remember when my mom taught me to cook it. She and my sister have even converted it to a veggie version. It is hearty and warming. Large chunks of meat, beans, and a delicious tomato sauce build this chili. However (and yes, there had to be a however), I decided to try a new chili for dinner.

Cincinnati-style chili is something I have heard about before. Or seen. All I knew about it before was that it was made with much finer pieces of meat. Also, it is often served over spaghetti and garnished with cheese, onions, and beans. Then came the day I saw a recipe for it. Oh, the spices! It sounded delicious, and I had to try it.

I will say that this in no way will replace my original chili recipe. It's something different, and it is fabulous. But I don't always want different. So the next time I make chili I'm sure I will go back to the original and I will be blogging that. This new chili was probably not hub's favorite. I absolutely loved it: the flavors were phenomenal. I truly believe that everyone should try this. It will be worth it, even if it doesn't replace your standby chili recpie!

Also easily converted to veggie, this would be great with a TVP substitute. I realize that typically this style of chili is made with very small pieces of meat. I've read that the best way to achieve this is by cooking the raw meat in a pot of the liquid and whisking as it cooks. That totally skeeved me out, so I didn't do it that way. I think TVP would probably result in a more accurate consistency.

Cincinnati-style Chili
from Cooks Illustrated by way of Joelen's Culinary Adventures

1 lb. ground beef
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. unsweeted chocolate (shaved or minced)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
kosher salt, to taste
2 c. tomato sauce
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar

spaghetti, cooked per package directions
1 can of kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 onion, chopped
grated cheese (I used cheddar)

In a large dutch over or other pot, brown the ground beef over low heat, using a masher to break the meat up into small pieces. When the meat is nearly browned, add the garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, chocolate, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Heat for approximately 1 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for at least one a half hours.

Before serving cook the spaghetti. Serve the chili over the spaghetti and garnish with chopped onions, grated cheese, and warmed beans. Revel in the smell and taste of those amazing spices. I hope you love it as much as I did!

BRISKET!

Trust me, the title of this post just HAD to be in all capital letters. Now if you read my intro you know that my husband loves meat. I mean, loves. So for our Memorial Day cook out, complete with 25 plus people in my pefectly clean house (!!) I was convinced that we should have brisket. I let the husband take the reins on this. I can't say I wasn't concerned.

I was, however, quite pleasantly surprised! And I actually didn't really have to do any work. I watched. Gave a few suggestions. And mostly stood back and watched the hubs work his meat magic. We got really good brisket from a local meat shop. We thought 12 pounds would work (or he did, and I was trying to be nice). When I asked for 12 pounds, the butcher brought out a 13-pound piece and I said it would work. After the hubs saw how much meat that was, even he thought we went overboard! He said I should have erred more on the side of 11 pounds, whereas I thought 10 pounds would have more than covered it.

45 minutes after cutting into this thing... we were both wrong. It was gone! I don't even think everyone was there yet. It was truly delicious. Just as meat or as a sandwich. It was a bit of a process, but worth it in the end!

Hot Rod's Brisket

Adapted from... Google? I think he found a couple different recipes just to get ideas, but nothing specific.

For 12-13 pounds of brisket:

1 lb. bacon (browned)

2 small yellow onions, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed or sliced

80 oz. barbecue sauce (to taste)

5 oz. apple cider vinegar

bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Slice the brisket down the center lengthwise. Stuff it with bacon, onions, and garlic. Use the skewers to fold the brisket back over and secure it. Mix the barbecue sauce with some apple cider vinegar to thin the sauce a little bit. Pour about half of the barbecue sauce into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the brisket on top of the sauce, fat side up (we had to cut ours in half to fit it). Cover the brisket with barbecue sauce. Use whatever amount you think will suit your taste. We used the above amounts. The taste was fantastic but we did have a lot of sauce leftover.

Cover the brisket in the roasting pan with foil. Place the brisket on a grill or in an oven on medium heat. Once the meat is going (about half an hour), cut the heat back to low. Continue to cook the brisket for approximately 20 - 25 minutes per pound. We cooked the entire thing for about five hours. Every hour to hour and a half, flip the brisket so that the juices from the fat keep it moist. Continue to baste the brisket with the barbecue sauce throughout this process.

Pull it off the grill... smell... and enjoy!

** We used Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. Ideally I would have loved to make our own, but the hubby's logical side won out and we bought instead. I found it delicious, but I would by no mean call myself a connosieur. Use what you like!