Some Rice and an Upcoming Pot Roast

So here is the reason I haven't been posting so much lately:

This is pretty much what I've been eating. Sometimes the meat is chicken instead of ground beef, sometimes there's vegetables. Sometimes there's no meat and it's not pilaf, it's jasmine rice or something. There's usually cheese.

But some variation of this is what I've been cooking these days. Not very inspiring. But then this weekend I made this:

Pot roast. I like pot roast. I'm actually chilling it overnight, so as of this post I'm not sure how it turned out. I'm not terribly concerned though. If it works out how I want I'll have pot roast, potatoes and gravy all from one pot.

Just in case anyone is wondering what the Real Bob has been up to, this is pretty much it.

 But if I bought him a cat bed he wouldn't use it.

Something To Do With Leftovers: Crispy Pot Roast Hash

Here's a quickie, I had a chunk of pot roast in my freezer that I was wondering what to do with. Then I realized that the answer was pretty painfully obvious, fry it up with potatoes and call it breakfast.

 Look at that steam coming off of there, makes you want to mow down the whole thing, doesn't it? Heh. I know it's not as smooth as hash typically is, but "fried pot roast and potatoes" doesn't really have the same ring to it in my opinion.

 I fried the potatoes separate from the beef and onions since the wouldn't have browned well in the medium sized skillet I used, but the up side of this was the potatoes browned in the beef fat. This is a good time. I've found that doing the potatoes on medium/low give a better texture than on a higher heat, but your mileage my vary. The only seasonings I used was a little salt and a lot of pepper, but some garlic, basil, rosemary and/or oregano would be delightful.

 This was, quite possibly, the best thing I've ever had with leftover pot roast. Crispy, rich and all around tremendous, the next time you make one definitely save a chunk for breakfast. You won't regret it.

Mmmm, Meatloaf

And I had been doing so well with the posting. Such is life. Anyway, meatloaf. I made this while I was house-sitting for some friends (mostly dog sitting, really) and I tried a different way of mixing it up. I used fresh bread crumb, that I toasted. Then I mixed the chopped raw onion and garlic in the crumbs with some spices and hot sauce.

Then I toasted them again, after which I added an egg and mixed it all up. The onions put out some liquid and the whole mess became this awesome flavor base. When I added the beef I mixed it together with a knife which seems to have kept me from overworking the mixture and making it tough.

I do meatloaf free form, too, more browned bits and less grease. This is a good time. I've also found that a little hatching on it increases browning and helps glaze stick.

Mmm, glaze. This is ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar (all in about equal proportions) and more hot sauce. Oh and black pepper.

Gotta have pepper.

But yeah, I know it's not a recipe but the whole thing worked out wicked good. Look at how moist it is!

Made killer sandwiches.

I used some of the leftovers to make mini shepherds pies, I'll cover that another time. Another cool thing about meatloaf is it freezes well, that's always nice. Anyone have any meatloaf secrets they want to share? This was awesome, but I'm still perfecting my technique and will take any wisdom the nets have to offer.

Something Else to Do With Pizza Dough: Hamburger Buns

It's true, you can make hamburger buns out of pizza dough.

I doubt this is terribly surprising to anyone who has been reading my blog (or has thought about, you know, dough + shaping = everything), since I've already made rolls and cheeseburger calzones (not to mention cheeseburger pizza). Mostly I just wanted to put up these pics.

 Heh. I don't remember exactly what was on here, but I'm pretty sure it's cheese, sauteed onion, lettuce, pickles, mustard and garlic mayo. I think. What I distinctly remember is that I should have been wearing a bib and eating it over a tarp. What a mess. A delicious, delicious mess. Now, when you make a bun/roll like this out of pizza dough it's not going to be soft like a bulkie roll, it's pretty dense and has some tooth to it.

But it also has tons of flavor that can stand up to all the other flavors going on in your average burger. Especially if you, say, brush it with herb infused olive oil before you cook it. I'm just putting that out there. So is anyone else doing fun stuff with pizza dough? I'm always looking for ideas to steal, I mean use. Heh.

Less Greasy Steak and Cheese Sub

Ok, first off, I'm not in or from or even been to Philadelphia. This isn't pretending to be a Philly cheese steak. All right? All right. So.

I love steak and cheese subs. They are the awesome. The biggest problem I have with them is if you get them delivered, by the time they get to you the bread is soggy with grease. As is the wrapper, the bag, the driver and the seat that it was sitting on. Even if you get take out, a similar problem is had only with you instead of a driver.

There are two ways to avoid this: eat in the shop (not my favorite) or make your own (clearly my choice). Also, if you make you own it doesn't have to be quite so greasy because you don't need to use that weird ass shaved steak that sub shops use. I use cube steak, cut into... er, cubes. I don't feel like writing a recipe, so I'm just going to show you what I do. It's not hard, there's only six ingredients and it takes but moments.

First, chop up a bunch of onion, your cube steak and anything else you want in there like peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni or what have you. I have no picture, just close your eyes and use your imagination. Done? Ok.

Then heat up a skillet nice and hot. Here's part of the trick to less greasy, I use anodized aluminum. If I used steel I'd need tons of oil, you can use non stick too but you don't get as good browning with it, although cast iron is best of course. But I love anodized aluminum. Now, toss the steak on there and let it sit for a minute. Some salt and pepper at this point would be a good idea.You want it to start to brown before you put the onions in because the onions (and whatever else) are going to put out juices that might stop it from browning more. And brown is beautiful folks. So once the onions are in there, toss that stuff around, let it sit and... well, that's pretty much it. Stir it a couple times, maybe, but it's going to cook real fast so you might not even need to. Once it's done form it into a sub shape, put some cheese on top (whatever kind you like, I'm from Boston so it's American all the way) and let it melt a bit. Then plop it on a roll. You have now completed a less greasy steak and cheese. I strongly suggest you eat it.

Mega Steak Mafioso Sandwich

This sandwich was inspired by the steak mafioso sub at Sabatino's, a pizza place that has several locations around Boston. It is awesome. But my version of the sub is, dare I say it, better. For one, cube steak is better than shaved steak. I mean, really. For another, if you're doing something this Italian provolone is a better choice than American cheese, I think.

Not that Sabatino's version isn't spectacular, it is. But, like I said, I think mine's better. Here is what you need for it. No recipe, no attempt at amounts. I'm feeling lazy today... er, I mean it's all a to taste thing. Right. So:

cube steak, sliced against the grain
sliced onion
sliced pepperoni
sliced salami
provolone
tomato sauce
oregano, basil, garlic powder (or fresh), salt and pepper to taste
sub or sandwich roll, toasted is delightful

First things first, fry up the pepperoni and salami a bit, just enough to get some browned edges and have them put out some fat. Mmmm, multiple sausage fats.... uh, hm. Excuse me. Next, onions. I like them nicely browned. Once they're about half done season the beef with the basil and all that, push the onions to the side of the pan and put the beef in a single layer on it.Once they're browned up on one side, flip 'em and let them almost finish up. Then, add everything back in, plus the tomato sauce.Mix it around a bit, let it sit for a minute so the flavors mingle and the beef finishes, cheese up a roll and then slap in on there. Now look at the sandwich and in your best cotton ball filled Marlon Brando voice make it an offer it can't refuse.

Cheap and Easy Steak Sandwich

Adapted from this recipe by Pioneer Woman

1 lb cube steak
1 small onion, sliced
1 tbl butter
1 tsp worchester, soy or some other brown umami bringing sauce
hot sauce and plenty of it
salt and pepper to taste
pinch each of:
cumin
chipotle powder
garlic powder
(all powders are optional and to taste)

Toast a couple rolls, if your into that. Then saute the onions in oil or bacon grease (not the butter, that's for later). While that's going, slice the cube steak against the grain and toss it with the seasonings. Once the onions are done remove them from the pan and wipe out the excess grease, if you want. Add the butter and let it start to brown then add the steak in one layer and leave it alone till it browns. Then flip it. Add the brown and hot sauces and the onions. Stir everything around a bit and let it sit for a minute. Put it all on buns and eat.

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Look, a recipe! Not that I can really claim it as my own since it's pretty much the same as the one PW made. But still, it's there, I posted it and it's frigging awesome. I did things a little different than PW, mostly because her kitchen is the size of my apartment so I can't do so many things at once. But you can do it any way you like and I'm sure it will kick ass, it's a great method for a great sandwich. Here is what I did.

First, I toasted (fried?) the roll in a little bacon grease. Because it's the bomb. Then I sauteed the onions, although there isn't a pic of that, so feel free to use your imagination. But while I was doing that I dealt with this. Cube steak. I had never used it before and was shocked at how inexpensive it was, this was about a pound and it was about a buck. Not too shabby since I got two meals out of it. Now, slicey slicey, season, season. Although you could use any seasoning you want including just some salt and pepper. I've just been on a big chipotle kick lately. Then, of course, butter. Ms. W used about, oh, 10 pounds I think. She cooks like that, cooking for kids and cowboys and all. She was also making more than one sandwich. I just used a tablespoon, moderation is a virtue you know. Then it's browning beef. Mmmm, look at the buttery juices. Look at them! Once it was mostly done I added my hot sauce. This is actually part of a free sample from Cholula who didn't pay me but wanted a review. (disclaimed) Review: Cholula kicks ass. Course, I've covered that before. Heh. I added a lot, because I like a lot. You can add as much as you like. Then the onions go back in, mix it around, let it sit for a minute and that's it. Put it on a bun and eat it. It's wicked good. Now you could do this with things other than beef, I assume. I don't see why you couldn't do it with pork, chicken, fish or even (shudder) tofu. Try it, love it.

Lion's Head Meatball Ramen

1 brick dry ramen (minus seasoning packet)
2 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 tbl soy sauce
2 (or more) frozen multi purpose meatballs
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
salt and pepper to taste

Start the meatballs in a medium pot on medium heat, let thaw a bit. Add cabbage or any other vegetable you're using if you want them soft and saute for a minute or two. Add the broth, soy sauce and seasonings, cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or so. Remove the lid, turn heat to high and add the ramen. If you want crunchier cabbage add it now. When the noodles are done, eat it.

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Lion's head meatballs are, from what I've gathered, a fairly traditional Chinese dish. They're usually big pork meatballs served on braised cabbage, but I decided to fake it with my multi purpose ones and some ramen.

So, in the interest of cooking stuff as cheaply as possible, here is another installment in my series on improving packaged ramen. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in some other post about ramen I've done, but here is the first step in making packaged ramen better. Yep, toss that packet. If you want that much salt in your broth you can add it, but you'd better have a strong heart. Because I mean damn. Salty. Anyway, toss that crap and grab a couple meatballs from the freezer. You could make them special for this, but this is the reason I like to keep a bag of them around. Toss them in a small pot and turn it on medium low to start them defrosting and also get a little of that fat out. Now I didn't have cabbage, which is too bad, so I tossed in some onion I also had in the freezer. I've been meaning to do a post about freezing veggies, I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point. Depending on how you like cabbage you could put it in now and have it thoroughly braised (not my thing) or add it towards the end and leave some crunch. Which is what I would have done had I had any. Next, broth and seasonings. I know it doesn't seem like a lot of spices, but remember there isn't a lot of broth going on. You could use fresh too, but I didn't really feel like it. Another thing I didn't have was soy sauce, but I did have this. Some friends of mine gave it to me and while it doesn't really taste like soy sauce it does the same kind of thing. It has that dark umami that you're aiming for with something like this and it worked just fine.

Now cover it up, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for a bit so the meatballs heat through and absorb some of the flavors. Once you're tired of waiting because the kitchen smells so good remove the lid, crank up the heat and toss in the ramen. Ah, ramen. A poor boys best friend. Once the ramen is cooked, it's all set to go. Not exactly the prettiest dish, but it was wicked good. Next time I'm definitely making sure I have cabbage though.