On Apr 1, 12:39 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Well you hit that pretty much dead on. I make "pork steaks in red chile
sauce", and that's the base, but it gets some tomatoes, garlic, ground
comino, chipotle powder, onions browned when I brown the pork steaks, and
some chicken broth, and some roasted green chiles at the end if I feel
fancy. Simmer the browned steaks and onions for a couple hours until falling
apart. I have the meat dept at the grocer cut them for me 1 1/4 thick.

Well sir, I don't know how these recipes migrated that far away from
their home, but you are probably cooking in a more traditional fashion
than most folks are around here! If you post your recipe for green
pepper/tomatillo roasted pork, I'll fall out of my chair!

For me, I like to make my puerco out of loin chops (now, $1.98 per
pound at Sam's) that I debone. Cheap, easy to find, and enough fat to
have plenty of flavor. Tried it with pork loin, but it wound up more
like beef roast bits. Like a lot of "traditional" recipes from
different cultures, they are tailored for everyday cooking and
everyday budgets. The cheaper cuts of meat for this work much better
for me than more expensive one.

With the peppers toasted properly, and a tablespoon of creamy peanut
butter added, you have a damn fine version of a mole sauces, too.

Hmm, never thought of the peanut butter! I use that mexican peanut stuff to
make mole,

I'll bet I know what you are talking about, and I don't use that stuff
because it has unknown spices in it, and it is too oily for me.

Around here, there is a constant struggle to validate whose
grandmother made the best mole. They start with a base which is
usually (but not always) some kind of roasted peppers (not hot) and
some kind of liquid like tomato sauce or chicken broth depending on
whose abuelita they are imitating. Carmelized onions are usually in
the mix. A big item for the families from the interior of Mexico is
to add unsweetened/sweetened dark baker's chocolate. The peanut
butter is from another region, and some like it and some don't. I
have the luxury of liking both. Some add freshly ground espresso
sized coffee (almost powder) to the mix. Good mole recipes are like
good chili recipes. Everyone knows what is in them, but the amounts,
cook times, etc. are pretty well guarded for the best of them.

The moles I am familiar with are anywhere from a mahogany color to the
color of dark chocolate. No two are alike, so sadly, a guy is put in
the position of trying as many as he can to try to get a handle on
what he likes. It is daunting, but I persevere.

I wouldn't think they could get away with that in your neck of the woods and
its surprising that there are so few growers of bedding plants in an area
where peppers grow so well. On the other hand, in your climate you can get
away with just throwing the seed right into the ground and thinning as it
comes up.

You are right about that. Most of the plants grown here go
elsewhere. Lone Star growers is about a 5,000 acre facility with
about 1200 of it being covered. It is quite impressive, especially
from the air. They sell under the Lone Star Growers name, but also as
Color Spot, who owns them now. You can tour the facility (of course I
have!) but they will no sell to the general public.

What really stinks for me is that our largest local nursery was
purchased by a national group, and the now treat us like we were in
other parts of the country.

With careful timing and a little bit of luck, you can get two growing
seasons of tomatoes. If we have a mild summer, which is about every
4th one, it is a cinch. You can be in the ground by the end of
February, and only face a 50/50 chance of a killing freeze. At $1.50
for six plants, I'll take the chance. So that means you will have
your second season in the ground before the really hot weather starts.

But since that is not the case in other places, they quit selling
plants in the last part of April, to early May. One season is all we
get on tomatoes. So that is why I was looking hard at the urls that
you and Brick put up. If it looks like we will a milder summer (not
past 100 too many days in a row) I will need to start some plants from
seed. A reputable seed dealer is a must.

For the peppers, it really doesn't matter when they go in as they are
pretty resistant to everything once they get started. Even in the
really hot summers they still do OK, they just stall out on
production. When the weather starts to get milder in the fall, they
start up again.


I used to start from seed around here, usually with seeds from
Redwood, but to get the bedders in the ground in time you have to start
early with grow lights that can be adjusted for height, repot them at least
once indoors if you want big healthy plants by late april, and a big old
indoor mess that I finally abandoned. I did win a bunch of ribbons with the
peppers I grew from Redwood

Hey... you may be more of a pepper head than I am! Ribbons? What
kind of pepper did you grow to get them?

and you just can't get the interesting stuff
from the nurseries around here, but any more all I want is good stuff to
cook with.

Ditto.

This has turned into an interesting thread.

Yeah, us pepper freaks are at it again!

I'm telling you, either you get it or you don't. The pepper/chili/
heat guys are every bit as rabid about what they do and make as any
barbecue guy, coffee aficionado, sports freak, or anybody else that
obsesses over things.

Robert

On 1-Apr-2008, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:

wrote


major snippage


Got it! I am off to see "chiliplants" after I send
this. Once again,
thanks for yet another link.

Same here, gonna check it out. The greenhouse suppliers of
bedding plants
around here get worse every year about mislabeling chile
plants. The last
time around I found at least 25 % of the bedding plants
were incorrectly
labeled. A few major greenhouses supply most of the lawn
and gardens around
here, so its hard to get away from the stupidity.

MartyB in KC

Who would have guessed that it takes a bunch of New Jersey
Yankees to get it right?

I grew plants from Cross Country Nurseries for two or three
years.
I think Nick Cramer grew some of them too.

I was impressed with their packaging. I never lost a plant.
(About
the only luck I had for several years.)

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Apr 1, 9:47 pm, "Brick" wrote:

Who would have guessed that it takes a bunch of New Jersey
Yankees to get it right?

Hey Brick, don't think the eye-ron-eee was lost on me. What in the
hell is going on that we don't have those cool places to buy locally?

Beats the hell out of me.

But at the chance of losing a good link for peppers no matter where
they are from, (even if north of the Mason/Dixon!) I have them
bookmarked! We have nothing locally or even close with that kind of
selection of pepper plants.

I honestly didn't know the hot stuff was that popular up north except
in a few places. New Jersey? Who da thunk it?

Robert

On 1-Apr-2008, "
wrote:

X-Received-Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:17:07 EDT
(nwrddc02.gnilink.net)

On Apr 1, 9:47 pm, "Brick"
wrote:

Who would have guessed that it takes a bunch of New
Jersey
Yankees to get it right?

Hey Brick, don't think the eye-ron-eee was lost on me.
What in the
hell is going on that we don't have those cool places to
buy locally?

Beats the hell out of me.

But at the chance of losing a good link for peppers no
matter where
they are from, (even if north of the Mason/Dixon!) I have
them
bookmarked! We have nothing locally or even close with
that kind of
selection of pepper plants.

I honestly didn't know the hot stuff was that popular up
north except
in a few places. New Jersey? Who da thunk it?

Robert

If you actually watch the TV media with only one eye and
look at your friends and neighbors for who they really are
you will come to understand that there are Americans and
people who wish to exploit Americans. Unfortunately, those
who wish to exploit Americans are the selfsame ones who
run for public office.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

"Brick" wrote:
On 1-Apr-2008, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote
major snippage
I grew plants from Cross Country Nurseries for two or three
years. I think Nick Cramer grew some of them too.

I was impressed with their packaging. I never lost a plant.
(About the only luck I had for several years.)

That is correct, Dr. Bricker. I ordered a half dozen tomato and a half
dozen chile plants. They all arrived fine and produced nicely, although the
bugs and other critters got most of the toms. The chile plants didn't make
it through the winter. ;-(

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, "Brick" wrote:

If you actually watch the TV media with only one eye and
look at your friends and neighbors for who they really are
you will come to understand that there are Americans and
people who wish to exploit Americans.

Hmm....

I hope you know I was kidding.

I don't give one shit less where someone is from, what color they are,
or which God they subscribe to.

Living and growing up in a military town with (at one time) with FIVE
bases here, you can only imagine what a melting pot we have here for
citizenry.

Amazingly in our area of the south, we laugh like hell at each other's
race, creed, etc., once we get to know one another. Just low brow
folks having some fun. Pretty much none of us around here care what
stripe anyone else is. With all the many generations of war brides,
all the "I was based overseas brides", and the huge latino population
(almost 70%!) none of us notice mixed race couples, mixed national
couples, etc.

Around here, we try to celebrate the differences of one another, not
dwell on them.

HOWEVER, we have noticed that with our imports from other states, we
are having to learn political correctness, special awareness and needs
of others that aren't like us, and that does indeed include curbing
our joking references to the North/South unpleasantness of a century
and a half ago.

Gotta tell ya, Texas was a lot more fun 25 years ago.

I try not to think much of the politicians and their agendas. They do
not represent me, have not represented me, and probably never will.

I wish others didn't listen to them and get so rabid about their
beliefs, thinking any of those jackasses might care about them.

But some folks are still so stupid they they believe the rotten spew
political candidates vomit at will to get their way. And the
politicians know just how to exploit those people. Sad.

Robert

" wrote:
On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, "Brick" wrote:

If you actually watch the TV media with only one eye and
look at your friends and neighbors for who they really are
you will come to understand that there are Americans and
people who wish to exploit Americans.

Hmm....

I hope you know I was kidding.

I don't give one shit less where someone is from, what color they are,
or which God they subscribe to.

Including none.

Living and growing up in a military town with (at one time) with FIVE
bases here, you can only imagine what a melting pot we have here for
citizenry.

Amazingly in our area of the south, we laugh like hell at each other's
race, creed, etc., once we get to know one another. Just low brow
folks having some fun. Pretty much none of us around here care what
stripe anyone else is. With all the many generations of war brides,
all the "I was based overseas brides", and the huge latino population
(almost 70%!) none of us notice mixed race couples, mixed national
couples, etc.

Where I grew up in da Bronx, the neighborhood kids were a mix of Micks,
Krauts, Squareheads, Pollocks and Wops. We all had a lot of fun together.

Around here, we try to celebrate the differences of one another, not
dwell on them.

HOWEVER, we have noticed that with our imports from other states, we
are having to learn political correctness, special awareness and needs
of others that aren't like us, and that does indeed include curbing
our joking references to the North/South unpleasantness of a century
and a half ago.

**** 'em if they can't laugh at themselves!

Gotta tell ya, Texas was a lot more fun 25 years ago.

I try not to think much of the politicians and their agendas. They do
not represent me, have not represented me, and probably never will.

I wish others didn't listen to them and get so rabid about their
beliefs, thinking any of those jackasses might care about them.

But some folks are still so stupid they they believe the rotten spew
political candidates vomit at will to get their way. And the
politicians know just how to exploit those people. Sad.

Most politicians are whores and whore mongerers.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

wrote:
On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, "Brick" wrote:

snip

HOWEVER, we have noticed that with our imports from other states, we
are having to learn political correctness, special awareness and needs
of others that aren't like us, and that does indeed include curbing
our joking references to the North/South unpleasantness of a century
and a half ago.

More are coming. The way things are going in places like Michigan ,
we can expect another influx like we had in the late 70s.

Gotta tell ya, Texas was a lot more fun 25 years ago.

True Dat. Back in the 70s - early 80s we got about 10,000 or so from Detroit
over here in the Dallas area. They brought some good things, (alcohol
sales),
and some not so good things; (like the foreign idea that driving while
drinking
that newly legal bottle of beer was a bad idea)

I try not to think much of the politicians and their agendas. They do
not represent me, have not represented me, and probably never will.

I wish others didn't listen to them and get so rabid about their
beliefs, thinking any of those jackasses might care about them.

But some folks are still so stupid they believe the rotten spew
political candidates vomit at will to get their way. And the
politicians know just how to exploit those people. Sad.

Robert

wrote:
On Apr 1, 12:39 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Well you hit that pretty much dead on. I make "pork steaks in red
chile sauce", and that's the base, but it gets some tomatoes,
garlic, ground comino, chipotle powder, onions browned when I brown
the pork steaks, and some chicken broth, and some roasted green
chiles at the end if I feel fancy. Simmer the browned steaks and
onions for a couple hours until falling apart. I have the meat dept
at the grocer cut them for me 1 1/4 thick.

Well sir, I don't know how these recipes migrated that far away from
their home, but you are probably cooking in a more traditional fashion
than most folks are around here! If you post your recipe for green
pepper/tomatillo roasted pork, I'll fall out of my chair!

Still raining down there? g

Problem around here is the tomatillos in the stores are pretty crappy most
of the time. I have grown 'em before but they tend to have some problems.
Ever grow the ones with the purple husks? They are the best I have had.
There is some kind of fly around here that lays eggs in the tomatillo
flower. The fruit grows up around it and the larvae eats its way out. You
don't know its there till you find a tiny hole in the fruit, a sign that the
larvae grew up and ate its way out. But when I have had a good harvest or
crop in the store it usually goes into green salsa. But why don't you post
that recipe because it sounds great!

When I was a kid there was a Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood that,
way out of character, served a traditional Mexican style chili, in soupy
brown broth, with chunks of pork, pieces of roasted green chilis and other
vegetables, light on the beans, and tortillas on the side. Very rare in
South KC in the 60s and early 70s. I would go in there after school, even
when I was in grade school, for an after school treat of their chili. I've
been chasing the dream ever since.

I learned a lot from cookbooks, of which I have tons. I also learned a lot
from gardening books and magazines and specific botanical writings on
chiles. And that Redwood City Seed Company, in spite of being a bit nutty,
had some booklets that really helped me out, in addition to just reading
their in depth descriptions. The heirloom history of chiles is very helpful
when learning how to cook with them. I would have preferred to have learned
by watching the abuelitas cookin in their own kitchens, but I managed to
find my way somewhat.

Here are a few good books that combine good knowledge of the sweet hot fruit
with good cooking:

Peppers The Domesticated Capsicums by Jean Andrews (THE authoritative
botanical guide!)

Jane Butel's Southwestern Grill by Jane Butrel with Gordon McMeen

Great Green Chili Cooking from the Albuquerque Tribune

Chili Lovers Cook Book by Al Fischer and Mildred Fischer

The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach

Peppers: Pickled, Sauces, and Salsas by Sue Dremann (from Redwood City Seed)

and for some authoritative tomatillo information:

Ground Cherries, Husk Tomatos, and Tomatillos by Craig Dremann (Redwood
City)

For me, I like to make my puerco out of loin chops (now, $1.98 per
pound at Sam's) that I debone. Cheap, easy to find, and enough fat to
have plenty of flavor. Tried it with pork loin, but it wound up more
like beef roast bits. Like a lot of "traditional" recipes from
different cultures, they are tailored for everyday cooking and
everyday budgets. The cheaper cuts of meat for this work much better
for me than more expensive one.

Pork steaks are just band-saw sliced pork butts, that's about as cheap as it
gets. I wait till they go on sale for somewhere between .99 and 1.20 a pound
and have the butcher cut up a bunch for me extra thick.


Around here, there is a constant struggle to validate whose
grandmother made the best mole. They start with a base which is
usually (but not always) some kind of roasted peppers (not hot) and
some kind of liquid like tomato sauce or chicken broth depending on
whose abuelita they are imitating. Carmelized onions are usually in
the mix. A big item for the families from the interior of Mexico is
to add unsweetened/sweetened dark baker's chocolate. The peanut
butter is from another region, and some like it and some don't. I
have the luxury of liking both. Some add freshly ground espresso
sized coffee (almost powder) to the mix. Good mole recipes are like
good chili recipes. Everyone knows what is in them, but the amounts,
cook times, etc. are pretty well guarded for the best of them.

The moles I am familiar with are anywhere from a mahogany color to the
color of dark chocolate. No two are alike, so sadly, a guy is put in
the position of trying as many as he can to try to get a handle on
what he likes. It is daunting, but I persevere.

You'll find a some restaurants around here offering mole, but it can get
pretty scary. My rule of thumb is that if the folks in the restaurant speak
good English, don't order the mole.


%


I used to start from seed around here, usually with seeds from
Redwood, but to get the bedders in the ground in time you have to
start early with grow lights that can be adjusted for height, repot
them at least once indoors if you want big healthy plants by late
april, and a big old indoor mess that I finally abandoned. I did win
a bunch of ribbons with the peppers I grew from Redwood

Hey... you may be more of a pepper head than I am! Ribbons? What
kind of pepper did you grow to get them?

Well its been a while but there were both sweet and hot peppers and I'll
have to get into the closet and ferret out the list of which ones were
winners but I will find it and post it for you. But I was the only serious
pepper head in the contest, as well as the only serious herb grower, and
sort of took the regulars in the contest by surprise. The contest was the
Flower and Vegetable Show put on by the Loose Park Garden Center every other
year in KC. (A bit out of my element on the hoity-toity side but they have a
wonderful resource center.) The year of my greatest success I got the grand
award for the most blue ribbons, and as fortune would have it, they had
declared that year to be "Year of the Pepper" with a special award for the
best Sweet and best Hot peppers. I got both of those too.

Apparently the most formidable competitor in that event historically was out
of the country that year, and another fellow, who owned a tree nursery, had
in mind that the contest was finally his for the taking. It wasn't. He came
in second. Again, apparently. He later groused at a garden center meeting,
in quite the disparaging tone, "He did it with herbs." As if it was
cheating. But at this contest you could turn in just about anything edible,
or floral, as long as you could give its true botanical latin name.

The other competitors apparently just didn't understand, for example, the
beauty of oregano in full flower, or the imposing presence of a 3 ft tall
bronze fennel specimen, much less anticipate that the judges might just like
something like that. And then there was the pepper thing, which put me over
the top.

And all done organically. No chemical fertilizer, no chemical pest control.
That bugged them too. g

Yeah, us pepper freaks are at it again!

I'm telling you, either you get it or you don't. The pepper/chili/
heat guys are every bit as rabid about what they do and make as any
barbecue guy, coffee aficionado, sports freak, or anybody else that
obsesses over things.

Ole'!

MartyB in KC

On 2-Apr-2008, "
wrote:

On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, "Brick"
wrote:

If you actually watch the TV media with only one eye and
look at your friends and neighbors for who they really
are
you will come to understand that there are Americans and
people who wish to exploit Americans.

Hmm....

I hope you know I was kidding.

I don't give one shit less where someone is from, what
color they are,
or which God they subscribe to.

Living and growing up in a military town with (at one
time) with FIVE
bases here, you can only imagine what a melting pot we
have here for
citizenry.

more snippage

I was just making an observation Robert, rather then
pointing a
finger.

Concerning your comment about five basis, you must be a
young
fella. The first time I visited Lackland (1955), there were
nine bases in
San Antonio. I can only remember seven of them right off
hand;
Lackland, Kelly, Brooks, Randolf, Ft Sam Houston, Medina and

Camp Bullis.

The Longhorn Saloon was still on the downtown main drag just
up
the street from the Alamo and Tony's spit shine was always
my
first pitstop when I got to town.

The Four Brothers Cafe (Steakhouse and Gay bar) was at 127
South Street, just about two blocks from the Alamo for the
best
steak in town for a dollar a pound. They
had pasta on the menu too, but they didn't serve anything
except
steak. That whole area was razed for the Hemisfair. I was
stationed
no less then six times in San Antonio. Always Security Hill
for duty
or Lackland for school.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Apr 2, 9:37 pm, "Brick" wrote:

I was just making an observation Robert, rather then
pointing a
finger.

Gotcha. For the record, I certainly agree with your observation about
110%.

Concerning your comment about five basis, you must be a
young
fella.

Just a nipper of 51!

The first time I visited Lackland (1955), there were
nine bases in
San Antonio. I can only remember seven of them right off
hand;
Lackland, Kelly, Brooks, Randolf, Ft Sam Houston, Medina and

Camp Bullis.

Don't know all nine, but I always looked at Medina and Camp Bullis as
training and storage facilities, not as deployment bases. Medina is
closed, and Camp Bullis is still training. As a sidebar, we had so
many military folks associated with our boy scout troop, we used to
camp out on the untouched part of Bullis in the 60s. It was in the
middle of nowhere then, and I mean nowhere. Now houses are on two
sides of it, literally a hundred yards from the fence.

Sittin' here scratchin' my head... I can't for the life of me think of
another military facility.

That whole area was razed for the Hemisfair.

If you haven't been here for a while, you wouldn't recognize the
city. They have added miles to the riverwalk and are adding more.
There are many luxury hotels downtown now, and the old theaters from
the 20s have been completely restored and serve as specialty venues.
The dome that was built about 15 years ago has actually paid for
itself, and it has been so successful that they have taken the old
Union Pacific train station and made it into office space and meeting
areas.

The Joe and Harry Coliseum built in 1950 has the AT&T center in its
parking lot to host the Spurs basketball team.

It isn't the quiet, sleepy little town I grew up in, that's for sure.
In one way I miss that, and in another I don't.

I was
stationed
no less then six times in San Antonio. Always Security Hill
for duty
or Lackland for school.

When was the last time you were here?

Robert

On 3-Apr-2008, "
wrote:

On Apr 2, 9:37 pm, "Brick"
wrote:

I was just making an observation Robert, rather then
pointing a
finger.

snip a bunch more

I was
stationed
no less then six times in San Antonio. Always Security
Hill
for duty
or Lackland for school.

When was the last time you were here?

Robert

Wow, how time flies. My twin boys were born at Wilford Hall
October 29, 1964. I was drunker then Cooter Brown when the
wife went into labor about midnight. I woke up the guy next
door
and conned him into driving the wife to Wilford Hall in my
then
brand new '65 Chevelle Supersport. I remember it like it was

yesterday. He was so scared she'd have it in the car he was
still burning rubber when the sound faded out of hearing. I
left for Germany around the last of December and can't
recollect ever going back. (Did I mention that Chevelle
would
run)

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Apr 2, 12:37 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Still raining down there? g

Hey, I missed this great post because we had a dry day! Got in a full
ten hours for a change and it was great.

Ever grow the ones with the purple husks? They are the best I have had.

I have seen them in the gourmet stores, but never grown them. We just
have the common green paper husked type around here.

There is some kind of fly around here that lays eggs in the tomatillo
flower. The fruit grows up around it and the larvae eats its way out.

I think that is a type of fruit fly, but it could be just about
anything. I had that same problem with my tomatoes, but then went to
dusting them once a week with Sevin dust, and that took care of it.

But when I have had a good harvest or
crop in the store it usually goes into green salsa. But why don't you post
that recipe because it sounds great!

I'll dig it out and post it.




When I was a kid there was a Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood that,
way out of character, served a traditional Mexican style chili, in soupy
brown broth, with chunks of pork, pieces of roasted green chilis and other
vegetables, light on the beans, and tortillas on the side. Very rare in
South KC in the 60s and early 70s. I would go in there after school, even
when I was in grade school, for an after school treat of their chili. I've
been chasing the dream ever since.

What a treat. Most folks don't know that the traditional chili isn't
a thick, tomato and bean ridden mess with sour cream on it. Many of
the chili recipes I have tasted rely on the chili pods only as the
thickening agent. Good stuff.

I would have preferred to have learned
by watching the abuelitas cookin in their own kitchens, but I managed to
find my way somewhat.

It is a tremendous help, although they don't share much most of the
time. And most (I cook the same way) start out with the basic
ingredients and methods, and then just adjust until done. That way
you can adjust the recipe to the quality/strength/taste of the
ingredients.

But try as I might, I cannot learn nor evidently be taught how to make
a light, pillowy flour tortilla. I make all manner of Mexican/Latin
foods, but the tortilla is a staple, and I can't get it right. I have
made some good ones, but can't get any kind of consistency.

Here are a few good books that combine good knowledge of the sweet hot fruit
with good cooking:

Peppers The Domesticated Capsicums by Jean Andrews (THE authoritative
botanical guide!)

Jane Butel's Southwestern Grill by Jane Butrel with Gordon McMeen

Great Green Chili Cooking from the Albuquerque Tribune

Chili Lovers Cook Book by Al Fischer and Mildred Fischer

The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach

Peppers: Pickled, Sauces, and Salsas by Sue Dremann (from Redwood City Seed)

and for some authoritative tomatillo information:

Ground Cherries, Husk Tomatos, and Tomatillos by Craig Dremann (Redwood
City)

Wow... thanks for the recommendations! I will be looking for those
soon as I want to start cooking with more hot stuff again. I messed
up my innards with too much of it, but now that things are healed up I
am ready to have a go at it, just going a little easier.

Pork steaks are just band-saw sliced pork butts, that's about as cheap as it
gets. I wait till they go on sale for somewhere between .99 and 1.20 a pound
and have the butcher cut up a bunch for me extra thick.

You can tell this isn't pig country. I haven't ever seen them that
cheap. So, since you are in pig country, tell me this: what exactly
am I getting when I buy pork steak labeled "pork loin steak"? I can
see the loin in most of them, but occasionally I see (and buy) the
ones that look almost like a beef steak.

They are about roughly oval in shape, and they have light, consistent
marbling. Usually they are about 8 inches long, about 5 inches
across, and have a round bone about 1/3 of the way into the meat. The
bone is about half again the size of a quarter and is round. I always
thought they had cut up a picnic to make these.
In the package they are very consistent in size, and like I said they
look like a piece of round steak with a bone in it. Comments?


You'll find a some restaurants around here offering mole, but it can get
pretty scary. My rule of thumb is that if the folks in the restaurant speak
good English, don't order the mole.

LMAO! No kidding! I couldn't agree more. I speak fluent spanish,
and most of the restaurants I go to when I really want some good eats
are "spanish only". It isn't unusual for me to be the only English
speaker in the joint.

Ole'!

Thanks for the info. There used to be a couple of good private forums
on the net that did nothing but chat about chilis and their apparent
powers. I don't cook like most to them do, but that didn't lessen the
enjoyment. I like to eat a lot of chilis, so I don't hammer myself to
pieces with the heat. For many of them it was bragging rights to see
who had any colon left after a dish they concocted. But sadly, even
those are pretty much gone anymore.

Good to be in touch with another couple pepper heads.

Robert

wrote:
On Apr 2, 12:37 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Still raining down there? g

Hey, I missed this great post because we had a dry day! Got in a full
ten hours for a change and it was great.

snip


But try as I might, I cannot learn nor evidently be taught how to make
a light, pillowy flour tortilla. I make all manner of Mexican/Latin
foods, but the tortilla is a staple, and I can't get it right. I have
made some good ones, but can't get any kind of consistency.


For the best flour tortillas, just use your favorite pie dough recipe.

Use as much shortening as the recipe calls for water. (I use lard)
Use as much water as your recipe calls for Shortening.

Use a food processor to mix. (It's important for the formation of gluten)

It should be a real bitch to roll out. Use a 3/4 inch dowel - broom handle,
etc.

If it does not have the consistency of a rubber sheet, you used too much
fat.

wrote:

%

What a treat. Most folks don't know that the traditional chili isn't
a thick, tomato and bean ridden mess with sour cream on it. Many of
the chili recipes I have tasted rely on the chili pods only as the
thickening agent. Good stuff.

Yer damn skippy!
My chili base is the red chili ancho paste I posted earlier. Its still not
the spicy brown broth of the traditional chili, but makes a rather thick
chili. I brown onions, ground pork, ground beef, (or cubed pork and beef),
add the red sauce, green chilis, chicken or vegetable broth, maybe some
beer, garlic, comino, lime juice, some pinto beans, oregano (mexican or
greek), salt and pepper. Maybe some roasted poblano, maybe some chopped
serranos or japs. Maybe some chorizo to make it interesting. Oh yeah, and a
few chopped tomatoes. In my chili tomatoes are a seasoning, not a base. I
have also used grilled pork or sirloin which is very flavorful. I've tried
using barbecued pork and beef but the flavors don't mix very well.

Or, I modify and use grilled chicken, less red chile, more green chile, plus
poblanos, more chicken broth, black beans, and the other stuff for
chicken/black bean chili. And whatever else of the stuff above smells good
at the time.

*If chili was supposed to be tomato based, it would be called tomati.*

I would have preferred to have learned
by watching the abuelitas cookin in their own kitchens, but I
managed to find my way somewhat.

It is a tremendous help, although they don't share much most of the
time. And most (I cook the same way) start out with the basic
ingredients and methods, and then just adjust until done. That way
you can adjust the recipe to the quality/strength/taste of the
ingredients.

Like you said about the abuelitas, do the basics, then adjust to your mood
or guests. That abuelita principle actually describes how I cook pretty
well. I don't use that many hard and fast recipes, but rather, I learn the
basic techniques involved in creating a particular type of food
construction, with the whys as well as the whats, and then I find I can
create around that basic knowledge without scaring myself very often. That's
probably why I don't bake much, a rocket science which requires precise
adherence to recipes. At least for me.

But did I mention chili ancho chocolate chip cookies? g

%

You can tell this isn't pig country. I haven't ever seen them that
cheap. So, since you are in pig country, tell me this: what exactly
am I getting when I buy pork steak labeled "pork loin steak"? I can
see the loin in most of them, but occasionally I see (and buy) the
ones that look almost like a beef steak.

They are about roughly oval in shape, and they have light, consistent
marbling. Usually they are about 8 inches long, about 5 inches
across, and have a round bone about 1/3 of the way into the meat. The
bone is about half again the size of a quarter and is round. I always
thought they had cut up a picnic to make these.
In the package they are very consistent in size, and like I said they
look like a piece of round steak with a bone in it. Comments?

They don't use that term here and pork sirloin chops occurred to me, but
they just aren't that big. Sounds like it could be from the picnic, but I am
not sure. Sounds like a ham steak, but not ham cured. Its pretty big to be
anything else I can think of. But I am sure someone here will know.

The pork steaks have the characteristic T shaped bone from the pork butt. If
pork butt goes on sale there cheaper than pork steak, just ask them for some
sliced pork butt. g

MartyB in KC