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How do you cook it?

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Was just my daughter (8) and me for Christmas week/dinner. When she's with me, we try to make as much as we can from scratch.

This time we made:
  • Mac n cheese - so much better then anything frozen or from a box
  • Shredded beef tacos in a chipotle sauce
  • Sugar cookies
  • Gingerbread cookies/house with homemade royal and buttercream icing - The house was a disaster. I need better shaping tools to make sure the sides are flat or at least a form that keeps the shapes the right size.
  • Waffles
  • Pizza - dough and sauce
  • Christmas dinner:
    • Prime Rib roast - did sous vide for 7 hours at 133 then cooled it and rubbed it with compound butter before heat blasting it for 15 minutes.
    • Homemade Mashed
    • Blanched and sauteed green beans
    • Crepes - made the batter and the whipped cream.

That sounds great!

I also did the Prime Rib for Christmas Eve. Slightly different prep. Set oven to 500 and roasted for 20 minutes and then turned off the heat and let it sit in there for 2 hours. It came out perfect.

Did a turkey for Christmas. Came out perfect as usual.
 
Christmas dinner, for some reason my wife took a video instead of a picture. Reason 1,042 why she is my future ex wife. Brussels spouts and kale wilted salad with almonds, sweet pots/beets/reg pots roasted in duck fat with cumin, wilr ice pilaf with shiitake, dehydrated cranberries and pepitas, and duck a l'orange.

Ran out of time to make beef tenderloin roast so saved that for...

Day after, beef tenderloin roast with leftover rice and brussels sprouts/kale side. Red wine/stock sauce and gorgonzola cream sauce. Took too long taking a pic.

Today, panko crusted halibut with lemon/parsley olive oil and chili sauce along with crab stuffed mushrooms (crab, cream cheese, chive, celery, hot sauce, panko, Romano), and whatever that Chinese vegetable is.

Gotta say that the sprouts and kale wilted salad is a new fave. Chiffonade kale, cut off stem of sprouts then cut into ~1/8th inch strips, finely slice garlic, olive oil, balsamic and orange juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss them all in a zip loc, can be made day before. Throw over super high heat (I used a cast iron griddle pan) and basically stir fry. The liquid from the balsamic and OJ is enough to steam them to cook them, once it dries up it caramelizes into deliciousness. Toasted almond slivers for garnish / texture.

Panko crusted halibut is awesome.

I add crushed macadamia nuts to the panko, it adds a little more texture to that, especially when you use a mango sauce as a side!
 
I don't know that I've ever actually eaten halibut, much less cooked it before last night lol. My go-to fish is salmon, or frozen tilapia fillets. But I definitely liked the halibut & intend on cooking it more often. Seems to be very forgiving, I was looking on seriouseats and they said to pull it at 140 F....my fillet was very oddly shaped ans most of it got to like 160+ bu still very good, not dry and chalky like salmon gets.

I have been using a lot more nuts/seeds for textural contrast lately so your macadamia suggestion is right up my alley...will try that next! Plus I looove mango with milder meat...I think the best dish I ever made was crab stuffed chicken breast with mango jalapeno salsa.
 
I don't know that I've ever actually eaten halibut, much less cooked it before last night lol. My go-to fish is salmon, or frozen tilapia fillets. But I definitely liked the halibut & intend on cooking it more often. Seems to be very forgiving, I was looking on seriouseats and they said to pull it at 140 F....my fillet was very oddly shaped ans most of it got to like 160+ bu still very good, not dry and chalky like salmon gets.

I have been using a lot more nuts/seeds for textural contrast lately so your macadamia suggestion is right up my alley...will try that next! Plus I looove mango with milder meat...I think the best dish I ever made was crab stuffed chicken breast with mango jalapeno salsa.
With a nice white fish like halibut, I like just going sous vide. Fat, citrus, herbs. Can't go wrong.
 
Best way to cook a big tomahawk steak? I guess grilling it can be an option, but I'd rather stay indoors.

My first thought is to just sous vide it then finish it in the cast iron skillet with lots of butter and aromatics.
 
Best way to cook a big tomahawk steak? I guess grilling it can be an option, but I'd rather stay indoors.

My first thought is to just sous vide it then finish it in the cast iron skillet with lots of butter and aromatics.
I'd sous vide it, then finish it. I'd use a grill, griddle, torch or skillet. If I were using the skillet, I'd do aromatics and butter, constantly spooning the butter over the side facing up.

If you can't sous vide it, I'd do it in the oven then finish it the same way
 
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Can I cut the bone off? I just realized that it is not going to sit flat in my skillet with the bone in the way at the edge of the pan.
 
Can I cut the bone off? I just realized that it is not going to sit flat in my skillet with the bone in the way at the edge of the pan.
so yes of course. But if you were going to do that anyway you might has well have just gotten a ribeye steak.

I would look for another way to do the sear. I would say a grill is your best bet at this point. Do you have a griddle? preferably just the pan? you could put that on the grill, or stove if you have gas.
 
Hey! Don't make me regret my impulse buy! I cut it off. Just part of the stimulus money I got today. Oh well. Next time, I'll just go to the butcher and get a giant hunk of beef without a bone in it.
 
Checking temperatures and timing for the sous vide, I read this:

A note about tomahawk steaks: These steaks are delicious, showy and so much fun to throw on the grill over an open fire. However, if you are looking for value, then the tomahawk steak is not where you want to put your money. You are paying a premium for a big bone, and last time I checked, the bone itself isn’t really edible. If you are looking for a showpiece steak that is something to talk about, then definitely go with a tomahawk cut for the special occasion.

Lesson learned.
 
Belgian liege waffle, with Tillamook ice cream, home made fudge sauce, and melted PB.

For those of you that have never had a leige waffle put it on the absolute must make list. I like sweets so went with a sundae idea. But super easy to pair with fried chicken or other such things.
 

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Making a Bolognese for game time. My wife made eight strips of bacon in the oven for breakfast and I didn't want to just throw away the drippings.

Base:
First you pour bacon grease into a dutch oven and set it to medium. Dice 1/2 a regular onion in the food processor and let it sweat out. In the meantime dice one celery rib and one medium carrot in the processor and throw it in with three tablespoons of butter. After five minutes stirring, add salt, pepper, and one pound ground beef. Once the beef browns, add one cup of milk and grated nutmeg until the milk dissolves into the meat. Once it boils off, one cup of good white wine and 1/3 cup tomato paste.

Once that boils off, most of the work is done. It should have taken about a half hour or so, the meat should be light tan with a little red from the paste.

Sauce:
Add one 28 ounce can of diced imported tomatoes. My family would also add an aged cheese rind from a used up hard grated cheese. You normally throw these away, but in a sauce it adds amazing flavor.

I leave the sauce on the lowest setting possible on the stove, barely bubbling, for six hours or so. Check that the bottom isn't burning with a wooden spoon from time to time. The pools of fat are a good thing, they clutch to the pasta.

There is no rushing this meat sauce and the seasoning is minimal... but quality of ingredients, carefully following the steps, and time make it as delicious as any Italian dinner.
 

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Making a Bolognese for game time. My wife made eight strips of bacon in the oven for breakfast and I didn't want to just throw away the drippings.

Base:
First you pour bacon grease into a dutch oven and set it to medium. Dice 1/2 a regular onion in the food processor and let it sweat out. In the meantime dice one celery rib and one medium carrot in the processor and throw it in with three tablespoons of butter. After five minutes stirring, add salt, pepper, and one pound ground beef. Once the beef browns, add one cup of milk and grated nutmeg until the milk dissolves into the meat. Once it boils off, one cup of good white wine and 1/3 cup tomato paste.

Once that boils off, most of the work is done. It should have taken about a half hour or so, the meat should be light tan with a little red from the paste.

Sauce:
Add one 28 ounce can of diced imported tomatoes. My family would also add an aged cheese rind from a used up hard grated cheese. You normally throw these away, but in a sauce it adds amazing flavor.

I leave the sauce on the lowest setting possible on the stove, barely bubbling, for six hours or so. Check that the bottom isn't burning with a wooden spoon from time to time. The pools of fat are a good thing, they clutch to the pasta.

There is no rushing this meat sauce and the seasoning is minimal... but quality of ingredients, carefully following the steps, and time make it as delicious as any Italian dinner.

This is looking lovely.
 

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