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Food Thread: Luscious Peacock Thighs, And Other Delicious Things

Yes, yes, everyone should know by now that chicken thighs are the way to go, but I am nothing if not repetitive and tedious! So here it goes again! But humor me, they are so easy and forgiving that it is shame to waste the money on any other part of the chicken, except perhaps legs, but I think the thighs taste better!

Now...I'm talking about pieces to be grilled. Roasting a whole chicken is a different animal entirely, and I heartily recommend doing that as often as possible.

Anyway, my current technique is to trim the excess skin from the thighs, and carefully reserve it for chicken skin cracklins, otherwise known as Gribenes in Yiddish.
Then I salt them, dust on my homemade dry rub, and stash them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for a day, or as long as I have, whichever comes first.

Then it is on to my gas grill, with the burners on low, for about 30 minutes. I then turn the thighs and move them around so they all cook evenly. The next part is optional, but it has worked very nicely the last several times I have done it. I paint the tops with some homemade Kansas City BBQ sauce (thank you Bluebell for the recipe!), cook for another 10, then flip, paint, and cook for however long they need to get nice and crispy and almost charred.

Yes, I have frequently lost track of time (Old Fashioneds will do that), and thighs stand up to overcooking extremely well!

Yes, this is a lazy man's technique, but they are delicious!

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Florida man killed and ate his pet peacocks, authorities say

Why is this a crime? How do peacocks differ from chickens or ducks or geese or guinea fowl or turkey or any other domesticated bird?

Hell, peacocks were delicacies as far back as ancient Rome, and well into the 17th century. What changed?

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I am sure I have used this photo...it is one of my favorite dishes, but I am far, far away from my favorite version of it! Yes, I am sad.

Slow-roasted chicken livers tossed in a nice salad with a good vinaigrette. They are perfectly cooked, without the dry dustiness of most places' chicken livers.

Nice and simple, and a testament that food need not be complicated to be delicious.

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The World of Modern Nonalcoholic Drinks

You should all know me better than that by now!

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This is a new one for me, but it certainly is intriguing. I would use shoulder chops for two reasons; the first is that they are much less expensive than loin or rib chops, and the second is that they will stand up well to the strongly flavored sauce. Lamb Chop Stroganoff sounds delicious!
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Well...now I am pissed. I saw a recipe for Brown Butter Toffee Cookies, and I was immediately smitten. Except...it's just toffee bars broken up into a plain old brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Hell, I can do that without a recipe.

I hate cooking websites and magazines that recycle recipes with minor tweaks, then loudly and obnoxiously tout them as the BEST RECIPE EVER!

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I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty or fifty years, but it is worth it!