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Food Thread: Lamb Or Ham, Sam I Am

Yum! Roast leg of lamb is delicious, although some people are not enamored of the slightly gamey taste of most lamb (especially Australian and New Zealand lamb). But there is an easy way to minimize it, and that is simply trimming the excess fat from the meat. And if you have a boneless leg it's even easier, and it works better. The interior fat seems to be the strongest flavored, and of course it doesn't get crispy and browned like the exterior stuff, so trimming that out makes a big difference.

I think American lamb is the best of the three, but it is more difficult to find and certainly more expensive!

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Ham is...good! Does it rise to the glories of good lamb? No, I don't think so, but it is also much more of a commodity in America, so it is probably more difficult to get high quality ham. I recall a ham from a wild pig that was processed by a butcher in Mendocino County CA, lo these many years ago, that was absolutely spectacular, so it definitely exists!

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So what's the Horde's preference?

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I made a pork chili a few months ago from a big loin that I bought for reasons I do not recall. I cut the pork into ³/₄" chunks, because given the choice, chunks are my go-to for chili. I browned the meat, the usual suspects (onion and garlic) then added some very dark chile powder that was the last of the container, so I just dumped it all in.

And beans. Black beans. I didn't even drain them. This was a few months ago, and I don't remember any more of the details, but I defrosted it a few days ago, and damn! it was delicious! Definitely not traditional chili, but defining what traditional chili is can be as fraught as the .45ACP vs. 9mm debate!

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This dish seems more like a college dish than one that belongs in an adult's kitchen. Does it sound tasty? Sure, after a night of drinking, with a Bloody Mary or a cold beer. And his lilting affectation is on full display, so be warned!

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My Seder brisket turned out quite well, and as usual I have a ton of gravy left over. That's the one problem with the dish...brisket exudes a huge amount of moisture, and even after I reduced it a bit, I was left with lots and lots of it.

Any suggestions for some possible uses? I'm going to toss some into a bowl of rice.

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Matzoh is good, but as a replacement for a hamburger bun? Nope! But a good burger doesn't need anything, so the simple meal the day after the Seder was exactly that! Plain grilled burgers (with American cheese. Don't tell my Rabbi!). And some quick-caramelized onions too! That was amusing. I had 30 minutes, but also a young brat I could boss around, so the instructions were simply...don't stop stirring!

There is one thing that is non-negotiable...good ground beef. I am lucky to have a market in the area that grinds its own beef fresh every day, and they use their own trimmings, so it isn't just the cheapest stuff they can buy.

The commodity stuff is useful for many things, but I think fresh-ground from good raw materials is a game changer.

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[Hat Tip: dhmosquito]

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Well, the garlic is out in the sunshine, probably soon to be eaten by those vile rodents with bushy tails and a penchant for damaging my home. But if they survive the squirrel apocalypse, and actually grow into something edible, I will be in garlic heaven! In case it doesn't, send all of your excellent home-grown garlic to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Rumor has it that the Bourbon Bubble is bursting. I have seen no evidence of decreasing prices, but maybe the bursting started somewhere else! 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!