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Soup, Stew, Chili, Gumbo (Cold weather eats)


Etexhorn13

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Keep waiting to slow smoke a pork loin when this big cold front finally lands.  Wife makes an excellent green chile sauce and I'm gonna sneak off and make own non-GF flour tortillas.  

It's a dish we do really well together.  Having said that, based on that photo---I would take your MIL crawfish etouffee out behind the middle school and get it pregnant.  Looks phenomenal.  Post the recipe when you can.  

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I made a big pot of beef barley soup the other day.  There wasn't really a recipe per se but it had about 2 lbs of browned hamburger, 1 c barley, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, red bell peppers, and poblano peppers in 2 qt of homemade beef broth and 2 qt of water.  Oh, and a can of rotel and a can of HEB cream of poblano too.

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My wife gives me shit for not wanting soups for dinner, but growing up my dad was a classically trained chef so I never thought about stuff like chicken tortilla soup or whatever. I’ve always just thought of soups as appetizers. Over the past few years between the gumbos and ettouffes I’ve realized the error in my ways.
Anyway, my MIL will be in town this weekend so I’ll bet that ettouffee recipe from her. My dad also makes a leek and spinach soup which is the best thing I’ve ever eaten, it’s a shame it’s not in his cookbook but that will be posted in here soon along with some pics after I make it next time. 

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If there’s one thing I learned from my dad (other than always cook with shallots) it’s that if you are going to make any soup or sauce, you need a homemade stock. If anyone needs some help on this front: 

It sounds like more of a bitch than it actually is to make but you will tell a difference vs using the heb brand.C2C29D7D-ECD0-4B5A-864B-DC3C40930893.jpeg

Edited by Etexhorn13
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8 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

If there’s one thing I learned from my dad (other than always cook with shallots) it’s that if you are going to make any soup or sauce, you need a homemade stock. If anyone needs some help on this front: 

It sounds like more of a bitch than it actually is to make but you will tell a difference vs using the heb brand.C2C29D7D-ECD0-4B5A-864B-DC3C40930893.jpeg

Any chance we could get you to post the book?

 

Pretty please. 

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Scholar. Gentleman. Etc. etc. etc. 

 

ETA:  I love family and small run cookbooks. I have several family books but also Cook ‘em Horns, Let My People Eat, Talk About Good, etc. 

I would really love to see it. TIA. 

Edited by DoobieWah
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9 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

If there’s one thing I learned from my dad (other than always cook with shallots) it’s that if you are going to make any soup or sauce, you need a homemade stock. If anyone needs some help on this front: 

It sounds like more of a bitch than it actually is to make but you will tell a difference vs using the heb brand.C2C29D7D-ECD0-4B5A-864B-DC3C40930893.jpeg

Dude, making your own stock is so key.  And a nice addition to that, especially if you're using random chicken parts: roast them, along with some/all of the veggies beforehand, to get some light browning on them.  Then prep the stock.  It adds a layer of depth/richness to the flavor.  It's amazing.

Shit, my favorite stock in the world is the turkey stock you make with the leftover thanksgiving carcass.  I have worked our church thanksgiving dinner a few times, and when we're done, we have a stack of carcasses.  One year, I took 4 home, crushed them down, and made a giant batch of rich turkey stock that I froze in ziplocs and used or the rest of the year.  Shit, use it when you're making a pot of rice, and it takes it another level.

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11 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

My wife gives me shit for not wanting soups for dinner, but growing up my dad was a classically trained chef so I never thought about stuff like chicken tortilla soup or whatever. I’ve always just thought of soups as appetizers. Over the past few years between the gumbos and ettouffes I’ve realized the error in my ways.
Anyway, my MIL will be in town this weekend so I’ll bet that ettouffee recipe from her. My dad also makes a leek and spinach soup which is the best thing I’ve ever eaten, it’s a shame it’s not in his cookbook but that will be posted in here soon along with some pics after I make it next time. 

 

Interested in this. 

Edited by Da Fino
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We have become big fans of making large batch soups once a month.  Generally about 20 servings or so and it helps reduce the weekday dinner drama since we freeze so many.  Our rotations tends to be

Chili (touch soupier than regular chili)

Caldo de pollo (lots of veggies)

Baked potato soup 

Red beans n rice (again, touch more soupy)

All recipes are now to the "I'd pay for that" level.  Though making chicken stock at home needs to be added, apparently.

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Regarding homemade stock:

Bring your bones to a simmer before adding your aromatics, black peppercorns, etc. It makes it easier to skim the scum and you’ll want to do that as it keeps your stock from getting cloudy. 
 

Never let it boil and once you get it at a slow but steady simmer, it doesn’t need stirring. 
 

Add enough water at the beginning to last.
 

I save up wing tips, necks, and even unchewed bones and carcasses from grocery store rotisserie chickens in gallon freezer bags. 
 

I also save up the cores from celery stalks, onion and carrot ends and similar aromatics in a gallon bag in the freezer. 
 

Definitely worth the time and effort. 

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18 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

I know we have a chili thread, but I thought it might be a good spot to consolidate recipes/pics for all the cold weather soups/stews etc that end up getting cooked as soon as it gets below 85 in Texas. 

Gonna start with a few here... serious eats green chili chicken stew, my MIL’s crawfish etouffee, and a brisket chili and bean stew I made a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

FIFY. It all looks great man. 

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1 hour ago, DoobieWah said:

Regarding homemade stock:

Bring your bones to a simmer before adding your aromatics, black peppercorns, etc. It makes it easier to skim the scum and you’ll want to do that as it keeps your stock from getting cloudy. 
 

Never let it boil and once you get it at a slow but steady simmer, it doesn’t need stirring. 
 

Add enough water at the beginning to last.
 

I save up wing tips, necks, and even unchewed bones and carcasses from grocery store rotisserie chickens in gallon freezer bags. 
 

I also save up the cores from celery stalks, onion and carrot ends and similar aromatics in a gallon bag in the freezer. 
 

Definitely worth the time and effort. 

I'll piggyback on this, second using the carcasses from cooked chickens and add another tip - if you want what we call "dark broth", the kind that gets gelatinous, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (any kind), and cook it in the crockpot or other pot for 24 hours or more.  I've cooked it for 2 days before on low.

In preparation for Thanksgiving, I'm getting a good-sized duck, and cooking it on my rotisserie (with a pan underneath to catch the fat, of course).  We'll eat the breast, and then debone the rest.  The meat will get packed in a little of the fat and then frozen.  The carcass and leftover skin will go into the crockpot with some other saved up chicken parts, and cooked for at least 24 hours, then strained and frozen.  Most of that broth and half the meat will get used for gumbo.  But now for the good part - when I make the dressing for T-day (part bread, part cornbread), some of that broth, and the chopped up meat and fat get mixed in with the veggies instead of plain chicken broth.  I made it like that year before last and it was the richest, tastiest "traditional" dressing I've ever had.

Highly recommend roasting a duck and using it for broth.

 

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20 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

I’m going to add a few recipes from the cookbook my dad made from my family’s restaurant (my dads been the chef the entire 40 years they’ve been there). I’ve made most of these at one point or another and they will get you laid. 

D7BA97BF-1FEB-4883-B675-B4177AD0076D.jpeg

38020F37-C2F6-43E0-A436-9BDA2445DBDB.jpeg

77A6B0D4-7352-4925-A9EF-4780491293F2.jpeg

 

carnies-circus-folk-nomads-you-know-smell-like-cabbage-small-hands.jpg

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On 10/21/2020 at 10:16 PM, Lobo said:

Having said that, based on that photo---I would take your MIL crawfish etouffee out behind the middle school and get it pregnant.  Looks phenomenal.  Post the recipe when you can.  

No idea what cookbook this came from, but this is what I used/she sent me when I made it last time. It’s really damn easy - much easier and faster to make than a gumbo. I cooked the veggies in a separate pan so I probably ended up using more butter in my roux than this calls for, but it certainly doesn’t hurt this dish. 

2D6BBEDD-C330-440C-93C7-FA0F0DBF11DA.jpeg

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On 10/21/2020 at 10:43 PM, Etexhorn13 said:

I’m going to add a few recipes from the cookbook my dad made from my family’s restaurant (my dads been the chef the entire 40 years they’ve been there). I’ve made most of these at one point or another and they will get you laid. 

D7BA97BF-1FEB-4883-B675-B4177AD0076D.jpeg

38020F37-C2F6-43E0-A436-9BDA2445DBDB.jpeg

77A6B0D4-7352-4925-A9EF-4780491293F2.jpeg

Was hoping I could find a version of this book on amazon or ebay but no luck unfortunately

doubtful that y'all have a crate of them in storage somewhere, right? i'd love to buy one for my Dad for Christmas (I say this with 100% certainty that my parents used to know your parents, had B&B in J, spend many many nights at SWI)

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3 minutes ago, NoName said:

Was hoping I could find a version of this book on amazon or ebay but no luck unfortunately

doubtful that y'all have a crate of them in storage somewhere, right? i'd love to buy one for my Dad for Christmas (I say this with 100% certainty that my parents used to know your parents, had B&B in J, spend many many nights at SWI)

Very cool. I will ask, but I’m unsure. I’ve been trying to get him to put out a 40 year anniversary edition with a few newer things he’s done. Maybe now that they’re trying to slow down he can use some of his extra free time. I definitely may have gotten the last copy that’s printed though... mine isn’t even bound properly, i just found all the pages and had to staple them ha. I’ll DM you if I hear otherwise.  

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37 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Very cool. I will ask, but I’m unsure. I’ve been trying to get him to put out a 40 year anniversary edition with a few newer things he’s done. Maybe now that they’re trying to slow down he can use some of his extra free time. I definitely may have gotten the last copy that’s printed though... mine isn’t even bound properly, i just found all the pages and had to staple them ha. I’ll DM you if I hear otherwise.  

there is actually a page for it on Amazon that lists it as spiral bound but doesn't have one for sale

Didn't see folks had asked you to post it, I know he used to have one in J but not sure if it made all the moves over the last few years...

Edited by NoName
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Made some carne adovada last night. No pics.  It slammed and went hard. Just had some leftovers over eggs for brekfest.

Salt and pepper pork butt cut in 2" pieces. Brown in a braising pan or Dutch oven. Remove from pan.

In the dirty pan, saute 1 diced white onion and 6 minced cloves of garlic until browned.

In blender, combine and blend:

  • 2 Tbsp New Mexico red chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Ancho chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Pasilla chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Chipotle chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups chicken stock

Pour mixture into pan. Add the browned pork.  Add 3 bay leaves Bring to a slow boil.

Move to a 375 degree oven. Put on a lid, leaving it slightly ajar to vent.  Cook for 1.5 hours.  

Remove lid, stir, and cook uncovered for an hour.

Stir every 10 minutes for another 30-60 minutes.  You want most of the moisture to evaporate. Breaking up the pork chunks is a good thing.   It should not be a stew but meat coated in a very thick gravy.  Some dark browning is delicious. Stir it in so it doesn't burn.

Serve as a burrito, taco, over eggs, in a rice and bean bowl, as an enchilada filling, etc.

Turn it up to 11 by using dried peppers. I used what I had on hand.

 

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2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Made some carne adovada last night. No pics.  It slammed and went hard. Just had some leftovers over eggs for brekfest.

Salt and pepper pork butt cut in 2" pieces. Brown in a braising pan or Dutch oven. Remove from pan.

In the dirty pan, saute 1 diced white onion and 6 minced cloves of garlic until browned.

In blender, combine and blend:

  • 2 Tbsp New Mexico red chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Ancho chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Pasilla chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Chipotle chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups chicken stock

Pour mixture into pan. Add the browned pork.  Add 3 bay leaves Bring to a slow boil.

Move to a 375 degree oven. Put on a lid, leaving it slightly ajar to vent.  Cook for 1.5 hours.  

Remove lid, stir, and cook uncovered for an hour.

Stir every 10 minutes for another 30-60 minutes.  You want most of the moisture to evaporate. Breaking up the pork chunks is a good thing.   It should not be a stew but meat coated in a very thick gravy.  Some dark browning is delicious. Stir it in so it doesn't burn.

Serve as a burrito, taco, over eggs, in a rice and bean bowl, as an enchilada filling, etc.

Turn it up to 11 by using dried peppers. I used what I had on hand.

 

Oh my... bookmarking this right here. 

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^

I'm sure that tasted delicious.  But look at it the right way...from the dead center on down.  The eyes, and the beak.  It looks like you killed and grilled the dog from "The Fly II"  

but godspeed.  

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7 hours ago, workswithseed said:

Interested

Recipe (I used beef instead of pork.  The recipes you find use either, and some spell it “chile” others “chili.” This recipe is particularly good IMO): https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/groat-ricks-chili-colorado

 

Edited by AustinMT
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Tortellini/ italian sausage  soup served over raw spinach in the bowl.

Braided loaf of homemade bread.

Oh...and we have 21degrees this morning and a light layer of snow over last night's freezing drizzle/ sleet/ wintry mix from hell.

Bread.jpg

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