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Gen. Applewhite

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Everything posted by Gen. Applewhite

  1. As Cooter mentioned, salsa works. I'd be willing to bet that just plain old tomato sauce would work too (honestly, that's pretty much what Pace is). If all I had was pico I would sauté it with the onions to soften the chunks, and not count it as part of the liquid ratio, so just add more stock. Also, I would not expect it to impart enough orange color to make it look right.
  2. Good call on the salsa if you don't have sofrito on hand. I have used it myself in a pinch and the results were indistinguishable. I like mine to taste mostly like chicken, and will sometimes add a scoop of Better than Boullion to an already strong homemade stock. I think the sofrito mostly just adds a pleasant orange color to the rice, as I can't and don't want to taste the tomatoes. As for the rice, one of the reasons I always cook two cups is because I have zeroed in on the precise ratio and process that works for me. If I had to cook it on an electric cook top (which can't go from high to low heat instantly), or with something other than my 3 quart sauce pan, I'd probably fuck it up. Once I figured that out I got rid of my rice cooker because it was always mushy by comparison, and I like it fluffy and chewy.
  3. Goya brand. The constant 2:1 water to rice ratio is a pernicious myth. You have to play around to find what works for your particular cooking setup and type of rice. Here is a good explanation from Cooks Illustrated.
  4. elfenix, that Mexican rice looks whack as hell. Here is how my abuelita from the Westside used to make it. Start with some sort of fat. Any fat will do, but some are better than others. I had leftover chicken skin, so decided to render out a bit of schmaltz: Remove and eat the crispy skins, then sauté half an onion and scrape the pan. Deglaze with a splash of water if you have to: Once the onion is soft, toast two cups of rice: Two cups of rice gets 2 1/2 cups of liquid. I use 2 cups of very strong chicken stock and a half cup of sofrito. Warm it all up before adding to the rice so that it will come to a boil almost instantly. Once it does, cover and turn the heat all the way down: After 20 minutes, turn the heat off but don't touch the lid. Let it steam for another 10-20 minutes. Then fluff it up:
  5. Inspired by Rimbo, I had the good fortune of having some charro beans on the stove this morning as the storm rolled through the Tone. Everything was on hand already. Not pictured is a quart of chicken stock out of the freezer: Had to use the quick soak method on the beans, which is to boil them for five minutes and then steep off the heat for an hour. That's just enough time to prep the rest. Start by browning up a pound of bacon: Remove the bacon, then fry up the onion and jalapeño in the rendered fat. Once they are soft, add a few cloves of minced garlic and a teaspoon each of cumin and oregano, along with the bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Then a chipotle with some sauce, and a can of Rotel: Add the beans and 4 cups of chicken stock, bring it to a boil and then simmer for an hour until the beans are tender and it's as soupy as you like it: Don't forget to dump the rest of the bacon back at some point. That's all the garnish this bowl needed:
  6. That's what I'm talking about, although some Mexican rice cooked in nearly equal parts butter and chicken stock would take it to 11. I came off a whole30 diet a couple weeks ago and have had beans as the primary component of a meal at least once a day. I enter a room with my own fanfare these days.
  7. I was just about to rec this. It's like a mini Buc-ee's for rich people.
  8. Crawfish étouffée:
  9. Stateside
  10. Leftover pulled pork/queso fresco griddled tacos:
  11. Good day for a round.
  12. Salt, pepper, and 12 hours in a low oven turns this: Into this: The salty, crispy desiccated crust is the best. I thought about carnitas, but ended up making a nice Vietnamese-style rice plate:
  13. Help me up my game. That's why I started a new thread.
  14. First tip: get the right cut of meat. A well-marbled chuck roast is where it's at. This one was 3.5 lbs that HEB tied up into a nice little package: Second tip: brush it with this stuff before you liberally coat it with salt, pepper and any other spices you deem appropriate: Then sear the hell out of it. Don't be shy. At least five minutes a side, if not more. Look at this crust: Third tip: go in dry. It's a pot roast not a braise. Do not add water, stock or any other liquid: Cover it with a lid, put it in the oven at 275, and resist the urge to check it for three hours. Trust me little dude, it's still there. I promise: Although you started dry, you now have a beautiful roast sitting in a good amount of undiluted and extremely flavorful au jus: Now, and only now, add the vegetables to the bottom of the pot and place the meat on top. I leave the garlic cloves whole because I fish them and the celery out before serving. Cover the roast and put it back in the oven for another hour: You may have noticed there were no potatoes, and that's the last tip: roast them separately because crisp potatoes. Eventually the meat will be tender enough to twist a fork in it, and that's when it's ready:
  15. I went to Squaw for Spring Break in '08. Only place I ate on the south side was Burger Lounge, and it was excellent. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Truckee, and have a sweet tooth, the Treat Box Bakery on Donner Pass Rd. may have the best "donut" I've ever had, and I've had a lot of donuts. They are the things shaped like plump bars of soap on the left side of this picture underneath where it says "Apple pockets." Perfect balance of crunchy crust and cake interior.
  16. Me too. Thundercloud chicken salad on wheat is one of my favorites.
  17. Torta Al Pastor: 1) buttered and griddled bolillo with chipotle mayo on one side and refried beans on the other 2) guacamole and pastor meat, which has itself been griddled with onions and pineapple 3) lettuce and cotija 4) pickled jalapenos and red onions
  18. Scott 1000 is the best toilet paper.
  19. My 3 yo had a fever and barfed twice on Saturday night but felt fine on Sunday during the day. His fever spiked again Sunday night before breaking early Monday morning. By the time we got him into the pediatrician on Monday afternoon, there was no indication he was sick, but he did test positive for the flu. Nobody else in the house has come down with it, despite being pretty lax about germs. This includes a 1 yo and a 66 yo grandmother with a compromised immune system. I credit that, and the 3 yo's relatively mild symptoms, to the fact that we all got the vaccine. So, yay.
  20. Ruby Tuesday and The Royal Tenenbaums
  21. I can't believe I wasted the last week's good weather in Central Texas without getting a single round in.
  22. Great pics. Big Sur is a fantastic trip. I was struck by how isolated everything was with no other road in and out but the PCH. Imagine your life being completely upended by a bridge being out of order.
  23. Pho Kim Long in SA used to be my go-to when I worked downtown, but now I work way up north and have been exploring other options.
  24. The brown butter drop on the bottom row of your pick was delicious.
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