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Old-School American Comfort Food


MalibuSheriff

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Mary’s Cafe, Strawn Texas. To me the prototypical Texas small town diner that happens to have the most magnificent chicken fried steak in the planet.

It’s hard these days to find a place that has that big board of vegetables. Too many have now fried frozen shit. I like a place that has greens made right, pinto beans, green beans, and black eyes, fried cabbage, good creamed corn. Mashed taters. Sliced maters in the summer. Fried okra. Squash casserole. Homemade rolls and cornbread.

In college in Memphis I ate lunch most days in a plate lunch place where I could get a meat, three vegetables, and bread for $1.50.

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12 hours ago, MalibuSheriff said:

Alright boys and girls.  I couldn’t find an appropriate topic in short order and created this one pertaining to some old school American meals or restaurants. I apologize in advance if there was a topic already created but I’m three drinks in on the patio after whirlwind business travel for last month.

Every small town in Texas and Oklahoma had a damn good cafe that served Old School American dishes.  Seems like a dying breed these days.  There still are some great ones but not as many as when I was a kid.

To start off, here’s Salisbury Steak with Onions.  The recipe I’ve used for several years is Ree Drummond’s Salisbury Steak (I’ve tried some of her other recipes and wasn’t wowed but this one has been a staple for several years).  Highly recommend:

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10549/salisbury-steak-mashed-potatoes-and-peas/
 

Talk about the perfect meal for deer lease or camping.  Cooking outside always makes a better meal.

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I wish you all could have smelled this stage:

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I wanted green beans with a shit ton of bacon but my wife begged that idea. Oh well…Snow peas it is…

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Photo of me at Texas deer camps across the state these last thirty years:

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Looks great but where are the mushrooms ?

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That is the same recipe (Drummond's) I use for Salisbury Steak, and the whole family really enjoys it. I used to use another one (might have been from my Mom's recipe drawer) but we've been using this one ever since I first checked it out.

Some of the semi-regular meals in our rotation that might fit in your category are: roast beef with carrots and potatoes and onions (my next oldest's favorite), meatloaf, New England Clam Chowder, fried chicken, salmon patties (we had those this week with the last of the leftover fillet), sloppy joes, pork chops with milk gravy, chicken pot pie (my oldest's favorite) and one of my favorites: corned beef with vegetables and soda bread. We don't eat out a lot so we pull from various types of cuisines, but these are some we've made in the last few weeks or so.

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First cold snap of the year, my wife always makes pot roast with a side of green beans, mashed potatoes and homemade rolls.  Night two, we have leftovers via an open-faced roast sandwich over toasted white bread with melted provolone and white sauce (bechamel) drizzled over the top.  I equate both to "old-school American comfort food".  The other night, my son said that would be his last meal if he had a choice.  

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I think tuna fish in SOS would get your ass kicked, man...

 

My submission, and this is from the dirt fucking poor days, but I still eat it...because comfort:

spaghetti and tomatoes- it could be any variation of pasta/ vermicelli and diced tomatoes or cheap ass tomato sauce(8 cans/$1 or some shit.)  If it was beginning of month, we might have even had some Valentinas or Cajun Chef to put on there. Even now, i will cook up a batch of noodles and canned tomatoes.  

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1 hour ago, slorch said:

I think tuna fish in SOS would get your ass kicked, man...

 

My submission, and this is from the dirt fucking poor days, but I still eat it...because comfort:

spaghetti and tomatoes- it could be any variation of pasta/ vermicelli and diced tomatoes or cheap ass tomato sauce(8 cans/$1 or some shit.)  If it was beginning of month, we might have even had some Valentinas or Cajun Chef to put on there. Even now, i will cook up a batch of noodles and canned tomatoes.  

I eat spaghetti and just plain Hunt's tomato sauce for a quick go to for dinner quite often.

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Amen. Forget those MFf’in peas.

Let’s get this back on track…anyone ever been to Iredell Cafe in Iredell, TX?  My buddy in Hamilton swears it’s some of best catfish in Texas.

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The menu looks extremely legit old school cafe.

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I’m putting this on itinerary on my next trip down Hwy. 281 area.

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1 hour ago, After irth said:

Doesn't everyone?

Never occurred to me.  I mean, I've smoked a bunch of briskets, and I suppose I could boil one, but I'm sure as hell not brining a giant cut of beef for a week or more.  Ain't nobody got fridge space like that.  (Well, I don't.)

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9 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Never occurred to me.  I mean, I've smoked a bunch of briskets, and I suppose I could boil one, but I'm sure as hell not brining a giant cut of beef for a week or more.  Ain't nobody got fridge space like that.  (Well, I don't.)

Some of us do. And have for years. I’m sorry that you’ll never know the joys of transcendental Beef. 

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4 hours ago, After irth said:

Some of us do. And have for years. I’m sorry that you’ll never know the joys of transcendental Beef. 

If you're suggesting the best corned beef tops a properly smoked brisket, then I'd posit that you've never eaten good brisket.

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9 hours ago, slorch said:

If you're suggesting the best corned beef tops a properly smoked brisket, then I'd posit that you've never eaten good brisket.

Not suggesting that at all.  Why can't I make both?

I have a good friend (misplaced Texan in Atlanta) that makes the best brisket (repeatedly) I've ever had.  Mine is a consistent close second.  

 

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16 minutes ago, After irth said:

Not suggesting that at all.  Why can't I make both?

I have a good friend (misplaced Texan in Atlanta) that makes the best brisket (repeatedly) I've ever had.  Mine is a consistent close second.  

 

It's all good, and yeah they both have their places.

Didn't mean to say there's only one way to cook a brisket, but still don't think there is any real comparison between top-notch brisket and corned beef in the same class.

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8 minutes ago, slorch said:

It's all good, and yeah they both have their places.

Didn't mean to say there's only one way to cook a brisket, but still don't think there is any real comparison between top-notch brisket and corned beef in the same class.

I would posit that you've never had good corned beef, then.  

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12 hours ago, Underdog said:

Dot's(old location)

 

So there is a new location? Been 35 years ago but used to work in area for 10+ years and Dot’s was at least monthly trip. Meat and 3 sides. Thought I heard it closed a few years after she passed. Meat and 3. Always awesome. 
 

 

 

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54 minutes ago, otisdog said:

My wife makes awesome Turkey pot pies with the leftover Thanksgiving bird...they freeze well, and are about as 'comforting' food as you're going to find.

That sounds awesome. 

I've been digging the HEB meal simple chicken pot pies lately. 

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