hungarian goulash

the first signs of autumn

has meandered on to our ranch

cool evenings

transitioning to near frosty nights

just the kind of weather

that gets me back into the mood

for hearty stews

and

slow cooked meats

hungarian goulash

(printable recipe)

2 1/2 lbs stew meat (beef or venison)-- cut into cubes {at least 1"}

1/2 cup (about) all purpose flour for dredging

olive oil

1 large onion--cut in half then thinly sliced in have moons

10-12 crimini mushrooms--sliced

4 cloves of garlic--smashed and kept whole or near whole

1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

14 ounce diced tomatoes-with juice

1/2 cup water

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)

1/3 cup sour cream

 1 Tbs lemon juice

 1/4 cup chopped parsley

heat oil in bottom of a dutch oven (just enough to coat the bottom).  dredge the meat cubes in flour and shake of excess.  toss into the hot oil and sear meat on all sides.  do not crowd the pan, work in batches if necessary.  once the meat is seared add it back to the pan with juices (if working in batches) and add onion, mushrooms and garlic.  add a bit more olive oil if needed. allow to cook down for a few minutes. add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika and caraway seeds and give it a good stir, so the spices are evenly distributed.  this will also toast the spices a bit. add the tomatoes and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan.  add beef broth and cover.  place in a 350 preheated oven and allow to cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender. 

remove from oven and add lemon juice.  add salt and pepper to taste.  allow to sit for a few minutes, then taste again for salt.  stir in sour cream and parsley (check one more time for salt). serve over buttered wide-noodles or dumplings

lunch box pies {st. patrick's day meat pies}

gone are the days
of the tartan plaid
lunch pail
replete with
soup canister
trapped beneath a spring-loaded arm
and
monogrammed cloth napkin
so sad

but this girl
can still dream
moving from
shop to shop
hunting
for a bit of
my youth

these savory pies
formed and baked in cupcake tins
are perfect
for
lunch box days
picnics at the lake
afternoon snack for a carload of kids
or
enjoyed
as we are
a
st.paddy's day treat
with a guinness chaser

lunch box pies
(printable recipe)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 large onion--finely chopped
2 stalks celery--finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs creole seasoning

a few shakes of Tabasco sauce more or less to taste

1 cup breacrumbs

1/4 cup hot water
1 recipe pie crust
Creole Seasoning

from Emeril's New Orleans Cooking

2 Tbs  chili powder and paprika

1 Tbs ground coriander, garlic powder and salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, black pepper and dried leaf oregano

Mix together and keep in an airtight container

chop onions and celery and sauté until soft.  lightly cook pork and drain off grease.  add ground beef to pork and cook 5 minutes.  add onions and celery.  cook over low heat for 25 minutes. drain any grease.  add seasoning, tabasco and salt.  add hot water and bread crumbs and mix well.  let stand 30 minutes.  meanwhile, line muffin tins with pie crust.  fill the crust 3/4 full with filling.  close with top crust. decorate as desired. brush with lightly whisked egg yolk.  bake at 400 until pie crust is golden..about 20 minutes.
to make shamrock, color some of the egg with green food color and use a paint brush to paint design.

linking up to
a little birdie told me @ rookno17
and
hearth and soul blog hop

40 clove ham

i find it curious that

some of the biggest insults we toss about

 malign an animal 

that brings such great pleasure

things like

don't be a pig

he's swine of the worst kind

this place looks like a pig pen

are part of our common vernacular

rather than

being nasty about the plucky porcine

we should be saying things like

your skin has the milky creaminess of caul fat

and honestly,

who doesn't think 

crepine

is a beautiful name for a girl

wandering the grocery store

looking for inspiration for our new year's eve buffet

i found a ham

on sale, no less

and couldn't resist

the swine song

of a

well spiced

lightly sweet

and

mouth-watering salinity

of the

ham of my dreams

40 clove ham
(printable recipe)

10 lb bone-in ham (cooked or uncooked)

1/4 cup pork spice rub--my recipe here...or use your favorite

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbs spiced rum

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

juice of 1 orange

2 Tbs cider vinegar

2 tsp pork spice rub

40 whole cloves

cut diamonds into the pork fat and rub with spice rub. randomly stud with the whole cloves.  bake for 1 hour in large roaster on a rack.  baste each 30 minutes with sauce.  bake at 350 until thermometer reads 145 (if using a cooked ham) or 160 (if using an uncooked ham).  let rest 20 minutes.  slice and eat

* a cooked ham will take about 15-18 min per pound. an uncooked ham will take about 18-22 minutes per pound.  you do not want a canned ham for this. this is meant to resemble a honey baked, or spiral ham...but i think this is much better a quite cost effective.