What's for Dinner?

Mark The Homer said:
I think we need a Jeffersonian menu and techniques thread (or post) at the BGO forum.
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We did a Jeffersonian menu during Clinton's inauguration while I was at the Jefferson Hotel. Michael Jackson rented the entire hotel
 
Sounds like you have a lot of detailed Jeffersonian menu techniques to share. Looking forward to it... :D
 
Mark The Homer said:
Sounds like you have a lot of detailed Jeffersonian menu techniques to share. Looking forward to it... :D
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It was not recipes per se but trying to understand what was being prepared, how it was being prepared and how it was served at that time. Jefferson had a very heavy French influence and you could see that in some of the writings. We really could not determine who documented a lot of this. There was one main person by the handwriting but there were also other people.

A lot of the food was very Mid-Atlantic Potomac Chesapeake Bay fare. They cooked what was available to them at the time. Some of the cool stuff was detailing what happened during pig slaughter season for example. And how they would salt and cure the hams and then cold smoke them. But this was for long-term preservation. Lots of oysters fish fruit vegetables and nuts. Lots of corn.

Some techniques are just not viable anymore due to cost and availability. America has come a long way in the past 40 years in regards to culinary knowledge. I found a recipe for collard greens and the only difference was they used smoked turkey necks along with smoked pork lardons water and onions. Very simple. No salt or pepper. Also a recipe for spicy pepper vinegar. Think Tabasco like.

This was before cell phones and they did not allow us to Xerox anything and we had to use white gloves. Basically we took a bunch of notes on the side and tried to take what was being served at the time and adapt that to a modern American kitchen with a heavy French influence.

We had one day off a week which was on Mondays and we spent the entire day until they kicked us out. I think we were there for at least two months every Monday. I remember being exhausted. Just me and another guy

One I remember was fresh potomac oysters in the shell with a fine julienne of Virginia ham on top, than topped with a hollandaise which had chervil, heavily reduced champagne and whipped cream folded in. An adapted Sauce Mousseline. Than cooked in a high temp oven (think broiled). I thought that was pretty fancy for back in the day.

Great learning experience
 
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RedWolf said:
We did a Jeffersonian menu during Clinton's inauguration while I was at the Jefferson Hotel. Michael Jackson rented the entire hotel
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One funny thing that I remember (actually there are a bunch) but Elizabeth Taylor was there. These rooms started at 400 a night which was quite expensive back then. Every room was different. Elizabeth Taylor had two dogs with her. Each dog got their own room. Each dog had a very specific diet that we had to prepare twice a day. Crazy rich people

Michael wore costumes and went out various doors but never the front door. If he was being escorted through the kitchen nobody was supposed to look at him. He was very indecisive about what he wanted for food room service Etc. I remember one order in the morning he made nine different changes to his order. Basically he wanted us to put together a custom menu just for him by pulling things off of various menus as well as out of his head. He never called room service but the lady that took the call said you could hear him in the background. Craziness.

Contrary to that I served Queen Elizabeth and she was the nicest and kindest woman that I think I have ever served. Very humble gracious and appreciative. Another location though
 
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RedWolf said:
One funny thing that I remember (actually there are a bunch) but Elizabeth Taylor was there. These rooms started at 400 a night which was quite expensive back then. Every room was different. Elizabeth Taylor had two dogs with her. Each dog got their own room. Each dog had a very specific diet that we had to prepare twice a day. Crazy rich people

Michael wore costumes and went out various doors but never the front door. If he was being escorted through the kitchen nobody was supposed to look at him. He was very indecisive about what he wanted for food room service Etc. I remember one order in the morning he made nine different changes to his order. Basically he wanted us to put together a custom menu just for him by pulling things off of various menus as well as out of his head. He never called room service but the lady that took the call said you could hear him in the background. Craziness.

Contrary to that I served Queen Elizabeth and she was the nicest and kindest woman that I think I have ever served. Very humble gracious and appreciative. Another location though
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And of course there were fish sticks and hot pockets for the kiddies…

Michael Jackson Halloween GIF by Vevo
 
Escallopine of chicken, topped with bacon, melted extra sharp cheddar and Stubbs BBQ. Lettuce tomatoes and thin sliced red onion on white toast
 
Mark The Homer said:
We are doing lamb steaks tonight on the Weber. It's not fancy. And it's stupid simple. And yet, everybody raves about it every time I do it. And the irony is, everytime I do it is simply because the price per pound is almost half of what lamb chops are, and the bone to meat ratio is significantly better. AND IT TASTES GREAT!

Take a lamb leg. Slice it up about a half inch thick. Yeah, there's a bone in there which is a PITA, but work around it best you can. The steaks will be brutally ugly. Don't worry about it. Dry brine. Then put some olive oil on them. Throw them on the hot Weber for three minutes, then flip and cook another two minutes. Done. Serve. Amazing! Everybody loves them. Can't miss. I've been doing this for decades. It's just stupid simple!
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You've inspired me!
I found a small boneless leg of lamb at Costco, for ~ $25.00.
No PITA bone, (a soft ball lobbed squarely in the strike zone for some of my fellow demented board members 😆).
Question: How thick are you cutting the steaks? I was thinking 1 1/2" -2" on warp 10 heat and pulling at the 115°-120• range...

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Greek Lamb chops (lots of oregano and lemon) roasted asparagus pommes puree with butter and feta
 
Interesting. I suspect this has something to do with the relatively recent acquisition by Kroger. What is up with the use of the word "prime" regarding pork? I know about Berkshire which I thought was best. I wonder if RedWolf has any info... Sounds like it might be a marketing word.

Skinsfan1311 - I slice them about a half inch in thickness. Yes, I've also used boneless lamb leg, much easier to deal with. Recommended. You'll still get ugly steaks though. But that's okay. Half inch thick, dry brine, olive oil or whatever oil you want to use, hot fire, three mins, flip, two mins. Serve. They'll be pink in the middle and perfect. Everybody will tell you you're a genius. And super easy when serving a large crowd. Nothing wrong with serving with some of the classic herbs & spices that go with lamb as RedWolf suggested - garlic, oregano, lemon. Maybe some Tzatziki. :cool:

Full disclosure, I had been doing this every year for a couple decades in order to feed a crowd of about thirty people for a backyard after-party for the annual Sheep & Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds, which isn't far from me. Right up Rt 97, and then east on Rt 144. Boom. You're there. It's happening next weekend, May 3rd and 4th. It's always the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby. Every year. I hear it's one of the biggest Sheep & Wool Festivals in the nation. The idea is, you walk around the fairgrounds and see sheep and wool stuff. People are really into it, for some reason. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with your spouse. Then you come by my house and drink tequila and eat lamb.

It's really non-FB Anne's party. So it's mostly city-folk from DC. I don't really have much in common with them. But they love to come up here and pretend they're in the country.

But to be honest, I'm gettin' tired of cooking lamb steaks year after year and so the past couple years I've been leaning towards beef and pork such as smoked brisket and pork ribs. This next one, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna serve ... <drum roll> ... BURGERS! Kenji burgers. Maybe a little ground lamb mixed in. Probably a smoked brisket too.

Yes, I've cooked whole lambs before, a couple times, but for a different crowd.
 
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Mark The Homer said:
Interesting. I suspect this has something to do with the relatively recent acquisition by Kroger. I've never heard of PRIME grade pork before. I know about Berkshire which I thought was best. I wonder if RedWolf has any info...
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I figure the prime is BS maybe even just a brand name. And for low and slow not even really necessary. I have heard that Duroc pork is good though. That’s what made me try it.
 
Mark The Homer said:
Interesting. I suspect this has something to do with the relatively recent acquisition by Kroger. I've never heard of PRIME grade pork before. I know about Berkshire which I thought was best. I wonder if RedWolf has any info...
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Prime is the lowest quality that HOF44 will buy😅
 
Pork is never graded as prime. That is a beef grade

"Duroc pork is known for its superior meat quality, offering a level of tenderness and juiciness that’s hard to find in other pork breeds. The marbling, or intramuscular fat, in Duroc pork helps it retain moisture during cooking, ensuring that the meat remains juicy and flavorful. This quality makes it a favorite for grilling, roasting and other cooking methods that rely on preserving moisture."
 
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