What's for Dinner?

Boone said:
It's a cool rainy day here in NC. Great weather for the garden, but not for anything else. I went to the grocery early and got chili ingredients. I make my chili with steak, bacon, dark red kidney beans, lots of tomato, and of course the usual ingredients (green pepper, some jalapeno, onion, lots of fresh garlic, chili powder, etc...). Couple things I do that aren't as common, sometimes add some chopped celery, a little chicken and beef stock and a neutral beer, and I make a stock by roasting dried chilis and steeping them in water that really adds another layer of flavor. Fresh basil and oregano from my herb garden. It won't suck.
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One thing that I found that works very well for me is to paint a mental picture before I start cooking. I think Chuck Wagon on the Prairie. Lots of tough beef with some onions and chilies maybe tomatos if they were available and let it cook for a long time. I tend to use something like thick cubes of chuck roast. Beans are cooked and served on the side, my bacon/pork goes in there. I try and make my chili very basic. Of course I would throw in beef stock and some beer just to give the sauce a rich base.
 
RedWolf said:
I am with you 100%. Here in Miami they do that shit all the time and don't even tell you. If you don't double check your bill you end up tipping twice. If they add a tip onto my bill I do not tip any additional amount. It's a sleazy practice. They should do what restaurants do in Europe which is pay the wait staff a decent wage and tipping is not required. You can contest that 4% if it was not advertised in beginning. If it were me? Instead of saying the cost was $20 a head? I would just say the cost is $25 a head including taxes and tips. Just be up front about it.
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I will say, at least the place I went to yesterday was extremely upfront about it, and even ahead of the meal. It’s prominently displayed on the menu and on their website. So they weren’t trying to trick anybody.

But. I still hate the practice. Just tell me the all in cost upfront.

I used to work for a professional services firm which added a 4.5% admin fee for “mileage, printing and other administrative costs.”

I told my boss I refused. I’d just increase the rate by 4.5% and call it a day.

It certain didn’t hurt my sales numbers and I got the rate I needed. And I didn’t feel like a schmuck doing it.
 
riggins44 said:
Just put in an order for a dozen soft crabs for this weekend. Told my source either hotels or primes. Now do I fry or grill them?
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6 of both! LOL

My go to is fried, lightly tossed in flour. Sandwich on white toast with bacon lettuce tomato and hellmans. Soft shell crab BLT.

If you really want to go overboard? Stuff under the shells with jumbo lump crab cake mix before you fry. Be careful not to rip the outer shell . Crisco is the way to go.

If you decide to do some grilled? They cook quick and I use tons of garlic parsley butter with salt and pepper in it
 
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riggins44 said:
Just put in an order for a dozen soft crabs for this weekend. Told my source either hotels or primes. Now do I fry or grill them?
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I'm not a huge fan of premade fry mixes, but this one is fantastic and I've used it the last couple of times that I've fried softshells. Your post has triggered me, so I'm going to grab some this weekend.😄

20250516_082328.jpg
 
RedWolf said:
I am with you 100%. Here in Miami they do that shit all the time and don't even tell you. If you don't double check your bill you end up tipping twice. If they add a tip onto my bill I do not tip any additional amount. It's a sleazy practice. They should do what restaurants do in Europe which is pay the wait staff a decent wage and tipping is not required. You can contest that 4% if it was not advertised in beginning. If it were me? Instead of saying the cost was $20 a head? I would just say the cost is $25 a head including taxes and tips. Just be up front about it.
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My favorite Mexican place has started adding 20% tip to the check. I very rarely eat in-house, usually pick up, so that's particularly annoying. Makes me make my own stuff and not order.
 
skinsmarydu said:
My favorite Mexican place has started adding 20% tip to the check. I very rarely eat in-house, usually pick up, so that's particularly annoying. Makes me make my own stuff and not order.
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I'm finding another favorite Mexican restaurant if they add a tip for carry out. I try not to tip unless I'm being served.
 
Anybody do Fajitas? What your go to technique for doing them?
 
HOF44 said:
Anybody do Fajitas? What your go to technique for doing them?
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I don't call them 'Fajitas' but I do Carne Asada.... you are probably familiar but in case you aren't, you take flank or skirt steak and marinate it overnight (preferably) in a mix of lime juice, orange juice, garlic, vinegar, chopped cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes. Grill, slice, and serve on tortillas.
 
I'm definitely interested in the fajita input since mine could use some tips.

How do you all soften up the tortilla shells similar to a Chipotle's press? I've tried to steam mine without a press but that didn't really make them stretchy thin.
 
Ashburn Dave said:
I'm definitely interested in the fajita input since mine could use some tips.

How do you all soften up the tortilla shells similar to a Chipotle's press? I've tried to steam mine without a press but that didn't really make them stretchy thin.
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I stack few tortillas on a plate, cover them in a damp paper towel and zap 'em for 20-30 seconds....check 'em after 20 seconds because if you zap them too long they can get hard around the edges
 
I did some Carne Asada yesterday but we just ate it by itself with some fried plantains and a little spanish rice. Plenty leftover, so tonight we'll do fajitas.
 
I have an outside skirt steak and an Iberico pork skirt steak. Gonna try some soon. Maybe this weekend. Doing Dino ribs Sunday. Maybe fajitas Monday.
 
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