What's for Dinner?

I don't do much lamb but here is what I saw for IT temps for it.

"an internal temperature of 145°F for medium-rare, 160°F for medium, and 170°F for well-done. "

Seems like there is a debate between medium rare and medium being best with no clear winner so I might split them and grill to 150 F.

No idea on marinade though.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
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Well, the lamb itself was very tough, neither one of us could figure out why.

Backstory: He had a friend from college visit for last week, from Gambia, I think? Anyway, dude bought a bunch of lamb and made a badass stew & there was some meat left over to do "whatever" with.

So we did what we could: ate the rice and veggies and went to bed early. :victorious:
 
skinsmarydu said:
Well, the lamb itself was very tough, neither one of us could figure out why.

Backstory: He had a friend from college visit for last week, from Gambia, I think? Anyway, dude bought a bunch of lamb and made a badass stew & there was some meat left over to do "whatever" with.

So we did what we could: ate the rice and veggies and went to bed early. :victorious:
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The meat was probably from the leg or the shoulder hence the reason it being so tough
 
Yeah, when I'm doing lamb kabobs I usually look for chops with visible fat. And lamb cooks pretty quickly, so not overcooking is probably the biggest thing to avoid. I usually keep it simple with lamb, hit it with some garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and lemon juice. That's all it needs.
 
I am making Pho today. I started the broth (the most important part) on Friday afternoon. It is hard to find good bones (the soup bones groceries typically cell have a lot of fat/marrow which isn't ideal). I did splurge and find some oxtails at my butcher shop to add to the pot. I also typically buy a cheap chuck roast and chop it up in the broth. That meat gets tossed once the broth is done and I use sirloin or other lean steak for the actual meal. One of my favorite foods. I generally use this approach.

thewoksoflife.com

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life

Our pho recipe was carefully tested & approved by a Vietnamese mom who makes it often for her family. The flavorful broth also freezes well!
thewoksoflife.com thewoksoflife.com
 
Boone
You would not believe how many 40 lb boxes of beef and veal bones I used to go through in a week when I was at the restaurant. Just for making stock and demi-glace. My original intent was to buy whole chickens have them cleaned and save the bones for stock. I needed so many chicken bones that I had to end up buying those also. I did not use any of that fake paste that a lot of the restaurants did. I only used lobster shells, fish bones/heads, shrimp shells and bones from the animals. Everything traditional French
 
Pho was tremendous - sooo good. Made some spring rolls to go with it with pork, cabbage, carrot, green onion, and bamboo shoot - also came out great. Air fryer is a game changer for homemade egg rolls as you don't have to seal each egg roll perfectly like you need to when deep frying (or the contents of the egg roll ends up everywhere). I just sprayed them with some avocado oil and air fried. Perfect.
 
Last night, I got an annual treat. I do A TON of work for my daughter's swim team, and the swim team gave me a gift card to L'Auberge Chez Francois. They've done this the last few years. Chez Francois is a French fine dining restaurant, often in the top 10 restaurants in VA and has had national recognition for years. It's been a staple in the community for generations. It's located in the rolling hills of Great Falls, VA, literally in the middle of nowhere. There isn't another commercial establishment within 5 miles.

They opened a Brasserie called "Jacques" in the basement a number of years ago. Somewhat more casual dining experience, and less ghastly expensive (still ghastly expensive, just slightly less so), however still absolutely incredible food.

So my wife and I went yesterday, compliments of the swim team, to Jacques. Our $235 gift card BARELY covered our meal, so this isn't a "let's just drop by" type of place.

But man oh man, was it good. The best French Onion Soup you can imagine, and I had a Beef Wellington (yeah, not French, but whatever), and it was second only to the Beef Wellington I had at Gordon Ramsey Steak years ago, and it was close. Melt in your mouth good.

We also had a Grand Marnier souffle. (Which you have to order at the same time you order dinner.)

I like to think of myself as a rather good cook, but when you go to a place like that, it's an entirely different experience. Anyway, if anybody needs an "occasion" restaurant for a splurge night, look it up. It's amazing.

Here's a picture of Jacques. Jacques is on the ground floor from this vantage point, but it would normally be a walk out basement because the building is on a hill. The main restaurant are the big windows on the second level, which is actually the first level.

1762101636977.png
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
Last night, I got an annual treat. I do A TON of work for my daughter's swim team, and the swim team gave me a gift card to L'Auberge Chez Francois. They've done this the last few years. Chez Francois is a French fine dining restaurant, often in the top 10 restaurants in VA and has had national recognition for years. It's been a staple in the community for generations. It's located in the rolling hills of Great Falls, VA, literally in the middle of nowhere. There isn't another commercial establishment within 5 miles.

They opened a Brasserie called "Jacques" in the basement a number of years ago. Somewhat more casual dining experience, and less ghastly expensive (still ghastly expensive, just slightly less so), however still absolutely incredible food.

So my wife and I went yesterday, compliments of the swim team, to Jacques. Our $235 gift card BARELY covered our meal, so this isn't a "let's just drop by" type of place.

But man oh man, was it good. The best French Onion Soup you can imagine, and I had a Beef Wellington (yeah, not French, but whatever), and it was second only to the Beef Wellington I had at Gordon Ramsey Steak years ago, and it was close. Melt in your mouth good.

We also had a Grand Marnier souffle. (Which you have to order at the same time you order dinner.)

I like to think of myself as a rather good cook, but when you go to a place like that, it's an entirely different experience. Anyway, if anybody needs an "occasion" restaurant for a splurge night, look it up. It's amazing.

Here's a picture of Jacques. Jacques is on the ground floor from this vantage point, but it would normally be a walk out basement because the building is on a hill. The main restaurant are the big windows on the second level, which is actually the first level.

View attachment 13300
Click to expand...
One of my favorites. I used to know the old man before he passed. His son runs the place now. This is Alsatian French and I studied in Alsace

You should try The Inn at Little Washington
 
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Boone said:
Doing a couple of beer can chickens on the Big Green Egg today. Going to make a cajun-style rice dish with chorizo to go with it.
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I'm very curious what your food cost is on a monthly basis for two people! 🤣🤣🤣

Bro you be spending some coin!
 
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RedWolf said:
One of my favorites. I used to know the old man before he passed. His son runs the place now. This is Alsatian French and I studied in Alsace

You should try The Inn at Little Washington
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I need to get the swim team to get me a gift card there! :p
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
I need to get the swim team to get me a gift card there! :p
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Take your wife there for the weekend for your anniversary, it's a destination place. Fri-Sun. You will thank me later. She will thank you even more! 🤣🤣🤣

www.theinnatlittlewashington.com

The Inn at Little Washington Michelin Starred Dining Room

Dining at The Inn at Little Washington is an unforgettable culinary journey where innovative dishes and impeccable service come together in an enchanting setting.
www.theinnatlittlewashington.com www.theinnatlittlewashington.com
 
RedWolf said:
Take your wife there for the weekend for your anniversary, it's a destination place. Fri-Sun. You will thank me later. She will thank you even more! 🤣🤣🤣

www.theinnatlittlewashington.com

The Inn at Little Washington Michelin Starred Dining Room

Dining at The Inn at Little Washington is an unforgettable culinary journey where innovative dishes and impeccable service come together in an enchanting setting.
www.theinnatlittlewashington.com www.theinnatlittlewashington.com
Click to expand...
It’s been on the list for a while. The problem has been finding somebody to watch our 6 year old who is very 6.
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
It’s been on the list for a while. The problem has been finding somebody to watch our 6 year old who is very 6.
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If I was still in Montgomery County I would volunteer for you. If you love Chez Francois you will also love the Inn.

Let me know if you do go, I can call Patrick. I haven't talked with him in a long time but he used to be a good friend of mine
 
A couple things I recently had that really stood out:

sticky ribs - pumpkin spice, coffee liqueur glaze, fall slaw, brown butter streusel

griddled meatloaf - pastrami glaze, heirloom carrot, warm potato salad, 1000 island aioli
 
I'm not sure if you have seen this guy but he is very, very, very good. A lot to be learned on his channel. Highly recommended.

 
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