GRRRR8 Recipes

[GRRRR8]

Most of us enjoy good food and like to eat. In the past 10 months I have read about everyones cooking and seen pics of dishes so I thought I would sticky a thread for just recipes from the different regions. George is the man so far. Can someone knock him off the throne(not that one! )

[GeorgeInNePa]

Sicilian "Gravy"


This will take several hours but it will be worth it. Use a large stock pot with a thick bottom. You will need to stir and simmer for a while, DON'T LET IT STICK!!!

Sauce for Pasta

3 26oz. cans of tomato puree
1 26oz. can of crushed tomato (or 4 of the puree, depending on what consistency you like)

tomato paste
red wine
onion powder
garlic powder
chopped garlic
olive oil
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
sugar
cinnamon
crushed red pepper (sparingly, we're not making chili, )
basil
pepperoni


For the meat balls:
eggs
bread crumbs
grated Parmesan cheese
ground beef
hot sausage
ground veal
spices

chicken and/or pork chops and/or hot and sweet sausage and/or anything you like

Take the ground beef, ground veal, and hot sausage, along with the eggs, bread crumbs, and grated cheese and combine for meat balls. Use equal amounts of the meats. I use a pound of each. Use 2 medium or large eggs. 1 jumbo might be enough. Use only enough bread crumbs to keep the meat together, about 1/2 a cup or so. Same with the grated cheese. Add onion and garlic powder and salt and pepper. Hell, add any spice you like. You may want to add onions to yours, I don't.

Fry most of the meat balls in a pan, save 3 or 4 to fry in the stock pot.

Slice the pepperoni, I use 1 stick of Margherita. In the stock pot, fry the pepperoni in olive oil. Remove the pepperoni when browned, reserve till later. Leave the oil from the pepperoni in the pot. Now add the chicken or pork or whatever. Brown, but don't cook it all the way through, in other words don't dry it out. Reserve. Add the 3 or 4 meat balls, fry. Reserve. I keep all the reserved meats warm, but not cooking, in the oven.

Now, in the bottom of the stock pot you will have grease and browned and blackened bits of the meats, this is a good thing, don't dump it out. This is the "flavor base". Add the chopped garlic and lightly brown.

You can de-glaze the pot with some red wine if you like.

Add your puree and crushed tomatos to the pot, along with the dried spices, salt, pepper, sugar, cinnamon (just a little, it shouldn't be easily identifiable in the sauce, just a "hidden secret" in there), crushed pepper, bring to a simmer/ low boil, reduce heat, and let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every few minutes.

DON'T LET IT STICK!!! All the browned stuff in the bottom will dissolve. You can add a cup or two of red wine or some water to the mix, normally it's a bit too thick.

Add back all the meats(pepperoni too) you browned earlier are now added back to the sauce/gravy. Including any drippings they left behind while sitting. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for at least 1 hour, remember you didn't cook them all the way through. Simmer for as long as you want after that, the longer the better, I normally let it go for a few hours. REMEMBER TO STIR, DON'T LET IT STICK!!! This is not the time to be painting the family room, get a book or magazine and sit at the kitchen table and read.

Taste and adjust the spices as you go to get your desired flavor. Add tomato paste if it too thin. Sauce is a very personal thing, I like mine sweet with a bit of a kick. You may want it different.


I like to use boneless chicken breasts and pork chops in this recipe, makes things easier, but there are people who say the meat is tastier cooked on the bone.

Any questions, just ask.
__________________

[caretaker]

This is my variation of a recipe I found online several years ago.
IMO - Delicious!!
Of course it uses BACON!!

1 1/2 pounds of bacon -- chopped (minimum)
3/4 pound soft butter (a whole pound if you want)
3-4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Chili Powder to taste
coarse black pepper to taste
oregano to taste (or Italian Combo seasoning)
3-4 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Old Bay
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2-3 pounds peeled large shrimp - at least 26-30 size
1-2 pounds of your favorite pasta

Preheat oven to 375.

Fry bacon (not crispy), add butter and all other ingredients except shrimp.
Simmer together 5-8 minutes.

Put shrimp in an open baking dish and pour sauce over the top.
Stir once to coat shrimp. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Stir twice during the baking process.

While this is baking get your pasta boiling and cook to your liking.

Drain pasta (do not rinse) and remove shrimp dish from oven.
Spoon some of the shrimp sauce over the pasta and stir.

Make your individual serving as you normally would using the shrimp dish as your pasta sauce.
I like to grate some cheese (Cabot Extra Sharp Hunter Cheddar) over mine.

Enjoy.

[Devilish34]

I don't use recipes so it won't be me I'm old school like my Great Grandma was

[99-LS1-SS]

Subscribing to what has potential to be an epic thread.

[GeorgeInNePa]

I don't use recipes so it won't be me I'm old school like my Great Grandma was

You could still give us a Devilish34 dish and a general idea of what goes in it. It's not rocket science.



Or are they "Top Secret"?

[Devilish34]

You could still give us a Devilish34 dish and a general idea of what goes in it. It's not rocket science.



Or are they "Top Secret"?

Only my coleslaw I do a lot of 2-3 finger pinches and tasting bad part
is I'm usually full just after cooking big meals for family.

[R.Penguin]

Most of us enjoy good food and like to eat. In the past 10 months I have read about everyones cooking and seen pics of dishes so I thought I would sticky a thread for just recipes from the different regions. George is the man so far. Can someone knock him off the throne(not that one! )

Well, I am extremely proud of all the board members to note that there are NO recipes (so far) for baked, fried, BBQ'd, broiled, sauté'ed, grilled, scalded or minced penguin. ............Minced! Ewwwww....*shudder*, I think I'm gonna be sick!
..

[stryker g8gt]

if you guys can handle a great Chili recipe using cubed beef and not Ground beef... I'll post it up. But in contains Tequilla.........

(made $1500.00 in one contest, the only contest I entered it in, got first place, and people's choice award). And never made it agian..figured I should get out while on top..LOL....Actually I did the contest to win money for a local school, for some kitchen needs.


P.S. for a variation i guess you could use diced penguin, but I hear it is tough meat.

[R.Penguin]

"but I hear it is tough meat."

Tougher than an old Army boot! In addition, due to our addiction to rotten, been left in the sun too long putrid fish guts, penguins are not as tasty as they are good looking.