The Conservative Cave
Interests => All Things Edible (and how to prepare them) => Topic started by: Mr Mannn on September 19, 2014, 11:28:50 PM
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I'm moving into a new place, its bigger and it has a real KITCHEN. With a full size oven.
So now I have no real excuse not to cook.
Chris is trying to talk me into buying a dutch oven.
I'm going to ease into real live cooking. OK, simple Mannn cooking. But real food. This means I will be sharing experiences with y'all. it may get scary. So you have been warned.
OK, so what is an easy cut of meat to cook? I want my first real meal to involve the death of an animal. I am cooking for one, so I can get away with a smaller cut of meat.
Are you aware of a cooking/dummy website for rank beginners?
and just understand: the horror will not begin until Oct 1st.
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Chris is trying to talk me into buying a dutch oven.
Good call. Cast iron is your friend.
OK, so what is an easy cut of meat to cook? I want my first real meal to involve the death of an animal.
Mmmm... roasted meat.
Beef chuck roast, pork roast, or a roasted chicken. They're all simple to cook. You can roast any of them with some vegetables and make several meals of it.
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This was the recipe I posted earlier this week.
Cider-marinated pork chops for dinner. Don't forget the warm apple pie filling on top.
It turned out better than I expected. I was just using what I had in the cupboard.
1 cup of apple juice
2/3 cup of soy sauce
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of finely-diced onion
I roast or cook the meat in the top half of the dutch oven. The lower half gets relegated to roasting potatoes, parsnips, carrots, or onions about half an hour before the meat goes into the oven. My average dinner is usually a baked potato and roasted meat.
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I'm reading up on dutch ovens and its seems a bit complicated. I have to season the pan, and if i don't do it right I could set off the fire alarm...
This is advanced cooking. I've yet to take a cooking 101 class.
Since I have an oven already, I'm going to start with a roasting pan, and a simple cut of meat.
I can roast beef, chicken, pork and...LAMB! I love lamb, but I've only had it in restaurants.
So roasting animals is #1 on the list. Slow roasting is what I will start out with.
Now a crock pot is small, and doesn't heat a whole apartment. Further it is good for smaller cuts of meat (I'm cooking for one). Is it the same? Can I roast anything in an oven that I could in a crock pot?
I'm not finding a DUmmies guide to cooking...most sites assume you know what you are doing.
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I found cooking help!
You tube has a lot of how to stuff, this is one example:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5gcJjOSDv4[/youtube]
Get a cast iron skillet. Check.
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Ya know, learning the basics can be really fun.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg4E3WqqU1I&list=UU5KehVDZ5M1_aBT1KM7Zo_Q[/youtube]
Still haven't figured out what she's cooking yet...but intense study is what I need.
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Ya know, learning the basics can be really fun.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg4E3WqqU1I&list=UU5KehVDZ5M1_aBT1KM7Zo_Q[/youtube]
Still haven't figured out what she's cooking yet...but intense study is what I need.
Wait, there is cooking in that video?
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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY7mPW9TY2o[/youtube]
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Congrats, Mr. Mannn! You may find you enjoy it as a hobby, now that you'll have more than just a microwave. A roast chicken is very easy and very good. 350 for about an hour and a half. Butter and poultry seasoning are your friends. Chicken goes well with rice, so you can use your rice cooker too. With the leftovers, you can come up with all kinds of inventions.
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My favorite is a pot roast with cut up vegetables. Use a cut of meat like a seven bone roast that will fit the dutch oven. (you can also do this in a roasting pan, but I get better results with the cast iron. I brown the roast on both sides on top of the stove in a small amount of oil. I'm using my cast iron dutch oven for this or do it in a skillet.
Sprinkle a pkg of beefy onion soup on top and add about two cups water. With the lid on, bake for about an hour at 325/350. (all ovens are a little different)
Cut up vegetables in large chunks, (onions, celery, carrots, potatoes) and dump over roast, salt and pepper. Add a little more water if needed and cook another hour. Sometimes I'll add cabbage wedges (if there is room) about thirty minutes into the second hour.
yum
I also like a tri-tip roast. That you just cook in an open pan uncovered. I gauge it about 18 min a pound at 350 for med. Let rest about 10 min. before slicing. Cut against the grain for tenderness.
The drippings at the bottom of the pan are good for making gravy with. Pour off any excess oil and add a cup of water. Stir around the pan scraping up any bits of roast and pour into a sauce pan. You can add this to a rue of butter and flour or I use corn starch dissolved into a cup of water. Stir until thickened.
I'm not a fan of marinades or rubs, but a lot of people are.
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This looks easy.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxoSzOqw4K0[/youtube]
I like lamb!
OK, what goes with Lamb Chops?
Wait. Let me rephrase that. What is bachelor friendly that goes with Lamb chops?
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If I was going to do lamb chops (grilled, not fried) I would serve it with baked sweet potato.