I wonder if you could try the regular bacon method of cooking in water - it certainly makes it juicier, imo.
That was my mom’s mom… we had to guard our plates with hands over to stop the onslaught - unguarded meant she could add some more 
(kinda like going to a churrascaria, now that I think of it!) We lost her at 92, a decade ago now, but I think of her almost every day and it always brings a smile to my heart.
May your grandmother’s love give you strength, and her memory be a source of happiness always. I’m so sorry for your loss.
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More sous viding tonight - I had a boneless leg of lamb in the fridge but I didn’t want to cook the whole thing at once, so I trimmed it down to a large steak-ish shape. The trimmings will be ground for Shepherd’s Pie, and the “steak” (which was actually the size of a typical chuck roast; about 2 inches thick and 2.5 lbs) spent three hours in a 132 degree sous vide bath, followed by a quick sear. Delicious - maybe my new favorite way of preparing lamb. The sous vide process kind of brings out the gamy flavor (which I love) and also tenderized the meat (which IMO can sometimes be a bit tough, especially when cooked medium rare). Served with cauliflower puree and gravy made with copious amounts of roasted garlic, wine, rosemary and the sous vide juices.
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I can always count on you! 
I have never heard of using water with bacon.
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Awwwww, Dave. Poor you!
These are five of the last six oysters, about six weeks since delivery, and still hanging on for deer life. The sixth oyster gave such a valiant effort, I thought it only fair that I just eat it, and forgo the money shot.
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Leftovers again tonight (yes, there’s a pattern of too much food on weekends, and also of me refusing to waste, and the leftover-haters have somehow acquiesced, lol).
We made a Mexican-ish spread for Saturday’s dinner with guests over - enchiladas suiza (cheese inside), black beans and rice (this was actually Cuban congri using the sorta-recipe from friends who brought it over the previous weekend), chicken in a green mole (my mashup of a Rick Bayless recipe and my shortcut verde sauce using tomatillo salsa), and esquites (actually following a recipe, lol).
Tonight we’ll have the leftover congri, chicken, enchiladas, and some roasted cauliflower for a fresh vegetable.
Oh, I also had a little snack before dinner - toasted and charred homemade bread with fresh ricotta, olive oil, s&p, and a drizzle of honey. Y.U.M.
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A silent Budweiser toast to your grandma. Bless her heart.
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Budweiser was her favorite beer. So cheers to that!
And thank you all for the condolences. Much appreciated. You guys are awesome!
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I’m so sorry to hear this news @gcaggiano. May her memory shine as brightly as she did in life. Take good care.
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Oops. Two weeks since delivery, and dear life, not deer life. 
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Seester got some salmon from a client. Did one in the oven with a miso mayo. Crispy skin, but i burned it a bit. The other I did in a pan. Tried to make a beurre blanc, but jezuslord, I can’t emulsify worth shit. Still tasty, drizzled over the fish and asparagus, with a little lemon. both were a little more done inside than we wanted, as they were pretty small pieces, but not terrible. Still tender inside, a titch over medium rare. I rarely cook salmon, so i was mostly happy with these, but we’re going to try again with the other 2 pieces she has left in the freezer.
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Cheers to your grandma Greg. My grandmother was the rock of my family and her cooking was what inspired me. To this day I’m still required to make her dishes for thanksgiving and her candy for the holidays. Every time I make those recipes the memories come back and make me smile.
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Yeah, getting colloids right is a real pain, isn’t it. grin I have some stories but they all seem to include engines and boats and one the US Coast Guard (Semper Paratus!) and much as I tried I couldn’t work any into “What’s for Dinner.”
Dinner last night was chicken enchiladas. Homemade sauce which came out wonderfully and made me proud of myself. Overdid the tortillas a bit so wound up with a sort of casserole thing since they wouldn’t roll. The stuffing ended up a little more incendiary than I intended so dinner took a while to eat, punctuated with extra wine and nose blowing. Not exactly elegant. I think using Ro-Tel and chilis in adobo was over the top.
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I made some beef rendang yesterday following a recipe from Cradle of Flavor by James Oseland. This recipe can also be found online here:
The recipe itself is pretty easy to prepare (I used macadamia nuts rather than candlenuts and left out the daun salam leaves) but does take a long time to cook. Took me around 5 hours with some stirring every 15 minutes or so to keep it from sticking too much. Oseland writes that the beef goes on “a fascinating journey” and indeed it did. At the end of the process the beef browns in the separated oil and fat. I think it came out pretty good. I had some tonight with plain white basmati rice and some stir fried broccolini. And a glass of a nice red blend from Napa Valley.
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Loving these photo series.
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Meatballs and sweet peppers atop a thick slab of toasted country bread with a salad of CSA lettuce.
Your food must touch for this to be satisfying. You want a glorious, juicy mess with toasted bread beneath for crunch and chew. Best eaten with a steak knife to cut through the hearty toast.
Usually I do this with gigante beans in a tomato sauce, rather than meatballs. Originally I was riffing on beans on toast. Now I realize it’s about “saucy stuff that I like on toast.”
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What a spectacular view and meal!
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