Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Stracotto, aka Italian Pot Roast

I watched a YouTube video the other day and decided to make this recipe. The video is from the dude on Sip and Feast, but you can see his recipe on his website "Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast)." 

I followed his recipe for the most part but made some slight changes. And I'm making this post here, so I can easily find it again. 

We have a number of chuck roasts in the freezer, so I'm looking for ways to use them. 

Ingredients

1 chuck roast

8 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped finely

2 carrots, peeled and shredded on a box grater

3 ribs of celery, shredded on a box grater

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of red wine--I used a Cabernet

2 cups of beef stock

4 large bay leaves

A healthy smidge of Penny's Tuscan Sunset seasoning

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

Process 

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Use a large Dutch oven with a lid. Dry off the chuck roast and cut slits into the side of the roast. Insert the slivers of garlic into the roast and liberally salt and pepper the roast. 

Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven on medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides. Set aside the roast. 

Move the heat to medium, add the onions, add salt, and add a bit of water (1/4 cup) to remove the bits off the bottom of the oven. Cook the onion for roughly 8 minutes and then add the shredded carrots and celery. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until really soft.

Add the tomato paste and cook for just a minute and incorporate it into the veggie mixture. Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits off the bottom of the oven. Simmer the wine for about 10 minutes.  

Add in the beef stock, remaining garlic that has been chopped finely, bay leaves, and seasoning. 

Turn off the heat, put the roast into the braising liquid, secure the lid, and pop it into the oven for three hours. 

Take out the roast and check the internal temperature. Tent some aluminum foil over the top of it and let it rest. Skim off the fat/grease in the pot by using paper towels. 

Shread the beef and return it to the Dutch oven. 

I served mine with linguini, but you can easily put this over mashed potatoes.  

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

I am pretty sure this recipe is inspired by P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps, but if I remember right, that restaurant does lettuce wraps with chicken, not beef. At least that's what Mrs. Nasty thinks.

I found this recipe on The Washington Post, but I modified it a bit since I don't have "Shaoxing wine" or dry sherry. I just used a chardonnay. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup of water

3 tablespoons of oyster sauce

2 tablespoons of white wine

1 lb. of ground beef

1 medium poblano pepper, chopped finely

1/2 of a bell pepper, chopped finely

5 green onions, chopped thinly

1 tablespoon of Sambal Oelek

1 tablespoon of minced ginger

1 head of Bibb or Boston lettuce

Process

Make the oyster sauce by whisking the water, oyster sauce, and wine and set aside. 

Brown the beef and drain. 

Add the peppers and scallions and cook until softened. Add in the chile-garlic sauce and ginger and cook for less than a minute. Stir in the beef and oyster sauce. 

Serve by putting the beef mixture into lettuce leaves as wraps. 

Sunday Hangover: Mercer

This game turned out the way we thought it would. 

It was the annual warm-up game before the Iron Bowl, but with the schedule changed with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC, so Alabama had this game before the trip to Norman and the home game versus Auburn. 

Lots of players got into the game, which is good, and I don't think there were any significant injuries that I know of. 

Simpson and Mack looked good playing quarterback. And I think that will be the quarterback competition barring a new recruit who might make it interesting. 

It'll be a good game versus Oklahoma next Saturday. The Crimson Tide better be ready. 

It remains to be seen if Alabama can make the SEC Championship game if they win out. I don't know how they'll determine the two teams without divisions. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Spinach-Artichoke Dip

I got Colbert's Does This Taste Funny? cookbook a while back, and I've been trying out the recipes. All of them I've done have been good so far. 

I made the warm artichoke dip, but Mrs. Nasty called for spinach in it, so I adapted Colbert's recipe. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup of mayo

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup of cooked spinach, drained

1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika 

Process

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, add all these ingredients together and transfer to an oven-safe bowl of some sort. Sprinkle paprika on top of the concoction. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes, take it out, and let it cool for approximately 10 minutes. 

Music Friday: "Disconnect" & "Fool"

I'm angry. 

These songs go out to a nation full of fools. For people who actually critically think and follow facts, these are dark times. 

Sunday Hangover: LSU

The much ballyhooed Death Valley was not all that deadly. 

Jalen Milroe was a one-man wrecking crew against LSU last night. He had four running touchdowns and 185 net rushing yards on 12 rushing attempts. 

Miller was the leading receiver, which is kind of a surprise. But Alabama had a lot of designed plays for the running back. 

On defense the Tide gave up way too many yards on first down for my liking. However, they didn't give up a touchdown until garbage time in the fourth quarter. 

Lawson and Campbell had excellent games. Lawson had that crucial interception, and Campbell had the strip-sack after Alabama failed to convert on a fourth and short. 

If the defense can play like they did last night, the Tide might have some chances if they make the playoffs. 

There are three games left with a home game versus Mercer, a trip to Norman to play Oklahoma, and the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa. 

Don't screw this up, Alabama. 

Music Friday: "Until the Day Is Done"

After the results of this Tuesday, this song seems appropriate. 

"The battle's been lost. The war is not won./ An addled republic, a bitter refund." 

Keep fighting for what's right and all people's rights. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Disappointed Man Cocktail

I just made this cocktail, and I kind of like it. 

I'm going to name it what I am, a disappointed man. 

Ingredients

2 oz. of bourbon--I used Evan Williams, but I would prefer something stronger like Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester 100, Evan Williams Bonded, or Benchmark Bonded, et al. 

Ginger ale

Healthy dashes of bitters

Process

In a Collins glass, put in four ice cubes. Add the bourbon, refrigerated ginger ale, and few healthy dashes of bitters. 

Drink and feel your anxiety. 

Music Friday: "Halloween"

I shared the album video on social media yesterday because of the holiday, but here I'm also providing a live version. 

We need a new album from her. 

Soon...

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Taco Seasoning

We got some homemade taco seasoning from a friend last Xmas. This is my modification of the recipe. I like using this stuff instead of those store-bought taco seasonings that have maltodrextin in it, which is a terrible ingredient. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of chili powder

1/4 cup of ground cumin

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika 

3 teaspoons of regular paprika

3 teaspoons of garlic powder

3 teaspoons of onion powder

2 teaspoons of Penzey's Tuscan Sunset seasoning

2 teaspoons of dried cilantro

2 teaspoons of black pepper

2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons of kosher salt. 

Process

Mix up this stuff. 

After you've cooked the meat you're using for tacos, drain off the grease. Clean your skillet with a paper towel and return the meat to the skillet. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the seasoning and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for about five minutes or so until thick. 

Sunday Hangover: Mizzou

It's been a while since an Alabama defense had a shutout. I'd like to see more of them. 

Sure, Mizzou had some guys out and the Tide knocked out their starting quarterback, but it was good to see a number of three-and-outs yesterday. 

I've always been an advocate of having a strong running attack, and that's what we got in this game with Alabama rushing for 271 net yards. Miller had two touchdowns, Haynes had a phenomenal run for a TD, and Milroe had a rushing touchdown. 

The passing game was more modest, and it seems Milroe is still trying to force it to Williams. Bernard had a solid game as the leading receiver with five grabs. 

The second bye week comes at a good time to get players healed up before the trip to LSU.  

Music Friday: "Reach Down"

This song was playing on the SiriusXM Pearl Jam radio channel when I drove to work this morning. 

Great album all around. 

Musing of the Moment: George Will on Immigration

I am decidedly a left-leaning person politically, but one of the many good aspects of having a subscription to The Washington Post is that George Will writes opinion columns for the newspaper. 

Sometimes I agree with him. Sometimes I think he's off his rocker because of his belief in traditional conservatism. 

Recently he had an interesting column that's worth your time. It talks the changing demographics in the world and how immigration, which he gets to at the end, is probably a good thing for the U.S. 

What a concept. 

Here's the article: "Amid Shrinking Demographics Worldwide, the U.S. Needs Immigration." 

Sunday Hangover: Tennessee

That is three frustrating games in a row in which the massive talent that Alabama has on its roster did not come through. 

Three is a row is a trend. 

Milroe, who was a Heisman hopeful, was inconsistent as Hell. The interception in the end zone was just, flat out, a bad throw. He should do better than that. 

While Bernard caught some passes, Milroe has to get other receivers involved other than Ryan Williams. 

The defense played well in the first half, but as we've seen before, after the half the other team made some adjustments, and the Tide didn't seem to do the same. 

I don't know what Alabama will drop down to rankings wise, but the coaching staff has to right the ship because all those penalties are inexcusable. 

Get it together. 

Of the teams I hate Alabama losing to, the Volunteers is one of the top ones. 

Music Friday: "Dear God"

I was doing errands this afternoon, and this tune came on the Sirius 1st Wave channel. The song that preceded it was "Kiss Me on the Bus" by The Replacements, a band I rarely hear played on any of the SiriusXM stations. 

But I've always liked this tune even though the band XTC is not a group I followed back in the day. Great tune though...