Your Secret Ingredient
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Posted: Jul/02/2007 6:39 PM PST
I read once that most cooks have the same basic ten meals in their repertoire. I bet we all regularly cook spaghetti, lasagna, meat loaf, pot roast, chili...those meals where you don't even need to look up the recipe. What makes one of your old standbys special? For instance, I learned this trick from my MIL--brown a pork chop and let it simmer in your spaghetti sauce, and it makes the sauce taste richer. What's your secret? |
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Posted: Jul/02/2007 10:05 PM PST
Meat Marinade 1/2 cup Favorite acid...lemon or lime juice, or vinegar...whatever flavor you like 1/3 cup canola oil 2 crushed or slice garlic cloves, sliced gives more flavor 1 Tablespoon A-1 steak sauce 1 tsp. yellow mustard 1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce salt pepper other favorite seasonings...we use Tony Chacherer's Creole seasoning and sometimes onion powder, whatever the mood this recipe is "tweeked" everytime. We pour over the meat of the moment, beef, chicken or pork. Zip bags work great. Marinate for 30min. to 2hrs. Grill to perfection sprinkle with additional salt and pepper while cooking. This knocks our socks off everytime we eat it. Better than any steakhouse we have eaten at and it makes us feel like we have had a treat when the budget is tight. My favorite is a ribeye steak, but not when the budget is tight  . Hope you try and enjoy.
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JanetsFamily
 
Joined: 6/06/2007 Location: SF Bay Area, CA -Climate Best by Government Test! Posts: 325 |
Posted: Jul/02/2007 11:20 PM PST
We use Tony's on everything! My mom brought a few cans out with her when she visited in May, my honey is a chef and he uses it all the time. |
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Posted: Jul/03/2007 4:03 AM PST
Yup ~ I often toss pork bones into my spaghetti sauce. Also a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and a generous slosh of sweet vermouth! Oh, and for the favorite acid in that delicious-sounding meat marinade, try pineapple juice ~ makes a great difference! I could probably think of more, but it's early  Oops ~ btw ~ did I ever post my famous 3-meat-sauce recipe here? Much to my stunned surprise, I actually won first place in a contest with 53,000 participants ~ me???! I promise to post it soon ~ work today ~ ack! |
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Posted: Jul/03/2007 7:24 AM PST
I bet Pineapple juice would be great, I would eliminate the mustard and A-1 then let some shrimp soak in that for about 15 min. ITS ONLY 9:30 IN THE MORNING!! I need to go to the store!! LOL |
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Posted: Jul/04/2007 10:08 AM PST
I'm pretty consistent. My kids say I add "bland" to everything I cook. lol I'm not a salt user so I don't even think about adding it usually. Nobody has ever died or gotten skinny from my cooking so I don't think it's too bad. 
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Posted: Oct/13/2007 10:20 AM PST
Insnt it cute...when the babies start teaching the Momma's?! I can cook anything...But must admitt.I somtimes mess up on roasts!My son taught me this trick..it has neer failed!!! Set oven to 500 for every 1lb of meat,cook the roast 5 min example: a 5lb rost,would be cooked for 25 min! Shut the oven off,after the alotted cooking time, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR, for 2 hrs!! A perfect roast every time cooked med rare! My trick I add chopped garlic to a pack of onion soup mix,and pour it over the meat,If I have time I insert lil slices of slivered garlic into my roast! DId you also know...the smaller you slice or chop the garlic...the stronger it gets? Try this...you'll be shocked! It works!!! Mangia! |
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Posted: Oct/31/2007 2:22 PM PST
My trick with a pot roast (and I do not like fatty meats!) is to get the fattiest cut I can, measure at and extra pound than you would have. Do nothing to it but toss it in a covered baking dish. NOTHING. 250 degrees and let it sit for about 5 hours. Add spice (my secret with beef is a bit of caraway seed) and taters, carrots, cook them up and eat! |
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Posted: Oct/31/2007 7:07 PM PST
I never heard that one, RK! Where did you come up with that? No water? It comes out really tender and moist? |
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Posted: Nov/03/2007 1:14 PM PST
Haha, just last year when I took my Wife home to visit family. My Mom did that , per her hubby's secret and I will never do it differently. It creates all the juice it needs at that low temp with all the extra fat, and must be good for you as it is natural fat. Of course we only order free range, no hormone, 100% organic beef from a rather local ranch so the beef is different. Read up on the differenced between grain fed and grass fed beef and you will see what I mean. The difference of night and day, and it does not cost us too much extra, if any. Our cost: 15 lb ground, three 3 1/2 to 4 lb roasts, 2 t-bone, 2 new york strip. $175.00 and with butcher packages takes 1 cubic square foot of space in our freezer. This is well worth the flavor and health benefits. Our rancher does chickens too, 1/2 cornish bred with 'regular' so if you don't put your year long 'wants' in at the start, you are *BEEP* out of luck. Beefalo, and others, but we stick with chickens and beef as we have KIDDOS and they are expensive, haha. Check on any local ranch or mail order after you read up. you may be surprised! |
