What's cookin' on Chewsday, April 13th, 2010?

buckytom

Grill Master
i'm finally going to get around to my battle fennel entry today. it'll be grilled whole trout stuffed with thinly sliced red onion, fennel, and thyme that's been drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

what's on your menu for today, tax day minus 2?
 

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
Doc's competition seems to have got these threads started really early.

I have been asked to make chicken & vegetable pie today. I need to go get some puff pastry though.
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
:yum: Hey BT, congrats, you have another entry in the Win a NCT Apron thread. Lucky number 13. :thumb: :D

I know we are having chicken breasts tonight, not sure but probably marinaded in Italian dressing and having them over a garden salad.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
thanks again, doc.

if the trout comes out as good as last time, i'll call it a tnt and post a recipe and pics.
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
So I defrosted a piece of flap steak. Then I didn't leave work until late. Then my brother called to get help doing his HUD financials (which are past due of course). It was 9:00 before I could think about supper, and I just couldn't face any prep work.

So we had CONEYS! Now for all you folks who come from New York, New Jersey, or other parts of the country, just hold on to your comments for a minute. Michiganders will know what I'm talking about. Coney Islands have nothing to do with New York or an amusement park. You cannot get them with pickles, relish, catsup, or a 'walk in the garden'. They were started by a couple of Greek brothers, but they really don't taste of any Greek flavors.

Some may say a coney is a hot dog. Others may call it a chili dog. It's neither. It's a Coney.

First, the bun must be steamed - not toasted. Soft and squishy.

The hotdog MUST have a casing. It's not a coney without the 'snap'. Nathan's will do as a stand-in in a pinch, but the true authentic dog is a Dearborn Sausage or a Kogel's hot dog. You might heat the hotdogs in water at first, but whether or not you do, they must be finished on the griddle. No soggy dogs.

Then there's the chili! This is not chili as most folks know it - it's a meat sauce. There is no tomato product, no chili peppers. You can definitely taste cumin in the spice mix, but for the most part it's a flavor that's unrecognizable. That's because the finely ground meat in it is beef heart. Now you can find lots of 'copycat' recipes out there for the chili, but you'll never achieve this taste, because they all start with hamburger. I've seen recipes that boil the burger first. I've seen recipes that use ground up hot dogs. But the only way to get the real 'coney' flavor is to use ground beef heart. (Most Michiganders don't like to acknowledge this little bit of information! We just overlook it and pretend it's hamburger). I order the chili from National in a frozen 5-pound block. Add a little water and use as needed.

There are only 2 optional toppings; mustard & chopped raw onion. With or without. Regular or heavy. That's it.

It's truly a taste of home! All you Michigan ex-pats, be assured. If I can have coneys in Florida, you can have them wherever you are!
 

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buckytom

Grill Master
very interesting about coneys, ss. i guess the basic connection to coney island is that's where the standard hot dog was popularized in america back in the 1870's based on old german recipes.

'round here, coneys would be called texas weiners, strangely enough. "one all the way" has a boiled then griddled dog, mustard, raw onion, and texas weiner sauce which is just as you described. i could never figure out what kind of meat they used, but beef heart could be the ticket.

anywho, my trout came out great tonight, along with grilled asparagus and the remaining fennel. recipe to be posted soon. :a1:
 
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