A. took the boys to Tucson on Tuesday, which is quite obvious in my cooking. In that I kind of . . . stopped. But don't worry! We still ate.
Friday
Short version: Cube steak tacos, Mexican slaw, pinto beans
Long version: I found one more package of cube steaks in the freezer, which I marinated with olive oil, vinegar, chile powder, and cumin, then seared and cut thin for tacos.
They were a little bland, unfortunately, but nothing a little salsa couldn't fix.
Saturday
Short version: Miss Amelia's chicken soup, bread and butter, leftover tacos
Long version: I hadn't taken any meat out to thaw and was vaguely planning on making tuna patties when Miss Amelia's daughter showed up with a large jar of soup her mother had made for us. It was a chicken soup with celery, potatoes, carrots, and I think barley. Or maybe brown rice. Something kind of chewy, at any rate.
In any case, it was good. That's what most of us had. A. and Charlie, who is not a soup fan, had the rest of the cube steak plus three leftover kibbeh heated up with salsa and put in tortillas with cheese.
Sunday
Short version: Beef ribs, accidental tongue, roasted potatoes, green salad
Long version: Yeah, about that tongue . . . I did not want the tongue from the cow we bought last year. But somehow I ended up with a package clearly labeled "tongue."
Not clearly enough, apparently, as I grabbed it thinking it was another package of beef ribs and didn't realize until after everything had braised for several hours that there was one thing in there that looked nothing like ribs. Because it was a tongue.
A tongue is very, very identifiable, FYI. I mean, it looks just like what it is. And cows have very large tongues.
I've never cooked a tongue before--and wouldn't have this time had I known what it was--but I think they're supposed to be peeled first. You know, to get rid of the tough covering that has the tastebuds on it. (GROSS.)
I was kind of slicing it open and examining the edible part inside when Cubby wandered into the kitchen and asked what was for dinner.
Could I resist? No. I stuck the very-recognizable large tongue right in his face and cheerily said, "Cow tongue!"
His response? "NO WAY! Hey Charlie, we're having cow tongue for dinner!"
So then we had to have cow tongue for dinner.
It tasted fine, although the texture was a little soft for me. The kids liked it. Nevertheless, I couldn't face more dissection of the tongue, and cut up what was left for the dogs. They liked it, too.
Monday
Short version: Meat+rice+cheese, Mexican-style
Long version: This was the remainder of the meat from the beef ribs (NOT THE TONGUE) that I put in the skillet with some green chiles and salsa before adding the cooked rice and shredded cheese.
Tuesday
Short version: Vegetable and bean soup, bread and butter, cheese
Long version: A. left early this morning with the boys to go to Tucson to see family, leaving just Poppy and me at home. It was horribly windy and I was freezing all day. So I made soup, because vegetable soup and cheese is my idea of a perfect meal. And there were no militant carnivores around.
Wednesday
Short version: Second verse, same as the first
Long version: More soup. More cheese. More bread. Why cook again if I don't have to? WHEEEE!
Sampling the chocolate chip cookies we made this day. Also whee.
Thursday
Short version: Fried rice, chocolate chip cookies
Long version: In honor of the holiday, I decided we should have something other than leftovers. Although, since I used leftover rice and leftover roasted bell pepper and onion in the fried rice, I'm not sure it counts.
Please admire my fancy Thanksgiving tablescape:
Paper-plate-and-Dixie-cup turkey courtesy of Jack's preschool Thanksgiving craft project.
Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?
5 comments:
When I was growing up my parents raised a small herd of beef cattle, to butcher for family & neighbors. My mom would pickle the beef heart & tongue. I remember my dad sitting at the kitchen table cutting off pieces of the tongue & eating it. Taste buds NOT removed, but maybe the pickling made it softer or less tough.
S - take out
S - Italian breaded baked pork chops, mashed potatoes, broccoli
M - salmon patties, roasted potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, & green beans
T - husband not home for dinner, so roasted potatoes & mushrooms, grilled cheese sandwich
W - baked chicken, steamed carrots, sautéed spinach & mushrooms, garlic bread
T - Thanksgiving Buffet
F - leftovers
Linda
Sounds like a good week - you deserve a break!
Sat - chili bake off - Shannon won first place!
Sunday - chicken pot pie with biscuits on top.
Monday -chili leftovers
Tuesday - chicken tenders and tater tots. Corn.
Wednesday - sandwiches and leftover tater tots. Salad
Thursday - typical Thanksgiving feast. Did you know Mac and cheese is evidently a “must” for turkey day? In my mind, it’s turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole and potatoes. But I’m open to adding to it! (like our now mandatory corn casserole and a ham).
Friday - duh. Leftovers.
Sat we have a party based around a football game and thanksgiving (we’re bringing a cherry Angel Food cake)
And Sunday a birthday dinner at the Melting Pot.
All the eating.....
An update on the tongue...I spoke with a butcher & he said that yes, the part of the tongue with the taste buds is tough & not meant to be eaten, although it is fairly easy to be peeled off the part of the tongue meant to be eaten. So either, my mom took this tough part off & the meat underneath still had the imprints of the taste buds or my dad just peeled before eating.
Linda
I grew up eating (but not enjoying) beef tongue. Apparently it was a rather cheap cut of meat. My mom peeled it, but you could still see little bumps/taste buds on the surface. It probably wasn't horrible, but I was put off by the look of a giant tongue on a platter. I always got the tip, since it was supposedly more tender. My kids thought I made all this up, until I showed them a tongue in a local butcher's case. Ugh.
On tongue: It's been enjoying a bit of a fad on the NYTimes cooking site (I weakened and subscribed--). My feeling is that it actually tastes pretty good, and the stock in which it is cooked is extremely useful. Here's the thing: it needs to be braised a LONG time and peeled or de-skinned or whatever while it is warm but not cold. Then one can return it to the stock to finish cooling. When one wants to use it, it is best to slice it nicely or chop it finely. Chopped, it's supposed to be good in tacos. Sliced, it's good in sandwiches. Or one could chop and make a meat salad out of it for sandwiches. It would probably be very good as a tongue and ham salad. Once it has been converted from its original shape, it's much more palatable. And it makes great dog scraps. Once I tried cooking a tongue that seemed to have a particularly fatty stem. By the time I had finished trimming it, little was left but the dogs were happy--
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