BarbecueStyle or just , Broiled, Planked, Hamburger Steak

If you wish to plank a hamburger or steak, please, please, do so this way. Many of the planks people are now placing their meat on, and allowing to char during the broiling process, can release deadly carcinogens which then penetrate into the meat being cooked. If you are one of those people that just "has to" char or burn something, in order to get that "authentic" out door smoked cooking experience; follow the recipe below to the point of planking the steak; then take that hardware store bought plank, of your choice--place it on your broiler, and let it char-- to your choice of doneness--then continue to follow the recipe and use the type of plank I suggest. You sill still have your smoked taste and smell; but the food will be a lot healthier to eat and you will get a lot more compliments on your presentation and "chef style".

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Canadian Russet potatoes
2 Tbsps butter
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
8 small carrots, cooked and buttered
2 cups peas, cooked and buttered
      Minced parsley

Instructions:
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook, covered, in boiling salted water till tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Add the butter and eggs to potatoes (Duchess); beat till fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Shape ground chuck(usually, the ground meat of choice, flavour-wise) into 4 oval steaks about 1 inch thick. In skillet cook steaks till rare, about 5 minutes per side. Place each on a well-oiled seasoned steak plank (they are usually oval shaped, with a groove around the outer edge, and 3/4 to 1 inch thick--some are designed to hold a cast iron steak sizzler); sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush with butter to "finish". Place Potatoes in pastry bag; pipe onto plank to form border 1 inch larger than steak.
Place 2 planks under broiler or salamander, 4 inches from heat; broil till potatoes brown sightly, about 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining planks. Arrange "baby" carrots and peas (other vegetables may be added, if desired) within potato border; sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

HOME MADE FRANKFURTERS-THEY DON'T PLUMP, NEITHER DO YOU

 Home made Frankfurters- Courtesy of Clark's Meat Market.

Notice-these frankfurters contain, no starches, no potentially contaminated, carcinogenic, or poisonous animal by-products, and no other fillers. Compare this to the label on the ones you buy from the supermarket. Because they contain no starch, these frankfurters will not “plump” like the commercial versions do, when you cook them; but then neither will you when you eat them.

Ingredients

3 feet sheet or small (1/2 inch diameter) hog casings

1 lb lean pork, cubed

3/4 lb. beef, cubed

1/4 pound pork fat (not lard), cubed

1/4 cup very finely minced onion

1 small clove crushed, finely diced

1 tsp. finely ground coriander

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1/4 tsp. ground mace

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. freshly ground, fine white pepper

1 egg white

1-1/2 tsps. sugar

1 tsp. salt or to taste

1/4 cup milk

Instructions

          Prepare the casings (instructions below). In blender or food processor, make a purée of the onion, garlic, coriander, marjoram, mace, mustard, and paprika. Add the pepper, egg white, sugar, salt, and milk and mix thoroughly. Grind the pork, beef, and fat cubes through the fine blade, separately. Mix together and grind again. Mix the seasoning into the meat mixture with your hands

            Chill the mixture for half an hour then put the mixture through the fine blade of the grinder once more. Stuff the casings and twist them off into 6-inch links. Parboil the links (with out separating them) in gently simmering water for 20 minutes. Place the franks in a pot of ice water and chill thoroughly. Remove, pat dry, and refrigerate. Because they are precooked, they can be refrigerated for up to a week or they can be frozen. The frankfurter meat can also be left uncooked and used as any other fresh sausage meat but it will not keep in the refrigerator for more than two days.

Preparing the Casing

          Strip off about four feet of casing (better too much than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later) Rinse the casing under cold running water to remove salt clinging to it. Place in a bowl of cold water and let soak for about half an hour after soaking, rinse the casing under cold running water. Slip one end of casing over the nozzle of facet  Hold the casing firmly on the nozzle, and then turn on the cold water, gently at first and then more forcefully. This procedure will flush out any salt in the casing and pin point any breaks. Should, you find a break, simply cut out a small portion of the casing. Place the casing into a bowl of water and add white vinegar. A Tbsp of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient. The vinegar softens the casing a bit more and makes it more transparent, which in turn makes your sausage more pleasing to the eye. Leave the casing in the water/vinegar solution until you are ready to use it. Rinse well and drain before stuffing. Of course you need a sausage stuffier.

Basic, Home Made, Irish Sausages

Basic, Home Made, Irish Sausages

A classic, traditional, Irish recipe, for a sausage mix. Made from pork meat, pork fat, spices, breadcrumbs, and sage.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. lean pork

½ lb. pork fat, without gristle

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. salt freshly-ground black pepper

Ground ginger, mace, nutmeg, cloves and/or cayenne pepper, to taste Pinch of dried sage (or marjoram)

¼ cup white breadcrumbs (optional)

Preparation:

Combine the meat, and fat; then pass through a grinder- twice. Turn into a bowl and mix thoroughly; with the seasoning.  (The easiest way to do this is to fry and taste about 1 tsp. of the mix, each time you adjust the seasoning; until you get it the way you like it.) Add the herbs and breadcrumbs then use to fill sausage skins, as usual.

Franks and Corn-Meal Patties

Franks and Corn-Meal Patties

Try these instead of sausage for breakfast

Ingredients:

3/4 cup        yellow corn meal

2 tsps.           salt

3 cups         boiling water

1/2 lb.         frankfurters, cooked and ground

                                          or

                             minced very fine

1/4 cup       fat

Method:

            Gradually add meal to salted boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook until thick. Remove from heat. Add frankfurters, mixing will Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto platter; let stand until cold. Cook patties slowly in hot fat until they're browned on both sides. Serves 4.

Frankfurter all in One

Frankfurter all in One

A hearty dish with potatoes, sauerkraut, onion, tomatoes and bacon in addition to frankfurters

Ingredients:

          4 slices       bacon

          1 large       onion, minced

          1 clove        garlic, crushed

          1 can          (29 ozs.) sauerkraut

          1 can          (19 ozs.) tomatoes, undrained

          2 lbs.          frankfurters

          8                 potatoes, boiled in jackets

          1/4 cup       margarine, melted

          2 Tbsps.        caraway seed

          Method:

            Cut bacon in to small pieces; brown with onion and garlic in Dutch oven. Add sauerkraut and tomatoes; cover, and cook slowly on top of stove or in slow oven, 300 F., 1-1/4 hours. Add frankfurters; cook 45 minutes. Arrange frankfurters in center of hot platter, and surround with peeled potatoes, rolled and heated in butter and sprinkled with caraway seed.  Serves 8.

Frankfurter and Lentil Stew

Frankfurter and Lentil Stew

            There are tomatoes, onion, celery, carrots and garlic in it too.

          3/4 cup       dried lentils

          2 cups         water

          1 stalk        celery, fine dice

          1                 carrot, fine dice

          1                 onion, fine dice

          1 clove        garlic, crushed

          1 Tbsp.         margarine

          1 lb.            frankfurters, sliced

          1 can          (19ozs.) tomatoes

          1 tsp.           salt

          1/2 tsp.       sugar

          1                 bay leaf

          1/2 tsp.        black pepper.

            Wash lentils and boil 2 minutes in water. Remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Simmer until tender, adding more water if necessary. Brown onions and garlic in margarine. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 1/2 hour. Add lentils with any liquid; heat. Serves 4.

"Hot-dogs" Are Fine, But, Why Not Class-up Things A Bit, With One of My Frankfurter Recipes.

I do not really like eating "dogs"; my frankfurter recipes(posted in this blog) can create a real MAN'S banquet.