The Little Red Hen

April 10, 2011

Week 15 - Animal=Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens are very similar to chicken and equally delicious, just smaller.  The Cornish hens were split in half and seasoned with a dry rub of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon peel, and paprika.  They were grilled over a combination of direct and indirect heat.  The Spouse took the obligatory two bites.  However, she is currently in protest as evident by the vegetarian tofu dish she made for her dinner.  She is apparently no longer eating meat unless it is the two bites she has agreed to (Travesty).  In addition to the hens, chicken was also prepared using the same rub. 

Non-Meats
The Spouse gave me a grill frying pan for my birthday. I used the pan to saute bell peppers and sweet onions over direct heat.  The non-meats were seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. 


Till next week...

T-Bone steaks and bratwursts

March 19, 2011

T-bones were on sale at Schnucks for a price that was too cheap to pass up.  They looked like and tasted like steaks.  Brats were delightful.  Nuff said.

Pulled Pork

March 27, 2011

Pork was brined for 24 hours in a kosher salt and molasses brine.  After the first 24 hours it was drained and left to sit in the fridge for an additional 12 hours. 

Cherry wood was used to smoke the pork for approximately 8 hours on an indirect fire. 

Could have used additional time on the grill.  Will modify for next time.  Better pictures will be presented with the next pork butt.

Study Break Bratwursts

April 2, 2011

Hungarian Bratwursts to procrastinate from dissertation.

Crawdads Should Stay in the Mud

April 3, 2011

Week 14- Animal= Crawdads

This will be a very brief entry.  The crawdads were grilled in a Kitchen-aide grill pan over direct heat for only a few minutes.

The taste was very much like licking the inside of an old tacklebox.  (Not that I have experience with that or anything).

They will not be making it into the rotation.  According to my wife they taste nothing like lobster.  Curse you Jamie Andrews. 

Lone Elk; Not Just a Park Anymore

March 27, 2011

Week 13-Animal=Elk

Elk burgers.  One would think that they would closely resemble beef burgers, or possibly even bison burgers...alas they did not. 

Burgers had a very gamey taste to them and a texture that could only be described as....odd. 

Seasoned ground elk with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Grilled over direct heat for approximately 3-4 minutes a side. 

The two bite rule was in effect for the Spouse.  As for the Boy...a poke with his index finger is as far as we got.  He even did not enjoy the potato spears, as demonstrated by the raspberry blowing and frantic wiping of the mouth. 

Burgers were served on English muffins and topped with cheddar cheese (both of which are excellent with burgers)

I thought the burgers were ok and finished about half of mine.  Could have been a lot better.  Oh well.

Way Down in the Bayou

March 19, 2011

Week 12 - Animal=Alligator

This week marked a historic point in this Carnivore Quest.  The Spouse and Boy both survived past the two bite rule.  Shock was evident on my face.  Not only did the Spouse eat the Cajun seasoned alligator skewers, she also ate bratwurst.  The boy also enjoyed the chicken brats.  Must have done something right. 

The alligator fillets were soaked in milk for about 2 hours to remove some of the gaminess.  They were then sliced into inch pieces and coated with a mixture of spices and herbs.  The herb/spice mixture is as follows:

• Paprika
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper

The alligator pieces were placed on bamboo skewers and allowed to rest. 

Along with the alligator skewers, I grilled Hungarian bratwursts and Chicken bratwursts (both from Kenrick's).  All were grilled over direct heat without any wood or smoke. 

The alligator was a little chewy, but had a nice flavor and was not gamy at all.  The spice mixture proved to be a good compliment to the meat. 

As of now, alligator could find its way into the rotation on special occasions.  Till next time...