StickyDango

This is the first time ever making beef cheeks. I don't even remember if I've had it before, but it was amaaaaazing. Just falls apart and so melty. You'd think it was marbled with fat to make it that way, but I think it's all of the connective tissues (collagen?) in the cheeks that just melt when you cook it for hours.

At hour 7, I rolled the cheeks over in the juice, and the fork was like a hot knife to butter 🤤

I don't know how my butcher got such big cheeks (lol..) but they were over 450g raw.. So I slow cooked them on high for 9 hours. Worth it.

My plating was no bueno, but you can zoom in and see how luscious the meat is. My stick blender also carked it part way through, so I ended up with bits of unblended carrot, onion, and celery in the gravy. Mashed red potatoes and green beans on the side.

Going to bed happy tonight.

https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-red-wine-beef-cheeks/

I'd like to learn what people in their field think of when they see something good or bad when they're not working.

I'm a health inspector, so when I am sitting at a table as a customer, I'll watch people while I'm eating (not purposely staring, but having a look around the place). I recently saw someone swipe their finger under their nose then go to the self serve station to touch about 8 different handles before walking away. Thankfully, I was already done eating.

When I have to walk through the kitchen to the toilets, I take mental notes without meaning to.

As a ex-first responder, unconsciously doing an assessment of someone I'm speaking to (or not) and internally noting how nice and juicy their veins are.

What are some things you come across in your daily life and what do they have you thinking about?

Most definitely late, but I did make these over the weekend. These are pork and wombok dumplings. The worst part of these is that they take so much time to prepare, but only 5 seconds to eat. However, I don't make these often, and they're worth it. I make extras and freeze them for quick (lazy) meals.

Happy belated Lunar New Year to those who celebrate!

What's your favourite dipping sauce?? When I don't have any sichuan chili oil left, I just use a bit of light soy sauce, and either sesame oil or sichuan chili oil. About 1:2 ratio.

Made roast beef last night, medium rare. Used bolar blade, marinated for 24 hours. Turned out really well, and photo shows that I don't know how to slice meat properly 😂 Also had potatoes and carrots roasting under the meat.

Sandwiches and wraps for the week, for sure!

Edit: It's been a real weird last few days. Slipped my mind to post recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/marinated-roast-beef/

Eggplant and potato moussaka. Snuck in some zucchini to the top layer, and chopped mushrooms to the meat. First time making this and I think it turned out pretty well, just a bit watery. Will simmer the meat for longer next time.

Edit for ingredients from top to bottom: Bread crumbs

Bechemel sauce

Sliced potatoes and zucchini (in place of the missing required eggplant)

Meat mix (including onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, red wine)

Layer of sliced eggplant

It only hit 28C today, and it didn't even feel warm after the 40C+ days. I was so tired today after work that I even settled for what I thought was a soup (I do not have Italian heritage nor have I visited Italy, so I apologise ahead of time for any terms I use incorrectly).

Anyway, it was one pot, and that's exactly what I wanted.

Turned out amazing. I had to tweak the recipe because I didn't have a bunch of the ingredients, but I'd 100% make this again. Threw some pastrami in for protein and flavour.

Onions, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable stock, pastrami, cannelini beans, kidney beans, pepper, and sugar to balance the acidity.

Eaten with Irish soda bread on the side. Saw life exit Irish partner when I dipped it in to olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

And then I tried the soup (?) with olive oil drizzled on top, and it was 🤌 The risoni thickened it up quite a bit, but I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Felt pretty healthy, and I didn't feel sluggish afterwards. No butter, just olive oil. My GP would be pleased.

Sorry for the super close up. I had to keep cropping the photo until it was small enough to upload.

Did the 40km Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail (Victoria, AUS) and had a really nice grilled chicken sandwich at a cafe in Warburton before riding back.

Grilled chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, mayo, cucumbers, cheese on a toasted sourdough bread. This bread was so fresh and so well done that you could hold on to the crust and the bread in the middle would curve around the filling. You could see the bread stretching and it had the tiniest spring when you bit in to it.

It's the most delightful sourdough I've had in a long time. Three Sugars Cafe in Warburton on a Monday afternoon at 1PM, if anyone would like to pay them a visit. $11 for this gem.

In North America, we have McCain hashbrowns that are tiny cubed potatoes you find in the freezer aisle. In Australia, hashbrowns are hashbrowns patties, and we don't have the cubes. I haven't been able to find them anywhere.

I was hit with nostalgia this morning, so I made hashbrowns. Just cut up whatever potatoes I had in to 0.5cm cubes and fried them up in the pan. Fried some onions and capsicum on the side and then added together.

Usually I put in a bit of bacon or sausage, but we're going to a German restaurant for dinner tonight, so I'm saving my fatty meat allocation for later.

Seasoned with Hy's seasoning salt.

Made a 30h slow cooker girello (~~top~~ eye of round) the other day and turned it in to a girello and cheese toastie on sourdough bread for dinner tonight. Mixed in gravy and fermented BBQ sauce with the meat. It's 39C, I'm not making anything elaborate today!

Salad was a mix of cos lettuce, grated carrots, capsicum, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Papaya seed vinaigrette dressing.

Pretty yum and super easy.

I used this recipe for the girello: https://www.craftbeering.com/beef-eye-of-round-roast-slow-cooker/

This for the gravy: https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/beef-broth-brown-gravy/

And this for the papaya seed dressing: https://houseofnasheats.com/papaya-seed-dressing/

Edit: Too many types of rounds. I meant eye of round, not top round.

What it says in the title. Toasted girello and cheese on sourdough bread.

Talking about cheese earlier today and yesterday made me cave... So I had some low fat tasty cheese to satisfy the craving.

Low cholesterol spread and a sprinkle of Achill Island flaked sea salt on the outside, and mixed in gravy and fermented BBQ sauce with the meat.

Had a salad on the side so it balanced the bread, meat and cheese. 😁 Might make the same again tomorrow, this was a pretty good toastie.

Edit: Too many types of rounds. I meant eye of round, not top round.

I hope this makes the sandwich cut. Lunch today.

Cucumber, lettuce, tomato, capsicum, lettuce, red onion, 30h slow cooked pulled girello 🥵, and some gravy made from the drippings. Dijon mustard and Mayo as the sauces.

Managed to keep most of the filling between the buns while eating.

Edit: I should share the recipes. For the girello/top round pulled meat: https://www.craftbeering.com/beef-eye-of-round-roast-slow-cooker/

And the gravy (admittedly not my favourite, but here it is): https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/beef-broth-brown-gravy/

• I felt it was missing a little something something, so I thought I would add back in a little bit of fat to see how it went. I added about a tablespoon (or two?) of salted butter. It was better, but still missing something. Not in any way like KFC gravy, but it pairs well enough with the meat.

It doesn't look like eggplant curry, let's be honest 😂, but it tasted incredible.

I also replaced the coconut cream with cashew cream. Saw a 1.2kg bag for sale at Australia Aldi for 19.99 and said why not. It makes me feel way less guilty about eating creamy foods, which I love. My partner couldn't even tell that I'd replaced the coconut cream/milk. He can stop crying for creamy foods now because I've found an adequate coconut cream/milk replacement (I'm supposed to cut down on saturated fats...).

I doubled the eggplant recipe, and it turned out really well.

Also made some pulled girello yesterday, so I'll post a photo for the sandwich fiends once I get around to making said sandwich.

Eggplant curry: https://www.recipetineats.com/eggplant-curry-south-indian/

Cashew cream: https://detoxinista.com/cashew-cream/