Killin it guys!! Makes me happy for your tumtums.

We made homemade takeout Chinese food, and it came out SPECTACULAR. This is not my first attempt, but I will say it's my first effort since getting on the super cooking wagon. And the internet is a thing...lol. I barely EVER follow recipes except for baking, and even then I normally don't use recipes...except for Hershey's Ultimate Chocolate Cake (Its on the back of the cocoa tub, and uses hot water). AMAZING cake right there.

I am always on the hunt for ideas for dinner. Somehow in my internet travels, I came across a recipe for 'Easy Mongolian Beef' a week ago and bookmarked it. Fast forward a few days and I find myself at the hypermart, more specifically BJs, where the big packages live. They have an outstanding meat department with very fair prices if you've never been. So this recipe calls for a pound and a half of flank steak. You take a razor sharp knife and cut ¼" thick diagonal slices across the grain, and then cut those strips into 3 or 4 pieces....just like gorgeous takeout beef. Put a ½c or so of cornstarch in a ziplock and shake and bake the beef chunks. Then the beef gets pan seared in a couple tablespoons of oil at high temperature. Use long sleeves...lol, it's a spattering mess. After that the beef comes out and the veggies go in very precisely. It's just ginger, garlic and scallion, which is the takeout trinity affectionately known as GGS. We also added some lightly steamed broccoli that was not in the recipe. Then goes in the sauce ingredients, which is dark brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce. WOWSA. And so easy.

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I also made pork fried rice. I read the very killer page on seriouseats.com about the secrets to perfect fried rice. The biggest thing is the rice itself. Everyone says use day old rice, but there is an even better way: boil the rice and then spread it into a cookie sheet to let it dry out. Put a fan over it and it will only take about an hour. You want it dry but not stale, and break up the clumps. The other main secrets of fried rice are use a carbon steel wok on wide open heat and also to use Jasmine rice. Don't overload the pan either, fry it in small batches which go in a bowl and then brought back together at the end. I only have a cast iron, so I preheated the pan in the oven at about 550°F, and then it went on the wide open burner. Add a smidge of oil and it's GOTTA be smoking. Hot. As. Fuck. Made some awesome little pork sticks in the broiler, similar to Char-Siu pork. No red food coloring sadly. [emoji26]. I fuckin forgot the peas though!!! It has carrots, onions, scallions, eggs, pork and rice. I didn't yet have jasmine rice, but I will next time for sure. Seasoned with light soy, a splash of terriyaki, and a splash of sesame oil.

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The verdict: I made BOMB takeout style food!! The flank steak is absolutely the PERFECT cut to use for your takeout beef dishes. Next time I will only steam the broccoli for 3 mins, and use about ⅓ less sugar, and come harder with the GGS. Some Asian mushrooms would be killer in here too instead of broccoli. It is somewhat similar to sesame beef, but with no sesame. Similar sweetness and texture with the cornstarch coated flank. Check below for the link...I highly recommend giving it a go.

Guys....you have GOTTA get one of these Inkbird controllers.

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I hooked the left outlet to a mini heater and the right one to my pond fogger which floats in a bucket. I ran the two probes and the plugs through the intake air 6" hole. I set it up in 5 mins and my tent has been just camping at 79°F/60%, exactly where I set it for the tiny Phisto babies. It's bonkers and only cost about $75. Piece of mind and a rock solid environment???? Yes please. You can even run two units and dedicate one for heating/cooling and the other for humidify/dehumidify. They can handle 15A@120v so should be golden for whatevs. If you're having trouble with being too dry, spend $100 and grab a pond fogger. Jesus Christ this thing is bomb.

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Here is the lil beauties in all their glory basking under the icy cool 5700°K Mean Well powered 561c Samsung Strip contraption. Not quite done yet, probably early next week. It's been a freaking YEAR guys, I'm a farmer again...FINALLY.

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Happy Superbowl Sunday party peeples. Let's see some gameday grub!!!

Here is the link I promised, 5 stars across the board reviews:
https://dinnerthendessert.com/mongolian-beef/

THEY'RE called KAAAAHBS Joe's dad's stuff
 
Now that's just not fair. My goodness, it looks like you could eat those every day. Well done bro. I'm totally stealing this.

THEY'RE called KAAAAHBS Joe's dad's stuff

If ya' steal it, the real key is in the rice. I'll whip up some Spanish rice by taking a cup of regular white rice and toast it in some olive oil in the pan over med-high heat for a few minutes (just enough for some of the kernels to start browning up). While it's toasting, I mix a tablespoon of tomato bullion powder, a dash of garlic powder, and a dash of onion powder in my two cups of water. After toasting, pour in the seasoned water (makes a really satisfying flash boiling sound when it hits that hot oil) and use it to make the rice (bring to boil....lower heat and simmer for rice makers recommended time).

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When rice is almost done, brown up some chorizo. Mix a little of the rice, some onion, little cheese, taco sauce, and a tablespoon or so of cumin in with the browned sausage. Stuff it into halved poblanos in a roasting pan. Pour a little water in bottom of the pan for moisture, cover tightly with foil and roast 'em at 350 for about an hour. Yummy!!!
 
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Some stoner eats in the VERY early stages. My little pepper nursery tent at about day 23. Couple bell varieties, jalapeno, cayenne, and maybe a few ghost pepper plants (they seem to be having the hardest time getting going). :smoking:

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That's an adorable little setup dude. Super clean and easy access. Is that a dedicated pepper garden or is it just ramshackled together with dope gear? Either way, it looks great. I like the little grow bags, so cute. Are they gonna require a transplant or are they going outside? I have never grown peppers before...supposed to do some outside this summer.

THEY'RE called KAAAAHBS Joe's dad's stuff
 
That's an adorable little setup dude. Super clean and easy access. Is that a dedicated pepper garden or is it just ramshackled together with dope gear? Either way, it looks great. I like the little grow bags, so cute. Are they gonna require a transplant or are they going outside? I have never grown peppers before...supposed to do some outside this summer.

THEY'RE called KAAAAHBS Joe's dad's stuff

Just putting some of the grow stuff to use since I can't legally grow cannabis with it anymore out in NV like I could back in CO. I've got several Earthbox outdoor containers that the plan is to transplant them to around early March. The grow bags were a little homemade project of mine a while back when I was going to start with trying peppers back in CO. Never got around to it then because I decided to move last summer instead, so giving it a go out in the desert. Can't see it in the pic, but they've got a Velcro seam down one side of them to (hopefully) make them easy to split open and transplant from.
 
Grinding 17 pounds of chicken sausage today. Boned out 14 pounds of chicken thighs with skin added 6 pounds of boneless skinless breast meat cubed, divided it into two and seasoned one breakfast and the other Italian. I like to let it set overnight in the frig before grinding as it flavors up better IMHO. Of course I made chicken stock out of the bones. Add celery, onion, mushrooms and carrots to the bones in a pot with water and let it simmer for hours. Sometimes I add peppercorns and or a bay leaf but not this time. Pics later.

Breakfast to 4 pounds of meat add:
1-Tbsp. Salt
4 - tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
4 - tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 - Tbsp. Rubbed Sage
1 - Tbsp. Thyme
1 - Tbsp. Sugar

Itallian: to 4 pounds of meat add:
1 - Tbsp. Granulated Garlic
1- Tbsp. Anise Seed
1 - Tbsp. Fennel Seed
4 - tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 - Tbsp. Salt
2 - tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
2 - 3 oz. Sambuca (liquor) secret ingredient that makes it special.

I grind the breakfast through the fine plate and the Italian a little bigger next size up. The breakfast all gets formed into patties and the Italian into larger patties to fit big sour dough bread. Then some of the Italian is rolled in Saharan wrap to for logs like sausage casings. When cooked from frozen they keep the shape.
 
Grinding 17 pounds of chicken sausage today. Boned out 14 pounds of chicken thighs with skin added 6 pounds of boneless skinless breast meat cubed, divided it into two and seasoned one breakfast and the other Italian. I like to let it set overnight in the frig before grinding as it flavors up better IMHO. Of course I made chicken stock out of the bones. Add celery, onion, mushrooms and carrots to the bones in a pot with water and let it simmer for hours. Sometimes I add peppercorns and or a bay leaf but not this time. Pics later.

Breakfast to 4 pounds of meat add:
1-Tbsp. Salt
4 - tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
4 - tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 - Tbsp. Rubbed Sage
1 - Tbsp. Thyme
1 - Tbsp. Sugar

Itallian: to 4 pounds of meat add:
1 - Tbsp. Granulated Garlic
1- Tbsp. Anise Seed
1 - Tbsp. Fennel Seed
4 - tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 - Tbsp. Salt
2 - tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
2 - 3 oz. Sambuca (liquor) secret ingredient that makes it special.

I grind the breakfast through the fine plate and the Italian a little bigger next size up. The breakfast all gets formed into patties and the Italian into larger patties to fit big sour dough bread. Then some of the Italian is rolled in Saharan wrap to for logs like sausage casings. When cooked from frozen they keep the shape.

A little something to sing along to while grinding up all that chicken...

:yeah:
 
Grinding 17 pounds of chicken sausage today. Boned out 14 pounds of chicken thighs with skin added 6 pounds of boneless skinless breast meat cubed, divided it into two and seasoned one breakfast and the other Italian. I like to let it set overnight in the frig before grinding as it flavors up better IMHO. Of course I made chicken stock out of the bones. Add celery, onion, mushrooms and carrots to the bones in a pot with water and let it simmer for hours. Sometimes I add peppercorns and or a bay leaf but not this time. Pics later.

Breakfast to 4 pounds of meat add:
1-Tbsp. Salt
4 - tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
4 - tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 - Tbsp. Rubbed Sage
1 - Tbsp. Thyme
1 - Tbsp. Sugar

Itallian: to 4 pounds of meat add:
1 - Tbsp. Granulated Garlic
1- Tbsp. Anise Seed
1 - Tbsp. Fennel Seed
4 - tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 - Tbsp. Salt
2 - tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
2 - 3 oz. Sambuca (liquor) secret ingredient that makes it special.

I grind the breakfast through the fine plate and the Italian a little bigger next size up. The breakfast all gets formed into patties and the Italian into larger patties to fit big sour dough bread. Then some of the Italian is rolled in Saharan wrap to for logs like sausage casings. When cooked from frozen they keep the shape.
I am also stealing this Sambucca secret ingredient. I absolutely despise black licorice as a 'Candy', but I freaking love anisey/fennely flavor in savory cooking. Also am a sucker for Jagermeister...which would probably work good too. One more little fennel seed secret I can add, is that to really get the terpines out of there is to grind em into dust. I love to use this fresh ground fennel seed as much as leave em alone. It's also my ultimate secret ingredient for meatballs...with the other secret being to double cook em. Pan sear em first, then bake em covered with sauce with a tight lid. Also go heavy handed with all the seasonings. I would love to make some Italian sausage....extra fennel and some Sambuc for sure. Not gonna forget this lil tip anytime soon. Thanks.

THEY'RE called KAAAAHBS Joe's dad's stuff
 
@Ozone69 Funny, I cannot believe someone would go through the trouble to make "Techno Chicken" :rofl:.

@Dr.Bubbles I learned the Sambucca trick from Bruce Aeidell's sausage book. It really makes a big difference in the quality of Italian sausage.

The larger grind is 4.5mm not sure about the smaller plate.
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Italian patties to fit sour dough bread.
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Breakfast patties:

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In to the freezer for a couple of days then I vacuum seal them. The will last much longer than they will be allowed.
 
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