teil zwei [otherwise known as part 2 meat debacle]

I know you were on pins and needles waiting to see how my $4,000 meat purchase turned out. Well...

Did I mention I have to ask how to cook that red meat looking stuff? Yeah, so I have to ask how to cook it and yes most of the time the butcher (american or otherwise it seems) looks at me like my right arm has just fallen off and I'm asking them how to reattach it. I know that look is not meant to be a "don't ask me wierdo look", I'm pretty sure (american or otherwise) it translates to "why are you buying it if you don't know how to cook it crazy lady?".

which i have to slightly agree with her right now, as I sit eating my tofu scramble that I can whip up with no help from anyone and taste way better than any steak. But I did marry someone, and I guess the J man is allowed to have his own likes and dislikes, unless that is I can finally find a way to prove that they are completely ridiculous!

So anyway, the barely English speaking German butcher counter woman, gave me the look. And then, as if to prod her on to an answer, I said "in oven [my fingers drawing a box and then opening the front of the box] or in pan [my hand grabbing my pretend pan and shaking it over a burner]?" It is primitive, but it sure works! "pan" she said, "five, ah...". Flipping my flat hand over and over I completed her sentence by saying "five minutes on each side?" "ja". Wow, that was easy! I'm darned good at this living where I don't understand anything thing!

So I come home hyped up. Quick (albeit expensive) dinner comin' up! I put the things in my cast iron* skillets over a 2 1/2 burner. Yes 2 1/2, they have a dot, a 1, a dot, a 2, a dot, a 3...that's the cooking setting choices you get here at Hotel de Siville. It's very technical stuff, I don't want to load you down with details!

Anyway, I ended up cooking them a bit less than 5 minutes on each side, I think my setting was too hot. And, although they wouldn't win any points on beauty, they were pretty tasty. They seemed more like a roast cut, I probably would have slow cooked them to make them more tender. Live and learn.


* Cast iron skillets really are the bomb. Not only can you put them in the oven, in the campfire, AND on the stove! But you and your family get plenty of iron, take note all you anemic relatives/friends I have out there. I prefer the hand-me-down versions I have from 1900's to the new stuff. [ok, advertising done, stepping off of my soap box right now]