We've got cowboys out here!

Now, in yesterday's post, I titled it "This Cookhouse ain't just for cowboys", but what might not have dawned on you is, YES! We have cowboys out here!  Real, live cowboys that ride horses, wear boots and wide brimmed hats; a proof that the old West is still alive and well.  Now living out East, I mostly learned about the West from television shows like "Gunsmoke", "The Rifleman", "Wild, Wild West", "Have Gun Will Travel", "Big Valley" and "Bonanza".  In school, we covered American history, but nothing west of the Mississippi; and that was back in the 1960-1970's.  When my son was in school in the 1990's to 2000's, his history books covered exactly what I had learned so many years before.  In other words, school books were definitely not keeping up with the times.

Last year I attended the parade for "Pioneer Days" in my town, and I got the biggest thrill when the San Juan County Sheriff's Department came by.  They were all dressed up in their cowboy clothing, carrying their rifles and riding beautiful horses; just looking ooooooh soooooo sexy; the men that is, not the horses.  I took lots of photos, emailed them to friends and family with the caption, "Look, real cowboys!".  I'm sorry, but even when I see a cowboy walking down the street, I can't help but stop and watch him.  Now these guys are just dressed up in their everyday clothes, but to this Easterner, it's a big deal.

The cowboy, one of America's heroes; no matter if they're straight or gay, old or young; they are downright sexy.

...and here's a little stew to help heat up the situation.

Cowboy Stew for the CrockPot

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean roast beef, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1 inch pieces, parboiled

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” slices, parboiled

1 large onion, rough cut into 1/2” pieces

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

2 (28 oz) cans vegetarian beans

2 cups barbeque sauce

Preparation:

In 6 qt. crock pot, set on low, mix together beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, salt, pepper and paprika.  Spread beans over top, then bbq sauce.  Cover, let cook 3 hrs. before mixing beans and sauce into beef and veggies.  Let cook another 7 hrs, stir every 2 hrs.  Serve with cornbread or biscuits.

Note on leftovers, if there are any; the gravy will thicken and become richer.

Mary Cokenour

This Cookhouse ain’t just for cowboys.

MD Ranch Cookhouse - OUT OF BUSINESS as of September 2014

380 S. Main

Monticello, Utah, 84535

(435) 587-3299

Manager: Dan Hardy

Website: in the works

We’d heard talk that the Cookhouse was under new management, and we thought we’d give it another try.  Roy and I had not been to the Cookhouse since September of 2009.  Why you might ask?  I had asked our waitress, “Why don’t they serve real roast turkey in the open face sandwich, but thin sliced cold cuts instead?”  Her response had been, “Our menu is too big to be able to serve real food.”  “Real food?  You mean I’m paying good money for fake food?”; and her attitude towards me did not get any better with that little comment of mine.

We decided to give the new manager a good look over and see what changes, if any, the Cookhouse had experienced.  We showed up at 2:30pm, well past lunch, and way before dinner.  Dan greeted us immediately, seated us at a sunny booth and took our drink orders.  The décor had not been changed; opening the menu, we didn’t see many changes, but they were there.  A new item was the Southwest Eggrolls, a favorite of Roy’s, and I had to have my Corn Nuggets.  For a main meal, Roy chose the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, and I got the Bacon-Swiss burger; we both had fries as a side.  For us, if an eatery messes any of these items up, then they have a problem.

Within 10 minutes we had our appetizers; the Eggrolls were crispy; the filling of beans, cheese and chicken was not overly spiced, so tasted great whether we used the ranch dressing or not.  The Nuggets were crispy on the outside, creamy and corn filled; a carb lover’s dream.  Ten minutes after that we had our main meals; and Dan made sure to keep our drink glasses filled.

Philly Cheese Steak – thin sliced, grilled, sirloin steak, grilled peppers and onions, Swiss cheese piled on a toasted roll.  Delicious and the grilled taste of the steak and veggies made it more so.

Bacon-Swiss Burger – a 1/3 lb grilled burger on a toasted bun, Swiss cheese covering it and thick sliced bacon (Roy stole some and rolled his eyes in delight – pig heaven!).  The accompanying vegetables were (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles) looked and, here’s the important part, tasted fresh.

Fries – shoestring cut potatoes, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and just the right amount to go with our sandwiches.

Since it wasn’t busy; we were the only folks in the place until we were getting ready to leave, then another couple came in; Dan seated, served and cooked our meal.  He did very well on his own; and he’s very friendly when you start talking with him.

I told him the story on why we haven’t been going there, and he reassured us that his food has been updated and improved – it’s real food.  Just talking with him, you could tell he has a passion for what he’s trying to achieve with the Cookhouse.  We definitely intend on trying out the dinner hour, and seeing what changes to the menu have occurred there.

The Cookhouse is located on Route 191, going south towards Blanding, and is easy to spot.  It will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner once the tourist season rolls around; hopefully they’ll be able to reestablish their liquor license.  I do have a couple of suggestions for Dan though.  When first entering, off to the left, there is an area which has some souvenirs and postcards for sale.  That would make a great area to have a buffet set up; especially on the weekend – a brunch which offers the best of breakfast and lunch; then offering the regular dinner menu when that time comes round.   Secondly, advertise!  Not just the local papers, but hit the restaurant guide that’s printed in Moab – tons of tourists travel through there, and what better way to let them know about the Cookhouse?

No recipe from me today folks, but you could always try out the Cookhouse if you’re feeling hungry.

Mary Cokenour

Pig Heaven.

Finally tried the pork bbq sandwich down at Fattboyz Grillin and it did not disappoint. I piled on that homemade cole slaw that Reed makes; each bite was a mouthful of delicious goodness. If you like bbq, but haven’t tried out anything on his menu yet, well that’s your big loss, and more for the rest of us.

Americans eat a lot of pork products: fresh pork meat such as chops, tenderloin and ribs, or processed or cured: ham, bacon and sausage.

Thank the Chinese for your love of pork; they domesticated the animal around 5000 BC. Poor creature, it provides so much to us, and yet gets little respect for the most part. Being called a pig is an insult; a demeaning term used against people who are overweight, or to indicate that someone is unclean. In some religions, the pig is deemed the equivalent of a demon spawn from hell.

Pigs are cleaner animals than you might think. Sure they roll around in the mud; they don’t have sweat glands, so coat themselves in mud to keep cool in hot weather. You would do the same if push came to shove on the issue. The sows (females) are good mothers to their piglets; they are smart, and can form attachments with their human handlers. Medically, a close relationship has been established between pigs and humans; and some of their parts can be used as transplants in humans. So, be nice to pigs, one might save your life one day.

That being said, they are still a part of human consumption, and being the carnivore that I am, I enjoy a good piece of pork now and then. Pork meat can be bland, so you need to do a little work to get the flavor infused into it. Brining (a salt water bath) and marinating are two ways; also slow cooking gives the meat time to absorb flavors from other ingredients. So, whether you’re roasting, smoking, broiling, frying or whatever technique you like to use; go slow for the best tasting results.

Pork Roast with Caramelized Onions and Marsala Sauce

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork loin roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
Marsala wine: ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp
2 large onions, slivered
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (if unavailable, use ½ Tbsp dry leaves)

Preparation:
Soak the pork roast in a brine (salt and water solution) for four hours; remove and pat dry. This will help tenderize the meat, and allow it to soak in flavors more easily.

In a medium skillet, on high heat, brown all sides of the roast in the olive oil; remove the roast to a 4 qt crock pot, set on low. In the same skillet, deglaze pan with 2 Tbsp of Marsala wine; add the onions and cook till partially softened. Reduce heat to low, mix in brown sugar; cover and let cook for additional 10 minutes.

Add the onions, ½ cup wine and broth to the crock pot; cover and let cook for 6 hours. Remove roast, set heat to high; add in cream, black pepper and thyme and let cook for 15 minutes. Serve sauce over sliced pork roast.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

A “Duh!” observation.

Another ridiculous commercial for 5-Hour Energy drink was on the television, and I wonder why folks can be so gullible sometimes? Basically, it’s the idea of convenience; the quick fix. Why go through the trouble of brewing up fresh coffee when you can just twist off a cap from a small, compact bottle. Let’s see, first off, coffee tastes a heck of a lot better; it has zero calories and carbs if drunk black; it’s the add-ins like sweeteners and creamers that give the boost to calories and carbs. Secondly, a 14 oz. container of coffee contains 164 grams of caffeine, the energy drink only has 135 grams; not the boost you might have been hoping for in reality. Third, a bag of ground coffee can cost anywhere from $5 to $8 a 12 oz bag, unless you enjoy paying more for a fancy brand name, and will last a long while. The energy drink comes in a little bottle, is gone in seconds, and you just paid $3 to $4 for a one shot deal. If you really have no inclination to make coffee at home, buy a container at the local mart for $1 to $2, depending on if it’s regular coffee or those cappuccino brands. Still a bargain and still tastes loads better than the energy drink.

Need a little more inspiration for making coffee? Go to my Feb 17, 2011 post called “Chocolate and Coffee – two lovely food groups”; you’ll find a recipe and more information about coffee, and chocolate. How could you go wrong with that?

If making the cookie recipe is not up your alley, than here’s one for a simple candy, the truffle. How in the world could you resist?

Oh, before I forget, if you’re reading my blog, and I bet you are enjoying it, why not become a Follower? You can sign in using a Google (Gmail) or Yahoo account; just look to the side of this post, and you’ll see where it prompts you to become a Follower. I appreciate it greatly, and thanks!!!

Bittersweet Coffee Truffles

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened, condensed milk
3 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
3 Tbsp espresso coffee
1 cup crushed, roasted hazelnuts

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, medium heat, melt together the condensed milk with the chocolate till smooth and shiny. Remove from heat; stir in Grand Marnier and coffee. Pour mixture into an 8” x 8” pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Using a melon baller, or teaspoon, form 1 ½ inch balls; roll these in the crushed hazelnuts. Place in decorative mini-baking cups. To store, place in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to one week.
Makes 2 dozen.

Mary Cokenour
March 1, 1995

English type weather means English type food.

Snowy, rainy, cloud cover; sounds like typical English weather to me, or so I've heard. Never been to the country, hoping someday to be able to tour England, especially all those haunted castles. Until then though, I'll have to be satisfied with being able to make some of the dishes native to that country. Bangers and Mash, Toad in the Hole, Cotswold Chicken and the ever popular Fish and Chips. The secret to good English Fish and Chips is the batter used to coat the fish; beer or ale give it a flavor boost. However, the carbonation makes the fried batter light and crispy. Once the battered fish, or the chips (oh, that's fries if you didn't know), are in the hot oil; leave them be. Don't be poking and turning; just let the hot oil do its job, and when it's perfect, the fish or chips will float to the top.

Well, it's time to get dinner started, so I'm off to the kitchen. I'll be leaving you with my recipe for English Fish and Chips, so give it a try; and remember, the beer or ale you don't use in the batter you can drink up while you eat. Don't drink while frying, don't want any kitchen disasters happening. Enjoy!

English Style Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, divided in half (1 cup for batter, 1 cup for dredging)
2 eggs
¾ cup beer or ale
¾ cup milk
¾ cup white wine
½ tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
peanut oil
6 large potatoes (red skinned or golden yellow), cut roughly into 1” pieces
2 lbs. cod, or any other white meat fish (pollock, flounder), cut into 4” pieces

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, eggs, beer, milk, wine, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and chill for 1 hour.

Fill deep fryer to maximum line, or large skillet ½ way up, with canola oil; heat to 375-400F. Cook potatoes until just lightly browned; drain on paper towels; season with salt; transfer to cookie sheet. When done frying, place potatoes in oven (set at 200F) to keep warm.

Remix batter; dredge fish pieces into remaining 1 cup of flour; dip into batter and place in hot oil (3-4 pieces at a time). When batter turns golden brown and begins to puff, drain on paper towels.

Serve fish and chips with tartar sauce, malt vinegar or any other desired condiment.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour
October 1, 2002

Another busy Saturday, or the beast was tamed, then eaten.

As usual, the dogs and cats acted as my alarm clock, getting me up at 6am to feed them. They know better than to bother daddy, for he sleeps like the dead. Since I was up so early, might as well get a head start on spring cleaning, and clean I did. Stripping the bedroom first; sheets, pillows, blankets formed a queue for the washing machine. Rugs and towels from the bathroom followed suit. Out came the vacuum, and the rugs that could not fit into the washing machine felt the wrath of the cleaning banshee. The linoleum and ceramic floors were not spared either. Good thing is was a nice day outside, weather wise, as the dogs were not allowed back in with dirty paws to track on my clean floors and rugs.

By 4:30 pm, I was done with all the cleaning I could muster, and began to start dinner. The oven was set to 400F; sweet potatoes were pricked several places with a fork, rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse sea salt, and in they went for a full hour of baking (not wrapped in aluminum foil for this makes them soggy from the steam). A half hour later, I was preparing the Elk to be cooked the way Charlie had instructed me to. First the steak pieces were washed in cold water; then lightly dredged in flour which contained a mixture of my chosen seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, paprika and brown sugar. These are some of the items I usually put in my rub mix; and Charlie said to go with what I know when it came to seasonings. The proportions, for those who wish to know were: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp each of all the seasonings, 2 Tbsp brown sugar; mix all together thoroughly.

I heated my largest nonstick skillet at medium-high heat, with a ½ cup of canola oil and began to cook the Elk. I let the first side of the steaks lay in the pan till blood began to show, about 2 minutes, then flipped them and did the other side the same way; draining the cooked meat on paper towels till all were done.

Then came the gravy preparation; there was about ¼ cup of oil remaining, so I added a ½ cup each of sliced mushrooms and onions and let them cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Then came a ¼ cup of flour and began whisking till a roux was formed. To this, and still whisking was added first 1 cup of warmed heavy cream. When fully incorporated, then 1 ½ cups of beef broth was whisked in; I let the mixture come to a full boil before turning off the heat. There was no need to add extra seasonings, since the oil had been infused with it from cooking the Elk.

The sweet potatoes were done (the skin is a little crispy, and the meat inside is very soft); cutting them open, I slathered on 2 Tbsp of softened butter, a tsp of brown sugar, a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Dinner was served, and what an awesome meal is was! Everything was so good, and mixed together so well….sweet, savory, salty all came together perfectly. I immediately called Charlie afterwards, thanking him profusely for the Elk. I most certainly will do this again!!!

However, by 8pm, the exhaustion of the day caught up with me, and I was out like a light. Yes, it was another busy Saturday, but I can’t complain.

Anticipating a new adventure with a wild creature.

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be cooking and eating Elk.  I did attempt deer (venison) once, but it was a disaster.  The person who had given me the deer meat did not give me any instruction on preparing it.   In my ignorance, I killed the poor beast once again.  I expect this new attempt at serving a wild animal to come out much better.  The gentleman, an avid hunter, who had given me the Elk meat, gave me very good instructions on preparing the meat.  I just happen to have a mushroom and onion gravy recipe that I’ll pair with the steaks; making it, of course, in the same pan the steaks are cooked in.

So Charlie, thank you so much for giving me the tools (Elk meat) to jump into this new adventure, and I hope I do you proud.  Of course I’ll be writing about the results in another blog post; that way everyone will know how I did.

Actually, I’m not surprised that I’m going to attempt this; let’s face the truth, I’m a carnivore for the most part.  Vegetables are side dishes that are way off to the side, but I do love potatoes: mashed, boiled, roasted, fried, baked, and any other way they can be cooked up.   Yeppers, a real meat and potatoes woman am I.

One of my favorite meals is either Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie.  Now you may have heard of Shepherd’s Pie which is made with ground lamb, but did you know that its counterpart is actually made with ground beef, so called Cottage Pie?  I have made, and enjoyed both, and can say I do not prefer one over the other.  The origin for both is vague; the Irish, Scottish and English all say they came up with it first, and that is one debate I intend to stay out of.

Traditionally, either pie is made with white or Yukon Gold potatoes, but sweet potatoes can give the dish an entirely different flavor.  No matter which kind of potato is used, Shepherd’s and Cottage Pies will be the quintessential comfort food.

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, while Cottage Pie is made with beef; all the remaining ingredients are the same for both.

Ingredients:

The filling:

2 ½ lbs. ground lamb or beef (depending on which pie is being made)

1 large onion, diced

1-4 oz can mushrooms, diced

2 Tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

2 Tbsp. Worcester sauce

1-16 oz bag frozen peas and carrots

1 Tbsp each crushed dry thyme and marjoram

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup beef stock

The topping:

6 large potatoes, peeled and cut up

4Tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk
6 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Paprika 

Preparation:

In a large skillet, high heat, brown the meat and drain excess oil.  Add the onion and mushrooms, letting cook till the onion softens.  Add tomato and Worcester sauces, frozen vegetables, herbs, pepper, flour and beef stock; mix thoroughly and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.

While meat mixture is simmering, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain and mash the potatoes, add butter, milk, grated cheese and pepper to the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a 3 quart rectangular baking dish, spread 1/2 potatoes on bottom of baking dish; spread out the meat mixture; top with the other 1/2 of potatoes; sprinkle paprika over top.  Bake for 30-40minutes; potatoes should be lightly browned, and the pie heated thoughout.

Makes 8 – 10 servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and now for something completely different~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe was chosen and featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 1999 issue.  It also appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens “Annual Recipes” cookbook, 1999.

Ingredients:

2 lbs sweet potatoes

¼ cup milk

½ tsp each salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg

2 lbs lean ground lamb

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 Tbsp snipped fresh savory

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

½ tsp ground cinnamon  

Preparation:

Peel and cut up sweet potatoes.  Cook in a small amount of boiling water, just enough to cover, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes; add milk, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet, cook lamb, mushrooms and onion together until there is no longer any pink to the lamb meat; drain excess fat.  Stir in wine and savory; cook for 1 additional minute and remove from heat.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Spread 2/3 of the mashed sweet potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of the dish.  Fill center with lamb mixture; top with remaining 1/3 of potatoes, spreading evenly over filling and to edges of dish.  Bake for 20 minutes; sprinkle orange peel and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon over top; bake an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour     December 9, 1995