What are you eating?

[shinta|hikari]

I made menchi (minced) katsudon.

It is usually simply the normal tonkatsu used for katsudon, but in an attempt to impress my friends (which I believe succeeded), I decided to try using ground pork for the "tonakatsu" in the katsudon.

Strange enough, I found it a little bland but everyone else liked it. Maybe it was because I skimped on the sauce for my own serving because I wanted everyone else (around 6 people) to have as much of the sauce as possible.

The minced meat katsu worked great though, since it does not require one to bite into the meat. Tender meat (like black pig from Japan) is great for tonkatsu, but I can't really get it here. The menchi katsu was a great substitute.

It was much better on the katsu sandwich I made the day after though.

I realize now that I am fantastic at making dishes found in anime (curry, nikujaga, tonkatsu, katsudon, napolitan pasta, okonomiyaki, hamburg etc.), and that made me laugh.

EDIT: for hamburg (Japanese style burger steak) sauce, the easiest but really tasty shortcut is to use equal amounts of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce for the burger sauce. It is extremely easy, but a great sauce nonetheless.

[The Heretic Azazel]

85/15 is lean to fat ratio, usually labeled lean beef at the store. It's good for chili, spaghetti, whatever dish that doesn't revolve around the meat itself, but for hamburgers you can't go wrong with 80/20 chuck.

[Animeniax]

EDIT: for hamburg (Japanese style burger steak) sauce, the easiest but really tasty shortcut is to use equal amounts of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce for the burger sauce. It is extremely easy, but a great sauce nonetheless.

I think that's the Bulldog sauce that they sell. It's very popular in Japan.

[shinta|hikari]

It is similar, but has a bit more zip. I think it is closest to the left bottle on that picture, since that is Japanese Worcestershire sauce. The tonkatsu sauce on the right is quite different though, since it is made from apples.

[Animeniax]

3 of my last 5 meals have been spaghetti with meat sauce and this:



This is the most amazing pasta sauce ever. It's like creamy marinara, but tastier. It has some tangy-ness maybe from the vodka or whatever makes it vodka sauce, but it is freaking excellent. I added ground beef, shrimp, and a can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes. The sauce was excellent by itself too, like a soup.

[Buffalobiian]

I've never tried that sauce before, but my experiences with the brand have been excellent too.

[Buffalobiian]

Vanilla ice cream served on a bed of crushed, chocolate cookies.

[Buffalobiian]

Red Bean (paste) + Vanilla Ice Cream + Milk (optional)


w/o milk


w/ milk

The pictures don't look very appetizing, but it's good

Google doesn't do much better. I found something that looks worse, even suggestive. :S It's here if you really want to see it.

Anyway, the ice cream chills the red bean paste and gives it a creamy texture. Milk(little) is optional. It adds more fluid to the mix, but the interesting thing is that the water component freezes on contact with the ice-cream, forming something similar to crushed ice, and gives it all a bit more bite.

[The Heretic Azazel]

Sick.

I'm eating chicken chasseur, recipe as follows

* 8 slices bacon, finely chopped
* vegetable oil
* 6 chicken breast halves (10-12 oz. each or 12 thighs at 6-8 oz. each)
* salt and pepper
* 1 1/4 lbs cremini mushrooms, quartered
* 1 red onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
* 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed thoroughly and finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 t. dried)
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add bbacon to the crockpot. Reserve the bacon fat separately. You should have at least 2 T. If not, use vegetable oil for the missing fat.

2. Dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 t. bacon fat to the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes. Put in the crockpot. (Remove the browned skin if using thighs.) Return the skillet to medium high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons of fat and the rest of the chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.

3. Add the remaining 2 t. fat to empty skillet. Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add cremini's, red onion and 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cook until mushroom are brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 15 seconds. Stir in wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Put in crockpot.

4. Add tomatoes, 1.5 cups broth, porcini's, thyme, bay leaves and red pepper flakes to crockpot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.

5. Transfer chicken to large serving dish. Tent loosely with foil.

6. Discard bay leaves. Set the crockpot to high. Whisk flour with remaining 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Stir into crockpot. Cover and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.

7. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

The fresher the thyme the better, it really makes the whole dish pop. I only used button mushrooms, I would feel bad paying more than 4 dollars for mushrooms, but I'm sure they're worth it. Don't forget the rice!

[rockmanj]

Well, since being a vegetarian for a while, it gets difficult finding tasty food, but I think I have been doing ok, although I kind of cheated today by having Korean cold noodles (b/c it uses a beef broth). It was still very tasty.


Also, not a big Corona fan; I love Asahi Prime Time, Hooegarden, and Little Kings.

[Animeniax]

My favorite beer is San Miguel Extra from the Philippines. I was a Corona fan and an Asahi extra dry fan, but San Miguel puts both to shame.

[shinta|hikari]

You should try San Miguel Red Horse beer from the Philippines. It tastes awful, but has one hell of a kick. Interestingly, I don't think the alcohol content is written on the bottle.

[Animeniax]

I wonder if that is even available here in the US, as it has to be imported. It's hard enough to find the San Miguel extra regular beer.

I don't like beers at all really so I doubt I'd like a nasty tasting beer like this Red Horse, but it's one of my "a man would" things. Like "a man would" drive a truck. "A man would" own a dog, not a cat. "A man would" own a gun. "A man would" drink beer, not wine coolers. So I'm 4 for 4 of these requirements for being a man.

[samsonlonghair]

it's one of my "a man would" things. Like "a man would" drive a truck. "A man would" own a dog, not a cat. "A man would" own a gun. "A man would" drink beer, not wine coolers. So I'm 4 for 4 of these requirements for being a man.

I say beer is for chaser. A man would drink liquor.

[shinta|hikari]

Yeah, that is what I do from time to time. Brandy, then beer.

I own a cat, I drive a car, and I don't own a gun though, so that still makes me less than half a man, according to Animeniax's standards.

[rockmanj]

My favorite beer is San Miguel Extra from the Philippines. I was a Corona fan and an Asahi extra dry fan, but San Miguel puts both to shame.

Hell yea, especially in the Phillipines. Its so much sweeter when it costs like 75 cents and its fresh from the brewery...Oh man, I used to have those for breakfast. However, outside of the P.I., it does not have that same refreshment factor.

[Animeniax]

Hell yea, especially in the Phillipines. Its so much sweeter when it costs like 75 cents and its fresh from the brewery...Oh man, I used to have those for breakfast. However, outside of the P.I., it does not have that same refreshment factor.

I have to visit the Philippines sometime. The American dollar has a lot of pull there. And the idea of fresh San Miguel is making my mouth parched right now. I need a beer.

[Sapphire]

Shrimp. .

[darkshadow]

That looks better then I expected, nice job dressing it up. But does it taste as good as it looks?

[Buffalobiian]

Is that spicy? Got to get myself some breakfast now...