I’m a big fan of cube steak. It’s always a good buy at the store – no waste, healthy, low prices and great flavor.  But it’s tough and super chewy. I have tried marinating, coating with tenderizer and further pounding with the same results – it’s still tough. But where there is a will, there’s a way. I saw a little four-pack at the store recently – under five bucks, and I was … [Read more...]

Vegetables! What a nuisance for this wanna-be chef. Meats and fish are no problem – unlimited choices. But vegetables? I really have a hard time putting a nice assortment of green things on the table. My old cartoon friend, Popeye, didn’t have that problem. For the muscle-bound, pipe-chewing sailor, there was only one vegetable to even consider. “I eats me spinach and fights to the finish.  I’m … [Read more...]

When I was at Carolina, there was a small diner just outside Chapel Hill, in Carrboro, I believe. I can’t remember the name of the greasy spoon but I remember they had a T-Bone Steak Dinner as a special on Wednesday’s for $2.25. My suite-mates and I often shared a cab ride to the restaurant and ordered the steak dinner which came with a crispy salad and a piece of grilled Texas Toast. The steak … [Read more...]

It’s hard to screw up a pork tenderloin, easily the most succulent and tender cuts of pork. With a pork tenderloin, if it’s not raw or burned to smithereens, it’ll be good. Pork tenderloin and pork loin, though, are entirely two different types of animal. A pork tenderloin is the long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. A pork loin is wider and … [Read more...]

Which is best? Chicken soup or turkey soup? No contest. Turkey overwhelmingly make the best soup and we have it often. My favorite is Turkey Wing Soup. I usually have to go to Food Lion to find fresh turkey wings, but I saw some on display this week at Kroger’s and picked up a package with a  pair of wings. When turkey wings are available, they are almost always a good buy. There is lots of … [Read more...]

I don’t do briskets very well. I have tried smoking them, grilling them and have used various and sundry oven tactics and they usually turn out tough, dry or both. But I am a determined chef - hard-headed, my wife might say. So I bought another one last week for French Dip Sandwiches. I went with a small brisket because my confidence was lacking. I decided to put the brisket in a slow … [Read more...]

Monday morning is a great time to patrol the aisles of a grocery store. It’s the time many meat managers reduce prices to clear out old stock. This is especially true at Sam’s Club and Costco. I usually don’t grocery shop on Monday mornings, but this week I had to make a quick run to Kroger’s and as I passed by the meat department, I heard a package call out my name. “Buy me”, said the 32-ounce … [Read more...]

I have made Vegetable Beef Soup countless times and I feel confident I have never made it the same way twice. When it comes to Vegetable Beef Soup or Beef Stew, it’s not a matter of what recipe you have, it’s what you have on hand. Whatcha got. Last week we had a night that was supposed to get down on the 30’s, a perfect night for soup, and I figured Vegetable Beef would hit the spot. I needed … [Read more...]

I’ve been doing a little Tex/Mex stuff in the kitchen. I’m slowly coming around to South of the Border dishes, and I actually prefer my own recipes to those of the restaurants. Refried beans, for example, is not my idea of human food. Dogs, maybe, but not humans. Anyway, I whipped up a Mexican dish called Beef Enchiladas that actually passed the “Nancy Test.” If my wife, Nancy, eats one of my … [Read more...]

  There are probably as many recipes for Chicken and Rice Casserole as there are cookbooks in America. Every cook, every house has its own version. I did one this week that turned out well. Nothing fancy at all, just basic comfort food. But it was easy and tasty. Here’s how. I started with chicken tenderloins, not whole chicken breast loins. I did this for several reasons – they were on … [Read more...]