3499 Days since retiring July 1, 2005!

”Land O Goshen!” What yaw anta bet I completely forget to write an entry tomorrow. This is kinda like noticing your car odometer reads 99999.9 and you promise to pay attention and watch it roll over to 100000. Almost never happens. Something bright and shiny always distracts and the next thing you know the odometer reads 100003.6.

Sorry about that diversion.

This entry may get a little long and dull. If it does; just do something else. All, I think, pictures in this entry are linked to larger views. If you are interested you can click the picture for a more detailed version.

I had experimented with cooking a piece of expensive meat to an ideal temperature without over cooking any part. I finally settled on cooking to a degree of “doneness” within a zip lock back in a low temperature oven. This is how I cooked my first Filet Mignon to my liking.

This is the starting ingredients. Nearly 6 ounces of Filet steak cut 2 inches thick, Horseradish sauce and freshly hand ground black pepper and a quart sized Zip Loc bag rinsed with vinegar and air dried. I slathered the steak with horseradish sauce until my eyes began to sting. Then I dusted liberally with the black pepper. Then I put it in the bag so that the bag opening could be elevated.
	This is my brand new extremely heavy 10 inch skillet with Emeril’s brand on it. I washed as directed and rubbed it with vegetable oil and heated it in the oven as directed. Here it sets cold waiting for the steak assemblage.
Since I wanted a “well done” steak I sat the oven to 250F. I have an independent thermometer to check the true temp. I figured the temp increase curve would be slow enough to release internal fluid yet not steep enough that I would miss the time to take the steak/bag out and let the internal temp coast to the well done temp of 155F. If I had wanted a lesser degree of doneness I would have sat the oven proportionally lower. A website that I have used often while learning to cook lists the degrees of cooked as: Rare—120-130F Medium Rare—130-135F Medium—135-145F Medium Well—145-155F Well Done—155F. But I did not consult in time and only remembered the thermometer claims 171F is well done. Too many lawyers and government regulations spoil too many meals.
	In this scene my temperature probe is inserted exactly into the center of the steak. Yes I measured all dimensions and then marked the probe for the proper insertion depth. After slipping this into the bag I fretted if the probe had slipped. My magnifying glass showed me that the probe was still in proper position. I then zip the bag closed as much as possible around the probe. Next time I will ise a larger bag so that only the signal cable is passing through the zipper.
As you can see I laid the assemblage in the skillet so that the opening was over the lip of the skillet. That was all released liquids would stay in the bag. I did not even see any steam venting during the warming period. The bag did inflate considerably.
	when the thermometer showed 156F I took the skillet out of the oven and transferred the bag to a cardboard holding station to all final temp rise. The maximum seen temp during this phase was 163F. I was amazed that the temp did rise so much. After removing the bag I put the skillet on my largest heating coil (I hate electric cooking) and turned it to high. The radiated heat was intense in my small kitchen.
Once I decided the internal temp was as high as it was going to go I started testing the skillet for temp. Once my bamboo skewer started to smoke immediately upon touching the skillet I dropped the steak into the skillet. Such sizzling and smoke! Thankfully my smoke alarm is in the other room. I was so afraid of burning the meat that I did not get a really good sear on all surfaces. This process was so quick I could not get any pictures. Next time I will not be so risk adverse. Nevertheless the steak did sear well and the char was not very deep. The meat was all the same color and firmness from the center out to the crust.
	Once the searing was finished I moved the skillet to a much cooler coil and let it cool to the point that wine droplets skated across the pan before evaporating. I added two 2/3 cups of August Night wine that I had used to wash the remaining liquids and solids from the Zip Loc bag. This is my favorite wine but it is sweet. I think it is great with chili and spaghetti. I scrapped all the bits and pieces from the searing into the evaporating wine. Finally just as the last of the wine was boiling away I added a 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and continued stirring with the skillet off the heat. BTW I finally figured out the virgin in the description refers to the idiot that pays so much for the oil. He is truly getting screwed in a new and novel first time. I returned the pan to the heat and added a tablespoon of all purpose flour and stirred vigorously. After all the lumps were broken I drizzled the reduction over the steak.
I thought the steak was marvelous but a little too dry. I took the plate over to my neighbor for her to sample. She pointed out that she prefers rare and that the sauce was a little too sweet for her taste. But that I did achieve my goal. However just as she took the plate God’s sense of humor intruded. When I returned to 902 I looked up cooking temps. Next time I will aim for medium rare by setting the oven temp at 190F and use a drier red wine for the reduction.

I felt like Tom Sawyer presenting Becky Thatcher with his pet frog. While Jean was sampling the steak I was going to sit on her bench and talk to her. I settled over what I thought was near the middle of the bench. Instead I sat on the very end and flipped one of her prized long stem wine glasses and shattered it as well as breaking the dish she had peanuts in. I, of course was barefooted and embarrassed as hell. She was worried about me cutting my feet. I left her apartment feeling such a doofuss. We both tried to cover our chagrin but it will take weeks for me to get over the clumsiness.
Today I fixed stuffed bell peppers and used my steamer for the first time. It did a magnificent job on the bell peppers. However I still have little appetite. I thought it was caused by Rascals gatric explosion but that should not affect me today. So in about 5 minutes I am dosing with a big glass of August Night and tumbling into the fart sack. I changed sheets today. I love fresh sheets.

Love Yall and yall be safe.

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“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!
But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
“I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called on God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
The tents of marauders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those God has in his hand.
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth around their waist.
He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.
He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.