Redneck Marinated Steak

A couple of weeks ago this country teenager who mows my yard heard I was a good cook and a backyard BBQ chef.  Desirous of showing off his culinary skills, he bragged about how good his steaks were and said he was willing to share his secrets.

I decided I would humor him by asking for the recipe … thinking “what can a 17 year old know about cooking a great steak?”  Here is his recipe.   When first told about what he did to his steaks before cooking them … I reacted strongly  …  secretly wondering if I could risk ruining a good steak by plunging it in this strange brew and letting it marinate for a couple of hours.!

But, what the heck, as the old saying goes “nothing ventured, nothing gained” so I bought a couple of on sale T-bones and followed the instructions.  What can I say?  Durn good steak! I’ve cooked several using this method and they were all tender, juicy and delicious.  And I’m generally a purist … nothing on my steak generally but salt and ground pepper.  But at least for a while, I’m going to be fixin em this a way!  Of course the recipe below can be doubled, if you are marinating more than 2 steaks.

Redneck Steak Marinade

1/4 cup Moore’s Marinade

1/4 cup Mountain Dew

1/2 teaspoon Butt Rubb Seasoning or Seasoning Salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Marinate steaks in R.S. marinade for at least 2 hours … can be left at room temperature.  Grill steaks as usual, basting the last few minutes with marinade if desired.

Simply Shortbread with a few additions

It surprises me when I tell people that I’m addicted to shortbread, that many poor souls don’t even know what shortbread is.  Actually it’s a cookie and not “bread” at all.  When trying to explain it, all I can come up with is saying “Do you know what Pecan Sandies cookies are?” … because that is a type of shortbread cookie.  But that is, still, not shortbread.  In grocery stores the Walkers Shortbread is the authentic stuff I’m talking about – and it ain’t easy to find where I now live – the small rural town of Clanton, Alabama.

Last year, missing the occasional treat – I figured I’d learn how to make it.  Big mistake!  I had no idea that I’d learn how to concoct this stuff in increasingly superior tasting varieties and how addicted I’d become.  Usually the only thing that stands between me and making yet another batch is having a stick of softened butter handy at night – because it’s night when I crave it.  If there’s no butter sitting out on the counter, it’s a pretty good bet I’ll make it through another night without this calories laden confection.

I really haven’t explored too many recipes – rather I’ve perfected one that I got off the King Arthur Flour site.  Kudos to them for this basic recipe!  Here it is, in it’s simplicity.  I’m cutting the recipe there in half – because that’s all I need to satisfy the craving.

Simply Shortbread – with a few additions

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of almond extract

1 Cup of Flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line bottom of 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper (circle cut out to fit in bottom of pan) or butter pan thoroughly.   Cream together the powdered sugar, butter and extracts.  I use a Kitchen Aid Stand mixer and run on the “cream speed” for about 2 or 3 minutes, scraping down sides a couple of times.

Next add in the flour.  I’ve learned that if I use about 3/4 cup plain flour and 1/4 cup bread flour (to make the 1 cup called for in the recipe), it adds a nice texture to the shortbread.  When adding in flour – you want to run mixer on low speed and beat only until the mixture “comes together.”  If you over beat it will make the shortbread tough.  Of course you will want to scrape down sides of mixing bowl a time or two to incorporate the flour and butter mixture.  Mixing in the flour in this fashion (on low speed and scraping down sides) doesn’t take long.  Gather together the dough, roll into a ball and press into bottom of prepared pan.

After pressing dough into pan, I usually press pecan pieces and milk chocolate morsels into the top of the unbaked shortbread.  Just enough to add some extra flavors to the finished confection.  Before placing in oven, pierce dough all over the top with a fork.  This keeps the shortbread crisp during baking.

Place in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until top is lightly browned.  Take out of oven and turn quickly  out onto cutting surface.  Cut while still hot (if it cools it will get hard and you can’t cut it) – I use a Pizza cutter – into 4  or 8 wedges.  Move wedges to baking rack and allow to cool.

Here is the K.A. Flour Shortbread Recipe link, but remember I cut my version in half.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/shortbread-recipe

Mango the Highlander Lynx

A couple of months ago I brought home a Highlander Lynx kitten.  I named him Mango because he was born on a recently deceased friend’s birthday, and the Mango is a symbol of reincarnation.  Perhaps the soul of my friend is lurking somewhere behind those piercing feline eyes!  Highlander Lynx are a very unique and new breed, having large curled ears and 6 toes, an anatomical feature known as polydactyl.  These cats grow into sizable little panthers – males averaging about 20 pounds in adulthood.  I blogged this post because I wanted to see how well the picture feature works on WordPress and to show off the features of this unique cat breed.

The Way the Cracker Crumbles

Just last week I brought home a box of Keebler Townhouse Crackers, so I could slather some homemade pimento cheese spread on them. When I opened one of the stay fresh packages and tasted a Townhouse Cracker, I noticed how stale the wafer was.  This little biscuit was about as crisp as a wet noodle, too.  Hum?,  I thought crackers were supposed to be crisp!

When I tried to spread some pimento cheese spread on it, it fell to pieces. In fact most of the crackers in the package just disintegrated into dust when removed from the cellophane! When I called Keebler, a division of Kellogg, they told me that the reason the crackers fall into pieces is that recently they had removed the transfats from the crackers.

They did this, they said,  because so many customers had complained about transfats.  They assured me they are trying to get the crackers to hold their shape.   I guess a cracker’s ability to retain integrity without exploding into crumbs used to be based on its ability to carry these transfatty acids without offending the health crazed masses.

Well! Americans who eat fatty burgers, fries, potato chips and a huge variety of junk food –  now want no transfats in their crackers! So, next time your crackers falls to pieces – it’s because, you, the American consumer – are stupid!  I say let nature take its course and allow foods to remain in their basic 2 categories – healthy and unhealthy!  Never try to take a delicious piece of junkfood and turn it into something good for you!