• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

New Food Thread, No Title sorry old mike

Another cheap, delicious meal/side.

Ensalada de Nopales

About 4 nopals (despined and diced), salt, 4 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, Mexican oregano (or cilantro), 2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, 1/4C lime juice, olive oil, cotija or feta cheese, optional avocado.

If using fresh paddles of nopal, they need to be de-slimed. Dice and toss with salt. Let sit for 1hr minimum. Rinse in a colander under cold water until slime is gone. Pat dry. While the nopales is rinsing, put diced onion in a bowl with some lime juice and salt to pickle a little.

Deseed and mince peppers, dice tomatoes, chop oregano, cilantro. Toss all together in a bowl, including onion with olive oil and crumbled cotija cheese. Sliced avocado to garnish if you like.

Goes great with street style tacos or anything else you like.

FB_IMG_1659040674633.jpgFB_IMG_1659040681218.jpgFB_IMG_1659040686791.jpg

Even if you had to buy every ingredient for this, it would still be under $20 from the local Bodega. With tacos, dish came out to around $7/plate.
 
Tri tip goes on sale here for 3.99 a pound often. Picked one up today for that price actually. I have grown fond of it since nothing in that price range comes close. Garlic salt and pepper, sear over hot coals then move off to the side and pull it at 110. Rest it 10-15 minutes, it will go up to 125 or so. A couple slices of butter on top right after the sear keeps it juicy. Too easy and so good. Slice and serve like a brisket.
 
When it comes to cheap I dont think you can beat a pork butt on the smoker. 1.99 a pound and its the easiest thing to smoke. Rub it with anything you want. Smoke at 250 until it hits 150-160 then wrap it and pull it once it pokes soft, 203-205 usually. Just drop it from about 2 feet and it will do most of the pulling, lol. 50/50 mix of your favorite bbq sauce and vinegar, work that in to taste. Cole slaw on top. Thats a good sandwich.
 
When it comes to cheap I dont think you can beat a pork butt on the smoker. 1.99 a pound and its the easiest thing to smoke. Rub it with anything you want. Smoke at 250 until it hits 150-160 then wrap it and pull it once it pokes soft, 203-205 usually. Just drop it from about 2 feet and it will do most of the pulling, lol. 50/50 mix of your favorite bbq sauce and vinegar, work that in to taste. Cole slaw on top. Thats a good sandwich.
I quit smoking it. Was getting to be a nasty habit...

Seriously though, I do mine in the instant pot now. 90 minutes at high pressure, it just falls apart. It then goes under the broiler with a bunch of salt, some lime juice, jus from cooking, a beer or bottle of coke and in 5-10 more minutes you have amazing carnitas.
 
Ok,, Beef cheek meet smoked at 160 for 1 1/2 hrs at 160. Then toss in the InstaPot for 2 hrs with garlic, onion, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Shred that stuff up when done and you have barbacoa tacos... I get cheek meet at a local butcher for scrap prices.. Going to start doing lengua next time I go in and place an order.. He sells that at scrap prices too..
 
Tri tip goes on sale here for 3.99 a pound often. Picked one up today for that price actually. I have grown fond of it since nothing in that price range comes close. Garlic salt and pepper, sear over hot coals then move off to the side and pull it at 110. Rest it 10-15 minutes, it will go up to 125 or so. A couple slices of butter on top right after the sear keeps it juicy. Too easy and so good. Slice and serve like a brisket.

I'm surprised you get tri tip out there. Its kinda known as a west coast thing. Its a staple here in CA. Grilled, pan seared and finished in the oven, marinated, dry rub, wet rub, so many ways to make it. I usually pay about $5.49/lb for trimmed tri tip here (in CA). My local market does their own cutting/packaging so thats a good price. If I hit the big markets like Safeway, I'd pay that much or more, and still have to trim it.

20210426_185323.jpg
 
For a different, cheap cut of meat, look for a pork loin (not tenderloin). The loin is the cut outside of the ribs (aka backstrap, rib eye, etc). Be sure to get it un trimmed. I think I paid less than $3/lb last time I got one. It needs a 1/4" thick fat cap to render and its actually a great quick smoke. 200-250 is fine, diamond score the fat cap, season just like ribs. Binder, dry rub, and smoke. Wrap towards the end, say when it hits 100° internal, pull when it reaches 130°. Put butter, brown sugar, apple juice or whatever liquids you prefer during wrap. Let rest wrapped for 20-30 minutes. Being boneless, slice it thin or thick, dealers choice. This is the same cut that thick center-cut loin chops are made from. WAY cheaper to buy the whole thing.

20210822_114941.jpg

Should have enough time to throw together some fresh pasta while it smokes. Typically takes just a couple hours. I did papperdelle, sun dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, onions and garlic tossed with evoo. (Meal pic is a tenderloin, can't seem to find my pics with the loin, but same dish)

20210612_125557.jpg

20210612_192701.jpg
 
Today I took a large chicken breast, a large sirloin steak, a whole onion and red bell pepper, then sliced them all into strips. Peeled and deveined 8 colossal shrimp. I chopped fresh cilantro and 2 Tbsp of lime juice in a mixing bowl. Placed in the meats and 2 Tbsp of house fajita seasoning. Mixed it all then covered and into fridge to marinade. Onion and peppers into another mixing bowl with a few good dashes of fajita seasoning. Rice with house sazon, butter and fresh cilantro. It made enough fajitas and rice for a couple meals.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
165,800
Messages
2,203,298
Members
79,110
Latest member
miles813
Back
Top