DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,312
- 5,978
Man, I wish I could think like Guy Miner or Vince to snap a picture after I cook. However, I always remember--later in the evening or the next day. Still, it was a delightful meal last evening. Mama informed me that I needed to cook something. I dug through the freezer and found some chops from a boar that were begging to be cooked. So, I made it my goal to prepare something that she would like.
The meal was simple, but a genuine hit. I filled the hopper on my Traeger with hickory pellets, fired it up and set the temperature to high to ensure that the unit was hot. I coated some spuds with extra virgin olive oil and a good sprinkling of kosher salt before setting them on the grill. They would need about forty minutes to be ready to eat.
I made a dry rub of smoked paprika, coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, cumin and dried ancho chili pepper. I let the chops set in the fridge for about four hours while I completed some writing tasks and hospital visits. I then made a fruit salsa to serve with the chops. It consisted of a generous amount of chopped fresh basil, two diced peaches, about 3/4 cup of blueberries, about 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon, 1/4 cup of honey, about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. The salsa was then set in the fridge.
When mama came home from work, I told her to put on her walking shoes. We went for a walk and when we came home, I fired up the grill. I put the potatoes on the grill when the Traeger was ready. After about fifteen minutes, I retrieved the chops from the fridge, coated them with some stone ground mustard before placing them on the grill. I left them for about seven or eight minutes before turning them to the other side for about twelve minutes. This allowed me time to read another extended chapter in the book I'm working through between cooking chores.
When a meat thermometer assured me that the chops were perfect, and the potatoes yielded nicely to a gentle squeeze, I plated a potato and a chop on each plate with a generous spoonful of the fruit salsa on the chop. Apparently, it was a real hit. I even received another thank you for a wonderful meal before turning in last evening.
I believe this approach would work very well with most ungulate chops and steaks. I'll make it a point to find out soon.
The meal was simple, but a genuine hit. I filled the hopper on my Traeger with hickory pellets, fired it up and set the temperature to high to ensure that the unit was hot. I coated some spuds with extra virgin olive oil and a good sprinkling of kosher salt before setting them on the grill. They would need about forty minutes to be ready to eat.
I made a dry rub of smoked paprika, coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, cumin and dried ancho chili pepper. I let the chops set in the fridge for about four hours while I completed some writing tasks and hospital visits. I then made a fruit salsa to serve with the chops. It consisted of a generous amount of chopped fresh basil, two diced peaches, about 3/4 cup of blueberries, about 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon, 1/4 cup of honey, about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. The salsa was then set in the fridge.
When mama came home from work, I told her to put on her walking shoes. We went for a walk and when we came home, I fired up the grill. I put the potatoes on the grill when the Traeger was ready. After about fifteen minutes, I retrieved the chops from the fridge, coated them with some stone ground mustard before placing them on the grill. I left them for about seven or eight minutes before turning them to the other side for about twelve minutes. This allowed me time to read another extended chapter in the book I'm working through between cooking chores.
When a meat thermometer assured me that the chops were perfect, and the potatoes yielded nicely to a gentle squeeze, I plated a potato and a chop on each plate with a generous spoonful of the fruit salsa on the chop. Apparently, it was a real hit. I even received another thank you for a wonderful meal before turning in last evening.
I believe this approach would work very well with most ungulate chops and steaks. I'll make it a point to find out soon.
