cast iron – The Bearded Hiker

Pan seared scallops with mushrooms and leeks is impressive enough to serve to guests, but easy enough to make on any night of the week.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Mushrooms & Leeks

So an internet friend of mine, Albert over at Spain on a Fork, requested a scallop recipe and or a jumbo shrimp recipe. I went with these pan-seared scallops first because I hadn’t made this in a while. It’s actually more fussy than I like my scallops. Usually I’ll just do the usual – sear them off in butter with some salt and pepper. But this one is pretty enough to serve to guests are any old night in your ratty robe because it’s pretty simple. I eat this just like you see it above. It could be nice put…

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Fried Cabbage

Fried cabbage is one of those cheap, homey things that’s just … well it’s just makes you feel good. Satisfied. Like you’re in your grandmother’s kitchen. At least for me it does. My wife calls this smothered cabbage. You might too, but whatever you call it, it’s delicious. It’s the perfect side dish for…well anything, but I typically like to make this when I make cube steak or beef tips or something homestyle, you know? But, I have been known to eat it over rice with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Just one thing before we get down…

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Homestyle Creamed Corn

IT’S CORN TIME! Specifically creamed corn time! And I love me some homestyle creamed corn. It’s so … creamy and sweet and savory. It just so happens the neighboring county to me, Baldwin County, grows the best corn ever. Big, beautiful Silver Queen corn and now is the time – the time to stuff lots of corn in your cornhole. (????!!!!!) Piehole. It also happens to be summertime. I think we can all feel that. But that means gatherings … of all sorts. And you know also that when you gather you gotta bring a dish. But you don’t want…

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Ground beef simmered in tasty, dark beer with onion, pepper and spices = tender goodness on a buttered bun. Mom would be proud.

Mom’s Mince & Ale Loose Meat Sandwich

This is not my mom’s loose meat sandwich – but there is a story behind it that involves my mom. When I was a kid in Jackson, Mississippi, my mom and dad used to take us to this restaurant, I have no idea what it was called, but they had these loose meat sandwiches. We all loved them! So my mom being my mom, recreated it at home. Well, her version. We had it often when I was a kid and all I can really remember about it is that it was a loose meat sandwich and it was peppery…

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Pork Jambalaya with Burnt Sugar

There are so many types of jambalaya – chicken and sausage, chicken and shrimp, with tomatoes, without tomatoes, turkey neck jambalaya, black bird jambalaya…I could go on and on. And just like other “cultural foods” people have strong opinions about it. If it’s red, it’s not authentic, if it’s brown it’s not authentic. Shrimp must be in there, no shrimp shouldn’t be in there. The truth is, jambalaya was created as a result of the need for a filling but inexpensive meal with easily available ingredients. So yeah, black bird jambalaya and turkey neck jambalaya. If you had those, you…

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Shakshuka

My go-to breakfast? Eggs almost always. Usually, it’s a very, very simple heuvos rancheros with the Mission super thin corn tortillas. Eggs just last me all day…Well, until noon at least. Even though the cholesterol police – wife – wants to stuff oatmeal in my face, she is satisfied as long as I eat eggs and beans. Huevos rancheros is quick and mindless. Shakshuka is what we have when we have a little more time on our hands. Not that it takes that long, but it does require a tiny bit of prep and simmering time. Not much though, don’t be…

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Steak and Ale Pie

STEAK & ALE PIE INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons butter, divided 1.5 pounds boneless beef, chuck steak or stew meat, cut into 1″ cubes 2 medium onions chopped 3 stalks celery chopped 3 carrots sliced 3 cloves garlic 8 ounces mushrooms sliced 4 sprigs or fresh thyme 1 bottle of Guinness ¼ cup all purpose flour 1 cup beef broth 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon dijon mustard ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 refrigerated pie crusts, 1 if you’re only using a top crust 1 egg lightly beaten deep dish pie pan or cast iron skillet DIRECTIONS Over medium…

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Bite-sized pieces of pork cooked until super tender, then perfectly caramelized!

Pork Carnitas!

If you’re not into crazy leave now. Just walk away. Go knit something. Because this is crazy. It’s crazy on a few levels, the recipe will sound crazy, when you see it cooking it looks crazy, but great sack of potatoes, it freakin’ tastes crazy. Crazy good! It has to be one of the best things that has come out of my kitchen in a very, very long time. Don’t be afraid either. Yes, it’s pork “boiled in oil”. Forget that though, just do it. This is not a food you’ll do once a week. Hell, not even once a…

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Pork Vindaloo

Ok, you’re probably asking yourself, what is pork vindaloo? In short, it’s a spicy, tangy dish that you get in Indian restaurants. You might also be saying to yourself, I’ve never eaten in an Indian restaurant or have had Indian food. Stop, hold the presses, go no further. Go now to your nearest Indian restaurant and try it. Expand that palate of yours! You’ll thank me later. Welcome back! I know you loved it and you want to make this so you can relive that feeling. Let’s do it this! PORK VINDALOO Ingredients: 2 lbs pork shoulder cubed into 2-3″ pieces…

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Southern cornbread with jalapeños and goat cheese!

Jalapéno Goat Cheese Cornbread

“The North thinks it knows how to make corn bread, but this is a gross superstition. Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern corn bread, and perhaps no bread in the world is quite as bad as the Northern imitation of it.” -Mark Twain Oh Mr. Twain sure did get it right. Growing up cornbread was a staple in my house. My mom made it in a cast iron skillet (of course) and it always had this crust that made you thank God you lived in the south. There have been many iterations of cornbread…

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