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9 pound Boston Butt on the smoker right now.

I agree with Leigen Zero. So much good stuff our American friends are missing out on.

On second thought, since it comes (usually) in a sealed plastic wrapper, and apparently you can send coconuts in the mail, can you just send black pudding by post?

I have to be honest, I would get a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart if when I go to get the mail my letterbox looked like this:
'bill, bill, junk mail, bill, junk mail, black pudding'

 Leigen_Zero wrote:
On second thought, since it comes (usually) in a sealed plastic wrapper, and apparently you can send coconuts in the mail, can you just send black pudding by post?

I have to be honest, I would get a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart if when I go to get the mail my letterbox looked like this:
'bill, bill, junk mail, bill, junk mail, black pudding'

I don't think so sadly. My wife and I were looking at sending some things back to Ireland at Christmas but the postal regs put the brakes on those plans. Black pudding can be got here, its just not common. There's an Irish pub near here that does a great Irish breakfast, complete with white and black pudding.

What does everybody reckon the best way to serve gammon is?

Fried egg or Pineapple?

Tomorrow night I'm cooking gammon and pineapple, but I've been getting some funny looks from people when I've told them.

What should I put with the gammon - chips/veg/something else?

Although reading the last few posts has really made me want some black pudding, I don't think I could get away with sticking it on gammon. The wife might complain. :(

PredaKhaine wrote:
What does everybody reckon the best way to serve gammon is?

Fried egg or Pineapple?

Tomorrow night I'm cooking gammon and pineapple, but I've been getting some funny looks from people when I've told them.

What should I put with the gammon - chips/veg/something else?

Although reading the last few posts has really made me want some black pudding, I don't think I could get away with sticking it on gammon. The wife might complain. :(

That really seems a matter of personal preference. I'll eat mine either way but some people react in disgust to one or other topping. For a side I'd say cut up some potatoes into thick chips, put them in a bag, add in olive oil, some paprika, Italian herbs and chili flakes, shake, dump out of the bag and onto an oven tray and bake until done.

Black pudding cooked up and crumbled into mashed potatoes is pretty good

PredaKhaine wrote:
What does everybody reckon the best way to serve gammon is?

Fried egg or Pineapple?

Tomorrow night I'm cooking gammon and pineapple, but I've been getting some funny looks from people when I've told them

Why not invoke the axiom of choice and have both? which is my preferred way of serving gammon.

Also, a suprisingly tasty variation is to make chilli and garlic gammon (discovered by accident when I had leftover gammon and a creative moment), make a rub of hot chilli powder, finely chopped/crushed garlic and olive oil, then apply liberally to the gammon before cooking via preferred method.

As for accompaniaments, I reccommend good thick-cut chips.

Last night was a roasty chicken I got at the supermarket. Tonight will be the leftovers. But tomorrow I'm making Scapelles.. that's what my grandmom always called it, dunno what the real name is.

it's like a thin crepe that you roll up real tight with just parmasean cheese sprinkled inside before you roll it up. Then you just stick em in chicken broth and eat it like soup. Tis yummy.

pretty easy to make.. just 6 eggs, 1.5 cups of flour and 1.5 cups of water. Cook em in a nonstick pan like a pancake.

Chips it is then.

We've got some 'spicy meat rub' that a mate with a culinary bent knocked up at home, I might have to stick some on the gammon, then have pineapple on it too.

Next time after this I cook, I'm doing a fry up/mixed grill. With as many different sorts of meat possible.

Whats the best meat people have tried? (not counting the common ones like cow, pig, chicken, sheep and in the uk horse )

PredaKhaine wrote:
Whats the best meat people have tried? (not counting the common ones like cow, pig, chicken, sheep and in the uk horse )

I don't know about the best but I have had rabbit, rattlesnake, alligator, elk and bison since I moved here. All pretty good too

PredaKhaine wrote:
Whats the best meat people have tried? (not counting the common ones like cow, pig, chicken, sheep and in the uk horse )

I've always like frog legs when available. One common meat around here is deer, and I never get enough of that. I've also had bison, and it was pretty good also (very similar to deer in my opinion). Alligator is good, kind of has a fishy taste to it.

 Snrub wrote:

Albatross wrote:That's not what it says on the first page of my passport, Bruce. It says 'Her Britannic Majesty Requests that the Sausage Be Encased Within the Pudding, without Fear or Favour'.

Sincerest apologies mi'lord. I must be eating the bastadised Australian convict version of Toad in the hole. I'll cease these heretical practices at once.

Listen, at the end of the day, it's still sausages and Yorkshire puddings. Chalk it up as a 'win' either way, toad or no toad.

PredaKhaine wrote:

Next time after this I cook, I'm doing a fry up/mixed grill. With as many different sorts of meat possible.

Whats the best meat people have tried? (not counting the common ones like cow, pig, chicken, sheep and in the uk horse )

#1 - I once ate a mixed grill which contained no less than 8 different cuts of meat (steak, gammon, pork chop, sausage, bacon, chicken breast, ribs), the only thing that wasn't originally an animal on that beast was the fried egg and mushrooms.

#2 - If we include aquatic lifeforms, then swordfish, otherwise bison (in burger form), was incredibly tasty, like beef, but a bit leaner and slightly gamey, however was a little dry, probably due to being less fatty than beef. Swordfish was a genuine treat, kind of like a decent fresh tuna steak, quite succulent, delicious taste and a bit more filling than your average fish.

I decided to not be quick about my dinner... I made fish and chips

Like as legit as I could get it. We had battered Cod in our freezer, so I took it out, cut off the batter, and made my own using a recipe I found online and videos on YouTube. Took some golden potatoes left over from St. Patricks Day (uncooked). Cut them up (I guess technically "chipped" them), and started up the oil. Had a pot of Vegetable oil going, got it hot as balls, and dropped in my fish, pulled them off to cool and threw in the fries. Poured me a nice cold Guinness, and felt as though I should have ended my night with some tea... so I did...

I didn't get to sleep till after midnight >_< (less than 5 hours of sleep plus a full days work today )

Kangaroo is damn tasty. Very tender. Dunno how easy it would be to get in States or the UK but if you do find it i certainly recommend trying it.
Certain snakes are quite good eating as are Goannas.
Bush Pigeons. Bush Pigeons are top notch grub.
Also heard tell of Croc being pretty good but I've never tried it myself.



Alf those home made fish n chips sound really good. I'm quite envious.

I've eaten Alligator. It was minging. Sort of like fishy pork. Kangaroo was pretty nice though.

How'd you have the Roo?

I've had deer, buffalo, alligator (I thought alligator was more like chicken... but then again it reminded me of frog legs which did remind me of chicken), frog legs, ostrich, and ostrich eggs, meal worms, and crickets...

And as long as we're naming odd meats we've eaten...
A whole White Castle Crave Case (the 30 sandwiches not the box they came in)

I've tried
venison
croc - looks like fish, texture of beef, tastes like fish
Bison - a bit too lean for me
Ostrich - fantastic.
All in burger form

But the single best burger I've ever had was wild boar.
It's like pork squared. It cost me £5 and I had to go to a renaissance fair/re-enactment but I consider that a small price to pay.

 Snrub wrote:
How'd you have the Roo?

Sausages! Sorry, 'snags'.

 Alfndrate wrote:
I've had deer, buffalo, alligator (I thought alligator was more like chicken... but then again it reminded me of frog legs which did remind me of chicken), frog legs, ostrich, and ostrich eggs, meal worms, and crickets...

And as long as we're naming odd meats we've eaten...
A whole White Castle Crave Case (the 30 sandwiches not the box they came in)

I've heard that Alligator can taste like chicken or fish depending on how it's prepared. But I'll agree, frog legs definitely remind me of chicken. And you better not bash White Castle! Those sliders are perfect for a night of drinking....and for cleaning out your digestive system

 mega_bassist wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
I've had deer, buffalo, alligator (I thought alligator was more like chicken... but then again it reminded me of frog legs which did remind me of chicken), frog legs, ostrich, and ostrich eggs, meal worms, and crickets...

And as long as we're naming odd meats we've eaten...
A whole White Castle Crave Case (the 30 sandwiches not the box they came in)

I've heard that Alligator can taste like chicken or fish depending on how it's prepared. But I'll agree, frog legs definitely remind me of chicken. And you better not bash White Castle! Those sliders are perfect for a night of drinking....and for cleaning out your digestive system

White Castle is probably like my ultimate diet killer... It's rare that I eat it, and I haven't had much of a hankering since I ate that crave case, but when I smell those greasy little sliders, I have to get some... and by some I mean all the sliders...

I decided to make my first ever loaf of bread this evening; equal parts white and wholemeal flour. I have neither a bread maker or a loaf tin so I'm not sure how it will turn out. In any event the house will smell of freshly baked/failed bread!

 Alfndrate wrote:

White Castle is probably like my ultimate diet killer... It's rare that I eat it, and I haven't had much of a hankering since I ate that crave case, but when I smell those greasy little sliders, I have to get some... and by some I mean all the sliders...

I know exactly what you mean. Luckily, the closest one to me is about 10-12 miles away, and none of my friends live near there, so I never eat it. But when I go, I always get at least 6 sliders and an order of onion rings.

 RossDas wrote:
I decided to make my first ever loaf of bread this evening; equal parts white and wholemeal flour. I have neither a bread maker or a loaf tin so I'm not sure how it will turn out. In any event the house will smell of freshly baked/failed bread!

Did you add any yeast? I've started to bake a little, but mainly wheaten bread.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 RossDas wrote:
I decided to make my first ever loaf of bread this evening; equal parts white and wholemeal flour. I have neither a bread maker or a loaf tin so I'm not sure how it will turn out. In any event the house will smell of freshly baked/failed bread!

Did you add any yeast? I've started to bake a little, but mainly wheaten bread.

Yeah, I added the 7 grams of fast action yeast that the recipe recommended. How have your loaves turned out?

 RossDas wrote:
Yeah, I added the 7 grams of fast action yeast that the recipe recommended. How have your loaves turned out?

Pretty good. Its simple and easy to make because there is no yeast and little kneading. Want the recipe?

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 RossDas wrote:
Yeah, I added the 7 grams of fast action yeast that the recipe recommended. How have your loaves turned out?

Pretty good. Its simple and easy to make because there is no yeast and little kneading. Want the recipe?

Yes please, a recipe with little kneading would be very handy.

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 stick butter
2 1/4 cups of buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Mix all the dry ingredients together then cut up the butter and rub it into the mix with your fingers. Stir in the buttermilk and mix by hand. Then on a floured surface knead the bread 5-6 times (you may need to add a wee bit more all purpose flour as you do this to get the right consistency) and shape into a ball, then flatten to about a 9 inch disc. Place on a baking tray and cut an X across the dough. Bake for 1 hour, rotating the bread halfway. Then take it out, let it cool and enjoy

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 stick butter
2 1/4 cups of buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Mix all the dry ingredients together then cut up the butter and rub it into the mix with your fingers. Stir in the buttermilk and mix by hand. Then on a floured surface knead the bread 5-6 times (you may need to add a wee bit more all purpose flour as you do this to get the right consistency) and shape into a ball, then flatten to about a 9 inch disc. Place on a baking tray and cut an X across the dough. Bake for 1 hour, rotating the bread halfway. Then take it out, let it cool and enjoy

Cheers, I'll try that out next time I'm baking.
Here's the recipe I'm using tonight - it's slightly more basic; I'll let you know how it turns out. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10121/bread-in-four-easy-steps