Oct 01

Smokehoss Reuben Sandwich Review (Meade, KS)

With much time spent driving on the road after arriving at an airport, I am always on the looking for unique restaurants, coffee shops and regional specialties. Little did I know once I finally stopped at the Smokehoss: Jerky – Coffee – Bistro that I had found diamond among the prairies, ranches, farmland and small towns along Highway 54 in Meade, KS (southwest Kansas).

Smokehoss Jerky Coffee Bistro

Smokehoss: Jerky – Coffee – Bistro in Meade, KS

I had stopped earlier in the week for a coffee as I headed east and was impressed with their menu for it included a Reuben Sandwich. I knew that later in the week I would be heading west on Highway 54 so I would stop at the Smokehoss and order a Reuben Sandwich.

The Reuben Sandwich was excellent. Over time I am becoming more inclined to enjoy Reuben Sandwiches where the rye bread is toasted. This sandwich was no exception. The marble rye was toasted, the portion of corned beef was generous, the sauerkraut was just right and they used real Swiss Cheese. When I first tasted the “sauce” I could not identify whether or not it was Thousand Island Dressing because there was a little bit of a kick to the sandwich. I thought that they must have added some Mustard in addition to the Thousand Island Dressing. It was only after I had finished the sandwich and was waiting for my Mocha to be made that I asked the owner what was special about the dressing / spread that was on the Reuben Sandwich. She smiled and said that they use Grey Poupon Bistro Sauce to make their Reuben Sandwich unique. She was correct; use of the Grey Poupon Bistro Sauce (Dijon Mustard, Horseradish and Garlic) was a perfect spread for their take on a Reuben Sandwich.

Reuben Sandwich from the Smokehoss

Smokehoss Reuben Sandwich

In addition to the sandwich, I ordered a side of baked beans in which they add their own smoked bacon to the beans. The baked beans were the right sweetness with the bacon providing the perfect amount of smokiness. I will do my best to arrange my schedule in order to stop at the Smokehoss in Meade, KS to enjoy another Reuben Sandwich. I will admit, as much as I enjoyed the Reuben I cannot help but think that all of their sandwiches are just as good. It will be a difficult decision. Not only does the Smokehoss make a good sandwich, but they do their own smoking of meats and make their own jerky.

If you happen to be travelling along Highway 54 in southwest Kansas, you will not be disappointed by stopping at the Smokehoss in Meade, KS for sandwich or a coffee.

Road to Meade, KS on Highway 54

Road to Meade, KS on Highway 54

In the post: Reuben Sandwich Reviews, this sandwich from the Smokehoss is rated as a Classic Representations / I think there are other items on the menu?

 

Sep 30

Whey Bread – A monstrous Ciabatta

After making mozzarella last weekend, I ended up with nearly as much whey as the amount of milk I started with. I didn’t feel I could just through this delicious, slightly fluorescent green coloured liquid away. After a bit of research on some cheese making blogs, I found some people where using whey as a substitute for water or milk when baking bread. Since I was in an Italian cooking frame of mind, I decided to make some ciabatta.

Sliced Ciabatta bread made with whey

Sliced Ciabatta bread made with whey

I was feeling a bit rushed when I made the ciabatta, and was doing the recipe from memory. Instead of making a small biga (starter), I made up the whole bread dough in one go. What’s the worst that could happen. Well the yeast must have thought they were in heaven with all that lactose to eat up from the whey, because when I came into the kitchen the next morning, the dough had increased to monstrous proportions, escaped from the bowl and was making a break for it across the kitchen counter. The dough that had escaped from under the plastic wrap had dried out and wasn’t able to be used, but in reality there was a lot of wastage.

The main lesson I’ve learnt when using whey in bread is that it will produce very vigorous rising. During the proofing there was a fantastic ‘beery’, yeasty smell coming from the dough, not unlike a brewery and after baking the bread was more more-ish than usual, with a slight sourdough flavour because of the whey. It also ballooned up more than any ciabatta that I have made in the past, with a more open texture with larger bubbles.

Whey bread ciabatta

I’m including the ingredients and method the way that I made this bread, but since it is quite a vigorous dough, I would suggest using my previous ciabatta recipe to make a biga, but substitute the water with whey. However if you do feel brave enough to make the bread using this method, use a bigger bowl.

Total time:9 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (475ml) of whey
  • 5 cups (1100g) of strong white bread flour
  • 1 tsp of dry active yeast
  • 3 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 2 tbsp of melted unsalted butter

Method

  1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, and the kneed the dough for about 5 minutes.

    Whey Ciabatta Dough

    Whey Ciabatta Dough

  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rise for about 8 hours or overnight.

    Whey Ciabatta Dough Risen

    Whey Ciabatta Dough Risen

  3. Cover a work surface in flour, turn out the dough and pull it into a long oblong.

    Forming the ciabatta

    Forming the ciabatta

  4. Place the dough onto a greased baking tray. Sprinkle on a little more flour. Optionally you can cut a few shallow, diagonal slashes into the top of the bread.

    Ciabatta ready for the oven

    Ciabatta ready for the oven

  5. Bake the bread in a 375F (190C) oven for 40mins or until it is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating.

    Whey Ciabatta

    Whey Ciabatta

Sep 29

Monday Night Steak Night

24 OZ. Prime Boneless Rib Eye

24 OZ. Beautifully Marbled Rib Eye

Seasoned Boneless Ribeye

Seasoned with Worcestershire Sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning

Grilling a Ribeye

Boneless Rib Eye on the Outdoor Grill

Grilling Boneless Rib Eye Steaks

Many Boneless Rib Eyes Grilling

Steak Cooked to Perfection

Medium Rare Rib Eye with Mushrooms and String Beans

Monday Night Steak Night is Finished

All Done!

In bars across America on Monday evening there is a tradition of unknown origin that has become one of the worst kept secrets. For a fair price, typically less the $15 per person, you can order a nice size steak with a couple of sides. At its most basic level, this offering makes complete sense. Monday evenings excluding Monday Night Football (September – December) typically are the slowest night for a bar. Aside from discounting drink prices, what better enticement can there be by offering a steak dinner for a reasonable price?

A little research on the internet shows that this secret is well documented with websites and specific pages dedicated to the reviews and listing of bars and restaurants that have “Steak Nights”. Interestingly enough, “Steak Night” is not dedicated to Monday night alone. It appears that competition for steak lovers who will also drink a few adult beverages is fierce with “Steak Night” being offered on most nights of the week at one or more locations.

Over the years I have eaten at a few of these locations around the United States. Typically, the customer does not get choose the steak and hopefully the steak cooked to their specification. There are a few locations where the customer may select their steak and even cook it themselves.

One of these “you pick, you cook” is located in Alamorio, CA a few miles east of Brawley, CA on US-78. To the best of my knowledge, Alamorio Bar is the name of the establishment, but that is just a guess. I did not see a sign or anything else that would say you are here. In fact, you are likely to drive past the place if you were not specifically told where the bar was located.

What this place lacks in advertising, decor and renovation is more then compensated by the fact that the beer is cold and on Monday nights you are able to personally select and cook a thick, beautifully marbled boneless rib eye that is hand-cut. I have eaten my fair share of steaks in my lifetime and I can say without reservation that you will be hard pressed to find a better quality boneless rib eye anywhere. It probably does not hurt that there is a beef packing plant only a few miles away.

After a beer or two, you select your steak and season it to your preference. My personal seasoning of choice is Worcestershire Sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Then outside you go to cook your boneless rib eye on a hard wood fired grill. At any one time on Monday night there will be a half dozen to a dozen 24 ounce steaks grilling over the hot coals. For a steak of this thickness and the grill height from the hot coals, to cook the steak medium rare requires 12 – 14 minutes. There are those that question the logic of purchasing a steak then having to cook it yourself, but this one of those places where it just makes sense.

Once you have cooked your steak, you come back inside to the side buffet where salad, mushrooms, string beans, baked potatoes and bread rolls are available. In addition to the side dishes offered, customers are more then welcomed to bring their own vegetables to cook on the grill. I saw customers bring corn and green onions wrapped in aluminum foil to cook with their steak.

The steak was perfect. I prefer a rib eye to all cuts of beef and the rib eye offered at the Alamorio Bar is simply one of the best. There are times when sitting down at a nice steak house is preferred. Even cooking the steak at home with family and friends is nice. However, when the option to eat a magnificent boneless rib eye that you cook yourself and do not have to tend the grill or clean up is offered, there really is no other option.

Locations such as the Alamorio Bar are far and few in between, but the option to have a well priced steak at a bar is more frequent option then most of us realize.

 

Sep 28

Eating her curds and whey – What is Whey?

We all know the nursery rhyme about Little Miss Muffet eating her curds and whey, but in today’s world, I wonder how many people even know what they are.
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey, Along came a spider, Who sat down beside her, and frightened Miss Muffet away

Curds are the easy part, in that they are the solids when you make cheese. The whey is just the liquid that is left over and is sometime just thrown away. After making mozzarella the other day, I wondered what use I could put all the whey to, and after a little research I found out there are lots of uses.

Whey after cheese making

Whey after cheese making

Even though whey is just a by-product of cheese and yoghurt making, it is packed full of protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Though it should be noted, that anyone with lactose intolerance should avoid whey, since it contains lactose.

In commercial food production whey is added to cakes, breads, pastry and many other processed food as well as for making ricotta cheese. I had never thought that ricotta was a by-product of cheese making, but it is literally Italian for ‘re-cooked’, in that the whey is cooked to extract the ricotta. However ricotta technically isn’t a real cheese, since it is made from albumin and globulin proteins, rather than coagulated casein as in other cheeses.

Some uses of Whey in the Kitchen

  • Re-cook the whey to make ricotta cheese or other whey cheeses such as Anari, Brunost, Prim-ost, Mesost, Mysost, Gjetost, Brocciu.
  • Make whey cream or butter for a tangy, slightly cheesy alternative to normal cream or butter.
  • Use whey as a substitute for water or milk in baking such as bread, scones, American biscuits, pancakes, cakes, pastry, muffins, pizza dough, waffles, etc.
  • Whey can be used to kick start lacto-fermentation in preserves such as sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.
  • Cook rice, potatoes or pasta using whey to add some more flavour to dishes.
  • Make soups and stews with whey instead of stock
  • Make smoothies or milkshakes with whey. This would be a cheaper alternative than adding commercial whey powder.
  • Make a marinade. The enzymes in the whey will help break down the meat.
  • Use whey as a substitute instead of buttermilk in recipes.

If you end up making your own cheese, you’ll end up with gallons of whey, and there is only so much you can do with it in a short time, however if stored in a clean vessel, it can keep for a few months in the refrigerator or it can be frozen.

Whey in jar

 

Sep 27

Reuben Sandwich – Casey’s Cowtown Steakhouse Restaurant (Dodge City, KS)

I was spending some time in Dodge City, KS; made famous during the heyday of the Wild West in the second half of the 1800’s and being an important part of the cattle drives of Texas Longhorn cattle. It has been a few weeks since I had eaten a Reuben, so I was looking to take care of my obsession.

I went on-line to search for a restaurant serving Reuben Sandwiches, but had no success. I asked around and was told that Casey’s Cowtown Steakhouse Restaurant, located at 503 E. Trail Street, Dodge City, KS 67801 served a Reuben. Off to lunch I go, my mouth watering in anticipation of a Reuben Sandwich. A waitress takes me to my table, hands me the menu and I quickly scan the sandwich list for the Reuben Sandwich. I order the sandwich with onion rings in lieu of french fries.

Reuben Sandwich from Casey's Cowtown Steakhouse Restaurant

Reuben Sandwich from Casey's Cowtown Steakhouse Restaurant - Dodge City, KS

When the sandwich first arrived I was a little concerned for the 1,000 Island Dressing was served on the side in a cup. I can understand the rationale of the restaurant. It is difficult to determine how much dressing a customer would want on their Reuben in addition to the 1,000 Island Dressing can melt out of the sandwich when it is being grilled.

Casey's Cowtown Steakhouse Road Sign

Casey's Cowtown Steakhouse Road Sign - Dodge City, KS

The Reuben was good, a well-constructed sandwich. The dark marbled rye was grilled, but not soaked in butter / oil. The sauerkraut was well drained and the corned beef was tender and flavorful. I have noticed that depending on the quality of the Swiss cheese used, it is difficult to determine when melted if the restaurant had used Swiss cheese or American white cheese. There was nothing distinctive about the flavor of the cheese to say that Swiss cheese was used. It appeared that no 1,000 Island Dressing has been added to the sandwich and because two slices of cheese had been used on each slice of grilled dark marbled rye bread, it was impossible to open the sandwich to add the dressing. Instead, I dipped the Reuben into the 1,000 Island dressing. This option of the dressing on the side is a good idea.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the Reuben and rate this sandwich from Casey’s Cowtown Steakhouse Restaurant in Dodge City a Classic Representations / I think there are other items on the menu? in my post Reuben Sandwich Reviews.