No Christmas Ham

[budwzr]

I don't do the traditional holiday cooking any more. It's become passe. Carne Asada is now the holiday treat.

[dLee]

Why are you only grilling meat? You should have peppers, onions, tomatillos and tomatoes on that grill, at the very least.

[Webster]

Why are you only grilling meat? You should have peppers, onions, tomatillos and tomatoes on that grill, at the very least.

Those are for vegetarian, it will kill the taste of the meat. The question is why did keeps flipping the meat. Once flip is enough for me....

@budwzr - Them meats sure did look good, I'm salivating as I watched..... I'm having prime ribs for myself this New Year dinner tonight.....

[budwzr]

The reason I keep flipping them is because I'm trying to build up a "bark" without burning them, and this kind of meat is normally cooked to well done, they're flap meat or the old name is skirt steaks. This meat is good for eating as "cowboy steaks", or you can chop it into burritos or tacos.

They were marinated in cajun seasoning with lemon juice for three days so they're pre-tenderized and have a unique flavor.

When I chop it into burritos, I add onions, cilantro, and guacamole, and they disappear as fast as I can make them on that little grill.

If they were good cuts of meat, I would have done them differently.

Skirt steak used to be cheap, but it got popular over here and sells for nearly the price of ribeyes. But I buy the big bulk package at Costco and it's 3.99 a pound. You have to do a little trimming, but not much, not nearly as much as a beef tenderloin where you lose 25% of it after trimming.

I hand trim ALL my meat so when you sit down to enjoy it there's no gristle, silverskin, tendons or whatnot, just pure meat eatin' pleasure, hahaha.

Yeah, there's something magical about a hot off the grill steak. That first bite is the best.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Skirt steak is GOOD. I do remember when it was cheap and yes, it became popular and then expensive. Same thing happened to chicken wings. There was a time when you couldn't give chicken wings for free, and then somebody fried them with some buffalo sauce and boom!... now they cost as much as breast fillets.

[budwzr]

Skirt steak is GOOD.

Hey, you're from Tampa? Hahaha

I was born at Tampa General and grew up on Davis Island. Whew! It's a small world. I live in LA now.

I learned to cut meat at Bern's. As a teenager, I was an assistant meat cutter and I've trimmed so many beef tenderloins I could probably do it blindfolded.

Ah, the good old days.

Have you ever been to the Tropicana in Ybor City? They have the best cubans now, since the Silver Ring closed. Oh man, I'm remembering all kinds of good stuff, like the chicken and yellow rice at the Columbia.

And Deviled Crabs! Can you still get those? Love them damn things with hot sauce. I used to split 'em down the middle and soak 'em with Tabasco. No finer eatin', hahaha.

They don't have that stuff out here, except once in a while a "Cuban" restaurant might pop up, but it's not the same. The bread here is no good. A good Cuban has to start out with that chewy cuban bread they make in Tampa.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Yes!.. GO BUCS!!!.. hahaha

So, you switched coasts?. How is life in LA compared to Tampa?.

La Tropicana Rocks!, those cubans are the best!. There are a few cuban restaurants here, have you ever been to "La Teresita"?, that place is also awesome!.

Knowing how to cut your own meat has to be very useful. Usually my wife does the cutting and I do the grilling

[budwzr]

Hahaha, I was living in Tampa when the Bucs first started as an expansion team, and boy did they suck at that time, no doubt they had a hard time getting good talent for many years because they were never taken seriously.

But that all changed in San Diego when they won their first Superbowl. And I was SHOCKED because the Chargers had the homefield advantage too.

LA is totally different from Tampa, as you might expect. It's very fast paced, and when you get up to speed it's hard to wind down, so you're in a constant state of flux. You have to get out of here to relax, so I take 2-5 day camping trips in the desert once in a while to refresh and recharge.

The good part of living in LA is that it's super multicultural, and I feel like I'm living in the whole world, and getting a much broader view of life and humanity. Not to disparage Tampa in any way, but out here you can do your own thing and nobody even bats an eye.

Yeah, working at Bern's was a great experience. They take the best cut of beef and elevate it even further with their aging process, attention to detail in trimming, and the highest quality in everything they do. A great learning lesson for a youngster, that's for sure.

I'm not familiar with La Teresita, but it sure sounds like the kind of place I'd like.

Man, now I have a craving for cubans and deviled crabs, not to mention those stuffed potato balls at Tropicana. Hahaha, I guess I'll have to suffer now.

[Webster]

The reason I keep flipping them is because I'm trying to build up a "bark" without burning them, and this kind of meat is normally cooked to well done, they're flap meat or the old name is skirt steaks.

When I want them to be well done, what I usually do is searing both sides directly on the flame with only one flip (I use wood burning fire so this may work different than your method) and continue grilling them in indirect heat inside the grill. That way the juice is trapped inside the meat while it is cooking. I've found that if you flipping them too much, you end up loosing the juice and end up with a dry piece of meat. Also, even with skirt steaks, I never went beyond medium.
@ $3.99 a pound for skirt steak is really inexpensive (never say cheap, 'cause cheap means inferior..). Where I am, they goes for $5.99 a pound. I'd used to get them for less than $2.00 a pound few years back, but the cut is getting too popular these day, it is hard to find good deal for them.

Question, how long does it take you to get to work in the morning in LA? And when was the last time you went to the beach and go into the water?

[budwzr]

Of course I sear them first, to trap the juices. The flipping is more to slow down the cooking, while crisping up the outside. My steaks DO have some pink inside, and very juicy. they're not beef jerky . My philosophy is this:

My goal is to bring the internal temperature of the meat to around 125, but slowly. Meat reacts to fire by tensing up, or tightening. After initial searing, I place the steaks aside and let them rest and relax. I let them think the ordeal is over. While they're relaxing, the internal temperature comes up a little.

From then on, it's a matter of gradually increasing the internal temperature ever so slowly until "al dente" or "just done". Cooking beyond that point is counter-productive and destructive.

Every BBQ'er knows that "Low and Slow" is 90% of it. I'm simply applying this concept to grilling too.

As far as commuting, I work at home . Going to the beach is a big hassle over here, especially popular beaches, so I go to the Colorado River (Parker,AZ) 2-3 times a year instead. Plus, as a photography enthusiast, the beach sand is our worst enemy.

[Webster]

As far as commuting, I work at home .

Lucky you....

Going to the beach is a big hassle over here, especially popular beaches, so I go to the Colorado River (Parker,AZ) 2-3 times a year instead.

What kind of activity can you in in Parker?

We was in Zion national park, Utah a couple years ago. It is a beautiful place. We are always looking for new places to explore. Preferably, places that others have been to so we can avoid those hyped up by the "official tourism" write up.

[budwzr]

The Colorado River runs through Parker, and it cuts through mountains all through there, and the deep blue of the water cutting through those red hills is breathtaking.

You can get a full hookup right on the river edge, and just step out of your RV about 30 feet and you're in the crystal clear water. And when you fire up the grill in late afternoon and watch the colors on the hills as you drink a 38 degree ice cold longneck, you might think you died and went to heaven.

[budwzr]

Zion is the best of the parks in that area, and I'd say Arches NatPark is second best.

I've been all over the West in my RV, and I've never been disappointed, but I'd say Southern Utah and Northern Arizona is my favorite area.

The elevation changes by 5000 ft in that area depending on where you go, so in the summer time when it's hot, I'll just drive up to the nearest plateau and the temperature drops 40 degrees. Nice and cool at night. That's when I'm dry camping, on the river it doesn't matter because you can plug in.

Probably the most remote place I've camped is Marble Canyon. Look it up on Google Maps. It's very remote but the mountains(bluffs) are different colors due to the earth's crust lifting up in that area. Navajo pottery uses these natural colored sands.

Well, as far as official tourism, they made those National Parks for a reason, some are better than others, but you're sure to see something worthy of the drive.

Were are you heading from, and I might be able to come up with a good itinerary.

[budwzr]

Here's a video I made on a Laughlin,NV camping trip. It's just desert out there, not nearly as nice as Parker, but will give you an idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5OKvGBCPss&hd=1

[Webster]

Here's a video I made on a Laughlin,NV camping trip. It's just desert out there, not nearly as nice as Parker, but will give you an idea.

Nice video, look like fun.

Where are you heading from, and I might be able to come up with a good itinerary.

Well, we don't head out West that often, It is too far for us. Only when I get more than 4 weeks off (still in the rat race for a few more years.) do I attempt to head West.
I'm just collecting locations for future trips. We are in the east (specifically south FL area) I made a promise to myself to see all of the 50 States before I kick the bucket. So far we did the East coast and the Southeast plus a couple of Central states.

[budwzr]

Well, it depends on what you like, but I suppose Yellowstone is a must see, and Grand Canyon, but they get crowded in the summertime with International tourists. Best time is early season, when there's still some snow. Those two would eat up one trip, with Yellowstone you need at least 2 days and that's rushing it. Grand Teton is on the backside of YS, and you can catch that on the way back too. That would be doing the traditional itinerary of the unwashed masses.

Then there's the California trip. Cally is a unique trip because you can drive on one side through a mountain range (Sierra Nevada's) and watch the landscape slowly change from desert to pine forest, then up around Tahoe/Reno area you can head to SanFran, then come down the coast highway (PCH) to LA and even San Diego, then take the 8 fwy back home.

And then catch Tombstone, Carlsbad Caverns, and Saguaro NatPark. Saguaro is worthy of seeing because there's so many in one spot and the sunsets are awesome against the Saguaro.

Anyway, you got me yakkin', so here's more tips:

I've been photographing The West for years, and no photo can capture the experience, it's just too grand. You have to be in it, and feel it, to experience it.

You have to be mindful of the season and the temperatures. The deserts can get into the 120's and the northern areas into the 0's.

Big cities like LA and SanFran, and even the tourist areas can have heavy traffic, so try to time them for non-peak hours.

Don't buy Navajo art or jewelry from roadside stands or tourist traps. Go to a pawn shop. They're loaded with it, and you can be sure it's the real deal, and still haggle a good deal. Look for intricacy and detail, not just some beads on a string. Buy the best you can afford, not the cheaper stuff. Navajo jewelry is always in style and holds it's value, but it's got to be something complex, not just squares and circles.