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Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
I started work again this week. I worked from home most days. My employer’s office is in the central business district. I went into the office during the week and was impressed by the accommodations.
Kathleen likes the Adelaide CBD, so working in the city will give me the occasional opportunity to explore a little when there is time.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space 9
I’m now in the seventh and final season of both shows. It is about an order of magnitude better watching these shows in high definition on a larger and newer TV monitor.
National Rugby League
Having a new TV monitor with an antenna that works also means I can watch the games featuring the Dolphins and Brisbane Broncos while sitting back in a comfortable lounge.
On Friday evening, I watched the Brisbane Broncos defeat the North Queensland Cowboys in a thrilling game. On Saturday evening, I watched the Dolphins defeat the Gold Coast Titans. It has been a good weekend for footy. My four favourite teams are the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys, and the Gold Coast Titans (in that order).
The game on Friday evening was broadcast on free-to-air TV. I like that in Adelaide, in peak viewing time for children, gambling advertising is restricted. I didn’t mind my screen being static with a notification, and the program was being censored while the offending material was being broadcast. On Saturday night, the game was broadcast via Kayo, which had no restrictions.
On Friday night, the NRL telecast a fitting tribute to Carl Webb, who died last year after a recent diagnosis of motor neurone disease. Webb played for both the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys. He was also a Former Origin Great (FOG) for the Mighty XXXX Maroons. He was also selected for the Australian Kangaroos team in 2008 but did not play in the Indigenous All Stars. From 2024 on, the Carl Webb Medal will be awarded to the best player in the first game of every season that the Broncos and Cowboys play. The Broncos’ Pat Carrigan won this year’s medal.
The Weber Q+
I cooked chicken maryland pieces on Sunday night in the Weber Q+. The chicken turned out well. The skin was crispy, and the flesh was moist and tender. Usually about $AUD8/kg.
Recipe
I’ve seen a resurgence in people eating chuck steak in my Facebook groups. Many people cook the steak for between 48 and 72 hours in a water bath, while others cook the meat in a slow cooker for between 6 and 8 hours.
Chuck beef at about $AUD17/kg is cheaper than scotch fillet steak, which ranges from $AUD40 to $AUD60/kg. For comparison, regular minced beef is usually sold for about $AUD11/kg. When stocked in my local supermarket, beef short rib sells for about $AUD24/kg.
I think an animal-based diet would be too expensive for anyone without an income.
I thought I’d try my trusty pressure cooker tonight. I may experiment over the next few weeks and try a slowly cooked chuck and a long water bath version.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker.
- Gas torch.
Ingredients
- Chuck steaks.
- Meat broth (leftover from earlier meals).
- Salt
Instructions
- Season the meat with salt and put it into the pressure cooker.
- Add about a cup of meat stock.
- Seal the pressure cooker and cook the meat for 45 minutes.
- Remove the meat and pat the surface dry.
- Sear the surface with a gas torch.
- If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the steak will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
- If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, the steak and plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
- If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
- If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
- Always give thanks to the Lord.
- Eat with whatever implements you prefer. I used a fork.
Thoughts on the meal
As a relatively cheap cut of meat, this was fine. The meat is reduced in size because most of the fat is rendered into the broth. The small portion was sufficient to satisfy me.
I enjoyed my steak with a small piece of King Island blue cheese and butter. Kathleen also had some tabouli with her steak.
Final thoughts
- How do you feel about gambling advertising during televised sports?
- Are you eating cheaper cuts of meat as the cost of living increases?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
Somehow I haven’t gotten your posts! I guess I thought you’d stoppeed. I’m back on the list.
Excellent. Thanks, Mimi. 😊
It is quite something that the price of steak has gone up these days. Good cuts costs so much these days. I am not having steak every other week these days. Prawn and seafood in general are also not cheap. Chicken I feel is the most affordable, though I can definitely see the price increase there too. Did you grill that chicken maryland like you barbecue steak? I’m not too familiar with barbecue and grills 😄 I have found myself eating more vegetables lately. It’s been interesting trying different herbs (like thyme and rosemary) to season my veggies.
The chicken was cooked in the Weber, so it was on the grill but the lid was down so it was like a hot air oven.
The cost of meat is getting worse. I’m buying lamb forequarter chops more often because they are cheaper than loin chops and cutlets.
Buying quality pork is also not always easy.
I think if I can find a source for goat I might try that.
You explained how to use the Weber very well, Gaz. I get it now 😄 Quality meat is hard to shop for price-wise these days. It’s either a not so lean cut and a better price, or a nice piece and small portions. I would suggest duck (you and I love it!) but it’s definitely a treat more than something you eat every few days these days .
Mmm… Duck. I may need to find some duck to cook soon.
I’m not a fan of gambling. I can’t even play Monopoly without feeling like I need to help people out! Although, I am pretty good with the dice in Yahtzee! Cheaper meat cuts are always where I go. And I’m really thankful we have the rabbits and deer. The last bunnies were not a success, though. The kid lost another breeding doe for no reason whatsoever and the best Chinchilla mom had only 3. But, she had just finished raising 9 from the combined litters in November, so she is probably good with just 3. The oven and crockpot are my favorite modes of cooking. Probably because I’m lazy to learn new ways!! I have used my pressure cooker in the past, but the seal is aged and that makes me a smidge nervous!
Hi Kris,
Thanks. I don’t mind rabbit. I’ve eaten it here and in Canada.
I’m not sure we’re allowed to keep rabbits for eating. Most people I know with rabbits have them as pets.
One of my previous bosses brought in deer meat her husband had shot and processed. It was delicious. I know there are avid deer hunters in Canberra who relish fresh deer meat.
That’s a great tip about eating cheaper cuts of steak. We eat a lot of vegetarian food, it helps that we get a vege box every fortnight and there’s enough for a family of 4 in it! It sounds like you’re settling in really well and that your foot is getting better too!
Thank you
So happy you were able to get a beach walk in! In terms of costs of meat–we’ve definitely seen an increase, so every once in a while we’ll treat ourselves, but we just try to look for deals where we can–and we’re definitely eating more vegetables as well.
Thank you
I had no idea that you could cook meat like this in a pressure cooker. It looks like it came out beautifully!
Hi Jeff,
I like the convenience and speed of the pressure cooker. I think slow cooking has an edge when it comes to flavour development, but the chuck steak was a good steak.
I love chuck, so I’m going to have to check that method out. Thanks!
Not a fan of gambling advertising in general… I’m not eating meat these days, but my husband has cut down on his consumption too, and we generally buy the cheaper cuts.
Hi Emma,
Thanks. I hope your husband can find cuts that are cheaper and still tasty and tender.
Glad the foot is doing well. Lovely ocean view.
Thanks, it’s good to live near the sea again.