# chicken fried steak and other local favorite foods



## ssampier (Dec 5, 2009)

I was watching the Travel channel's "Best Fried Foods". They were talking about chicken fried steak and white gravy like they are exotic foods. I have ate chicken fried steak and white gravy all my life.

However, I have also lived in Utah all my life, which is nowhere near the South.  We never made it at home, always when we went out to restaurant. At home we frequently made biscuits with white gravy and sausage.

Is my state that weird that we have Southern food?

My next question is, what are your favorite local foods?


----------



## freyar (Dec 5, 2009)

I grew up in North Carolina, but I didn't learn about biscuits and gravy until I got it at summer camp.  Now, despite living in Canada and being vegetarian, I make my own.   It's just about the same story with sweet iced tea.

A local food in Quebec that I haven't tried is poutine --- french fries with cheese curds and gravy.  I know of places that use a vegetarian recipe (just because it's cheaper, according to the local poutine critic), but I just haven't gotten myself to try it.  Bagels, though obviously not unique, are famously good here.


----------



## Sabathius42 (Dec 6, 2009)

There are 2.5 Cincinnati regional food items.

Cincinnati Chili:  Served up in two distinct ways...

3-ways, 4-ways, 5-ways:  Bed of spaghetti topped with cincinnati style chili (not similar to tex-mex style chili like you are familiar with) and cheddar cheese.  Adding beans or onions makes it a 4-way and adding both makes it a 5-way.  Served with oyster crackers.







Conies (plural of coney):  Hot dog with mustard, cincinnati style chili, cheddar cheese, and onions.






The other regional food item is goetta.  It is a combination of ground meat and oats and formed into patties or links.  Popular enough to have a local festival for it.






And the last local delicacy I only give a half a point to.  The Big-Boy's in the area all serve their big-mac-like hamburgers with tartar sauce on them instead of thousand island dressing.  It doesn't SOUND good but it is.

DS


----------



## Thunderfoot (Dec 6, 2009)

Growing up in Southern Illinois I can honestly say there are no _regional_ favorites, because we're influenced by every region.

We're, for the most part, farmers, so biscuits and gravy, sausage gravy, meat loaf, fried anything, southern iced tea are staples but, so are northern lemonade (the kind so tart your butt puckers instead of your lips), Coney Island hotdogs, Chicago, New York, Italian and Sicilian style pizzas, St Louis, Texas and Louisiana style bbq and the lists go on and on and on.

The only regional thing I can honestly say we have are pink cookies from Davis Pastry in Anna.  And if you have to ask, it shows you're not a local.  
(All they are are sugar cookies with pink icing, but there is something about their pink icing that makes them taste different, and I've had a lot of iced sugar cookies.  Even when they change the color for special occasions (orange for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, red, white and blue for July 4th, etc) they taste different.)


----------



## ssampier (Dec 6, 2009)

I remember "secret life" on Food Network when they talked about Cincinnati chili. One of my favorite episodes.

Utah has probably only three regional foods.

Jello 

Funeral Potatoes

The first two are common since Utahns typically have big families so you can serve a lot of people affordably.

Fry sauce

We also tend have a lot of those fast-food'ish tex-mex places. Their menu and decor is similar to Chipotle. You can't go to an urban area of Utah without running into a Bajio Grill, Cafe Rio, or Costa Vida. You can often find all 3 in the same quadrant.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 6, 2009)

I'm an Army Brat, so I was raised on everyone's local faves!  The cuisine of my birth-state is Creole, but I've lived in Texas for nearly 30 years of my life, so I'm used to a lot of Tex-Mex and Mexican food as well.

My Mom, however, points out that until we moved away from New Orleans in 1972, she had never had a baked potato.  Correction- she had never even _heard of _baked potatoes.

A college friend of mine confessed in the last month of our senior year that she had never had fried chicken...as a bunch of us were sitting down to a Saturday lunch at Popeye's.

Favorite local foods?  Well, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is kind of a cosmopolitan area, so we have a little bit of everything here.  However, I must confess a weakness for Fajitas & Chimichangas (of all kinds), plus cabrito (goat).

But growing up as a creole Army Brat, I learned to eat and enjoy seafood from around the world.  So far, the only seafood I've had that I didn't enjoy are:

1) Sea Cucumber

2) Oysters on the half-shell

3) Tuna, unless its prepared as Sushi/sashimi.


----------



## Janx (Dec 7, 2009)

That cincinatti chilli looks wierd... 

I grew up in Minnesota, my wife in in Wisconsin.  She likes cheese curds.  I'd never even heard of cheese curds.

She used to think chili had macaroni noodles in it.  I had to cure her of that.  Now her chili's been touted as good, here in Texas.

I'd had KFC fried chicken in minnesota.

I've never heard of putting any kind of salad dressing on a burger.  That's just wrong.

Dipping food in Ranch Dressing is getting popular down here (I see people do it with pizza, pizza bread).  I think the wings popularity with different sauces is encouraging this.



When I moved to Texas, I hadn't heard of Chicken Fried Steak with white gravy.  That stuff freaks me out.   I have no doubt it's hand made and pumped out hourly by cheap illegal labor. 

Speaking of baked potatoes, the coolest thing I've seen here is the Meat Potato.  It may go by various names, but it's a meat potato.  One of my MN buddies came down, ate it, and been missing it ever since.  Apparently he found a BBQ shop in the mall of america that makes it.  The order of ingredients varies, but the style most commonly served is:
1 big honkin baked potato split open
1-2 dollops of butter
1-2 scoops of chopped brisket
1-2 dollops of sour cream
generously sprinkle on shredded cheese
chives and bacon bits (real bacon) sprinkled on top

I always ask for BBQ sauce on the side, and pour that over the top.

Some places call it a Chopped Bake, BBQ Potato, whatever.  Find the baked potato section in the menu, and the one with meat on it and ask for it "All the way" wich means to put all the fixins on it.

What you got is all you day's meals on 1 plate.  I get that for lunch, I don't need dinner.

I've also had it with sliced sausage instead of brisket, or with the sour cream on top of the butter.  I like it on top, better presentation, and less likely to melt right away.

The Rib Tickler in Tomball is where I got my first Meat Potato.  That was lke 13 years ago.  They just got sold, but used to be the owner's son was in the Patriots, and he catered meals when the Pats were in Houston.  The walls had pictures of all the famous folk who been there, including lyle lovett (who apparently is a local, though I ain't ever seen him).

Some places got biscuits or rolls that they serve.  Them are good too.  Goodson's in Tomball's got real good rolls.  Potatoe Patch is good.  They got this Que Paso guy who walks around with a basket and he pitches them to the customers.

I've seen purists down here claim that chili ain't got beans in it, but most every place I've been there's beans in the chili.  Thankfully, no bloody noodles.

I think my wife got the idea that noodles were in there because of Chili Mac, chili with macaroni.  And that abomination happened because of the great northern mid-west conspiracy to add noodles to frickin everything.  Most notably, the "hot dish" or "casserole".  You take a baking dish (i.e. cake pan) and toss in layers of noodles or potato slices, some creamed soup of some sort, a can of corn, and then sprinkle on a ton of Wisconsin cheese, and then you bake it.

Here in Houston, there's a lot of other cultures you can get food from.  But that's because they're imported cultures.  Things like chicken fried steak, potatos, fried orka, BBQ, that stuff's here because it is what the locals eat.  It's the local culture.


----------



## Woas (Dec 7, 2009)

Hmm...

Freihofer's famous chocolate chip cookies. Legend claims that the bakery needed special machines to mix the batter because of how much molasses they use.

Famous Lunch, Gus's and Hot Dog Charlie hot dogs (small, 3 inch long hot dogs with goodies).

Although they have spread to many states now, Brugger's Bagels started close by and is the go-to bagel spot.

Buffalo Wings from Buffalo from the other side of the state. The rest of the country can try to recreate them... you never will.

The beloved Speedie from Binghamton/Southern Tier region. Basically slow cooked "pulled" meat (chicken, pork or beef) marinated in 'speedie sauce' and served on a roll.

Maple Syrup. The real stuff. It actually comes from trees! More of a North East thing, not just New York but there are people who swear by NY Maple vs Vermont Maple. I pity all you people who have to live with that fake Aunt Jemima-high fructose corn syrup-factory made syrup trash.

Ted's Fish Fry which originated in Troy, NY. I think fish frys are pretty common elsewhere.. basically Fish and Chips but Ted's is unique. Fried fish in a hot dog bun with secret red chili sauce.

Another Buffalo fave of mine is Weber's mustard. Yellow mustard with a horseradish kick. I put it on EVERYTHING!

Of course Saratoga was the birthplace of the potato chip but they pretty much everywhere now right?

Oh and of course the famous sliders from Jack's Drive In in Wynantskill. Greasy hamburgers with sauteed onion, mustard, ketchup and cheese if your so inclined.

Supposedly mozzarella sticks with raspberry sauce is a local thing.

Apple Cider Donuts. And heck, New York apples in general. They're just better than everyone else's apples. But nothing beats a hot apple cider donut (or two!) while picking apples at one of the many apple orchards around here.

I've never had but hear about the Garbage Plate originating from Rochester.

Beef on Weck is a upstate/western NY sandwich that is deeeeelicious. Thin slices of roast beef on a kaiser type roll and drenched in au jus sauce. Usually with horseradish.

Originally from Utica are Half Moon cookies. Also called Black and White cookies. Also tomato pies. I've never had the chance to eat one though.


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 7, 2009)

Janx said:


> I grew up in Minnesota, my wife in in Wisconsin.  She likes cheese curds.  I'd never even heard of cheese curds.




Then you couldn't possibly have grown up in Minnesota.

Here in the Chicago area, there's a few regional staples:


*Chicago Style Pizza* - The apotheosis of deep dish pizza.  Traditionally made with the toppings "upside down".
*Italian Beef Sandwiches* - Sliced roast beef slow cooked in an italian-seasoned beef broth.  Served on an Italian roll, often with sweet or hot peppers (giardiniera), mozzarella cheese and extra broth poured over it.
*Chicago Style Hot Dogs* - A hot dog on a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, chopped onion, sweet pickle relish (usually a dyed neon green variety called "Nuclear Relish"), a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, a dash of celery salt, and cucumber slices.
*Maxwell Street Polish* - A grilled polish sausage on a roll with grilled onions and yellow mustard.


Oh, and Cinicinnati Chili is delicious...  We make it at home sometimes.


----------



## Janx (Dec 7, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> Then you couldn't possibly have grown up in Minnesota.




Are you questioning my scandinavian heritage?  At the next 'thing, I'll gather up my boys we'll go viking on ohio.  Shoudn't take more than an hour to chop down your state. 

Wisconsin is the cheese capital.    Heck, they had laws saying a slice of cheese had to be served with every meal at a restaurant. 

I'm sure somewhere in MN they make cheese.  They do a little bit of everything there.  It's a big state, so they got a lot of everything (except actual mountains or deserts).  We got trees, we got lakes, we got iron ore, we probably have oil in there somewhere.  Heck we even own the Mississippi.


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 7, 2009)

Janx said:


> Are you questioning my scandinavian heritage?  At the next 'thing, I'll gather up my boys we'll go viking on ohio.  Shoudn't take more than an hour to chop down your state.




You go right ahead viking on Ohio all you like.  My neighbors would likely  thank you.  

But yes, I am questioning your Scandinavian heritage.  After all, I grew up in the token German family in pretty little Red Wing, Minnesota.  I know the smell of lutefisk, I've eaten my fill of hotdish, and for the first twenty years of my life the only three spices I'd ever tasted were salt, pepper and ketchup.  So I can say with all credibility...   

If you've never eaten yourself ill off of deep fried cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair, you can't honestly call yourself a proper Minnesotan.

So there, oh yah dere hey!


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Dec 7, 2009)

I grew up in Round Rock, TX, just outside of Austin.  There's a bakery that makes "Round Rockers", +5 Yellow Donuts of Deliciousness.  They show up on food shows every now and then.  They're made from bright yellow dough and are oval in shape.  When my old workplace for some reason fell to the Krispy Kreme infection, I was sorely displeased.

Here in west TX (where my family's actually from), it's not the least bit cosmopolitan, but I'm honor bound to mention BBQ, but done with hardly any sauce, just straight up meaty tastiness.  (Oh, and back in central TX there's Elgin hotguts: awesome grilling suasages!)  Also, mustard potato salad.  And _*UN*_sweetened ice tea.  All as God intended.  Mexican food, too, of course; my favorite out here is asado: basically chunks of pork shoulder slow simmered in red chili sauce; really simple dish, really simple flavor, good stuff.

There's lots of other people's favorites I've tried and loved the world over.  Haven't met many foods I didn't like.  (Except mayo.  Why is the universe so awash in mayo?)


----------



## ssampier (Dec 8, 2009)

Mmmm Chicago style pizza. I have only had the knock-off stuff, but it leaves me stuffed and satisfied.

*drolls* Buffalo wings. I prefer the ranch dressing, rather than blue cheese.


----------



## freyar (Dec 8, 2009)

Woas said:


> Hmm...
> Maple Syrup. The real stuff. It actually comes from trees! More of a North East thing, not just New York but there are people who swear by NY Maple vs Vermont Maple. I pity all you people who have to live with that fake Aunt Jemima-high fructose corn syrup-factory made syrup trash.




I forgot maple syrup!  Forget NY or VT, it's all about Quebec and Canada when it comes to maple syrup.  I mean, look at the flag for crying out loud!  Maple ice cream, maple candy, spring-time "sugar shack" with maple syrup on beans, ham, anything you can imagine.  Even the Cookie Monster stuffed animals have maple cookies instead of chocolate chip in Canada (it's true, my wife has one).




the_orc_within said:


> When my old workplace for some reason fell to the Krispy Kreme infection, I was sorely displeased.




That's funny, the town where I grew up is the home of Krispy Kreme.  I can't eat many of their regular doughnuts, but it's something else to get them fresh off the conveyor belt.  And watching the machine at locations where you can is, umm, educational.



> Here in west TX (where my family's actually from), it's not the least bit cosmopolitan, but I'm honor bound to mention BBQ, but done with hardly any sauce, just straight up meaty tastiness.  (Oh, and back in central TX there's Elgin hotguts: awesome grilling suasages!)  Also, mustard potato salad.  And _*UN*_sweetened ice tea.  All as God intended.




I agree with you about the mayo, but I am honor-bound to say that NC-style BBQ is better than any of that Texas junk.   Even though I don't eat meat anymore.   But unsweetened iced tea you can get anywhere.  We're looking for local specialties!  (Plus: unsweetened?  That's just wrong! )


----------



## Orius (Dec 8, 2009)

Janx said:


> When I moved to Texas, I hadn't heard of Chicken Fried Steak with white gravy.  That stuff freaks me out.   I have no doubt it's hand made and pumped out hourly by cheap illegal labor.




Chicken fried steak has got to be a crime against nature.  I don't know how anyone can do that to a cow.  I like chicken deep fried, but not beef, it just doesn't taste right.  Beef is best cooked with fire.


----------



## Woas (Dec 8, 2009)

I think that's all Canada exports is maple syrup right?  
Have you ever tried maple syrup over rice? It's like eating hundreds of tiny pancakes. Aww man, love the stuff. I use it as a general sweetener in my coffee, over cereal in the morning...




freyar said:


> I forgot maple syrup!  Forget NY or VT, it's all about Quebec and Canada when it comes to maple syrup.  I mean, look at the flag for crying out loud!  Maple ice cream, maple candy, spring-time "sugar shack" with maple syrup on beans, ham, anything you can imagine.  Even the Cookie Monster stuffed animals have maple cookies instead of chocolate chip in Canada (it's true, my wife has one).


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 8, 2009)

Woas said:


> I think that's all Canada exports is maple syrup right?
> Have you ever tried maple syrup over rice? It's like eating hundreds of tiny pancakes. Aww man, love the stuff. I use it as a general sweetener in my coffee, over cereal in the morning...




To mix two different regional foods...  I like maple syrup on grits.


----------



## Janx (Dec 8, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> You go right ahead viking on Ohio all you like.  My neighbors would likely  thank you.
> 
> But yes, I am questioning your Scandinavian heritage.  After all, I grew up in the token German family in pretty little Red Wing, Minnesota.  I know the smell of lutefisk, I've eaten my fill of hotdish, and for the first twenty years of my life the only three spices I'd ever tasted were salt, pepper and ketchup.  So I can say with all credibility...
> 
> ...




I've never been to a state fair.  Besides, isn't that the Wisconsin Embasy booth at the fair you're talking about.  Cheese was never a big deal in northern MN where i grew up.


----------



## Janx (Dec 8, 2009)

the_orc_within said:


> I grew up in Round Rock, TX, just outside of Austin.  There's a bakery that makes "Round Rockers", +5 Yellow Donuts of Deliciousness.  They show up on food shows every now and then.  They're made from bright yellow dough and are oval in shape.  When my old workplace for some reason fell to the Krispy Kreme infection, I was sorely displeased.
> 
> Here in west TX (where my family's actually from), it's not the least bit cosmopolitan, but I'm honor bound to mention BBQ, but done with hardly any sauce, just straight up meaty tastiness.  (Oh, and back in central TX there's Elgin hotguts: awesome grilling suasages!)  Also, mustard potato salad.  And _*UN*_sweetened ice tea.  All as God intended.  Mexican food, too, of course; my favorite out here is asado: basically chunks of pork shoulder slow simmered in red chili sauce; really simple dish, really simple flavor, good stuff.
> 
> There's lots of other people's favorites I've tried and loved the world over.  Haven't met many foods I didn't like.  (Except mayo.  Why is the universe so awash in mayo?)




when I got here, it was all about Shipley's donuts.  They called the "normal" kind cake donuts.  Everybody had to have those potato flour things from Shipleys.  Heck if you brought in donuts that weren't shipley's, there'd be donut snobs who'd turn them down.

Unsweetend tea is the standard down here.  Personally, I prefer pop, or coke as most folks call it.  Everyone claims that they call everything coke down here, but in reality, most folks order their drinks by name, as in "I'll have a Dr. Pepper"

Here in houston, they seem to like BBQ sauce.  And so do I.  BBQ Sauce has replaced ketchup as my standard condiment.

ANd real meat gets cooked over fire.  I prefer charcoal, but I'll do gas if I'm short on time.  I've never done slow cooked brisket (don't have the rig for that), but my steaks are quite popular.  I have been invited to dinner on the premise that I would grill the meat.


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 8, 2009)

Janx said:


> Besides, isn't that the Wisconsin Embasy booth at the fair you're talking about.




Are you kidding?  Even Garrison Keillor talks about cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair: "I have gone to the State Fair and fed my child her allotment of corn dogs and deep-fried cheese curds..." 

It's a staple food there alongside corn dogs and turkey drumsticks.



Janx said:


> Cheese was never a big deal in northern MN where i grew up.




Ah, now I see the problem...   You were too close to Canada for your own good.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Dec 8, 2009)

Janx said:


> when I got here, it was all about Shipley's donuts.  They called the "normal" kind cake donuts.  Everybody had to have those potato flour things from Shipleys.  Heck if you brought in donuts that weren't shipley's, there'd be donut snobs who'd turn them down.



Funny, people can be awfully defensive about their baked goods!



> Here in houston, they seem to like BBQ sauce.  And so do I.  BBQ Sauce has replaced ketchup as my standard condiment.



Oh yeah, you get the sauce out here, too, it's just not usually used in quite the quantities.  Dunno, maybe it just evaporates quicker or something 



> ANd real meat gets cooked over fire.  I prefer charcoal, but I'll do gas if I'm short on time.  I've never done slow cooked brisket (don't have the rig for that), but my steaks are quite popular.  I have been invited to dinner on the premise that I would grill the meat.



Good man!  Meat done a flame, not like that NC-"would-you-like-some-meat-with-your-sauce"-style BBQ. _*But, shhhh, don't tell Freyar I said that! *_  Though I gotta admit pulled pork is reeeeeeeaal nice...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 9, 2009)

Ahhh...BBQ.

I like Pulled Pork, Ribs (beef or pork), brisket, chicken, sausage, venison, razorback...

A well-seasoned/marinated piece of meat done over open flame, with real wood & coal (no propane, please)...and a nice sauce to top it off.

Currently, while I do some standard sauces, I currently favor my homemade cherry-mustard pepper sauce.  Its appearance and flavor are very much like a standard BBQ, but its a bit healthier.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 9, 2009)

freyar said:


> (Plus: unsweetened?  That's just wrong! )




My friend, there are few things better for cleansing your palate and refreshing you than a tall glass of iced black tea with about half of a lemon (or more, depending upon your tastes) squeezed in it.  Its good for you, too.

There is a beverage called an "Arnold Palmer"- named after the famous golfer- that is tea + lemonade.

Minus the sugar, I guess you could call it a Bitter Arnold.


----------



## freyar (Dec 9, 2009)

the_orc_within said:


> Good man!  Meat done a flame, not like that NC-"would-you-like-some-meat-with-your-sauce"-style BBQ. _*But, shhhh, don't tell Freyar I said that! *_  Though I gotta admit pulled pork is reeeeeeeaal nice...




I think what you're calling pulled pork is what Carolinians call BBQ.  Pretty dry, small pieces (almost flakes) of meat that can be served as a sandwich, slow cooked in a fire pit.  That's one food I wish I could find a veggie substitute for.



Dannyalcatraz said:


> My friend, there are few things better for cleansing your palate and refreshing you than a tall glass of iced black tea with about half of a lemon (or more, depending upon your tastes) squeezed in it.  Its good for you, too.
> 
> There is a beverage called an "Arnold Palmer"- named after the famous golfer- that is tea + lemonade.
> 
> Minus the sugar, I guess you could call it a Bitter Arnold.




Hehe, I've had Arnold Palmers, and I went to the same college he did, too, which I will note is definitely in a sweet tea area.  

As for the health benefits, I know!  I drink a lot of tea, mostly hot, really, but (except for green teas) I prefer at least a little sugar.  It brings out the flavor in tea, hot or cold.  As an aside, never get that garbage that Starbucks calls iced tea.  The herbal stuff is weird, and the black tea is horribly, horribly oversteeped.

Strange, I can't believe that I've gotten sucked into defending NC food so much when I haven't even lived there in over a decade.


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 9, 2009)

freyar said:


> I think what you're calling pulled pork is what Carolinians call BBQ.  Pretty dry, small pieces (almost flakes) of meat that can be served as a sandwich, slow cooked in a fire pit.  That's one food I wish I could find a veggie substitute for.




Yep...  It's also called Shredded Pork in some areas.  It's what happens to super tender slow-cooked meat when you pull it apart by shredding it with a fork or tongs.  I've seen it served "dry" (a bit of a misnomer, since the meat should be pretty moist, if it's cooked right), or soused in BBQ sauce or a sweet Bourbon-style sauce.

Very tasty.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Dec 9, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> Yep...  It's also called Shredded Pork in some areas.  It's what happens to super tender slow-cooked meat when you pull it apart by shredding it with a fork or tongs.  I've seen it served "dry" (a bit of a misnomer, since the meat should be pretty moist, if it's cooked right), or soused in BBQ sauce or a sweet Bourbon-style sauce.
> 
> Very tasty.



Shredded pork shows up in a lot of Mexican cuisine, too.  A really common one is carnitas, which is basically just seasoned shredded pork, usually served with some sort of salsa in a tortilla.  Personally, I like it with fresh pico de gallo, lots of cilantro and a squeeze of lime, wrapped in a thick homemade tortilla.  That's a Heaven Roll-up right there...


----------



## ssampier (Dec 10, 2009)

shredded pork, mmm.

I won't claim that I know what Southern bbq is but I do like low and slow cooking over a fire. I have a Weber grill and usually the fire is much too hot.


----------



## Janx (Dec 10, 2009)

ssampier said:


> shredded pork, mmm.
> 
> I won't claim that I know what Southern bbq is but I do like low and slow cooking over a fire. I have a Weber grill and usually the fire is much too hot.




a weber grill's mostly good for steaks, and other quick things.  I do my steaks 3-4 minutes per side, maybe twice per side at most.  These are 1" thick at least.  I usually brush A1 or other sauce on them before they hit the grill.  A1 is better cooked on it, than as a table condiment.  Plus, it's kind of like fire armor... 

never ever fry a steak in a pan.  Every time you do, a cow dies needlessly.


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 10, 2009)

the_orc_within said:


> Shredded pork shows up in a lot of Mexican cuisine, too.  A really common one is carnitas, which is basically just seasoned shredded pork, usually served with some sort of salsa in a tortilla.  Personally, I like it with fresh pico de gallo, lots of cilantro and a squeeze of lime, wrapped in a thick homemade tortilla.  That's a Heaven Roll-up right there...




I spent the whole of last summer practicing and perfecting my carnitas and barbacoa recipes...   Yummy yum yum yum.


----------



## cattoy (Dec 10, 2009)

I spent some time in Atlanta and developed a taste for pulled pork there.

I spent a year in Missouri and enjoyed the St. Louis style pizza.

The rest of my life has been spent in California and my local faves are really imports from Hawaii (both parents born there) like laulau, lomilomi salmon and spam musubi. On the mainland, there is Tommy's if you're in socal. I had a friend in college that would drive 6 hours one way to get his tommy's fix.


----------



## ssampier (Dec 11, 2009)

Janx said:


> a weber grill's mostly good for steaks, and other quick things.  I do my steaks 3-4 minutes per side, maybe twice per side at most.  These are 1" thick at least.  I usually brush A1 or other sauce on them before they hit the grill.  A1 is better cooked on it, than as a table condiment.  Plus, it's kind of like fire armor...
> 
> never ever fry a steak in a pan.  Every time you do, a cow dies needlessly.




I do occasionally saute steaks in a pan. Seriously, it's freaking cold right now (-1 F this morning).

When I do it, I use the Alton Brown way:

Pan Seared Rib Eye Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 11, 2009)

ssampier said:


> When I do it, I use the Alton Brown way:
> 
> Pan Seared Rib Eye Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network




I might have to try that...  I've got a whole freezer full of 4H raised cow in small pieces.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 12, 2009)

Janx said:


> never ever fry a steak in a pan.  Every time you do, a cow dies needlessly.




Only if you do it wrong.

I like a nice, medium-rare to rare butter pan sauteed steak...possibly even more than grilled.


----------



## Bingle (Dec 12, 2009)

The best local thing around here is Pal's.  

Pal's Sudden Service - Great Food in a Flash

They're scattered throughout Northeast TN/ a few places in VA.  It's the best fast food _ever_.  It's usually cheap, running at or below the $5 mark for a full combo meal (big drink, big fries, and a big burger).  It's sanitary to an insane degree (you can ask any former/current employee on all the stuff they have to do...it's pretty dang clean).  They've always got weird/random sayings on the billboard outside like:  "Wash your dog, learn to ski, etc".

Their food is just...so awesome for fast food.  Everything's high quality and in large portions.  Their french fries (Frenchie Fries) are the greatest thing on earth, and have this awesome seasoning on them...

I'm so hungry.


----------



## Wycen (Dec 13, 2009)

When I was growing up, my dad worked for the Naval Base in Alameda.  Actually when I was grown up he was still working for the Navy, with some of the same crew.

He was invited to a variety of functions, like weddings and christenings for Hawaiians, Guamanians, Ph(F)illippinos, etc.  That's how I got to try poi.  First and only time I think.

But that means I also got yummy adobe and other stuff.  When I worked for the Navy base later, I always looked forward to Cezar's chicken and pork adobe at July 4th or for birthdays.

Then I ended up with some friends married to Filipinas and was introduced to the perplexing "menudo" dish.  When I was young, menudo soup was served by his Mexican coworkers along with their hand made tamales.  Margie's tamales were awesome, but "tripe soup" never passed my lips.

Occasionally enterprising Filipino families started up local joints selling their cuisine.  My dad of course brought some home and introduced a "menudo" dish.  It was not a soup, but a savory dish of beef or pork, potatoes, veggies, plus other mysterious things.  I'm still not sure if menudo was the right name or not but it doesn't matter.

Later I recognized this "menudo" during various Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years dinners with these friends and happily gobbled it up.  

Now, here is the kicker.  The commercial version was either from a different island/family/recipe, or Americanized because the homemade version from Sally would always be tasty up until the 4th or 5th bite and then my face would sour and I'd power through that mouthful and continue.

Finally, after a couple years of this perplexing situation, I sat down with a bowl and ate it item by items.  There had always been bigger bits of meat and then browner smaller cuts of meat.  It was the smaller bits that soured the dish.

The smaller bits tasted like liver.  So, I learned to dig around the little bits in the bowl.  That might be considered bad food etiquette but too bad.

Now, pancit, I just don't like.


----------



## ssampier (Dec 28, 2009)

This may or may not be _local_ foods, but I did make a killer cuban pork sandwich yesterday. The Cuban Pork* has layers of roasted pork marinated in sour orange juice, with ham, pickles, and swiss cheese.

It may not be local, but it was, "Mmm, good."

*made by a person who has never been to Cuba, known any Cubans, or been to Miami, Florida


----------



## Dioltach (Dec 29, 2009)

Janx said:


> Wisconsin is the cheese capital.




You have no idea how funny this is for a European!

I won't get involved in a discussion about local American foods, but I'd like to mention that the best fajitas I've ever had were from a street vendor in Santa Fe.

(That same holiday I also had deep-fried rattlesnake in Grand Canyon. It wasn't particularly tasty, but at least I can look at snakes in disdain and claim, "Snakes, ha! I eat snakes as an appetizer!")


----------



## Pbartender (Dec 29, 2009)

Dioltach said:


> You have no idea how funny this is for a European!




It's not as funny as you think...

The US produces more cheese than Germany (2nd biggest cheese producer) and France (3rd) put together.  A quarter of what the US produces comes from Wisconsin.

Wisconsin, all by it self, makes slightly more cheese than Italy does, and of all the countries in the world aside from the US, only Germany and France make more cheese than Wisconsin.



Now, if you're talking about quality...  Well, that's hard to say.  While the bulk of Wisconsin cheese is the less expensive grocery store blocks, there are quite a few small dairies that make excellent gourmet cheeses as well.


----------



## dogoftheunderworld (Dec 29, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> It's not as funny as you think...
> 
> The US produces more cheese than Germany (2nd biggest cheese producer) and France (3rd) put together.  A quarter of what the US produces comes from Wisconsin.....




Heck, I bet there's a brick of cheese in Europe right now that's older than Wisconsin itself. 


As for Indiana, I think most our food styles have been imported from everywhere else.  White Castle & Steak-n-Shake originated in these parts.  That's about it.  Fried Pork Tenderloin sandwhich, maybe?


I know when I was vacationing in Mrytle Beach, SC.. I kept seeing signs for "Calabash" seafood.  Everywhere.   I had to ask at the hotel, "What's Calabash seafood?"  Basically, deep fried.  Woot!  Now that's a local style I can get into


----------



## wingsandsword (Dec 30, 2009)

I was born and raised in Kentucky.  Country Fried Steak (aka Chicken Fried Steak) is a favorite of mine I have a lot at a local diner, never thought of it as exotic or even really regional.

Sweet Tea is another thing that I like that is apparently a regional favorite.

Ale-8-One (commonly known as "Ale 8") is a very popular soft drink in Kentucky.  Sold in Kentucky and I think in a few parts of bordering states near Kentucky, it's a mild but distinctive ginger ale that has die-hard fans and aficionados (I prefer it chilled directly from a glass bottle, never ever from plastic or a can). 

I love a good Hot Brown, and I know that's native food to Kentucky (particularly Louisville).  It's an open-faced sliced ham & turkey sandwich on toasted bread, smothered in mornay sauce (a very mild and thin white cheese sauce), often topped with a little cheddar cheese, pimentos, or bacon.  Now that's good eatin.

Beer Cheese is a favorite snack food of mine.  I used to think it was popular everywhere, but I've found in recent years that apparently it's a regional thing.  It's a cheese spread/dip made from cheddar cheese, beer, and spices & peppers and sold in shallow tubs.  Since it's only made by a few local companies I should have figured it's a local specialty.

Burgoo is another Kentucky specialty, it's a very thick and well spiced meat & vegetable stew.

The Mint Julep is a mixed drink that is distinctive to Kentucky.  Take the signature liquor of our state (Bourbon Whiskey), add some mint, a little sugar and some bartenders water it down a little and you've got a drink that's widely consumed in Kentucky (especially in the month of May, around the Kentucky Derby)

The Goetta mentioned earlier as being a Cincinnati food is eaten in Northern Kentucky too, but then again Northern Kentucky is the same as the Cincinnati metropolitan area (since Cinci is literally right over the river, to the point that the Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky).  Definitely not eaten in the rest of Kentucky though, just the Cinci metro area.  I grew up in Central Kentucky and have never seen it served or even discussed, but my wife is from Northern Kentucky and has at least heard of it and knows of people who eat it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 30, 2009)

Cheese...the fat man's candy.

_*looks down and can't see feet*_

While the good old US of A makes some nice cheeses, a good number of my faves are either imported or Americanized versions & variants of European cheeses.


----------

