Good morning everyone.
Welcome back to Sunday Gravy where despite the fact that the world has gone fucking insane, we soldier right the fuck along!
Nothing can stop that Gravy Train!
I’m going to try and keep you entertained and hopefully bring a tiny bit of light to our confusing-ass times. Not to mention give you something to do instead of binge-watching Netflix shit and pining for live sports.
Yep, it’s time for our 5th annual Saint Patrick’s Day extravaganza!
In case you need a refresher or are looking for ideas for your next Saint Patrick’s Day gathering I give you:
A summary for you, the 1st annual gives you a very traditional Irish/American meal with the corned beef and cabbage. The 2nd annual is more of the same but there is also a traditional Irish stew recipe. Episode 3 is also more of the same but with a seriously kickass shepherds pie recipe and last year is where we corned – or pickled – our own brisket.
That shit was so good we did it again this year as that sexy banner image will attest.
You folks know that Sunday Gravy is posted a week after I’ve actually cooked the meal, that point is relevant here. We were having our family get together on Saturday before St. Paddy’s Day.
I was leaving work the Friday before Saint Patrick’s Day, planning on stopping at the store to pick up some drinks, some potatoes maybe another store bought corned beef and plenty of beer.
The Friday before Saint Patrick’s Day.
AKA the day the shitheads raided the grocery stores.
I had no idea that I was walking into the apocalypse.
Fucking chaos. Produce section obliterated, shelves empty, people with 2 and 3 carts loaded up with shit.
Despite all of this I purchased approximately 66 beers, a half gallon of bourbon, 4 bottles of wine, a really nice wedge of gouda and the store was fully stocked on corned beef.
But how the fuck are we going to do the Irish thing with no potatoes?
Originally I planned on making this a scathing commentary on mankind and the shift in mentality from “We’re all in this together” to “FUCK YOU, I’m getting mine!” not to mention my complete lack of faith in humanity, which is still not completely restored.
But no.
Upon reflection, I will now tell the story of how our celebration took place and was highly successful and filled with love and appreciation because all of us in attendance pulled together, pitched in and made it happen as a group!
Love and working together!
That’s how this shit is supposed to work!
Let me show you how it went down.
Corned Beef from scratch!
Verbatim from last year:
1 fresh beef brisket – 4-5 pounds should do
About half a gallon of water
1 cup of plain salt
2 tablespoons of pink curing salt
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of the pickling spices plus 2 tablespoons more when we cook the corned beef
1/4 cup of mustard for when we cook the brisket.
A lot of goddamn time. Eight to ten days worth.
It all begins with the pickling solution.
That right there is the water, pickling spices, brown sugar, salt, curing salt and garlic. Bring just to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. We basically just want the salts and the sugar to dissolve. After reaching a simmer, set aside to cool to room temperature.
Fun stuff: I was actually making a pickling solution for pickling some jalapenos at the same time so I had 2 goddamn pickling pots going.
It was, how you say, aromatic. Smelled like my Grandmommies house.
No real drama acquiring the brisket this year, just had the butcher hand cut one to size for me.
I was actually saved by the fact that this fucker brines for over a week. That lovely slab-o-cow was purchased the Saturday prior to the world going fucking nutso, when the store was stocked with everything and it was easy to navigate and the people were friendly and it was easy as shit to checkout.
To me?
That will be when everything returns to normalcy. When I can go in my grocery store and the shelves are full and stupid motherfuckers aren’t grabbing shit with both hands that most of the fucking assholes can’t even cook!
Sorry about that. That goddamn wound is still pretty recent.
As you were.
Next we gotta double-bag that bastard. Remember this shit from last year? Those are 2 “turkey size” oven bags that are double bagged together like so.
Pour on your now cooled brine and try and squeeze out as much excess air as possible without spilling shit all over the kitchen counter top. Tightly seal the inner bag then remove as much air from the outer bag as well. Tightly seal the outer bag, set your “patience meter” to “Got to chill for a long ass time” and into the fridge she goes!
I need to point out something very fucking obvious; the bag and the containing vessel take up a shit ton of room. Since I already had a pretty fucking full fridge I needed another option.
I’ve got a neighbor in my building who I’m friendly with, we’ve had beers together and I remembered he had an extra fridge in our parking garage (The Bat Cave). I remembered because it’s basically right in front of where I park my car, (The Batmobile).
I also remembered that he said we were free to use it anytime we wanted. I reconfirmed this with him and he said “Absolutely” and I had storage space for the long ass time this needed to brine.
The fridge has locks on it and our garage is secure so we were safe and secure.
Go ahead and ask me whose fridge it is.
That’s Johnny fucking Rotten’s younger brothers’ fridge that’s who.
Swear to God, he’s my neighbor. Definitely an “Only in LA” thing.
Since the fridge was right by my car I remembered to rotate the corned beef twice a day while it brined. I did it as I was getting in my car to go to work each day and again when I got home from work.
Easy money.
It’s game day so let’s get both the store bought and the home-corned slabs ready.
Last year I baked the homemade brisket and boiled the store bought. In the name of fucking science I reversed scenarios this year.
Prep that store bought fucker for the oven by laying down some foil inside of a baking dish.
And just like last year, we’re going to slather on some mustard and the little spice package that comes with the corned beef.
Seal it up and get her in the preheated 350 degree oven. Give her three to three and a half hours. Remove from oven, rest for 15-20 minutes then slice.
Let’s get after the homemade one.
Ain’t she a goddamn beauty?
Into the pot for stove top cooking. We’re going to add enough water to cover completely, some of the leftover pickling spice, some garlic and cover that fucker up with a lid.
Simmer on low for a total of 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Notice a trend here?
I had my entire brood in attendance for this meal and holy shit did that ever come in handy.
Remember earlier when I said I couldn’t find potatoes at the store? I sent a text to Eldest Right as she was getting ready to drive over and asked if she had seen any potatoes “in the wild?” She remembered seeing some red potatoes a day or so ago and holy shit, she delivered. She also brought me a couple of onions and a head of garlic. That garlic I added to the homemade corned beef would not have existed without her contribution.
Youngest Right drove up from San Diego and jumped right into the kitchen and assisted with a lot of the prep. Eldest granddaughter did the soda bread, like she does every year and the entire production was a team effort. This meal would not have reached its complete potential without the contributions of every one of us.
That’s the togetherness and love I was talking about.
Anyway, now that we have potatoes let’s make them 2 ways.
For the traditional boiled potatoes, wash and peel them about an hour before service, add in your potatoes to the stove top corned beef pot.
Simple as that.
Now, since we’re doing a boiled beef/boiled potato dealie how about we do a roasted beef/roasted potato pairing?
Shit yes! Motherfucking symmetry!
Let’s get some oven roasted potatoes going.
Easy enough here. Peel and cube up the potatoes, add a little salt, and some minced garlic – that we now thankfully have – drizzle with some olive oil and place everything on a baking sheet.
Into the 350 degree oven for the last hour of cooking time that the corned beef requires.
And when everything is ready?
We’re going to slice…
and serve.
There you go. We were a gathering of 10 for this feast and there was more than enough for everyone.
Many beers, glasses of wine and shots of Jameson were shared and we were festive as the “bejabbers.”
Another fun note: the day we served this was National Pie Day and the group decided we needed a pie. Exhausted by life events, which as of this day were in full on fucking blooming idiocy, I didn’t have it in me to make a pie.
Not on this day anyway!
Hint hint.
So the two sober folks in the crew headed downstairs, hopped in the car and found an open pie place so everyone could have a piece of pie on Pie Day.
I’m going to be honest now: I was seriously emotionally distressed the day this meal took place and without the help of everyone I’m not sure I could have produced this meal. My worldview was chronically fucked by the behavior of the general public and I was a fucking basket case.
My family helped me so much I want to fucking cry.
I can’t even begin to tell you the depth of love I have for my family. It would be pointless because there aren’t enough adjectives to convey it.
I’m tearing up as I write this.
This is how we survive this shit, people.
THIS!
Love, community, sharing, taking care of each other and everyone chipping in.
We’re going to make it through this.
Finally, Sunday Gravy is going to be interesting over the next several weeks due to food shortages, shelter-in place orders and what have you but it will indeed go on. It will basically be like an episode of “Chopped” where I cook what I’ve got on hand.
But it will go on.
And THAT’S because of the love I have for you good folks.
Things are going to be pretty fucking fucked-up for awhile.
But you know what?
We’re going to make it.
Be nice to each other, take care of yourselves and most of all be well!
See you next week.
PEACE!
This week on “Sunday Gravy with Brick Meathook” we are serving ice cream sandwiches with Bushmills whiskey
“Sunday Gravy with Redshirt” we are having hamburgers with real meat that was actually available at the grocery store. God, I hope that meat came from a cow.
With a name like “Soylent Farms” it has to be good.
Time to see if I’m truly up Shit’s Creek without a paddle.
https://howmuchtoiletpaper.com/
It’s even better that Mittens has to self-quarantine because Rand Paul is an asshole. Because motherfuck Mitt Romney. That anyone ever bought into his bullshit is all the explanation necessary to why this country is going to be decimated by a virus that could have and should have been contained a month ago.
Sad thing is if Trump would get past his own ego and hubris, this thing would’ve been solved in a month and Trump would’ve all but been reelected because of it.
Going on a rotation at work. So, on the bright side, I’ll be able to start working out again!
Knowing my employers, they’ll tell us we’re essential until the Governor calls in the National Guard.
We’re still technically essential, but they don’t want too many people together. Hence the rotation. I’m still working from home the rest of the time though.
I’m safe because my shop is big and we only need 3 to run it. All of the cubicle people are gone.
Rand Paul has COVID-19. Now I don’t know what to root for.
Yes, you do. You just don’t want to admit it.
Okay. (puts on CORONAVIRUS hat)
Go SARS-CoV-2 Respiratory Infection with impending diarrhea, respiratory arrest and kidney failure! Go! Go! Go!
The Russians have a saying for situations like this.
Thoughts and prayers going out to COVID-19…
I hope he dies slowly and painfully.
If he’s a true Paul, he’ll be able to take care of it all by himself, no help from any person or government.
Bootstraps!
His doctors should whip him with bootstraps and tell him it’s the cure.
He’s a true Paul in that he’s going to draw and waste untold amounts of government resources we pay for while making life harder for everyone else because the Pauls are selfish, evil pieces of shit and because the people who vote for them or even deal with them are themselves to stupid, selfish, cruel, or indifferent to give a fuck about anyone or anything.
Good. Hope his neighbor gave it to him.
Pats sign Brian Hoyer.
(giggles with delight)
THIS IS FACKIN HOYER COUNTRY NAWH, NO ONE DENIES THIS!
There goes my dream of Brady’s Buccaneers blowing out the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
So Mrs. Cola was home this week and next due to self isolation as she works at a hospital. Question is when she goes back to work, how the hell am I supposed to work from home with a toddler? Am I expected to put forth the same amount of work? DO I tell my boss he will get a days work out of a 12 hour day due to child care needs?
Who works the full day anyway. With everything closed, it’s got to be expected that you’ll be distracted for parts of the day. Even with 2 teenagers, who should be able to care for themselves, they still need help and parental supervision at times.
In all honesty I go 7 and a half hours solid straight through. I do know my boss will be on 14 day quarantine in Quebec and all people who can work from home are forced to do so. I guess I just have that protestant guilt because I will not be able to go balls out due to a small lunatic taking my attention.
As IT, my work from home has been 5% explaining to luddites how to connect to fileshares through VPN and 95% netflix
Found a funny:
[Inventing playing cards]
Me: and finally there are two extra cards called jokers
CEO: What are they used for?
Me: wHaT aRe ThEy UsEd FoR shut the fuck up
Gov. DeWine: “I know Ohioans; common sense will prevail.”
Me: “I’m gonna need a minute or two, if I may, for rebuttal to that comment.”
Her 40 time was good even in those shoes.
Chester Gould had some kinky shit going on in his brain pan. I respect that.
Welp, I just got furloughed by the Governor of Ohio.
Sorry to here it.
I know it’s late, but for next year, here’s what I do with leftover corned beef: Reuben quiche! I use one of those ready made pie crusts that you unroll, bake it in a pie pan for 7 or 8 minutes at 375 so it doesn’t get soggy, then I scatter a tablespoon or two of carroway seeds on it. Then chopped corned beef, about half a pound. Smear a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard on the beef, then about a cup of squeeeeezed sauerkraut. Squeeze it hard, or your crust will be soggy! About a cup or so of shredded swiss cheese, then pour over the custard. I use 3 or 4 eggs, and enough milk to make 2 cups when it’s whisked together. Salt, pepper, a little dry mustard,onion powder, and a little nutmeg. Pour it on carefully, and bung it in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depends on how much you like it to brown on top. Not authentically Reuben, but it tastes pretty damn good!
And I just heard that Rand fucking Paul has the virus. Good! There may be a God after all, or a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I need Alex Jones to have it.
I have a list. He’s on it, so is Hannity
Can we get Carlson Tucker Fucker on it?
That sounds really good. I love quiche. Me and youngest right have been known to make a quiche, each one of us grabs a fork and destroys the evidence in one sitting
I’d buy corned beef just to do that.
I have, many times. And I’ve used the thinly sliced stuff you get at the deli or pastrami in a pinch It works fine, but obviously the real deal is better
Holy shit that sounds amazing!
Ladies and Gentlemen, your friends at Redshirt Industries, who brought you such products as “Debate Time Limit Shock Collars” and “Chasity Belts with Pneumatic Clamp Locks: The Ultimate Defense from Unwanted Sexual Contact”, is proud to present the “Six Foot Long Cattle Prod”. The next time someone invades your six foot radius or walks down the middle of the aisle, you have a reminder to keep their distance from you. This new product comes in several voltages ranging from “AAA-Battery” to “Electro”.
Redshirt Industries: Inane Solution for Insane Times
Do you have a newsletter I could subscribe to? Or a catalog?
Does this come in a 1.21 gigawatts version?
Asking for me.
For me cooking is never about the meal, it’s always been about the company. Glad that the emal turned out and that it restored you
I agree, which is why I like cooking alone so much
I like to follow NASA on the limited “social” media I partake in and it seems to bring out the flat earther crowd. Holy fucking shit.
…but…there are pictures of the Earth in high orbit. You can see the curve of the planet as you go up.
What do they think happens when you circumnavigate the globe? We instantly go onto the other side of the planet, like a Warp Zone?
“FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE”
“LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEES!!”
Yes, all one has to do is go up in a commercial airliner to see it for yourself. I like the width and breadth of the conspiracy; the ancient Greeks measured the dimensions of the fucking planet. I also have trouble comprehending the aggressive ignorance it would take to hold such beliefs, but yet here we are.
My husband and I made a flat earther cry in a bar once. Good times!
I’d buy a round for that…. or ten.
Yes, we were rewarded!
The other one is; “This is all CGIiiiiiiiiiiiiieee!” Apparently even before CGI was invented.
I will give a Flat Earther all my monetary possessions, worldly possessions and my own personal maidenhood if they take me to the “edge” of the earth.
She grew up to be a hot ginger.
Legit!
Way to go Philadelphia!
https://bicyclecoalition.org/mlk-drive-closed-to-motor-vehicles-open-to-socially-distanced-people/
Jamin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvyBiHGr2b8
Gives a whole new meaning to “She’s riding my rocket”.
and…. “That’s not your rocket.”
With regards to the brining vessel – it might be a moot point because many will be going out of business, but a place in Pasadena was offering free food grade 5 gallon containers – basically imagine the plastic tubs ice cream shops get their ice cream in – that were perfect for this sort of job. A similar business near you might be cool and save a few for you if you ask. You know, once they are open again.
Or maybe they were three gallon. Either way, I have like ten of them (with lids) and they are fucking awesome.
Let’s celebrate!
I made Banana & Heimlich Pancakes. Mash a rotting banana into lumpy pancake mix and add a handful of whole cashews to keep it interesting.
Damn, that sounds good.
Nice.
“Contagion” is the #1 movie on Netflix Canada right now.
Well, people like frivolous entertainment to escape what is going on in real life.
007 marathon on something called Pluto TV
That’s not a real planet.
Ah yes, the unused “Ripley XIV” from Alien: Resurrection.
Aussie Rules shuts down.
NOW WHAT AM UHSPOSED TO WATCH????
Stand up comedy on Netflix? That is what we are doing.
Funny you say that. I’ve been catching up on my George Carlin lately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c&t=369s
I watched Sword of Trust yesterday. It made me laugh here and there.
Damocles does not like this title.
CBS to the rescue
https://mobile.twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1241726323334266881
Shit, am I going to have to do Marbula One recaps? The season’s already almost over!
Sunday movie!
Monster Challenge w/ Patton Oswalt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SL7DGPO3FM
I WANT SOME SPORTS!
Here’s some sports and proof that a Cincinnati sports team is capable of not only winning a championship but a playoff game even.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52YyX7_gzrs
Here’s an alternative for those who aren’t desperate enough to watch baseball yet.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DHHyJsVIF6Q
There has never been a good corned beef
/prepares throwin’ rocks.
That seems like a reasonable position. C’mon out of your house and we’ll talk about it.