Bubba's Bar & Grill (Sponsor)

[Drunk Monkey]

Corn meal is readily available in 20 kg bulk sacks from Bkk , can vacuum pack in small size 500g , have to google the product name to get the supplier / company name as ive lost it since leaving CC . Many other products also ... i used to get whey protein sent up and vacuum pack it for the weight lifters in Udon ....same company do deliver to Udon . It may need checking/sifting as some sacks had weavels and this the reason i didnt stock it on a regular basis only by customer pre order .

[BigBubba]

We will be CLOSED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY next week in order the celebrate His Majesty's Birthday and Father's Day out of town with family. We will reopen Saturday, 7 December (Pearl Harbor Day).

The special next weekend will be a variation of our own beef stew. We ran across a recipe on the Web for "Irish Beef Stew" that calls for 12 oz of Irish Stout. Well, we're going to try using a bottle of Belgian Kasteel Donker instead... should be interesting!

Sorry for any inconvenience. You can follow our travels next week on FB, if you like (pun intended).

Bubba and Jun

[dingdong]

You have a great time off
Well deserved
See you in January
Ding

[BigBubba]

***
Open for business today. The Beef Stew that slow cooked all night is OUTSTANDING! The recipe (calling it "Irish" beef stew) called for 12 ounces of Irish stout. Well, I guess then we should call ours "Belgian" beef stew because we used a bottle of Kasteel Donkers. Of course all the alcohol evaporated during cooking, so you don't have to worry about getting a buzz from your dinner, but the flavor is remarkable indeed.

Will post more on our excursion to just outside Bangkok later, including our stop at Chokchai Steak and Burger House near Saraburi.

Come join us!

Bubba and Jun

[Astana]

Your slow cooker seems to be working well and I guess your satisfied with it?

Can you name the make, model, where you got it from and at what price please.

[Drunk Monkey]

***
Open for business today. The Beef Stew that slow cooked all night is OUTSTANDING! The recipe (calling it "Irish" beef stew) called for 12 ounces of Irish stout. Well, I guess then we should call ours "Belgian" beef stew because we used a bottle of Kasteel Donkers. Of course all the alcohol evaporated during cooking, so you don't have to worry about getting a buzz from your dinner, but the flavor is remarkable indeed.

Will post more on our excursion to just outside Bangkok later, including our stop at Chokchai Steak and Burger House near Saraburi.

Come join us!

Bubba and Jun

Reference the Kasteel Donker (Dark Castle) .. i see Bubbas (Jun) has used it to make a base for BBs popular beef stew , ingenious idea gotta go n try that out , as a heads up Big Bubbas Bar N Grill is one of the locations here in central Udon where folks can try some of the 3DM Belgian offerings , an ever growing range as well as excellent food it appears that Bubbas part of town is getting busier n busier with lots of development and quite a few new venues opening up as well ,,,,,, could this become Udons next nightlife ""strip "'?....

I have a high pressure intensive slow cooker .................................... her name is Dao !!

DM

[kopkei]

i would have used a dark lao in the stew and ate the stew flushing it down with a kasteelbier or 2 ...kasteelbier isn't meant to be wasted in a stew, it is a little bit as drinking it with ice...dm will know what i mean..

[BigBubba]

Your slow cooker seems to be working well and I guess your satisfied with it?

Can you name the make, model, where you got it from and at what price please.

Yes, quite satisfied. Otto brand, 6 liter capacity, purchased from Makro. Don't remember exact price, but less than a thousand baht, so not expensive. I would really like to have one of larger capacity, but haven't seen one, only big rice cookers.

Our next project for it is slow cooked BBQ pulled pork, maybe next week.

[Astana]

Thanks BB. I'm on the hunt for one so if I see a larger one than you describe I'll let you know.

[BigRick808]

Our next project for it is slow cooked BBQ pulled pork, maybe next week. [/quote]

Mmm...sounds good. I stopped in your place for the first time a few weeks ago with some good Q in mind but didn't see on the menu so tried a burger instead. Really tasty and moist--two thumbs up! You gonna have some creamy sweet slaw for that hog? Maybe a little Texas Pete or a Carolina-style vinegar and cayenne pepper sauce?

That stew sounds like a winner. I'm glad you choose not to use cheap ingredients in your food to cut corners =D>

[BigBubba]

***
Larry from Chiang Mai (and Louisiana), we are going to make Jambalaya for you next week before you go back. It will be ready on Wednesday.

Just in case he doesn't read this, guys from VFW please let him know. Thanks.

[BigRick808]

Bubba, I had difficulty replying from my account page...thanks anyway, I'll just keep my eyes on your posts here.

[sgt]

What day is the Jambalaya? When I left SE Texass/Louisiana many years ago Jambalaya was a soup type dish. When I returned after about 25 years I found many places served a version of Jambalaya we always called 'dirty rice' which was dry. I like both but believe the dry version is more like a side dish, at least to me. Maybe I had just been gone too long and didn't remember correctly. I do miss Crawfish, boiled and etouffe, along with shrimp gumbo.

[BigBubba]

What day is the Jambalaya? When I left SE Texass/Louisiana many years ago Jambalaya was a soup type dish. When I returned after about 25 years I found many places served a version of Jambalaya we always called 'dirty rice' which was dry. I like both but believe the dry version is more like a side dish, at least to me. Maybe I had just been gone too long and didn't remember correctly. I do miss Crawfish, boiled and etouffe, along with shrimp gumbo.

I like to be able to eat my jambalaya with a fork. Ours will be ready TOMORROW (Wednesday). (VFW guys you tuned in?) Below is something about the dish I found on the Web:

Jambalaya (/ˌdʒʌmbəˈlaɪ.ə/ JUM-bə-LY-ə) is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence.

Jambalaya originated in the Caribbean Islands. The Spanish culture mixed with the native foods created what is known as Jambalaya. Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meat and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. It is also a close cousin to the saffron colored paella found in Spanish cuisine.

There are two primary methods of making jambalaya.

The first and most common is Creole jambalaya (also called "red jambalaya"). First, meat is added to the trinity of celery, peppers, and onions; the meat is usually chicken and sausage such as andouille or smoked sausage. Next vegetables and tomatoes are added to cook, followed by seafood. Rice and stock are added in equal proportions at the very end. The mixture is brought to a boil and left to simmer for 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the recipe, with infrequent stirring. Towards the end of the cooking process, stirring usually ceases. Some versions call for the jambalaya to be baked after the cooking of all the ingredients.

The second style, more characteristic of southwestern and south-central Louisiana, is Cajun jambalaya, which contains no tomatoes (the idea being the farther away from New Orleans one gets, the less common tomatoes are in dishes). The meat is browned in a cast-iron pot. The bits of meat that stick to the bottom of the pot (fond) are what give a Cajun jambalaya its brown color. A little vegetable oil is added if there is not enough fat in the pot. The trinity (of 50% onions, 25% celery, and 25% green or red bell pepper, although proportions can be altered to suit one's taste) is added and sautéed until soft. Stock and seasonings are added in the next step, and then the meats are returned to the pot. This mixture is then simmered, covered, for at least one hour. Lastly, the mixture is brought to a boil and rice is added to the pot. It is then covered and left to simmer over very low heat for at least 1/2 hour without stirring. The dish is finished when the rice has cooked.

A third method is less common. In this version, meat and vegetables are cooked separately from the rice. At the same time, rice is cooked in a savory stock. It is added to the meat and vegetables before serving. This is called "white jambalaya." This dish is rare in Louisiana as it is seen as a "quick" attempt to make jambalaya, popularized outside the state to shorten cooking time.

Many people in the south, and typically in Louisiana, enjoy a simpler Jambalaya style. This style is cooked the same as the cajun style, but there are no vegetables. Many restaurants serve this style as opposed to the others, because it is more child-friendly, has a more consistent texture, and is easier to make. The famous Jambalaya Shoppe serves this simpler style, which is a local favorite.

Jambalaya is considered by most Louisianans to be a filling but simple-to-prepare rice dish; gumbos, étouffées, and creoles are considered more difficult to perfect. Most often a long grain white rice is used in making jambalaya.

Jambalaya is differentiated from gumbo and étouffée by the way in which the rice is included. In these dishes, the rice is cooked separately and is served as a bed on which the main dish is served. In the usual method of preparing jambalaya, a rich stock is created from vegetables, meat, and seafood; raw rice is then added to the broth and the flavor is absorbed by the grains as the rice cooks.

Creole jambalaya originates from the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the original European sector. It was an attempt by the Spanish to make paella in the New World, where saffron was not readily available due to import costs. Tomatoes became the substitute for saffron. As time went on, French influence became strong in New Orleans, and spices from the Caribbean changed this New World paella into a unique dish. In modern Louisiana, the dish has evolved along a variety of different lines. Creole jambalaya, or red jambalaya as it is called by Cajuns, is found primarily in and around New Orleans, where it is simply known as 'jambalaya'. Creole jambalaya includes tomatoes, whereas Cajun jambalaya does not.

Cajun Jambalaya originates from Louisiana's rural, low-lying swamp country where crawfish, shrimp, oysters, alligator, duck, turtle, boar, venison, nutria and other game were readily available. Any variety or combination of meats, including chicken or turkey may be used to make jambalaya. Cajun jambalaya is known as 'Brown jambalaya' in the New Orleans area; to Cajuns it is simply known as 'jambalaya.' Cajun jambalaya has more of a smoky and spicy flavor than its cousin Creole jambalaya.[citation needed] The white French Creoles introduced jambalaya to the Cajuns, but since tomatoes were rarely used in Cajun cooking, they omitted them, browning the meat for color instead.

The first appearance in print of any variant of the word 'jambalaya' in any language occurred in Leis amours de Vanus; vo, Lou paysan oou théâtré, by Fortuné (Fortunat) Chailan, first published in Provençal in 1837. The earliest appearance of the word in print in English occurs in the May 1849 issue of the American Agriculturalist, page 161, where Solon Robinson refers to a recipe for 'Hopping Johnny (jambalaya)'. Jambalaya did not appear in a cookbook until 1878,[citation needed] when The Gulf City Cook Book, by the ladies of the St. Francis Street Methodist Church, was printed in South Mobile, Alabama. It contains a recipe for "JAM BOLAYA".

Jambalaya experienced a brief jump in popularity during the 1920s and 1930s because of its flexible recipe. The dish was little more than the rice and vegetables the populace could afford, but the recipe grew from humble roots.

In 1968, Louisiana Governor John J. McKeithen proclaimed Gonzales, Louisiana, the Jambalaya Capital of the World. Every Spring, the annual Jambalaya Festival is held in Gonzales.

The above taken from Wikipedia.

Reading the above, I'd have to classify ours as a "hybrid", because we use a bit of tomato sauce, but start with the dark roux for color and flavor. The story I heard from cooks and waitresses at truck stops along I10 that I used to frequent, jambalaya resulted from what ever poor families had left over at the end of the week. To make it more palatable they would use flavor enhancements such as bacon grease and flour mixed and cooked to make a "roux" as a base to cook all the left overs. Ours contains only top quality bacon, ham, chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp... and maybe a stray gecko (JUST kidding).

We also have a pot of "Belgian" beef stew cooking overnight tonight. So, TWO belly filling meals available this week.

Friday morning, at 8:30AM will be Denver vs San Diego. Sausage gravy and biscuits, coffee and Danish, pancakes for the early starters... Buffalo Wild Wings and potato skins for the later eaters.

Come join us!

Bubba and Jun

[papafarang]

sounds yummy,another dish it resembles is indian biryani.thats basicly the same.you can cook it with the rice,with veg or not. but always wanted to try gumbo..will you make some sometime ? just sound yummy.

[sgt]

Sounds good. One thing I have always liked about Cajun cooking, confession-my 1st wife Cajun, is the ability to innovate with whatever is available. The way I remember, jambalaya was cooked with rice, whereas gumbo etc. was added to the rice after all was cooked. I really miss the gumbo, I guess I should get some file' powder sent over. I think can get everything else here but without the file' it just isn't right. A bottle of real Louisiana hot sauce is also necessary. Poor people learned to make do, hence true Southern cooking. I can still make a good 'roux' and the same techniques are used to make real northern New Mexico (Nuevo de Mexico del Norte) chile etc. Ah, we ain't talking 'Tex-Mex' here. Hope to see you Wed. after VFW, but have someplace to go that afternoon with Thai food etc. so time and stomach must be considered.

[Sakhonnick]

They do make awesome shrimp and chicken Gumbo here in Thailand I also add rice to the thick soup it's a filling meal for sure,

Unfortunately the only place I've had it is on the Drilling Rig I work on

[BigBubba]

Belgian beers currently available:

Cajun Jambalaya now being served... smells delightful!

Come join us!

Bubba and Jun

[sgt]

Tastes even better, thanks.

[BigRick808]

Just a little trivia that a couple of the posts made me think of: okra is of African origin (in America) believed to have been brought over by slaves that had pods on them when captured. The okra is what gives the gumbo its thickness. Other thickeners may be used. Seems I've seen okra here in Thailand at the market.
As far as the file...it's sassafras leaves, an American Indian spice. Gumbo really is a multicultural dish, indeed.