T-bones. Go big or go home. Learned it from my grandpa

Foghorn

A friend of mine recently gifted me a cow that he is feeding on his ranch.  It made me think of my grandfather who used to keep a few head and whenever we would visit he would have giant T-bones from one of his cows ready to cook for us. He taught me more about grilling than I realized at the time. He cooked on an old wheelbarrow with orange wood from his grove.  About 15 years ago when I was visiting my parents. I mentioned that I wished we had saved the wheelbarrow.  They told me that they had and that it was in the back of the shed.  I dug it out and taught my kids and nephews how to cook on it. When they passed I drove it from Florida to San Antonio and still occasionally cook on it.  I figure today is a good day for that so I went to the store and got some prime T-bones. I’ll probably cook some veggies in my BGE as well.  More to follow.  

PigBeanUs

Sweet fancy moses!

Botch

Cool story!  

lousubcap

That is not f' ing around right there. 
Make sure the wheelbarrow tire is fully inflated to handle that cook!
BTW- really great backstory on the cooker.  

Foghorn

The wheelbarrow tire has been flat for years and the wheelbarrow has rusted and the wooden parts nearly burned up a few years ago when I was cooking on it - so I bought an insert and I'll line it with foil.  

Foghorn

A few of the T-bones are over 2 pounds each.  I had them cut special because the ones in the case did not have enough filet on them - so I guess I'm really cooking porterhouses.  If someone could explain the difference in a more scientific/concrete way that would be great.  It's great to have a grocery store like HEB where there are great folks in the butcher shop section of the store.  Our best nearby specialty butcher isn't open on Sunday, but they really don't offer a lot over what I can get at the "regular grocery".

JohnInCarolina

Jumping Jesus, Holy Cow!

RyanStl

That looks great already. Can't wait to see the wheelbarrow

lousubcap

Credit where credit is due. You Texans are quite consistent in reminding the rest of us about HEB and the joy it brings to your lives.  

Foghorn

Pumpkin balls (more to follow on that)

Acorn squash

Green beans and portabella mushrooms with garlic cloves, thyme, herbs de Provence, additional seasoning, white wine, and cilantro citrus oil. 

Yes, @caliking, fancy vegetable cooking means my daughter is home  

Foghorn

Wheelbarrow prep. 

And pumpkin seeds. 

Foghorn

lousubcap

Foghorn said:

A few of the T-bones are over 2 pounds each.  I had them cut special because the ones in the case did not have enough filet on them - so I guess I'm really cooking porterhouses.  If someone could explain the difference in a more scientific/concrete way that would be great.  It's great to have a grocery store like HEB where there are great folks in the butcher shop section of the store.  Our best nearby specialty butcher isn't open on Sunday, but they really don't offer a lot over what I can get at the "regular grocery".

@Foghorn - I'm not 'splaining the above request regarding t-bone and porterhouse but here's some info from the NAMP:

"T-BONE STEAK NAMP/IMPS 1174

Photograph: NAMP Meat Buyer’s Guide
The T-bone on the left could also be sold as a Porterhouse.

The T-bone steak is a crosscut steak which includes part of the tenderloin and part of the top loin’s new york strip. These two high-end cuts are separated by a bone in the shape of a “T”, thus the name “T-bone steak”.

The T-bone Steak is cut from the anterior end (front end) of the short loin, while a Porterhouse steak is cut from the posterior (back end). The primary difference between T-bone and a Porterhouse is that the T-bone Steak contains less of the tenderloin.

According to The US Department of Agriculture’s Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications and the USDA, a T-bone steak must include at least 1/2 inches (13mm) of the tenderloin, but there is no maximum definition. A Porterhouse must contain at least 1.25 inches (32mm) of the tenderloin. So, technically speaking, a Porterhouse could be called a T-bone, but a T-bone is not necessarily a Porterhouse because the definition is more strict for a Porterhouse since it must include a larger portion of the tenderloin. As far as cost goes, the Porterhouse is the more expensive cut because it includes a larger portion of the tenderloin."

Likely more than you ever wanted to know.  

Enjoy the cook.

Foghorn

Thanks @lousubcap.  That’s very helpful and explains a lot.  When I got to the store, in the case there were a few that should have been moved to the “bone in strip loin” section because they didn’t even meet T-bone criteria. But by talking to the butcher I got mostly porterhouse and a few T-bones (9 steaks total) based on the criteria listed above.  

Oh, and an update.  The acorn squash purée topped with roasted and brûlée’d pumpkin balls and fried sage is largely done.  

caliking

Foghorn said:

Thanks @lousubcap.  That’s very helpful and explains a lot.  When I got to the store, in the case there were a few that should have been moved to the “bone in strip loin” section because they didn’t even meet T-bone criteria. But by talking to the butcher I got mostly porterhouse and a few T-bones (9 steaks total) based on the criteria listed above.  

Oh, and an update.  The acorn squash purée topped with roasted and brûlée’d pumpkin balls and fried sage is largely done.  

Holy shite. It's going to take me a few days to wrap my brain around what's going on here. 

And, ...

1. It is painfully obvious when your offspring are visiting. They both kick it up a few fvcking notches. I have often considered just being friends with them, instead of with you. 

2. I love the wheelbarrow cooks. It's pure awesome. 

JohnInCarolina

Foghorn said:

Thanks @lousubcap.  That’s very helpful and explains a lot.  When I got to the store, in the case there were a few that should have been moved to the “bone in strip loin” section because they didn’t even meet T-bone criteria. But by talking to the butcher I got mostly porterhouse and a few T-bones (9 steaks total) based on the criteria listed above.  

Oh, and an update.  The acorn squash purée topped with roasted and brûlée’d pumpkin balls and fried sage is largely done.  

This looks and sounds incredible, and now I'm wondering how it is that I've never heard of it.  This a family dish?

Foghorn

Yeah, @caliking, we had this pumpkin dish at a nearby restaurant recently and it was among the best bites of food we’ve ever had.  So offspring #1 is trying to recreate it.  

As a father I just get pure parental pride at realizing my kids have surpassed me on multiple levels - so I’ll never take your comments about them being better than me as an insult.  I think it just shows how perceptive you are. 

Foghorn

Foghorn

stv8r

This thread is gold

dmchicago

FN Amazing 

Foghorn

JohnInCarolina

oh my

lousubcap

$$$ shot tells it all.  Way to bring it home -flat tire and all.  Congrats.  

caliking

Foghorn said:

Two-level swivel grate... on a wheelbarrow... sideways.

Now, you're just showing off. 

StillH2OEgger

Great story and awesome results! Just awesome.

Foghorn

caliking said:

Foghorn said:

Two-level swivel grate... on a wheelbarrow... sideways.

Now, you're just showing off. 

That's my XXL grate on the bottom with a XL (24") swing grate.  It's very fortuitous that it fits perfectly on my wheelbarrow.  

And FYI the beans/mushrooms were cooked on the XL using a different grate.

TechsasJim

Absolutely amazing!   Thanks for sharing

JohnnyTarheel

Freaking awesome!!  

Scott805

This thread just makes me happy!!!!

loco_engr

Dayum, if I had 20/20 hindsight
When I brought the house in Marysville,KS  back in the '80s . . . there was an an antique wheelbarrow with a front steel wheel that came with the house