Spring

[WestTexasCrude]

My ash and willow trees are blooming. Take heart Yanks and Cannucks

[Reservoir Dog]

My ass is itchy.

[megman]

Spring is March 20 @ 5:58 P.M. EST.

[HighNDry]

That goddamn groundhog better be right this year.

[FreakShowFanatic]

WTC, you live in the desert, get it? You have no real trees out there. Am I mistaken? Show me another picture of where you live but you've shown plenty of them already and it looks like a desert.

Now, I live in thick forest growth in the hills of NJ by a bunch of lakes. Right now it's winter, but come the end of April or beginning of May those trees will be sprouting up again with a ton of leaves & stuff. It's completely unlike where you live in your desert and much nicer.

Trust me dawg. The last place I would want to live in is Texas. Maybe SC, NC or FL because I like the warm weather but sure as hell not Texas!

[megman]

That goddamn groundhog better be right this year.

Groundhog Stew, with Bacon and Parched Wild Rice

Marinate the woodchuck, brown it, braise in stock, remove meat from the bones, then sweat some diced vegetables, add back the meat and cooking liquid, along with some rice, season it up, and voila. Have some good bread around, you’re going to want to wipe the bowl clean.

You could substitute another small creature here — rabbit, turtle, duck or goose legs would all be great. There are probably some other little creatures I don’t know of that would be good too.

Ingredients

One roughly 2-3 lb groundhog, skinned, gutted, rinsed and quartered (see photo above)

For the groundhog marinade

3 cups dry white wine
1 bulb of garlic, cloves lightly crushed with the back of a knife
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves torn off the branch
a small handful of fresh thyme sprigs, roughly 6-7
2 fresh bay leaves (optional)
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup blended olive oil, or neutral vegetable oil

For the Groundhog Stew

3 cups mixed vegetables, diced 1/4 inch (I used a mix of carrots, potatoes, onion, celery and fennel)
1 large tomato
3 qts chicken stock, preferably homemade
4 ounces smoked pork belly or slab bacon, diced 1/4 inch
1/4 cup wild rice flour, for dredging the woodchuck, optional
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup parched wild rice, or 1 cup cooked wild rice
1 ear of sweet corn
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Tobasco, to taste, optional
Sliced scallions, 1/4 inch, tender white and green parts only, optional

Method

The night before hand, trim the groundhog pieces of as much visible fat as possible, then season liberally with salt and pepper, toss with the garlic cl0ves, oil, thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary. Put the seasoned groundhog pieces in a wide dish or casserole and pour over the wine. Allow the woodchuck to sit overnight or at least for 4-5 hours, turn it around in the juices now and then if you have time.
Cut the corn from the cob, then cut the cobb into 2 inch slices and reserve both separately.
To prepare the stew, render out the fat from the bacon in a wide 10 inch braising pan, remove the bacon and reserve, leave the fat in the pan.
Remove the groundhog pieces from their marinade, pat dry and remove any rogue herbs or pieces of garlic. Toss with the wild rice flour, then brown on medium high heat in the bacon fat. Pour off the spent fat from the pan, deglaze the pan with the sherry, reduce by half, then add the stock, corn cob, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. If you have time, skim the albumen and fat that rise to the surface of the pan occasionally as it makes a cleaner tasting stew. Simmer the groundhog gently for 1.5 hours, or until the meat can be picked from the bones.
Meanwhile, cook the wild rice in the chicken stock until just done, then strain out the rice and lay out on a plate or cookie sheet to cool. Reserve the wild rice liquid to add to the stew. It adds really good flavor, and that’s why you’re cooking the rice in chicken stock in the first place.
Remove the woodchuck pieces and cool, then pick the meat from the bones, give it a rough chop, and reserve. You should have about 2.5 cups of meat.
Remove the stock from the pan and reserve separately from the meat. If you have a mesh strainer like a chinois, strain it. You should have about 1 qts of liquid left over.
Wipe the pan dry, then melt the butter and add the 3 cups of diced vegetables and the garlic. Sweat the mixture until it’s well cooked, and the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes, then add the reserved woodchuck liquid, wild rice liquid and simmer for 15 minutes more.
Finally, add the woodchuck meat, corn kernels, and wild rice. Season the stew with salt to taste, then serve immediately with some Tobasco on the side. If not serving, chill immediately, transfer to a labeled, dated container and reserve until needed. Variation can happen with rustic recipes like this, so if your stew seems a little thick, add some more broth, or even water, then adjust the seasoning. If it’s too thin, simmer it a little longer to evaporate liquid, but don’t boil.

[HighNDry]

[WestTexasCrude]

My ass is itchy.

I bet. I get bored as hell when I'm cooped up during a cold spell. Can't even imagine the pioneers back in pioneer days buried under feet of snow. I guess wifi was a distant dream.

[WestTexasCrude]

Spring is March 20 @ 5:58 P.M. EST.

I think you need to check your sun dial. It'll be mid-90's here by then.

[WestTexasCrude]

That goddamn groundhog better be right this year.

Groundhog Stew, with Bacon and Parched Wild Rice

Marinate the woodchuck, brown it, braise in stock, remove meat from the bones, then sweat some diced vegetables, add back the meat and cooking liquid, along with some rice, season it up, and voila. Have some good bread around, you’re going to want to wipe the bowl clean.

You could substitute another small creature here — rabbit, turtle, duck or goose legs would all be great. There are probably some other little creatures I don’t know of that would be good too.

Ingredients

One roughly 2-3 lb groundhog, skinned, gutted, rinsed and quartered (see photo above)

For the groundhog marinade

3 cups dry white wine
1 bulb of garlic, cloves lightly crushed with the back of a knife
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves torn off the branch
a small handful of fresh thyme sprigs, roughly 6-7
2 fresh bay leaves (optional)
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup blended olive oil, or neutral vegetable oil

For the Groundhog Stew

3 cups mixed vegetables, diced 1/4 inch (I used a mix of carrots, potatoes, onion, celery and fennel)
1 large tomato
3 qts chicken stock, preferably homemade
4 ounces smoked pork belly or slab bacon, diced 1/4 inch
1/4 cup wild rice flour, for dredging the woodchuck, optional
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup parched wild rice, or 1 cup cooked wild rice
1 ear of sweet corn
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Tobasco, to taste, optional
Sliced scallions, 1/4 inch, tender white and green parts only, optional

Method

The night before hand, trim the groundhog pieces of as much visible fat as possible, then season liberally with salt and pepper, toss with the garlic cl0ves, oil, thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary. Put the seasoned groundhog pieces in a wide dish or casserole and pour over the wine. Allow the woodchuck to sit overnight or at least for 4-5 hours, turn it around in the juices now and then if you have time.
Cut the corn from the cob, then cut the cobb into 2 inch slices and reserve both separately.
To prepare the stew, render out the fat from the bacon in a wide 10 inch braising pan, remove the bacon and reserve, leave the fat in the pan.
Remove the groundhog pieces from their marinade, pat dry and remove any rogue herbs or pieces of garlic. Toss with the wild rice flour, then brown on medium high heat in the bacon fat. Pour off the spent fat from the pan, deglaze the pan with the sherry, reduce by half, then add the stock, corn cob, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. If you have time, skim the albumen and fat that rise to the surface of the pan occasionally as it makes a cleaner tasting stew. Simmer the groundhog gently for 1.5 hours, or until the meat can be picked from the bones.
Meanwhile, cook the wild rice in the chicken stock until just done, then strain out the rice and lay out on a plate or cookie sheet to cool. Reserve the wild rice liquid to add to the stew. It adds really good flavor, and that’s why you’re cooking the rice in chicken stock in the first place.
Remove the woodchuck pieces and cool, then pick the meat from the bones, give it a rough chop, and reserve. You should have about 2.5 cups of meat.
Remove the stock from the pan and reserve separately from the meat. If you have a mesh strainer like a chinois, strain it. You should have about 1 qts of liquid left over.
Wipe the pan dry, then melt the butter and add the 3 cups of diced vegetables and the garlic. Sweat the mixture until it’s well cooked, and the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes, then add the reserved woodchuck liquid, wild rice liquid and simmer for 15 minutes more.
Finally, add the woodchuck meat, corn kernels, and wild rice. Season the stew with salt to taste, then serve immediately with some Tobasco on the side. If not serving, chill immediately, transfer to a labeled, dated container and reserve until needed. Variation can happen with rustic recipes like this, so if your stew seems a little thick, add some more broth, or even water, then adjust the seasoning. If it’s too thin, simmer it a little longer to evaporate liquid, but don’t boil.

Spillover from Who's thread?

[megman]

Groundhog is just like stewing beef. Not bad if prepared right.

And it doesn't have that wild taste like Muskrat.

[Nero]

WTC, you live in the desert, get it? You have no real trees out there. Am I mistaken? Show me another picture of where you live but you've shown plenty of them already and it looks like a desert.

Now, I live in thick forest growth in the hills of NJ by a bunch of lakes. Right now it's winter, but come the end of April or beginning of May those trees will be sprouting up again with a ton of leaves & stuff. It's completely unlike where you live in your desert and much nicer.

Trust me dawg. The last place I would want to live in is Texas. Maybe SC, NC or FL because I like the warm weather but sure as hell not Texas!

I'll take hot over paying a state income tax any day.

[HighNDry]

WTC, you live in the desert, get it? You have no real trees out there. Am I mistaken? Show me another picture of where you live but you've shown plenty of them already and it looks like a desert.

Now, I live in thick forest growth in the hills of NJ by a bunch of lakes. Right now it's winter, but come the end of April or beginning of May those trees will be sprouting up again with a ton of leaves & stuff. It's completely unlike where you live in your desert and much nicer.

Trust me dawg. The last place I would want to live in is Texas. Maybe SC, NC or FL because I like the warm weather but sure as hell not Texas!

I'll take hot over paying a state income tax any day.

As someone who lives in NJ, I couldn't agree more.

[FreakShowFanatic]

WTC, you live in the desert, get it? You have no real trees out there. Am I mistaken? Show me another picture of where you live but you've shown plenty of them already and it looks like a desert.

Now, I live in thick forest growth in the hills of NJ by a bunch of lakes. Right now it's winter, but come the end of April or beginning of May those trees will be sprouting up again with a ton of leaves & stuff. It's completely unlike where you live in your desert and much nicer.

Trust me dawg. The last place I would want to live in is Texas. Maybe SC, NC or FL because I like the warm weather but sure as hell not Texas!

I'll take hot over paying a state income tax any day.

Seriously is that the pay scale in NJ is huge in that you can make a ton of money living here. Years ago my best friend (at the time) moved down to florida because he complained about the cost of living in NJ. Meanwhile, NJ paid so much more money to me & my wife than what he made that we put him to shame. I paid 160k for my house and he bought a much nicer house for 104k. Later on I sold my house for 525k and he sold his house for 160k. At the same time, we were making so much more money in NJ than he did in Florida that it was no comparison. He completely lost out. My wife & I were making double 6 figure salaries in NJ and all he could muster in Florida was like 50k a year. He totally lost out, trust me.

[HighNDry]

I trust you.

[FreakShowFanatic]

I trust you.

I'm only giving you good advice fag boy. You're welcome.

[Blast]

My ass is itchy.

Shouldn't have let your gym teacher nail you in high school.

[Blast]

WTC, you live in the desert, get it? You have no real trees out there. Am I mistaken? Show me another picture of where you live but you've shown plenty of them already and it looks like a desert.

Now, I live in thick forest growth in the hills of NJ by a bunch of lakes. Right now it's winter, but come the end of April or beginning of May those trees will be sprouting up again with a ton of leaves & stuff. It's completely unlike where you live in your desert and much nicer.

Trust me dawg. The last place I would want to live in is Texas. Maybe SC, NC or FL because I like the warm weather but sure as hell not Texas!

I'll take hot over paying a state income tax any day.

Seriously is that the pay scale in NJ is huge in that you can make a ton of money living here. Years ago my best friend (at the time) moved down to florida because he complained about the cost of living in NJ. Meanwhile, NJ paid so much more money to me & my wife than what he made that we put him to shame. I paid 160k for my house and he bought a much nicer house for 104k. Later on I sold my house for 525k and he sold his house for 160k. At the same time, we were making so much more money in NJ than he did in Florida that it was no comparison. He completely lost out. My wife & I were making double 6 figure salaries in NJ and all he could muster in Florida was like 50k a year. He totally lost out, trust me.

So why is she looking for work now?

[WestTexasCrude]

So, I posted this yesterday. I'm probably guessing you can figure out what happened today. Our only snowfall of the Winter (it didn't stick)

[WestTexasCrude]

The joke's on you, we all knew you weren't smart enough to check the forecast before you posted that yesterday.

No change, Spring. Anyone have a fucking clue who this ThirdRail retard is? Total blank here.

[Animal]

So, I posted this yesterday. I'm probably guessing you can figure out what happened today. Our only snowfall of the Winter (it didn't stick)

when the mesquites start blooming, the last frost is over.

[WestTexasCrude]

So, I posted this yesterday. I'm probably guessing you can figure out what happened today. Our only snowfall of the Winter (it didn't stick)

when the mesquites start blooming, the last frost is over.

Nobody except from Texas would know that. Ask where you live?

[megman]

So, I posted this yesterday. I'm probably guessing you can figure out what happened today. Our only snowfall of the Winter (it didn't stick)

when the mesquites start blooming, the last frost is over.

Here it's when the mosquitoes start blooming.

[WestTexasCrude]

So, I posted this yesterday. I'm probably guessing you can figure out what happened today. Our only snowfall of the Winter (it didn't stick)

when the mesquites start blooming, the last frost is over.

Here it's when the mosquitoes start blooming.

It's what I've heard. Understand those bastards can be brutal with the real short season your way.

[WestTexasCrude]

The joke's on you, we all knew you weren't smart enough to check the forecast before you posted that yesterday.

No change, Spring. Anyone have a fucking clue who this ThirdRail retard is? Total blank here.

Never mind. I remember now. It's the old Smoke44. Banging away on the keyboard even though I ran him on the original UJ not once, but twice. Glutton for punishment, it seems.