How does your wife 'destroy' Western food

[Dr. Burrito]

Sitting here in Texas on my sojourn here for a few weeks to see the wife and kids and she lovingly cooks us both 1 1/2" bone-in ribeyes, cut from a 21-day hung carcass, from a hand selected steer out of the family herd that was fed an incredible grain diet for three months. Just beautiful pieces of meat and she takes out her home made Thai Pik sauce and starts to dip her steak in it. I guess my screech almost gave her a heart attack. 'What's wrong, tilac?' she says.

Admittedly, these 'incidents' happen less and less often now after 12 years of marriage, but my Lord woman, have some decency, please.

Your tales of Western food woe?

[onionluke]

I got coriander in my coffee this morning .

[sam sen]

how does she feel when you cook thai food for her? does the word 'arroy' ever pass her lips?!

[fatfather]

I got coriander in my coffee this morning .

That's standard in Arab countries. It's called "hell" and tastes not to bad. Your wife knows this culture?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[samran]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

But I guess you have the Thai cooking side if things down pat. Glass houses and all that...

[Dr. Burrito]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

But I guess you have the Thai cooking side if things down pat. Glass houses and all that...

Remind me if we ever meet no to offer to buy you a proper steak She cooked the steaks to perfection, it was the rudeness with which she treated it that caused my near stroke...

God, I wish I could cook good Thai food. Since she and the kiddos are in the states and I am back and forth, I am forced to restaurants and street carts when I want a good Thai meal.

[samran]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

But I guess you have the Thai cooking side if things down pat. Glass houses and all that...

Remind me if we ever meet no to offer to buy you a proper steak She cooked the steaks to perfection, it was the rudeness with which she treated it that caused my near stroke...

God, I wish I could cook good Thai food. Since she and the kiddos are in the states and I am back and forth, I am forced to restaurants and street carts when I want a good Thai meal.

I wouldn't call a 21 day steak a proper steak. I'd prefer a couple of more weeks hanging.

And I hope you consider a properly cooked streak one which has only briefly seen a hot flame. Otherwise I don't think we are on the same page of what is defined as a 'good steak'

[onionluke]

I got coriander in my coffee this morning .

That's standard in Arab countries. It's called "hell" and tastes not to bad. Your wife knows this culture?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

ff ^No real connection with Arab culture . I believe it was unintentional and not so bad , as you say .

I do quite a few Thai and Issan dishes that are acceptable , om gai , tom pla , pat kapow variations and som tams, which my wife says are too garlicy . I don't really do the packet curry thing as they are too sugary for my diet .

My wife is an excellent cook with many Chinese dishes in her book .

I can only guess from my experience of eating fresh slaughtered meat in Thailand , but maybe Dr. Burrito's wife was considering eating the meat raw until she got a wiff of it .

[Dr. Burrito]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

But I guess you have the Thai cooking side if things down pat. Glass houses and all that...

Remind me if we ever meet no to offer to buy you a proper steak She cooked the steaks to perfection, it was the rudeness with which she treated it that caused my near stroke...

God, I wish I could cook good Thai food. Since she and the kiddos are in the states and I am back and forth, I am forced to restaurants and street carts when I want a good Thai meal.

I wouldn't call a 21 day steak a proper steak. I'd prefer a couple of more weeks hanging.

And I hope you consider a properly cooked streak one which has only briefly seen a hot flame. Otherwise I don't think we are on the same page of what is defined as a 'good steak'

Saw a very hot flame indeed, and well stated. Wouldn't have minded it hanging longer to be sure, but 3 weeks makes for a pretty nice period on dry aging. That said, can't argue about hanging it longer either, but mine wasn't the only family voice in that discussion.

[samran]

Bloody hell Dr Burrito.

It's only 9.30 in the morning here and you've got me feeling like a good piece of meat. My mouth is watering.

[jcgodber]

My first thought was when I saw my wife fry an egg, OK this should be really simple. First she dumped at least a cup of palm oil into the hot wok, then fried the poor egg til it was crispy and full of oil. YUK !

[canman]

In general my wife is a very good cook. One of the first things I taught her about western food was how to respect meat!

She recently cooked a feed of frogs legs and decided to do it as a curry, turns out curried frogs legs are horrible.

[Ulysses G.]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

My mother was great cook and she always told me that it was shame to put sauce on a good steak. It was probably the wisest piece of advice that she ever gave me.

[farang000999]

sour cream and salt lads.

[farang000999]

In general my wife is a very good cook. One of the first things I taught her about western food was how to respect meat!

She recently cooked a feed of frogs legs and decided to do it as a curry, turns out curried frogs legs are horrible.

frog legs are terrible regardless of the cooking method. it is a weird cross between chicken and fish. just not very delicious. if it tasted good, it would not be so uncommon. let's be honest.

[NeverSure]

I wouldn't call a 21 day steak a proper steak. I'd prefer a couple of more weeks hanging.

And I hope you consider a properly cooked streak one which has only briefly seen a hot flame. Otherwise I don't think we are on the same page of what is defined as a 'good steak'

Actually, 21 days is just right. More than that and you risk spoilage.

For sure it has to hang long enough for rigor mortis to pass, which is a few days. I believe that this is one reason that a lot of Thai meat isn't tender. I think the processors might lack the refrigeration to hang the meat long enough, or they don't care.

After the rigor mortis has passed enzymes begin to break down the connective tissues and further tenderize the meat.

I grew up on a large wheat and cattle ranch and 21 days in refrigeration was the standard to get a choice or prime grade.

[canman]

In general my wife is a very good cook. One of the first things I taught her about western food was how to respect meat!

She recently cooked a feed of frogs legs and decided to do it as a curry, turns out curried frogs legs are horrible.

frog legs are terrible regardless of the cooking method. it is a weird cross between chicken and fish. just not very delicious. if it tasted good, it would not be so uncommon. let's be honest.

Not high on my list of favourite foods either. Sauted in Ghee with garlic and its edible, with curry not so much.

[geronimo]

Mine doesn't, she enhances it. Luckily she was a maid for a US couple before we met so she already knew how to cook western style.Thai cooking is her real forte!

[Showbags]

Grass fed, Shoot it, cut it up and eat it straight off the fire.....all you sooks and your hanging and grain fed....best steak you will ever have, taste and tender.

[CharlieH]

My wife did similiar, I treated her and our daughter to a nice thick steak one time, which I cooked, they immediately buried it under a heap of Tomatoe ketchup. Never again ! What a waste !

She is a great cook with most things, but beef steak, no way, I cook that, lightly scored, smeared with butter and grilled.

[tolsti]

I got coriander in my coffee this morning .

That's standard in Arab countries. It's called "hell" and tastes not to bad. Your wife knows this culture?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

I think you'll find that its cardamom not coriander in coffee in the Middle East. Really nice it is too!

[thailiketoo]

One of the first things I learned living in Thailand is Thai people don't eat beef (exceptions too few to count and yes I know about the Muslim South). Try cooking her BBQ pork ribs and she will eat with only BBQ sauce. Boy are you guys .......... Next rule is, if you think you have problems with Thais, never give an Aussie an American steak.

[seajae]

mate, this morning I got poached eggs on toast(runny yolk) and she even asked me if I wanted baked beans, heaven. My wife has it down pat, cooks a great medium rare steak(I brought my griddle iron from Australia) and she also makes a great salad. I have ciabatta rolls in the freezer most of the time too so I can have bruschetta when ever I want, she even does a great mashed spud. Just came in and gave me a taste of the spring roll filling she just made for me, mild chicken curry, yum. Her and her mum even make num plik for me that is bloody brilliant and doesnt burn my ring gear out although the only problem she has is that everything she eats gets covered in chilli/hot sauce and she doesnt really like a good thick steak(thais like thin), apart form that I have no complaints what so ever.

Growing up on a farm in Australia gave me the chance to really tatste great meat, two tooth in lamb/sheep and steer in cattle, young meat has no taste what so ever(spring lamb/yearling beef), fat needs to be yellow not white and the meat red not pink, marbling is better too and no sauces.

Edited February 14, 2014 by seajae

[samran]

I wouldn't call a 21 day steak a proper steak. I'd prefer a couple of more weeks hanging.

And I hope you consider a properly cooked streak one which has only briefly seen a hot flame. Otherwise I don't think we are on the same page of what is defined as a 'good steak'

Actually, 21 days is just right. More than that and you risk spoilage.

For sure it has to hang long enough for rigor mortis to pass, which is a few days. I believe that this is one reason that a lot of Thai meat isn't tender. I think the processors might lack the refrigeration to hang the meat long enough, or they don't care.

After the rigor mortis has passed enzymes begin to break down the connective tissues and further tenderize the meat.

I grew up on a large wheat and cattle ranch and 21 days in refrigeration was the standard to get a choice or prime grade.

I also like smelly cheeses a which perhaps explains why i like food which would give a health inspector fits.

[GrahamF]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

My mother was great cook and she always told me that it was shame to put sauce on a good steak. It was probably the wisest piece of advice that she ever gave me.

Your mom was a very wise lady!

[samran]

Nothing wrong with good steak dipped in a no of home made sauce.

My mother was great cook and she always told me that it was shame to put sauce on a good steak. It was probably the wisest piece of advice that she ever gave me.

I do understand the reasoning UG, as a paid up member of the meatatarian society.

In just not as purist about it, and the Thai Jim Jam sauce does go remarkably well with some good tender meat.

On the smelly cheese side if things, having lived in the UK, a good grilled steak with melted Stilton on the top. Heaven.

[seajae]

One of the first things I learned living in Thailand is Thai people don't eat beef (exceptions too few to count and yes I know about the Muslim South). Try cooking her BBQ pork ribs and she will eat with only BBQ sauce. Boy are you guys .......... Next rule is, if you think you have problems with Thais, never give an Aussie an American steak.

if its around 1.5" thick and cooked medium rare it is perfect, in Australia we can get 2" T bones/bone in rib eye that are close to a kilo in weight as a single serve(most butchers sell them), brilliant. Aussies like a great steak but it does need to be cooked to perfection and not covered in sauce

[NeverSure]

Next rule is, if you think you have problems with Thais, never give an Aussie an American steak.

This part I don't understand. Is it the way it's cooked? Australia, Canada, and America are known for producing great beef.

[thailiketoo]

One of the first things I learned living in Thailand is Thai people don't eat beef (exceptions too few to count and yes I know about the Muslim South). Try cooking her BBQ pork ribs and she will eat with only BBQ sauce. Boy are you guys .......... Next rule is, if you think you have problems with Thais, never give an Aussie an American steak.

if its around 1.5" thick and cooked medium rare it is perfect, in Australia we can get 2" T bones/bone in rib eye that are close to a kilo in weight as a single serve(most butchers sell them), brilliant. Aussies like a great steak but it does need to be cooked to perfection and not covered in sauce

Australia mainly exports frozen grass fed beef to the US explaining the general feeling for the Australian product.

[richard_smith237]

Western Food in Thailand..

On my last project up-country in Thailand I asked our cook to make me Poached Eggs on Toast...

After a little discussion, I waited, a few mins later I received Eggs Fried in water on Soggy toast !!!...

After a few days of doing it myself and attempting to teach our cook I totally gave up and settled for scrambled eggs !...

First morning on my current project, again up-country in Thailand I asked a different cook for Scrambled Eggs on Toast...

She asked me if I wanted Fried eggs... No !!.. Scrambled...

Where is the Toaster? No have !... Where is the bread ? Oh.. No Have !!... OK.. just scrabbled Egg... No have Milk !!!...

I had omelet on rice with extremely fatty streaky bacon...

Now that really is screwing up what I hoped to be a half satisfying breakfast !

More on Topic of the Wife and Cooking:

My Wife is an excellent cook - but strangely her Western food is much better than her Thai food...

I can flick through a Cookbook and stop on a random page... "That one !" I announce with mean skullduggery.. a while later, and by the time I'd forgotten what I'd pointed at, with a devilish grin and more than a dash of kitchen jiggery-pokery something wonderful is placed in front of me.

However, Ketchup and Chilly still go on Pizza, a meal in a nice restaurant gets coated in pepper (usually dispensed with by a waitress with one of those huge phallic pepper grinders)....

Edited February 14, 2014 by richard_smith237