They're Back!

Hurray, the strike is over and the NFL officials will be on the field for this week's games. The hope of every true football fan is a fairly called game with no injuries. Hopefully, everyone will experience that this week.

Bears fans, here are some hints for choosing your Dallas Cowboys menu. Steak, chicken fried steak, BBQ and Tex-Mex are huge in Dallas. Of course, everything is bigger in Texas.

One question you may have is "What is the difference between Mexican and Tex-Mex?". Well, that is a good question to which there is no one clear answer. However, there are several distinctions. First there are the cheeses. Tex-Mex tends to use orange cheeses while Mexican cheeses are white - Chihuahua, Blanco, Fresco, Oaxaca, etc.

Another difference is the sauce. Tex-Mex tends to use chili just like the chili I used last week against the St. Louis Rams. That's pretty darn American. Mexican food uses tomatoes (red and green), chiles, cilantro and chocolate (mole).

The meat is different also. Rather than ground meats, Mexican meats are pulled. Goat meat and frog legs are common in the interior of the country while seafood is widely used in coastal regions. If you've never had ceviche you've missed out on a bit of heaven.

This is just the tip of the nacho. Consider exploring authentic Mexican food deeper. You won't be sorry! In the meantime - Go Bears!

America's Team - Dallas Cowboys

Last week was delightful. Not perfect but delightful. I saw some of the things that tickle me as a Bears fan.

Not all teams could use that word, in part, due to poor officials. Football fans everywhere are hoping for an end to the officials strike and a time when fair play is the norm.

This week we take on "America's Team" the Dallas Cowboys. They were the first to use technology in a variety of ways. At the time, there was great controversy.

Now - among other things - we are using food to defeat them. In the upcoming game I will be with a group who will be helping me eat the winning menu. I hope I have it right.

Go Bears!

A Team Effort

Despite the friction caused by Cutler's comments last week, da Bears worked as a team to defeat the St. Louis Rams. The defense was superb, the offense had some bright moments and Robbie Gould was predictably perfect. I'm anxious to hear Cutler praise his team.

What was on your menu for today? After much fussing, I went with the house favorite Chili with some Provel Cheese on the side. I've never had Provel before but it quite tasty. I made today's Chili a tad spicy because I like it that way and I had some St. Louis antacids - Tums - in the house just in case. No need, the spice was just right for this chilly afternoon.

Creamy Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cans of chili beans
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup salsa
Chili Powder (a lot) to taste
Pickled jalapenos, chopped (to taste)
Additional Seasonings to taste: Salt, pepper, cumin, season salt and ancho chili powder

Directions:
Season ground beef with chili powder and additional seasonings
Add onion and jalapenos to the seasoned meat and brown, drain
Add beans, salsa and tomato soup, simmer
Add more chili powder and seasonings as desired
Simmer for at least 30 minutes

And If That's Not Enough

Fellow Foodie/Bears Fans,

If you are still looking for game day recipes in addition to what I'm posting, check out the Crockin' Girls. They've got some great suggestions.

Bears Host The Rams

Which Bears team will we see this Sunday when the St. Louis Rams enter Soldier Field?

ESPN and CBS Sports predict we will see a Bears win. Vegas considers Chicago an 8 point favorite. That's great and, after last week's game, the Bears are likely highly motivated. However, we will be without Forte and likely without Tillman. Urlacher expects to play but has seen limited practice while he continues to get used to his knee's new normal. In short, there are a few hurdles to overcome.

What can the fans cook up to help our team? Surprisingly, quite a few foods cite St. Louis in their genealogy.  Possibilities include toasted ravioli, hot dogs sized to the bun, vinegar basted pork steaks, hamburger, chili, provel cheese, brain sandwich, peanut butter, prosperity sandwich and - appropriately - Tums.

Make your best selection, hum the Bears fight song as you cook, don your jersey and prepare to cheer da Bears on to victory!

That Was No Birthday Gift

Okay, that was seriously ugly. The usually cynical Michael Chimack put it best when he said "The good news is the Bears can't play any worse than this." He was right and I have no idea what went wrong but it was a miserable night.

A more optimistic friend pointed out that we are early in the season and are likely to stabilize and improve. Hopefully, both predictions are true.

Upon reflecting on my culpability, I realized that the last time my Packers menu consisted of the Packers part of the equation (AKA sausage without cheese) we lost. I will rethink my strategy for our Northern Opponents.

Basically, my menu for Thursday was Bratwurst and Sour Kraut. I even ate 2 brats hoping to affect the play but nothing on my part was working. Hopefully this week's show down with the St. Louis Rams will net a better result.

On a personal note, I apologize for the delay in posting this issue of the blog. I have been grappling with the death of my dear friend Melissa Gordon who ran Walter Payton's foundation and helped Otis Wilson set up his foundation. She was an amazingly talented woman who I - and the world - will miss. Her work with our wounded veterans was astounding.  She died too young - at 52. Visit her obituary at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=melissa-rosenow-gordon&pid=159896811&fhid=5491.

Kickoff in Five

The pantry is stocked for tonight's game against the Packers. This will be game #185 for this storied rivalry. If you wonder why Bears fans are so passionate about defeating the Green Bay Packers, here are some of the stories:

In October of 1985, in a show of extremely bad hospitality, the Packers put horse manure in the Bears locker room.

In November of 1986, Charles Martin entered the game with a hit list. At the end of a play, he came up to Jim McMahon from behind, body slammed him to the turf and separated McMahon's shoulder ending his season. Martin was suspended for two games.

And I  will never forgive the Packers for one tackle where they grabbed Walter Payton, turned him upside down and spiked him on his head.

Cheeseheads, here's hoping your team's conduct is more sportsmanlike tonight. Sweetness will be watching  along with his friend and ours - the Dream Maker (RIP). 

Where Was Your First?

Holy Cannoli Batman! That was fun. Da Bears were Monsters both on defense and offense. I don't remember the last time the Bears scored 41 points. Even the announcers were getting giddy about this team.

If you missed the game don't think they were playing a "got nothing" team. While the Colts Quarterback is a rookie, he has some real talent. And Reggie Wayne - ForGetAboutIt! He totally rocks. However, Cutler looks great and has an entire stable of receivers to choose from. 

The only downside from today's game is Peanut's injury. Still waiting to hear what the problem/prognosis is and hoping he'll be back soon.

So, back to the winning recipe and the title of this blog post. Apparently Breaded Pork Tenderloin was invented in Indiana. I have to admit it is one of my secret pleasures. I first had one at the Dog and Suds that was my first job. Yes, I was a CarHop Extraordinaire! It wasn't the root beer, onion rings or shakes that grabbed me. It was the Pork Tenderloin with lots of pickle and ketchup. I've never made a Breaded Pork Tenderloin from scratch so this was an adventure. Much like today's outing for Andrew Luck. The Colt's QB threw his first professional football regular season touchdown pass late in today's game.

Here you go foodie/Bears fans. This recipe came from AllRecipes.com - one of my favorites. Enjoy the adventure.

Traditional Indiana Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 (4 ounce) slices of pork tenderloin, cut across the grain
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying

Sandwich Choices:

4 Kaiser rolls, split
4 teaspoons mayonnaise, or as needed (optional)
4 teaspoons ketchup, or as needed (optional)
4 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard, or as needed (optional)
4 leaves lettuce (optional)
4 slices tomato (optional)
4 slices onion (optional)
4 slices pickle, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.   Place each slice of pork tenderloin between two pieces of sturdy plastic (such as a cut-up large plastic freezer bag), and flatten the cutlet until it's about 1/4 inch thick, and about 3 1/2 by 5 inches in size.
2.   Beat the eggs and milk together in a shallow bowl, and whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, marjoram, oregano, salt, and pepper until the spices are well blended into the mixture. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.
3.   Dip each flattened cutlet into the seasoned milk-egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, thoroughly coating the cutlets with crumbs. Set the breaded cutlets aside on a piece of parchment or waxed paper; do not stack.
4.   Heat the oil in a large skillet until the oil is shimmering. Gently lower the cutlets, one at a time, into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown on each side, about 8 minutes per cutlet. Drain the cutlets on paper towels.
5.   Preheat oven broiler, and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
Spread the Kaiser rolls open with the cut sides up, and broil until the rolls are toasted and hot, about 1 minute. Top each roll with a fried cutlet (hopefully the sides of the meat will hang out of the roll by at least an inch on each side); top each cutlet with choice of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a pickle slice, if desired.

Uncle Jim Asked

Glad you asked.

The regular season begins this Sunday at Noon in Soldier Field. The opponent is the Indianapolis Colts led by Andrew Luck. So what do you football / foodie fans think is the perfect menu choice to beat the Colts and Andrew Luck?

Here's what we know about him. He was born into a football family in  Washington DC. Lived in England, Germany and Texas before choosing Stanford - coached by former Bears QB Jim Harbaugh - as his college home.

Here's what we know about Indiana - Corn, Corn, Sweets and more Corn.

Brian Urlacher will be on the field. The dynamic duo of Cutler and Marshall will be at the ready. Robbie Gould is always Golden. Matt Forte has a contract - Yes!! Peanut (who loves banana bread) will be ready. Let's do them proud!

Bear Down, Chicago Bears ....

Delay of Game!

Sorry for the delay in posting. I was getting over the Hanky Pankies! Really, that's what folks in Cleveland serve at their tailgate parties. I'm sorry but sausage is usually suspect and this was .... not for me.

However, my Bears put in a stellar end of pre-season performance so it's all good. I guess sometimes you have to take one for the team.

While I can't give it any stars, here's a recipe some folks absolutely love. Let me know what you think.


Hanky Pankies


Ingredients:
1 lb. sausage (spicy, if desired)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes OR Any kind of cheese you prefer
Party rye or pumpernickel bread

Preparation:
1.  Brown the meat, breaking up with a fork. Drain.
2.  Add the cheese. Stir until melted and combined.
3.  Add the garlic salt and worchestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Spread on bread slices and place on cookie sheets.
5.  Put under the broiler until slightly brown on top and the cheese is bubbles.

Makes about six dozen.