[NewfieDrool]

La Union Luzon but even when we lived in Manila I lever saw lamb for sale.

Cheers, Steve.

Santis Delicatessen do lamb, I think they have a number of shops dotted around as it’s where I managed to find a decent pressure cooker as they tend to do a good range of imported food.

https://www.santis-deli.com/

I think there’s some Lamb chops sold at Landers too. Not sure what the cut or quality is like though. All you need then is Mint Jelly 😊

 

[bigpearl]

Mint jelly, mint sauce. Availability it seems 257 kilometers away is out of our league to buy lamb? Bonus is Ben is not into lamb so I've adapted to local availability. Wrong country/location for lamb but the prawns and oysters make up for the lack of many products normal to other countries.

I know beef here is cr@p and assume the lamb if available would be the same. Second rate and ridiculously priced.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[NewfieDrool]

With my cooking, the quality of the meat does not matter, I hide my bad cooking with sauce hahaha

 

[Gary D]

Thanks Gary, not seen that company before but notice they don't sell a simple leg of lamb nor BBQ chops.
Worse still We are 6 hours north from Manila where it seems all their branches are and would need a refrigerator or freezer in the car, as well as their prices.
AU 68 bucks a Kilo for lamb chops? AU 40 bucks a Kilo for ground lamb?

Here ground lean pork 9 bucks a kilo, ground lean chicken 7 bucks a kilo, skinless chicken breast 7 bucks a kilo. Oysters 10 buck a kilo etc. etc.
Our diet has changed to local availability.
Don't worry next time I'm back in Oz it will be a pig out on lamb. Nearly 3 times the population of sheep compared to people and twice the number for kangaroos, that's why it's cheaper..... Crocodiles also.

If I chuck a bit of thyme and Rosmary on a leg of pork and a little mint sauce upon serving there's not much difference, as said adapted/ing to the local availability. Want to try a leg of goat next.

Perhaps my bad as I have never ventured to a Monterey butcher, we will look next week.

All the same Gary nice to know you can buy lamb here.

Cheers, Steve.

S&R carry New Zealand lamb, do you have one in your area.

 

[bigpearl]

Gary, closest is Pampanga 4 hours away.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[NewfieDrool]

What about duck?

I’ve helped out with buying a few whole ducks which my other half and her family love.

 

[bigpearl]

Good point Newfie, I like duck also and not thought about it, once the kitchen is done/finished and we have a decent oven we will look into availability. home made bread stuffing, yum.
Seems around here all the supermarkets/wet markets cater to the local budget, pork, chicken seafood and crappy beef... the osso buco is ok because it's cooked to death.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[pagbati]

Made our mince pie filling the other day with a generous portion of whiskey; should develop well in time for Christmas.

Lemon curd has got to be a winner any time of the year. Great with bread/ toast/ scones etc., (that last one is biscuits for our USA friends) and also works very well in a cheesecake/ fruit torte.

 

[sigisige]

What about goat?
Greate taste and readily available everywhere in the Philippines.

 

[bigpearl]

@sigisige

Funny as I don't like goat and Ben hates lamb and even in Oz I never bothered to roast a leg but I did cook lamb chops, steaks, chicken etc. on the BBQ a compromise I suppose.

@pagbati

You sir are too clever for my dumb culinary skills and I am envious. Well done.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[pagbati]

@pagbati

You sir are too clever for my dumb culinary skills and I am envious. Well done. Cheers, Steve.

Thanks Steve, I appreciate the comment, but there are no great culinary skills required to make both of these items. Like so many of the recipes I make, all that’s required is a love of home baking and the enjoyment of good food.

 

[pagbati]

Other half isn’t so fond of Christmas Cake, she prefers the lighter, more mellow, but packed full of flavour Dundee Cake. We compromised, so I ended up soaking the fruit for this cake in whiskey/ brandy for 24 hrs. In the lead up to Christmas, I’ll continue to feed it with a tablespoon or two of whiskey every 3 weeks. Whilst Dundee cakes are traditionally circular, I prefer to use one of my pullman loaf pans as it holds a larger cake and the shape means that it cooks throughout more evenly; no problems with the outside being overdone and the centre not fully baked. By the look of those almonds on top though, I may have been indulging in a dram or two during the process.

 

[pagbati]

Very often, a simple lemon drizzle cake is all that’s needed.

 

[pagbati]

At other times, something a little special is called for; such as this Irish Cream/ Baileys cheesecake.

 

[bigpearl]

@pagbati

Can we all come and live with you? I miss my chocolate ripple cakes as I have never found original Arnotts chocolate ripple biscuits here let alone decent whipping cream, Baileys for biscuit dunking yes, adults only.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[pagbati]

Sometimes when you’re experimenting with bread, things don’t turn out quite as planned. Too much hydration on this occasion so the loaf didn’t rise as much as expected. Still, this flaxseed, wholemeal, sourdough bread was tasty and went well with our fresh sweetcorn, tuna and pickle salad.

 

[pagbati]

Plenty of room in the oven for another loaf so best to use it. A slice of seeded, wholemeal sourdough with vintage New Zealand cheddar and a dollop of home made mango and apply chutney. What’s not to love!

 

[bigpearl]

Stop it pagbati. I am envious of all your creations but doubt I would ever wish to compete as we rarely eat bread but if we move in with you?
Once construction stops here perhaps there will be more time for cooking at all levels. Don't mind cooking but ATM too many things afoot.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[pagbati]

Thanks Steve, I think I mentioned to Mark before starting this thread that my aim was to try and encourage fellow expats to do more home baking. Of course, not everybody wants to spend time in the kitchen so these posts won’t apply to all. But for those that do, by seeing some of these breads etc., I’m hoping to inspire them to try their hand.

I appreciate that you’re snowed under at present with all the construction going on at your place; but maybe when it’s all done, you’ll come back and say, ‘Hey, I’m ready now, how about ing on that recipe for such and such? That would be something.

 

[pagbati]

This is one of those foods that our American friends often have trouble getting their head around. Known by a variety of names i.e., Black Pudding/ Blood Sausage / Blutwurst; very common in Europe and certainly in UK. It’s a standard part of a breakfast fry up in Ireland and Scotland. Don’t knock it till you’re tried it guys!