What are you doing for New Year?

[PZ]

I am now officially old. lol.   

[Art Blade]

 

[nex]

You might know it as "Boston Butt" PZ

[PZ]

Yeah, that is another name we use as well, however, I was referring to "pickled" which I am not familiar with in relation to pork butt 

[nex]

"Pickled" is just another word we use for cure PZ, when it's just mrs nex and I then I buy the shoulder to make "gammon",
it is a lot smaller than the normal gammon cut, which is from the hind quarters, and also not so fatty.
I also don't glaze the meat, I just pop it into a roasting bag with some of the brine water and roast it.
This way the skin comes off very easy, the fat can be trimmed off as well which I cut up small,
that goes into a thick base pot on the stove with low heat to cook it till crispy.
The liquid is bottled and becomes lard with a smokey flavor, the remainder is small dark pieces of crispy cooked out fat,
I also bottle it and later will be spread on a slice of bread.

About 30 min before the meal I score the skin, sprinkle it with some coarse salt and grill it on a low grill setting till crispy (crackling)       

[Art Blade]

I think we have two chefs now.

that sounds really good, nex

[mandru]

PZ, your dinner parties always sound fantastic. 

I know there were many New Years Eve's parties where I was the pickled butt. 

Approaching 30 years clean and sober and delighted I don't have to live like that any more. 
The only thing I binge on now is the occasional political rant.

[Art Blade]

 

I'm also glad that I don't have to drink alcohol, I voluntarily abstain from it and if I don't, I'll have to pay a price (sick for days) that's not worth it. I always enjoy the next day after whatever party because I wake up sober and without hangover, no headaches.. just another nice day. And I too enjoy not having to go to those parties anymore. However, if I was in the neighbourhood and PZ invited me over, I'd have to seriously reconsider.

[PZ]

Man you sure make full use of the butt, nex!  Here it comes boneless, skinless, and all you need do is tie it before you roast it.  However, in some instances you can purchase shoulder with full skin and bone - I'd like to try those crispy bits you mentioned - they sound delicious!

Thanks mandru; I'm afriaid I was the pickled butt this New Year - I had a bit too much of Martha's eggnog    Congratulations on 30 years of sobriety! 

You'd be welcome any time, AB 

[Art Blade]

cheers

and indeed, congrats, mandru

[nex]

Although I have a number of bottles of various alcoholic drinks in my cabinet,
as a rule I do not have any on Christmas day, bar the little Brandy what's pored over the
Christmas pudding and lit, and of coarse the Brandy butter.

New Years eve I was going to pop a bottle of Champagne, but mrs nex wanted Don Pedro instead.
And that was all the alcohol I had.

I do pour myself one drink almost every night with dinner, one tot of Brandy,
plenty Ice and the glass is then filled with coke. That will be if we have dinner on or before 7 pm.
Afterwards a glass of coke will do.

[fragger]

Good on you, mandru

I still like a tipple, but I certainly don't drink to excess anymore. Considering the way I used to when I was a young ratbag, I'm surprised I made it to this age. I was never a belligerent or maudlin drunk though. I was always a happy chappie and didn't go looking for trouble or pick fights or hassle anyone. But boy, did I put it away back then...

Even though I used to do that, I don't understand why so many people feel that they have to imbibe heroic quantities of alcohol in order to "enjoy themselves". I did it because I liked it and I've always had a high tolerance of it, but I never did it because I felt it was a mandatory part of having a good time. I would also sometimes go to parties or barbecues and not have any at all, depending on how I felt or if I had to ride later, and I would have just as good a time.

These days, the most I do is get a six-pack of beer "stubbies" (small bottles) once every couple of weekends or so, and drink it over two days. I might have four of them on a Saturday and the remaining two on Sunday. I only ever drink Cooper's these days as it's about the only beer that doesn't hang me over the next day - or even the same night. Any other beer and I start getting a headache within a couple of hours of the first one.

[nex]

Oh yes I forgot!! 

Congrats and a slap on the back for the upcoming 30y mandru +1

[mandru]

Thanks guys.

It's become my normal, a way of life for me.  I was my enemy not alcohol.  Having a grudge against alcohol would have never been an asset when it came to being of assistance to another alcoholic who was still suffering and struggling to understand their condition.

If I have a good reason for being somewhere like a party or a gathering of friends who are going to be drinking it's never placed me at risk or caused me to shy away.  Mrs. mandru keeps a bottle of planter's rum (dark rums were my preferred beverage straight up or as a base for mixing) in the cupboard for the occasional bedtime hot toddy when she has a cold or congestion and that has never been a problem for me.

So party on! 

[Art Blade]