Vrghr has been pondering just what sort of "meaty" dish to prepare for his annual Wolfenoot Feast.

( For those wondering just what this odd holiday is, you can find more info here: https://wolfenoot.com/about-wolfenoot/ )

Wuff has been toying with two VERY different ideas. One is definitely a lot more wild and whimsical than the other, which is decidedly more "bachelor" level and reachable by less skilled/equipped cooks & kitchens. But both are certainly focused on meaty results, fully in keeping with the holiday theme.

For the simpler of the two, Vrghr is considering "Bacon-wrapped, Double Dog, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches".
These consist of hotdogs, split down the middle and wrapped with multiple strips of bacon in the fashion of Chef John's inspiring video here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyZH6JBke48 ) This creates bacon-dogs that lay flat. Perfect for inserting a pair of doubles into the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich like a burger in a patty-melt, only using a 4-wide plank of bacon-wrapped hotdogs instead of the burger patty.

Wuff's thinking of topping that with some well-caramelized sweet onions, Vrghr's take on Boom Boom Sauce, and (of course) a mixture of molten cheeses.

Wuff will side that with something suitably "BBQ-ish", such as a bacon baked potato salad.


For the more exotic option, wuff's pondering trying to create "Salisbury Steak Supreme".
Vrghr's going for a very thick, rich, juicy and tender patty, but with a very crisp outer coating to bring contrasting texture. In order to keep the outside crispy/crunchy, wuff is thinking of potentially trying to create Merlot & Mushroom reverse spherification "grapes" or "caviar" to top the patties with, so you still get the Salisbury mushroom gravy when you bite down and pop the spheres, but the crust stays crunchy.

Wuff would offer those patties atop a bed of Yorkshire Pudding, drizzled with a beefy-mushroom Jus from the sous vide pouches, for extra meatiness. The puddings should soak up the Jus and hold it away, somewhat, from the patties.

Since Vrghr would be featuring the patties with a crisp coating, we couldn't use the traditional technique of finishing their cooking in a bath of mushroom gravy. So wuff will fine mince up some mushrooms and include those inside the patties, along with some ground bacon (because - BACON!), sauteed onions & garlic, and a Panade of bread, milk, and beef stock.

Wuffy will sear the patties, chilled from the fridge, then cook them Sous Vide with a little seasoned stock in the bag, to make sure they're perfectly done from middle to edge. Then dried and coated with potato starch, pressed in tight and left to chill in the fridge for a time until the coating is fully hydrated. Finished with a flash deep-fry for the crunchy coating.

Vrghr's considering siding this with some bacon-fried garlic-green beans with a splash of lemon juice, or perhaps some white wine, for a touch of acidity to cut some of the rich fat.

Any thoughts on these options, or the sides, or other ideas?

And what are your plans for Wolfenoot feast? We've plenty of time yet to plan! Are you thinking of celebrating, and if so, how?

Vrghr