Jerry-rigged foods.

[pulykamell]

@TriPolar

However, steak tartare was so named for being served with tartar sauce.

Interesting story about the history of it here at the New York Times. I had previously only been aware of the “horsemeat under saddles” story.

[TriPolar]

@pulykamell

Interesting story about the history of it here at the New York Times. I had previously only been aware of the “horsemeat under saddles” story.

The book notes that the meat would have been impregnated with sweat and uneatable by the end of the day.

Glad someone figured out the improbability of that story.

[pulykamell]

@TriPolar

Glad someone figured out the improbability of that story.

Yeah, I did always kind of wonder about that…

[Ukulele_Ike]

I always thought it was called Tatar Sauce because it was invented by Genghis Khan’s cook.

[stui_magpie]

@Peremensoe

With that understanding, one might say that a jury-rigged food is perhaps a dish made with some well-chosen substitutions, as a matter of necessity. A jerry-built dish is a kind of haphazard experiment.

This one could fit in either. I just remembered one of my daughters dishes, her version of Nachos.

Put a bunch of corn chips on a plate, smother in BBQ sauce, then grated cheese and microwave til the cheese melts. That’s it.

It’s actually surprisingly tasty but I couldn’t agree to call it Nachos

[EllisDee]

@Biggirl

*I was at a NY Dopefest a good 10 years ago when an oldie doper wondered at my use of the word ‘jerry-rigged’. He told me that I must know the word is actually ‘nigger-rigged’. I told him that that was the first time I have ever heard nigger-rigged in my whole entire life. He was dumbfounded. I told him to take a real good look at me and see if he could find a reason why no one would say the word ‘nigger-rigged’ to my face. It’s true. Some people really don’t see color!

Hmmm. I’m kind of surprised you haven’t heard the evil version of that phrase.

In a similar way, “eeny meeny miny mo, catch a tiger by the toe” is also evil. Were you aware of that one?

[Ludovic]

I grew up in upstate NY in the 70’s-80s and never heard the non-tiger and non-jerry/jury versions of the phrase until the 90s.

[Biggirl]

@EllisDee

Hmmm. I’m kind of surprised you haven’t heard the evil version of that phrase.

In a similar way, “eeny meeny miny mo, catch a tiger by the toe” is also evil. Were you aware of that one?

I never heard the ‘tiger’ version of eeny meeny miny mo.

[CurrlyD]

Waaaaay back in the late 1950s, as a very small child, I heard the non-tiger version of eeny-meeny. I had never heard that word before so I asked Mom. She told me what it meant, and that it was very bad and I should never say it. She told me that “tiger” was the correct word to use. And Mom was always right.

In the mid-1960s I read Robert A. Heinlein’s juvenile SF books, and that’s where I first encountered “jury-rigged.” I didn’t hear the offensive version (or the engineering version) until I was an adult and began work at a manufacturing plant.

As for jury-rigged recipes, if you have no chocolate syrup for your ice cream, mix a little water with Nestlé’s Quik. A bit gritty . . .

[Gatopescado]

I can’t tell you how badly I want a miniature Kaiser helmet for my wiener dogs!

In a broad sense, isn’t all cooking “jerry-rigged food”?
*
Meat, veggies, wine = Stew!
Meat, other veggies, spices = Spaghetti sauce!*

[Nefario]

@Biggirl

What foods do you jerry-rig?*

I grew up with sliced bread as hotdog buns. It will still make a good Pig-in-Blanket or cheese dog if pinned with a toothpick and warmed in a toaster oven.
I always heard “jury rigged” as a temporary but workable fix. “Nigger-rig”, “afro-engineering” and “ghetto mechanic” are a whole 'nother lower level of making something work and usually derogatory, sometimes humorous.