#banebat

banebat doodle for pom <3

It's been another ten fic rec lists, so you know what that means! A random list of recommendations of something not Superbat/Batfam/DC related. This time, it's meat related! Tbh, I don't know why I haven't done that before, lol.

Anyway, on to the fics!

Latchey by goldkirk - Batfam, complete. Tim joins the family early fic! He also runs a blog full of all his batfam photos (secretly, of course).

Fears Unfounded by OdosBucket - Superbat and Batfam, complete. Jason has some worries about Bruce's new partner, Clark.

Mission: seducing Superman by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat, wip. Battinson figures the only way to stop Superman is to seduce him. Shenanigans ensue. Selina, Harley, and Ivy help.

The Price of Blame by AlexaAffect - Batfam, complete. Jason finds out that his siblings keep blaming their fuck ups on him to Bruce. He decides to start charging for his services. Shenanigans ensue.

painted blind by IHadHimOnTheRopes (CarterReid) - Superbat, wip. More of the soulmates fic, but from Clark's POV.

non-disclosure agreement by pomeloquat - Banebat, complete. A very good, very smutty fic from the BBWO collection. Also it's a pomeloquat fic, which are always a delight to read.

all that he can hold by shipyrds - Superbat, complete. Another lovely, smutty fic, with a focus on breathplay/choking. It also gets very Soft at the end, which I also enjoyed.

Borrowing a Bed by Anonymous - Superwonderbat, complete. A short fic where they all share a bed at the Kent house. Bruce is in the middle, of course.

Behind Closed Doors by Taxi_Cab_To_Slowtown - Pennywaynes, complete. Ace Thomas and his lovely spouses, Martha and Alfred :)

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions -Superbat, wip. More of the identity porn fic. Dick makes an appearance and he is a Delight.

Gently in the Night by Internedionality - Cloisbat, complete. Bruce isn't doing to well after Jason's death. Clark helps, then Lois. More Ace Bruce, because I'm a sucker for that.

The Heart Grows Fonder by Yippekia - Superbat, wip. Another lovely smutty fic from the BBWO collection. Clark goes off planet, but leaves some company behind to take care of Bruce :)

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the omgaverse Superbat fic. Clark finally meets Jason.

nocturn by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, complete. Part of a room full of coral series. What Lex is doing in 'a sky of honey' when Bruce is going through his heat with Clark. He has a big sad, Bruce and Clark help.

Custody Exchange by SalParadiseLost - Bruharvey, complete. A creepy fic, just in time for the holiday! Jason is the child of Bruce and Harvey. Bruce is a monster, and so is Jason. Bruce and Harvey share custody.

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! Also, Bruce is back!!

we shall be free; we shall find peace by mediant - Superbat (eventually), wip. More of Clark being a long time prisoner of Lex. Latest chapter was sad (not that that's a bad thing!), but Kon is a teen now!

And now for the meat recommendations! I grew up on a beef farm raising Angus, so most of these are going to be beef since I'm biased that way. But if you poke me, I could give you some recommendations of some other species too (except fish, not a lot of experience there).

Of steaks that come from the middle meats (ribeye, loin), I have a fondness of ribeye steak. BUT ONLY if it comes from the front of the ribeye roll. The reason why is because there is a cap muscle that wraps around the major loin muscle (longissimus dorsi) called the spinalis dorsi. It's so much more tender and flavorful than the actual ribeye muscle.

Below is an example of what I mean. It's that flat muscle wrapping around the oval shaped one:

Next is the Flat Iron steak! That muscle is called the infraspinatus, and is the second most tender muscle in the carcass! And also cheaper than the most tender muscle, the tenderloin (like, more than half the price per pound). It comes from the chuck, or shoulder of the beef carcass, and hangs out on top of the shoulder blade.

Below is a picture. Note, there is a thick piece of connective tissue that lays in the middle of the muscle. It has to be filleted out (sort of like fish), then you'll have two long strips of meat. This picture has the connective tissue out.

My finally recommendation is a more economic option, cube steak! It comes from the back leg, or round of the carcass. I tend to not like meat that comes from this primal because I always find it so dry and tough. Most of the time, my family just grinds it all for ground beef (adding fat trim so it's not so lean). But, we do request or make cube steak whenever we get one of our beef carcasses processed. Eye of round (this is the same muscle as your hamstring in your leg) is used, but top or bottom round can be used as well. Since those muscles are so tough, they are mechanically tenderized using a cuber, where you drop the meat through some blades a few times until it's tender. I like to bread mine in seasoned flour, brown them, and then drop in a crock pot with cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup (sometimes both if it's a large batch). It cooks while I'm at work, and when I get home, I make some potatoes to go with my meat and gravy. I have fond memories eating this after a cold day of helping Dad with farm chores as a kid.

Below is an example:

Again, if you want any recommendations for other species, let me know! But to be honest, a lot of the cuts from a pork or lamb carcass is the same as a beef, it's just smaller with (maybe) a different name.

Over the dozen or so times that Batman has caught Bane and thrown him back in jail, he has always insisted that Bane should focus on his recovery and start over, leaving behind the life of a criminal.

And, as he’s led away to his dozenth-or-so prison cell in Gotham, it finally occurs to him that, hey. Maybe Batman was right, after all. He didn’t choose to have been born a criminal’s son, serving time in Peña Dura. Making an enemy of Batman, though, was his choice. And if the choice is his, then maybe he can choose to undo what’s been done. Maybe he can start over.

This time, he dedicates all his time and energy into remaking himself. The prison guards and psychologists and social workers and everyone else is baffled by it, really, but in the end they’re just glad he’s responding to their efforts for once.

The Wayne Foundation sponsors the behavioral rehab program that Bane is a part of, so Bruce knows. He’s a little suspicious of Bane’s sudden change of heart- you can’t be too careful with people like him, in his experience- but hopeful that he really is finally taking his advice seriously.

When Bane is released back into society, Batman visits him, just to sort of gauge what’s going on with him. Bane is almost unrecognizable to him, out of mask and sober as he is (who knew he had such a charming smile under there?).

Bane thanks him for never giving up on him, and persuading him to finally change his ways (Bruce feels a twinge of guilt for having suspected him of having ill intentions), and says that he’s excited to try living life as a normal citizen of Gotham for once. Although, he is a little apprehensive about it, he admits sheepishly. There’s definitely work to be found for someone with his strength and abilities, but he’s never really done this before. Where does one even go to rent an apartment, he wonders?

Bruce offers to help him get settled. They pick out a new name for him to live under, and set him up in a little apartment in the Narrows. Bruce offered to see about a better location, but Bane insisted. The Narrows is the place in Gotham where he feels most at home, or so he says. They get all his new employment paperwork taken care of and boom! Bane’s life as a normal, unassuming, non-crime-lord begins.

Batman continues to check up on him, of course. You can never, ever, ever be too careful, you know. But eventually he gives up being suspicious. It’s clear that Bane has no ulterior motive here.

As he gets to know him better, something a bit unexpected happens: Bruce begins to really enjoy Bane’s company. He never had the benefit of a traditional education, but he’s brilliant nonetheless. Endlessly curious about the world around him, always asking questions. He spends his salary on books and night classes at the local community college. He and Bruce have some great conversations. He understands now what R’as saw in him.

Everything’s going well, until Bruce and one of the kids- I don’t know, let’s say Jason- go out one night on a the trail of a gang of thugs suspected of a string of robberies. They track them to an empty warehouse, but when they get there, who should they find but Bane, standing over a pile of unconscious guards.

“What are you doing here,” Batman demands, trying to keep his voice down so they don’t get caught.

“These guys stole money and resources from the Wayne Foundation,” Bane hisses back. “I can’t just let that slide! There are other prisoners who need that money!”

“We have it under control! There was no need for you to come here!”

“Yeah, well, I had it under control, too!”

“That’s not-”

“Look, are we going to finish this or what?” Jason interrupts, and Bruce gives up.

They bring Bane with them and allow him to help them take out the rest of the thugs. Bruce instructs Jason to treat Bane as he would a new recruit to the team-  watch him closely and be ready to help him at any time if he looked like he was in trouble. Not that he needed to worry, though- Bane can hold his own in a fight.

It’s after that night that Batman reveals his secret identity to Bane. “If you won’t listen to Batman,” he says, “maybe you’ll listen to Bruce Wayne. This city is well-protected. We can handle it, I promise. You just focus on living your new life, ok?”

“Very well,” says Bane. What was he going to do, argue with the man he owed DOUBLE for his recovery? “On one condition, though.”

“And what is that?”

“You’ll keep coming to visit me sometimes.”

So Bruce does. The two of them continue to spend as much time together as either of their busy schedules allows. They talk. They spar, sometimes, at Bane’s request. Ok, they also make out, once or twice. They get found out by the kids and, after the initial “what do you mean, Bane???” phase, Bane is all but adopted as a member of the family. He graduates college and gets a new job with Wayne Enterprises (entirely of his own efforts, Bruce insists, he had nothing to do with it).