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woodburner

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Posts posted by woodburner

  1. Very nice Marlene.

    I also roasted a Standing Rib Roast last evening. I deboned the roast and retied the bones on to serve as the rack. Fresh rosemary under the twine trussing, rubbed down with evoo and freshly smashed garlic.

    Portabella Mushroom stock reduction was a hit.

    Separate mushroom stems and caps. Slice caps 1/3-inch thick. In a food processor pulse stems until chopped coarse and in a small saucepan add to 3 cups of Beef Stock. Simmer mixture 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids. Reserve

    Remove from Rib Roast pan using a bulb baster or spoon skim all but about 1/4 cup fat from pan. In pan on top of stove sauté mushroom caps over moderately high heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add mushroom liquid, and any juices from beef and boil 5 minutes. Stir in beurre manié (beurre manié made by kneading together 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and boil, stirring, about 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly.)

    Spoon mixture over sliced beef.

    Onion Confit.... ohhhhhhh my

    woodburner

  2. The smaller casings you asked about are usually lamb.

    They are helpful if making a poultry or lamb sausage for people who don't eat pork. Also good for breakfast sausage.

    Actually the question was regarding different diameters of Italian Sausages.

    If your putting poultry and lamb in your Italian Links, call them something else, and don't call me for dinner.

    woodburner

  3. Any home sausage makers out there?

    I have a question regarding the Italian sausage one typically sees in butcher shops.

    Usually, the sausage is offered in the thick ropes (both hot and sweet) and then in thinner coils, which are often made with cheese and parsley.

    If I want to make the standard thick kind, I suppose I would use hog casings. But what about the thinner kind? Is there a special casing I should be looking for to make those?

    TIA

    J

    Hog casings are graded according to diameter (millimeter) size. For example a small diameter Italian would stuff nicely into the 30-32 mm size. Large ring type Kielbasa or Italian would also go well into the 35-38 mm diameter.

    For the home consumer though, it would suffice to say that sausage "hanks" are available 35mm and down, or 35mm and up.

    A typical "hank" will stuff about 100 lbs of sausage. When stored properly in the refrigerator they can last well up to a year, without much degradation.

    Many internet sources offer smaller 25lb packages of casings. When purchasing in this manner though, expect to get less choice in available diameters.

    woodburner

  4. We had a dinner party last weekend where the main course was rib roast sans ribs. It turned out be-yoo-ti-ful...

    Before:

    meat_before.jpg

    and After:

    meat.jpg

    The Spouse always adds some fruitwood trimmings to the barbie so that the meat is smoked. Last Saturday it was apricot.

    I procured a 3 bone standing rib tonite on sale. Choice grade. I'm starting my beef stock tomorrow evening for a Saturday night feast. I've also pulled some beef ribs from the freezer to cook along side the rib roast.

    Garlic smashed potatoes maybe, and giant freshly baked popovers.

    I'm thinking of the Alton Brown method, cook low and slow and sear over high heat to finish the rib roast.

    woodburner

  5. Does anyone have a link to or the recipe for Jeffrey Steingarten's Blt canapes? I imagine it would be easy just to invent my own but I would like to read the original. I have looked everywhere and cannot figure out where I originally saw it.

    I owe you one, for asking this question.

    many, many thanks.

    woodburner

  6. I recently discvered the Recaito and Sorfrito, and they are definately tasty.  I'm not positive how to use them authentically, but I just toss them into all sorts of stuff and they add nice flavor.

    Whenever I pass by the Recaito in the market, it beckons me.

    I often reflect the notion of me buying ribbed condom's in the 70's and wonder do they really work?

    Not a great reflection, but alas, I do wonder.

    So.. does Recaito really work, and if so how?

    woodburner

  7. I've been using the Mojo for chicken for about 3 years now, and it never ceases to amaze me. I hosted a party for about 50, on Labor Day and decided to try my hand at large scale imitation. I marinated about 40 chicken thighs and 20 breasts in a 5 Gallon beverage cooler for about six hours.

    The crowd went crazy.

    A few of the women commented that it was some of the best tasting chicken they had ever eaten.

    woodburner

  8. Mojo Criollo mixed with some olive oil is a great marinade for many cuts of meat and fowl. I've just started using it with beef, and it's killer.

    Guava paste.... very good, as are the Manzanilla Olives.

    List your favorites

    woodburner

  9. I highly recommend this method--or one closely approximating it.  For overall ease of operation, I had my butcher do this for me and the resulting roast, which I cooked on my Weber grill, was just about the best roast I've ever eaten (don't we always say that? :biggrin:)  Of course, in order to get the whole roast into the Weber, I had to split it into 2 pieces.

    I can't remember for sure, but I think I cooked them for about 4 hours, and did my best to keep the temp in the Weber around 250 F.  At the end, I added some wood to the fire, opened all the dampers on the Weber and did my best to 'finish' the roast sections.  FWIW, the bones were also fantastic and I hoarded them for myself (yet another, big advantage of having the butcher 'roll' the roast for me).  Somehow woodburner, I doubt you need my input on the cooking method. :wink:

    Here are a few (hack) pics...

    primerib.smoked.2x.jpg

    primerib.smoked.interior.jpg

    =R=

    You suck.

    Alway's raising the bar.

    Hope none of my guests, see your pictures.

    Thanks Ron

    woodburner

  10. What about buying the roast on the bone and asking them to roll it for you?  Thus, the roast will be boneless, and the bones tied underneath to use as racks.  Alternatively a boneless rib eye roast would be wonderful spit roasted.

    Hi Marlene

    One of our local food warehouses, sell the boneless rib eye, choice grade, regarding size it must be in the 12lb range since in sells for around $90 dollars. I would like to serve the rib bones with the rib eye steaks, but have this crazy concern regarding plating. IE: how will bones seperated from the steak appeal to my guests.

    The rotisserie method serves well for certain size cuts, but this one is much too big I think.

    I'm leaning for eithier a fast browning or crusting on a charcoal grille, then cook in my wood burning oven at 210ºF until done medium in the center.

    What are your thoughts on serving seperate bones on the same plate?

    woodburner

  11. Why would you do that?  I think you'd get better cooked, better flavored meat by cooking a rib roast on the bone, and if you have a long enough knife (like a smoked-salmon knife), it's incredibly easy to "scoop" the entire eye off the bones after it's cooked and rested.  I do it all the time.

    Mainly because I'm going to be feeding twelve, and a whole boneless is easier to procure. My first choice is certainly with the bones. I do frequently purchase beef rib bones and cook them for about 6 hours as they make a great snack, and good for keeping the teeth sharp.

    woodburner

  12. I like it baked.

    Small casserole dish, say 9x9, a few inches deep.

    Load with kraut, add four or five teaspoons of bacon drippings, shred one apple over the top, lay two smoked pork chops on top, cover and bake.

    woodburner

  13. Now I'm starting to re-think our entire process.

    Test.

    That's always the answer.

    We mash our shredded cabbage, with a wooden masher, in our stone crocks.

    Our procedure is as follows:

    Peel outer leaves and do not discard.

    Core the cabbage.

    Cut into quarters.

    Shred two or three whole head into crock.

    Add salt, and mash.

    Maybe more like beat to death, to start the juice extraction.

    Repeat until the crock is full.

    Lay full leaves from first step over the top, and cover with muslin and (weight down for about 2 weeks.)

    Start new crock.

    After two weeks, reassemble workers and can into quarts. (about 100)

    Tomorrow I will pick up fresh kraut in the dairy section of the market, purchase a can of kraut, and open a fresh quart from my pantry from last year.

    I'll take some photo's and post, my taste findings.

    Does anyone else mash the shreded cabbage?

    woodburner

  14. Personally, I think variations of procedure are most likely minimal. We have a few certain criteria which seem to work well. Freshness and Strain/Variety of cabbage can change the taste and texture. Also waiting for at least one good hard frost to hit the picking field seems to do more good than harm.

    As far as slicing, we use a krauthobel.

    http://www.rollingpin.com/index.asp?displa...manu=Krauthobel

    Variation of taste and flavor can vastly differ, concerning the cooking procedure.

    Cooked in a bit of wine, baked, it's all good.

    woodburner

  15. ...and while you're reading, why not nosh on some of Esposito's excellent Sopressata, rice balls, etc.

    Surely a goal.

    And please, It's not my pleasure to see ANY sausage maker drop off the face of the earth.

    It is what it is, and places as that which you describe, are a treasure.

    I am only trying to help you prepare for the inevatible, and learn a craft for which you would like to see persevere.

    My next time in the city, I will certainly support your places of interest..

    woodburner

  16. Alright.  I made several batches of confit and this is what works for me:

    1/4 cup butter

    1/4 cup EVOO

    3T demi glace

    3T sherry

    1 T brown sugar

    7 large onions sliced

    Throw everything in the crockpot and stir it up.  Put crock pot on high till you go to bed.  Turn crock pot down to low for overnight.  Turn crock pot back up to high for another couple of hours when you wake up.  Time about 18 hours all told.

    where the f is fifi?

    While I will concur Marlene, the lady from Texas has been in from day one.

    Fifi?

    woodburner

  17. I think that's a great idea, WB. I'm about to start on batch #2. Batch #1 eventually turned out well, but by no means great; the plan is to add a bit more oil this time (I was very stingy with the first batch) and a bit of brown sugar to kick the caramelization into action.

    you got it mags.

    it can truely be great, and your not the first to start over.

    the madness must end. :wink:

    woodburner

  18. I'd like to suggest we put together an agreed upon recipe for the confit, and enter it into the recipe forum, if it has not been done as of yet.

    Reading through 9 pages of posts, could prove tiresome and unfruitfull for many.

    Agreed?

    If so, let's proceed.

    woodburner

  19. Being a poor foreigner, I'm never sure about the nomenclature of the sauces. My racing buddy, Lynne, and I went to the Dixie Pig in North Little Rock on one of our major tours and I bought some of their sauce. It's not sweet or thick but is made with vinegar and hot peppers. Is that what they call "East Carolina" style? I never liked barbecue sauce until I had that Dixie Pig sauce...

    Hmmmm. Carnitas at Trader Joe's. Maybe I can have pork for dinner tonight!

    Your nomenclature would be correct.

    woodburner

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