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budrichard

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Everything posted by budrichard

  1. Morton Tender Cure (I assume this is what you are referring to) contains both sodium nitrate and nitrite. I assume by 'pink salt' you are referring to saltpeter which is sodium nitrate rather than the pink colored salts that is the fashion rage these days ? Sodium nitrate is used in very small quantities to preserve the color of meat while undergoing curing. You need to have some guidance for your curing. Substituting in a cure with a product that you really have no understanding of is not the best thing to do. The amount of cure in Tender Cure will certainly not harm anyone, its just not the thing to do. I have been using the same jar of reagent grade sodium nitrate for over 20 years but I have an extensive chemistry education. If you and your family are not familiar with handling chemicals and following protocols, (I would term any recipe for a cure a protocol) then you are probably better off using Tender Cure. When you substitute Tender Cure for the amount of 'pink salt' specified in the cure, you are really decreasing the amount of sodium nitrate because Tender Cure is not 100% sodium nitrate and in that sense reducing the protection offered in the original recipe. Follow the cure recipe or use only Tender Cure but do not meld the two together without an understanding of what is involved.-Dick
  2. As I have previously posted, after purchasing Falk copper, I got rid of everything else. I have a complete set now and a few Falk pieces that were only offered for a short time. Upkeep is minimal and thier simply is no comparison with anything else, period. I have had excellent dealings with Falk USA. The only caveat I have is, if you are slight of build, than the larger copper pieces are probably too heavy for you. -Dick
  3. Oh boy, I'm going to have to try this. About how much do you use, a tablespoon? Two? ← If using unsalted butter quarters, a generous Tablespoon. -Dick
  4. The grade of beef greatly influences the final product. We use Choice or better, chuck preferably. Round is just too lean and better for 'cannibal' sandwiches which used to be popular in Wisconsin. I mold the burger around a nice piece of unsalted butter rather than adding on top at the end of cooking in the bun as most good Wisconsin places do. Grilling over hardwood chunk charcoal is the best in terms of flavor. When I take Prime tenderloins apart, thier is always enough scrapings left to make a couple of burgers. Wrapped around the butter pat, these are the BEST I have ever tasted. -Dick
  5. Fat Guy got it right. All briskets are NOT alike. Even though I've been told that briskets are not graded, a brisket from a Choice graded animal will be better than one from a Select grade. We use briskets from Waygu cattle exclusively now because its the best in terms of taste and tenderness. The cut of brisket you get and whether it has a substantial fat cap can also influence the final product but in the end it comes down to the fat content of the animal or Grade. I purchase whole briskets which are actually two layers of meat seperated by a layer of fat. We break them down and freeze. Thaw, brine(corn) with the correct spices and you have corned beef. Rub with the right spices and smoke slowly and you have brisket, Texas style. -Dick
  6. budrichard

    Lemon Shark

    I assume that the shark was bled properly after boating and gutted promptly and the kept on ice until butchering? Anything less, will result in deterioration of the meat as for any animal. The part of the shark that you took could also account for the toughness? Lastly, I don't think its a good idea to brine a fish you are not going to smoke. -I like shark but like any other animal it depends on upon many factors to make it palatable.-Dick
  7. I have the KA Pro-Line 4 slice with all the attachments. Works like a champ, perfectly for about 2 years now. An early design problem was discovered and KA gave us a new Toaster. Only problem I have is that its made in China and I prefer KA USA appliances, but it does match the Pro-Line Waffle Iron, Food Processor, Frozen Dessert Maker and Blender which also work very well. -Dick
  8. A higher ingrediant content. As a former home brewer, the only way to get body and head is to use a high percenatge of of malt. Most commercial brewers use additives and stabilizers to give the illusion of head because it is cheaper to make a brew that way. It looks nice but has no body in the mouth. The real champs are the Germans for body because the Laws prohibit additives and the Germans expect thier beer that way. -Dick
  9. I purchased a Kitchenaid, not cheap but basically a commercial unit with a design that you will see in a Hobart or other commercial make in a restaurant. Two large handles are rotated and the whole unit pulls out of the compressor area for easy cleaning. They cost about $1200 but if you are serious about frozen desserts for home use, this is the model to purchase. Just make your mix, pour it in and turn on the refrigeration unit. A handled outlet allows for soft serve and for hard pack, you need to then freeze the product. Vary the amount of liquid for different overruns and there you have it. And its made in the USA!-Dick
  10. Kitchenaid! Get two bottom freezer models and install them side by side with the doors opening outward on either side. an impressive amount of room, a lot less $$ than SZ and more importantly, they will work. -Dick
  11. This combo has been around for awhile. Standard alcohol is sake but others are available.. -Dick
  12. I certainly agree that Miramar turns out excellent Bistro fare. Most of the time we just go and have appetizers starting with the escargot. They also have Stella on tap, a nice light Belgian beer.-Dick
  13. BW is incumbent upon three ingrediants. 1. The beef must be Prime and should be the head of a properly trimmed tenderloin for the biggest piece, at least 2 #'s. Searing is required to give an adequate crust and barrier to the Pate. If using the head of the tenderloin, there is no problem with cooking the puff and having the beef rare. It is when using the filet that the problem occurs becuase the filet is smaller in diameter. 2. The Pate must be adequately seasoned and of high quality. Foie alone is not sufficient. Mushrooms if used must be precooked to get rid of the liquid. 3. The puff must be of high quality using unsalted butter, preferably of you own making if you know how. Commercial puff simply will not do. BTW, most pork tenerderloin is too small for this technique. Technique. 1. Season you beef with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt and sear over very high temp until a crust forms. Kill the heat in a cold water bath. Dry your beef. 2. Rub your beef with cognac and smear the pate over the beef. 3. Roll in the puff and construct your Wellington. -Chill well. 4. Cook in a pre heated 425F oven until your puff browns and the internal meat temp is 100F. 5. Rest for 30 minutes at least. Dick
  14. I would like to know what or whom has decreed that Cook's has the ability and knowledge to make a judgment on how a pan performs. In my experience there is not a single individual associated with the publication that has the ability to render judgement on anything to do with cooking. I don't read Cook's but do know metals and cooking. My independant testing and judgment has found that Falk Culiniar to be superior to everything i have tested. Calphalon, All Clad what ever, they all went after I purchased Falk. -Dick
  15. budrichard

    Frogs

    So far, not a single Poster knew anything about killing frogs. Murder is for people and if you are hung up on the correct term for dispatching a frog, then you probably shouldn't consider it. Now to answer your question. You have two options. 1. Have the seller kill, skin and remove the legs which is all thats eaten. 2. Pithing is for rendering the frog senseless so that it doesn't move under dissection http://www.biopac.com/bslprolessons/a01/a01.htm . Hold the frog in your left hand(if right handed), cut into the brain. then using a very sharp knife cut off the legs and then skin, you may need a tweezers to assist. -Dick
  16. With all the Post tour possible scandal, maybe lemons are in order!-Dick
  17. When Roland came back to Le Francaise, I called about 10:30am to make a reservation. I said "I want to make sure Roland will be in the kitchen". The voice on the other end said, "This is Roland." I also agree that when Banchet was Chef, things could be magical. I remember a Wellington of Veal with an ethereal mousse surrounding the veal in a rich pastry with a sauce that was divine. The Wellington was cut at tableside and I've never had anything like it since! Of course I also remember when I walked in with the in-between management and the place smelled and I walked out!-Dick
  18. Carlos continues to be my favorite restaurant in the Midwest. The food is as good as anywhere but the name doesn't have the cache of some other trendy places. If your idea of fine dining is to 'tick' off the trendy places then you may disagreee. Since Roland came back to Le Francaise, he has done an excellent job and you can count on him being in the kitchen. It appears the Zagat reviewers are not influenced by trendy restaurants and instead solid establishments for good dining and conversation. I agree 100% with Zagat's.-Dick
  19. Los Angelas and cities on the coast are not the Southwest. Of course i know that thier are excellent sushi bars in Los Angeles, but except for Vegas, try to find one in NM or Az!-Dick
  20. We are lucky that Milwaukee has Bastille Days which coincides with 'SuperWeek' http://www.internationalcycling.com/superweek101.shtml and a Criterium near by. We will have a bottle of Champagne, Brie, French bread and assorted sausages while we watch the race. For the finish of the tour we usually have Champagne again with escargot or foie of some kind using Hudson Valley followed by a Nicoise salad. I am usually asleep by 6pm because I will have ridden about 40 miles on my Bianchi after watching the finish on OLN. I expect to see Hincapie wearing Yellow into Paris. -Dick
  21. Since you are in the US Southwest, chances are that any Sushi bar and Sushi Chef you encounter will not be Japanese and will not only not know what is in season but have no idea where the fish he/she is serving came from or when caught. You need to find a clasically Japanese trained Sushi Chef, not one of the chef's trained for a couple of weeks or months without classical apprentesship(sp?). Then you stand a chance of asking the Chef what is in season and what is the best. He will then be glad to tell you. -Dick
  22. Despite what others may tell you, one CANNOT properly cook a steak to a proper rare without the steak being 1. at least 2" thick and 2. being properly rested. Anything less than 2" will either have your steak red raw inside or overcooked. Proper rare is a uniform pink where the cooked protein has just changed the texture of the meat from red and raw to pink and cooked. As the steak rests the internal temperature rises. so if you remove the steak at what is listed as a rare temp, by the time its on your plate it is overdone. A meat thermometer is mostly useless which is why chef's don't use them for steak but go by feel and experience. So if your steak is less than 2", forget rare. If greater than 2", you will need to experiment. In any event for a proper rare steak, a minimum of 15 minutes of resting is needed. Then cut, if not done to your satisfaction it can always go back on the heat. If overdone, eat and try again. There is no foolproof way, even with experience. Our USDA Prime steaks are always at least 2&1/2" to 3" thick, cooked over hard wood lump charcoal started in a chimney starter without petroleum products and rested 20 minutes. -Dick
  23. Great pics! I ordered a couple of whole Waygu briskets and tenderloins from http://www.gamemeat.com/kobe.html . If you do order from this source, call your order in and ask for the best price. A large order gets free shipping also. A whole brisket is over 15#'s. We horizontally sliced the whole brisket and then smoked half for a party of 20 people. We had done the same last year and NO ONE wanted to miss this years Waygu brisket. The Waygu definately will enhance your brisket. I am on the last step of my quest to determine where to get the best Waygu loin in the US. I need to get to Zier's and get some of thier Waygu as the last step and then I will post results. So far I figure I am out A LOT of money but it has been very interesting as well as satisfying! -Dick
  24. Vienna dogs and Rosen's seeded buns, the ONLY way to go! In the early 1970's. hot dog vendors had carts placed all around the loop. A dog with all was 50 cents and for a $, you had yourself a good lunch. Then the retaurant owners got the City Council to pass a requirement that to serve food, you had to have running water. Shut down all the carts. Uno's was very good back then, ONE slice was ALL that one could eat. Great Post! -Dick
  25. I have Floyd's books and found his shows and books to be very good treatments of French cooking. -Dick
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