Smithy

I'd call tonight's dinner a qualified success. We used the set-it-and-forget-it philosophy to spend time on chores we did not want to do as well as a bicycle ride that we did want to do. At some point after 8 hours of slow cooking we could see a temperature stratification: meat at the bottom of the pot was around 150 - 160; meat at the top was around 125 - 140. My darling removed all the meat from the pot and restacked the ribs to invert the lot. An hour later, the ribs that had previously registered in the 150 - 160F range were down into the 120 - 130F range, whereas the ribs from the original top layer were heating up. I still don't understand how this could have happened, but there it is: it appears that heat transmission isn't great from the bottom of the pot, where the heat element is, to the rest of the pot, unless there's a generous amount of liquid (in this case, BBQ sauce) to fill in gaps and transmit heat. The meat seemed tender at all levels, but there were questions about the desired temperature and the food safety implications. (Much to my surprise, he was the one worried about food safety.) We discussed options: add more liquid for better heat transmission; crank up the temperature setting; try pressure-cooking to finish. We turned the Custom Temperature up to 175 (roughly the low-level Slow Cooker setting, but who's counting) for 10 or 20 minutes, then lost patience/faith in the process. We sealed the IP and set it to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes. At about the time it reached full pressure, it announced that it was burning. I turned off the program, and let it all cool down naturally. Top pic: the contents of the pot. Bottom pic: our dinners. (Never mind pretty plating, we were tired and hungry.) Some of the meat was almost overdone. All of it was tender; most of it was juicy, but the drier segments made us think that it was slighly overcooked. Was this better than our recent country-style-rib attempts? Yes. Was this better than memory serves from 20 years ago and many frustrations since? Well, no...but maybe it came close. Will we try it again this way next time? No: we'll either up the slow-cooker temperature from the outset, start the cooker earlier for a much longer time, or pressure-cook (or steam) it first.

This phrase still surprises me after 2 or 3 readings. The sweet corn up here in northern Minnesota is just coming into its own, and much of it is being schlepped up from the middle and southern parts of the state. I keep thinking that those of you farther south in the USA would have sweet corn later in the season than this! Does it have to do with the particular variety you plant?

Oh, @kayb - I absolutely believe (and trust) you on this. Braising something in barbecue sauce does not a barbecue make. I appreciate your ideas about the use of the slow cooker. Thank you!

Thanks, rotuts, I think. If this works out right, the meat flavor WILL stay with the meat. If it doesn't, then we'll try another time/temp combination. I'm thinking that a very quick pressure cook before starting the slow-cook mode might be a good idea, but that would be one step too many for my darling. IMO most BBQ sauce is a transgression precisely because it masks the meat flavor. I commented on that last night, here. This Jack Daniels has a good taste to both of us, and doesn't necessarily overwhelm the meat, so we're both happy with it when we get the texture and donneness right. Sometimes when I'm doing short ribs or spareribs, I put my food down...BBQ sauce can be added at the table, thankyewverymuch, at the whim of the diner. Not before! Or at least leave it off my half of the meat!

My DH is firmly in the "set it and forget it" school of cookery. If it takes more than 2 steps or 3 ingredients, he won't cook it although he'll usually love it if someone else takes the trouble. When we first met, one of his favorite dinners was country-style ribs, stuffed into a Crock Pot, smothered with barbecue sauce, and cooked on low for 8 - 12 hours. In the meantime he went to work, came home, went for an afternoon run, had a nap, had some pre-dinner beer, or did whatever else he pleased until dinner time. Anything, except mess with the food. That was over 20 years ago. We brought identical Crock Pots to the marriage, right down to the color: the 3-quart model with the heat wiring embedded in the ceramic liner, the kind you couldn't immerse in water because the liner wouldn't come out. I thought mine a pain to clean and didn't use it much. He loved his and used it for the kind of cooking that fit his lifestyle. I gave mine away when we combined households. He gave his to his daughter when we got a 6-qt pot with a removable liner as a wedding present. Country-style ribs haven't been the same since. They tend to come out overcooked in the large Crock Pot. I bought a smaller unit for our trailer. They overcooked in that one. His daughter has since cleared out her collection of Crock Pots in a move, so his was beyond retrieval. I bought another 3-quart, liner-can't-be-removed model at a garage sale. I think it's the same model (except for the color) that we each had; he doesn't; after 22 years it's difficult to prove. Either way, it runs too hot and overcooks the ribs. We know that the pork itself has changed in the intervening time because most pork is leaner than it used to be. Is our trouble due to the meat, or the cooking equipment? We haven't known. We've tried low temps, shorter time periods, power controllers...and he has continued to be disappointed. Still, we have persisted. Today, we're trying out the IP Ultra for this purpose. Unfortunately we don't know what temperature corresponds to those long-gone original pots. Perusal of my various cookbooks suggests that 155F for a long enough time will be the right temperature for the ribs we bought yesterday. I don't like most barbecue sauces, but Jack Daniels #7 is one we can both get behind. The prep: open the package, pack the ribs tightly into the pot's liner, pour enough BBQ sauce to fill the spaces, load into the Ultra Pot. I walked him through the procedure for programming and starting the pot. We chose a Custom Temperature of 155F, and told it to run for 12 hours. By that time we'll be ready to eat (whether the meat is ready or not) so we don't have to worry about turning off the "Keep Warm" setting. He did all the programming, and knows that every time he takes the lid off to check and then replaces the lid he'll have to push the little button to reopen the valve. We'll probably leave the lid off and put a silicone lid on instead to allow a thermometer. "Wow," he exclaimed, "this pot is exactly what we've been looking for!" I'll report on the results later.

With that mix of seasonings it makes sense that some time to sit and mingle would improve the flavors. Whether that would still happen in the freezer, I don't know. Maybe the time it takes for the mixture to cool down on its way to freezing is enough?

Amen! @Shelby, how did you treat those beans? I probably shouldn't entertain the idea of canning more than next weekend's salsa, and maybe some chokecherry jelly this week, but I'm tempted.

I can now report that cutting the kernels off a blanched ear of corn is child's play, but trying to do so with a blanched and then frozen ear of corn is a fool's errand. Maybe with an electric meat knife it could have been done, but I didn't try it. The ears I chose to freeze are now thawing in the refrigerator so I can collect the kernels. I'll report later on whether there's a textural difference. On another note: for those of you who like the combination of chili and lime on corn, tajin classico seasoning is a pretty nice addition to the pantry. I found this during our travels last winter. First I tried a cute little sample bottle of it, and later bought a full-sized bottle. It adds a delightful kick to sweet buttered corn. I think it's essentially the flavor combination Kim Shook mentioned here (see her restaurant photo) and Katie Meadow here, although both include other ingredients such as cotijo. Tajin seems to be getting a broad distribution, so keep an eye out for it in your grocery stores.

This appealing before-and-after picture shows the product we tried for dinner last night. My DH loves all things pork (well, maybe not offal) and he was jonesing for ribs yesterday while we are the the grocery store. The package in the top pic contained baby back ribs, already smoked, cooked, and slathered in BBQ sauce. Heat at 400F for 25 minutes, and serve. I had my doubts, given my skepticism about most barbecue sauces, and prefer doing my own rubs and long cooks. Nonetheless, this was convenience food on a busy day, and I was game to try it. The bottom pic shows the finished product. It looked better on the plate! We both thought it slightly overdone, which could have been operator error rather than the producer's error; I may have given it a bit too much time. He loved it despite the borderline overdonness: it was tender, and he never met a BBQ sauce he didn't like. I thought the sauce was overwhelming, and not in a good way. It was way too sweet, tasted mostly of ketchup, and I really couldn't tell whether the meat was smoked. I'm not sure I could tell it was pork! So no, I wouldn't get that particular product again. If I could find it already smoked and cooked but without the sauce, I might. It was convenient, but so is a grilled cheese sandwich. On another note: I'm getting tired of corn on the cob, simply buttered, his summer favorite vegetable. A generous sprinkling of tajin seasoning, a chili-and-lime condiment, brightened it up and changed the tune for me. It probably wouldn't make a convert of liuzhou, but this little bottle that I picked up during last spring's travels has been a delightful discovery for me.

The plate and cup add to the appeal of that nice breakfast. You have such lovely and varied dishware! You must have fun deciding which particular pieces to use at any given meal.

@CantCookStillTry, that looks like a massive and delicious feast. Sorry for the excuse reason for the extra rum, but thanks for posting about the dinner. I'm curious about what else, if anything, was inside those crocodile spring rolls. Do you remember? Was it only meat, or did the contents include some sort of sauce and/or veggies?

The corn ears I blanched are still in the refrigerator, awaiting further treatment. I'll probably try freezing some and not others, then see how the collection of the kernels goes. In the meantime, tonight I took care of the rest of the corn. The process was very similar to what I posted a few days ago, but the meat was beef sliced thinly for a different dish altogether that I hadn't gotten round to cooking. I spiced the beef and the final melange with Berbere seasoning, an Ethiopian(-style) spice mixture. Maque Choux, Take Two: Onions (Vidalia and scallions), a jalapeno; half a poblano; the spiced beef; a couple of huge tomatoes and a spoonful of sundried tomatoes in olive oil; the corn and its milk; then a touch of water to smooth it out and get the starches to mix.This collage shows the mixture before and after the corn and tomatoes were added. My title for this is based on an article in the July-August 2019 issue of the Milk Street magazine. Sorry, but they seem to hide behind a paywall so I can't link to the article. Paywall or no, tehcniques notwithstanding, we liked it.

I agree, and that's why I've taken to sous vide chicken breast. It's good: juicy, tender, perfect for sandwiches and for making chicken salad. I haven't gotten around yet to trying turkey breast, but I believe @gfweb's approach sounds like a good one. That said, @lemniscate's terrine looks fabulous. I'm going to have to try that!

I'll preface this by saying I'm biased against Lodi, with its hot climate and flat terrain. The Credence Clearwater Revival refrain "Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again" keeps ringing around my head, no doubt in part because I put up with those summers when I was growing up. Keep in mind that bias when I say I am always pleasantly surprised when I find a nice Lodi wine whereas I expect to find good wines only a short distance west. If you are willing to drive to the Amador area, then I'd suggest the Sonoma Valley region, which is closer. I've had delightful visits and wine tours around Santa Rosa and Healdsburg and down into the Alexander Valley. The Hotel La Rose is situated in the historic downtown area of Santa Rosa. It's been about 10 years since I last visited there, and of course things may have changed, but when I last stayed at that hotel there were good places to eat within walking distance and even more good places to eat -- and wineries to visit -- with the help of a car. The historic downtown region has a very different feel from the actual, current downtown Santa Rosa...history, rather than strip malls. If you're interested in botany, take the time to visit the Luther Burbank House and Gardens. I don't think you'll get anything to eat there, but you'll see a number of cultivars of our current food...not to mention lovely flowers. In the Sonoma Valley, I recommend Sunce and Seghesio Wineries for good treatments of zinfandels, but there are dozens more good wineries in the Dry Creek Valley and along the Alexander River, where zinfandels flourish. The Sonoma Valley wineries hadn't decided on super-expensive tastings when I last visited, even though the Napa Valley wineries, in the adjacent valley, were already placing a premium on tastings. Of course, if you have wonderful (or bad) surprises, we'd love to hear about them!

Doggonit, I already have too many unexplored (or barely explored) cookbooks. That said, the prose and ideas of the introduction were well worth $1.99 on their own. Thanks, Toliver. (...I think. I may have to upgrade my storage before long.)

Some advice, please! I caved in to temptation and bought more corn. A dozen ears. We're having some tonight, on the cob. We're having a (more photogenic, I hope) revamp of the previous corn dish tomorrow night. I blanched these ears tonight, for preservation purposes. Top photo: the blanched cobs, chilling. Bottom photo: same cobs, draining. Here's my question: I want to freeze the kernels off these cobs for later use. Is it better to freeze the cobs, then scrape off the kernels? (Can that even be done by a mere human?) Or am I better off scraping the kernels off the cobs, spreading them on a baking sheet and freezing them? (It really is lovely corn. I'm not even a big fan of corn on the cob -- I think I've said so before -- but this corn on the cob was good. It was sweet -- some of you true corn lovers might think it too much so -- and fairly tender. For tonight's dinner I boiled an ear for each of us, probably not long enough. We thought the flavor fine but the texture a tad tougher than it would have been if I'd microwaved them as we usually do.) Back to the question: The blanched corn is now drained and sitting on a plate. Freeze it to de-kernel later, or refrigerate it to de-kernel tomorrow and freeze afterward?

Once it's pasteurized, it'll stay pasteurized until the seal is broken, won't it? Am I missing something?

Yes, I have been keeping a log of times, temps, seasonings and results. I do plan on a rapid chill and refrigeration; that's why I have the window where it has to either be stopped or continue cooking. Of course, I may come home to find that the Joule quit when I took my cell phone away from it, but I don't think it will do that. If it does, the meat will have been pasteurized already so the interrupted cook won't be an issue if I understand the food safety issue correctly; I just won't know the total time at 130F.

OK, next question: 24 hours isn't an option for me tomorrow because of my work schedule. My choices would be up to 19 hours or after 31 hours. I'm leaning toward the 31 hour mark. Might that be too much? Am I better off pulling it in the morning after 19 hours?

Yes, please post it again if you find it. I found a couple of references in this topic, although not yours: Kerry Beal planned to do hers at 55C for 24 hours, after salting and letting it sit overnight. I don't think she reported back, but she had intended it for sandwich meat, which is my purpose as well. Topham cooked it at 131F for 15 hours a couple of years ago, and said it might could have used more time but it wasn't tough. Rats! I forgot rotuts' trick of treating it with RB40 for 3 - 6 days first. OTOH I wouldn't have been able to do this project at all with that lead time.

130F, and for now I'm planning 30 hours. I know someone did this cut and posted about it, but I haven't found the post(s) in question yet for guidance. It may need longer. Do you know?

Your description of the gravy and the turkey meatloaf reminds me of the Nutri-matic Machine in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": after a careful bioanalysis of the person asking for a drink, it inevitably delivered something that was "almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea".

I feel rather foolish! I'm running a dual sous vide cook: eye of round beef roast in one pot, and chicken breasts in another. (Those breasts are being cooked at 140F per @Shelby's recommmendation, to see whether I prefer it to the 145F I used last time.) Dual cooks require both of my sous vide circulators, so I put the Joule to work on the roast and the Anova to work on the chicken. It's been noted many times before that the Joule is quieter than the Anova (with the downside that the Joule requires the cell phone app to control). I was quite put out by the persistent, loud rattle of the Anova. That is, I was put out until I tightened the screw that holds it in its collar. Problem solved. Why has it taken me so long to try that?

One of my weaknesses as a shopper is overenthusiasm. I buy a lot of whatever looks good -- especially seasonal produce -- and then scramble (or fail) to use it before it goes off. So it was that yesterday I had an overabundance of corn to use up, as well as tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, and lettuce. Here's what I used, and how it turned out: 4 ears of corn: kernels cut off, and "milk" scraped into a bowl with the kernels 5 small Japanese eggplants, sliced into 1/2" coins and steamed 4 sausages (2 Polish, 2 jalapeno jack cheese bratwursts) sliced into 1/2" coins 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped 1/2 poblano pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped ~1/4c chicken jello 1 c cherry tomatoes on the way out, and the surviving 3/4 of a beefsteak tomato, chopped a bit of water as a sauce booster Steamed the eggplant coins as noted above, to soften them and prevent them from requiring too much oil. Filmed a wok with oil (I used pecan, because I happen to have it, but any cooking oil would have done) and heated it, then sauteed the sausage coins until they were partially cooked. Added the eggplant, and stirred all until browning began. Added the peppers until soft. Added the tomatoes, cooked until the cherry tomatoes began to pop. Added the corn. Added the chicken jello, and stirred until it melted. By that time it appeared that the beefsteak tomato juice and corn milk needed more assistance, so added a touch of water to develop more sauce. Here is the finished melange: About half went into a bowl with about half the lettuce, with the idea of making a wilted-lettuce salad. It looks a bit like a dog's dinner, but we both liked it. As usual, he wanted it slightly sweetened and added white wine worcestershire sauce; I wanted it slightly tarter and added a touch of red wine vinegar to brighten it. It was a good way to use those ingredients, including the corn. I think sweet corn is a wonderfully versatile filler for other dishes. Today we finished the leftovers. It looks better before stirring! Now I have to go buy more corn.

Every time I see that "SW" my professional training kicks in to read it as "Solid Waste".