ScooterQ

The only recipe I've ever read that called for Cilantro root was a Thai grilled chicken recipe from "Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet". It looked really good, so I scoured markets and stores and got on the phone to find some of the root. No dice. Not even at the Berkeley Bowl. I had to grow it in my backyard . . . . but it was pretty tasty.

Hi Harold, Thank you for the wonderful books and this Q&A. Having read below that you are not fond of brining, I was wondering how you feel about other approaches to seasoning meats and poultry, i.e. marinades, rubs, and cures. I know this is a broad question, so feel free to offer any useful advice. Specifically though, I'm wondering whether you practice "salting early" ala Judy Rodgers and whether or not you think marinades are worth the trouble (particularly acidic ones) and which ones work best. Thx.

Hi doc - ask a butcher is at right here at ask-a-butcher.com So I just reread Jeffrey Steingarten's essay "High Steaks" from the book "It Must Have Been Something I Ate". He's done his homework - the piece runs 30 pages. According to Jeffrey, "the three greatest steaks, the very summit and apogee of beef" are the "three steaks cut from the center of the rib section, ribs eight, nine, and ten (counting from the front of the animal)". Note that the first five ribs are in the shoulder section - the rib primal begins at rib six. I believe these ultimate steaks would be the #2's in the rib photo. He adds that these steaks have the thickest piece of "spinalis . . . and only modest deposits of separable fat at their center". He also gives a nod to the Porterhouse, including this "paradigmatic" cut to the list of great steaks. The strip steaks at the front of the short loin (#1's in the pic) when cut differently, become part of the T-bone, the strips closer to the end of the loin (2's and 3's) belong to the porterhouse.

Jinmyo, You're welcome. I have great respect for the butcher's craft and value this kind of information highly. Steve is very generous to answer these questions and will respond quickly if you pose a question via his site. My grandfather was a butcher and as a kid I used to help him at the store put out hamburger. He seemed to know everyone in our small town - and had probably given advice about how to cook meat to most of them. RETREVR, What is the tip of the tear drop? The ribeyes I had cut myself were tough because I got a bad primal, not because they came from the large end. I don't think Steve is saying the large end is necessarily tougher if you get the right primal. He would agree with you about the outstanding flavor. I asked him about the outer ring of meat on the large end, sometimes cut separately and called a cap steak. I think this may be the spinalis dorsi muscle that Jeffrey Steingarten has praised as as the most delicious cut on the steer. If anybody knows for sure, fess up please. A benefit in buying a whole rib would be to ability to slice this off and keep it for yourself. I may give this a try. The large end is for sure, an extremely rich cut. Now I'm wondering about what the strip pictures imply for T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks. Is the strip side of a T-Bone more tender than the strip side of a Porterhouse? Vice versa? More to come . . .

A ribeye is a ribeye is a ribeye right? Wrong. Some are more flavorful and tender than others, depending on where along the primal they are cut from. There are differences in packers too. So how do you pick the best one? Take a look below. This information was provided by Steve Graves, a retired butcher who answers meat questions at Ask a Butcher. He provided it (with the photos) in response to my question below: Question: Ask-a-Butcher, I used to buy whole strip loins and rib eyes at Costco for cheap, cut them myself, then foodsave them and throw 'em in the freezer. I have a large family and I thought I was getting great value this way - choice grade at the best price. I've had a couple of bad experiences doing this however - mainly with tough steaks. I got a bad rib section once and it almost completely turned me off to rib eyes. The tragedy is that after the first tough steak, I start thinking about the other eight or nine tough steaks sitting in the freezer waiting for me - and all that money I spent. So, I've stopped doing this. It's too risky. I guess I'm just lousy at selecting big haunches of meat in the cryovac. Now, I buy strip steaks three at a time and I pick them out very carefully, looking for a specific shape (indicating they came from a particular spot along the loin (#2's in the strip pic) and of course, plenty of marbling). My theory is that steaks vary in tenderness/flavor depending on where they're located on the loin. Is this true or just my superstition? If it is true, what should I look for? Is there a way to pick out a great whole strip loin in the cryovac? I do think I'm having better luck with the new way . . . Thanks. Answer: Scott, sorry to hear that you are having tough steaks. There is no set practice at the retail level to determine the tenderness of the meat. However, one way to almost guarantee a good piece of meat is the packer. On my site I explain the differences in USDA Choice Beef, so I won't go into it here (it's on the FAQ page), but there is a huge difference which packers have the best beef. I will NOT buy Strips or Ribeyes from Excel, Nat'l Beef or Swift Premium. I stick to ONLY IBP (Iowa Beef Packers) or a CAB (Certified Angus Beef) and I've never had a tough piece of steak. Now, one end of your Rib Eye does back up to the Chuck and that end will be rather fatty, ugly and 'maybe' not as tender as the end that backs up to the Strip Loin. However, the flavor is indescribably good. Take a look a the pic labeled 'ibprib' and look at #'s 3, those are the ones that may/may not be tough. #'s 2 are center cut and #'s 1 are running into the Strip Loin. #'s 1 & 2 will be more tender than #3. One end of your Strip Loin obviously breaks at the Rib and the other end backs up to the Sirloin. #'s 1 on the Strip pic are from the rib end of the strip loin. Notice how much they look like the Ribeyes? #'s 2 are the center cuts and #'3 are now getting near the Sirloin. Notice the veins and different look of the muscles in #3? I don't care for this end, because of the difference in tenderness of #'s 1 & 2. By the way, the "s" is actually part of the Sirloin they left on this particular Strip. I hope this helps? If you need more clarification, don't hesitate to ask.

If you want to make stock, boil the ribs. If you want real BBQ, low 'n slow is it.

irodguy, if you want to make them yourself I salute you. Martha certainly would . . . For me, I feel the same way about making my own tortillas as I do about making my own Cheetos - I'm not going to do it better or cheaper than Frito Lay. Plus, given the fact that I am doing the final baking, they feel homemade to me . . . If you give them a try, I'll try the straight homeade stuff :) I found them in the upright refrigerator case at Costco BTW - by the cheese and butter.

To hang out on egullet is to participate in a long, diverse, engaging conversation with some very thoughtful and passionate people on the subject of food. As far as I'm concerned, this is the most sophisticated, friendly group of food fanatics online anywhere.

Jensen, I get mine at the Costco in Concord, CA - not too far from you. They don't have them everywhere, but you may be able to order them. The item number is 288575. Good luck.

Octaveman, I joke with my wife that if I get laid off (I'm in telecom so that is highly likely) I'll go to culinary school. It's just a joke though. I can't take the pay cut and the hours would basically destroy our family life (we have four kids under the age of eight). I could be wrong about that . . . I'm sure those of you in the industry have found ways to keep your family close. Becoming a chef might not solve your life - just give you a new problem set (which on one hand might be refreshing, on the other - depends on which problems). Maybe you could start by becoming say, a restaurant accountant. That might be fun right - you'd get to know the business and the people in it intimately, how things work, be able to cook once and awhile too perhaps - and still bill out at a decent rate. There's a lot to be said for being a dilettante. Anyway, that's my two cents . . .

You won't be disappointed . . . (though I feel like a bit of a shill for bringing it up).

I just want to give a quick thanks to the taco truck fans on this board. Your enthusiasm encouraged me to drive down to Oakland and try the Mi Grullense truck at International and 29th. Great stuff - the tacos were outstanding (and cheap). I waited in line with a cop who told me he's tried lots of trucks and recommended this one highly. After my plate of tacos I crossed 29th and bought a little bag of fruit from a street vendor there. She dusted the fruit with salt and hot chile, then squeezed a lime over it all and gave me a stick to eat it with. Heaven. My bulging $2 bag contained jicama, strawberries, cantaloupe, mango, cucumber, coconut, watermelon, apple, and another fruit I didn't even know (hard seeds though). The Tacos al Pastor weren't bad, but I have to say that Tacubaya in Berkeley gets my vote for the best al Pastor tacos. Pricey, yes, but I love to sit at the counter and watch the pork and chile turn on the vertical spit (pineapple on top) until it gets crusty brown and delicious - major food porn. A couple of tacos and a 16 oz bottle of mexican coke there and I'm fat, dumb, and happy.

Ever wait in line at Costco, look in the person's basket in front of you and think, "wow, that looks good"? Well, in my basket this week was a package of "uncooked" flour tortillas. They sell them in the refrigerator case. I bought them on impulse the other day, and was really pleased with the results. After a minute or two on a hot griddle they puff up like little balloons. They were delicious - just really, really good. No bizarre chemicals on the ingredient list either - just flour, water, canola oil, and salt. They have a 90 day shelf life due to a little oxygen absorber in the package. Tortillaland is the brand (I have no relation to them BTW). According to their website, they're planning to come out with an uncooked corn tortilla, which is another great idea. Just thought I would pass it on . . .

My favorite cut for Carne Asada is Flap Meat. Flap Meat is part of the bottom sirloin, and IMO it's the undiscovered gem of beef cuts. It's a thin, loose grained cut with great beef flavor, similar to skirt or hangar steak. I buy it at my Mexican butcher for three something a pound. It's very good . . .

Hi bobmac, Per your PM request, Weber makes charcoal baskets that can be used to concentrate the heat and get the coals closer to the grate. Here's a pic: These are actually used for indirect cooking, to separate the coals and put them on the outside of the firegrate. You can put them together however, and they will give you a great sear. I think they're about fourteen bucks. A better charcoal basket is made by the Kamado company. It's called a "lumpsaver" and looks like this: Kind of pricey at $39, but it works better than Weber's solution. It's easy to make an even, very hot bed of coals with this basket. You want the version made for the #7. It's available on Kamado.com. If anyone is interested in one of these I'll sell you mine (I don't really need it since getting the HB). Good luck

bobmac, I've found using a charcoal basket helps to get the coals up close to the grate. I get a much better sear that way. And of course, start with dry steaks and leave the cover off. Not sure if you did these things but they do make a big difference.

Chile Rellenos. I'm going to be in Chicago next week and will eat these at Frontera Grill (where they are fantastic). When I get home I'm going to try them on my new outdoor burner/wok. Mama was good to me this Father's Day.

As I understand it, what stops at 140º is the chemical reaction that creates the smoke ring. That reaction is about preservation and color really - the nitrates in the smoke creating the pink of the ring. Smoke will still accumulate on the food for as long as it's in the smoker, adding flavor. IMO, as long as you don't overdo it you can keep on adding wood for the duration of the cook. On the fuel question, the link below is a piece on wood grilling by Steven Raichlen that originally appeared in the NY Times. Good stuff. Grilling with Wood

OK - cue the music from Deliverance. It's network battle of the Mexican groceries! It's actually not as big as a Safeway or Whole Foods. Think strip mall Smart & Final. I have to say though - the pics you posted made me reconsider the whole hundred mile thing. It's sure great to have an excellent ethnic market close by. Makes me smile to shop there.

Brining may be easier and perhaps more suited to the home cook, but on the competition BBQ circuit, injecting is the state of the art, particularly for whole hog, pork shoulder, and brisket. My guess is that every winner of Memphis in May in the past 10 years injected. It's considered a more intense and more certain technique for getting flavor and moisture into the meat.

merle, That's the one - the "mini" mart listing is old. They've since expanded into a new location, which is when they really got good. What about 99 Ranch markets? Are they worth seeking out?

Jaymes, Did the carnitas on Sunday and they were sooooo delicious. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. The hog that gave his life for our dinner did not die in vain . . . .

I was shopping in my favorite Mexican grocery this weekend and thinking - "this has to be the best Mexican grocery within a hundred miles". Now, I haven't been every Mexican grocery within a hundred miles, but if you live in the East Bay, in or near Concord, try Las Montanas on Willow Pass Rd and tell me if I'm right. This is not your basic mom and pop - it's a large, well-capitalized business with high standards for quality and cleanliness. It occupies a former Smart and Final store and includes a tortilliaria, a taqueria, and a bakery. Best of all, they have a full service butcher and a beautiful meat/poultry/fish case. Here's the stuff that makes me smile while shopping: • Fresh rendered pork lard • Corn tortillas still warm from their original baking! • Masa • Chilaca chiles • Fresh Epazote • Mexican thick cream in the butcher case • Mexican Cokes • Equipment – lime squeezers, molcajetes, etc • Palettas - popsicles made from actual fruit as opposed to some chemical from a factory in New Jersey • Pork Tamales • Mineral lime for making masa (I'd never buy this in a million years but it's cool they have it) • The real undiscovered gem of beef cuts - flap meat - for $3.69 lb.! • Marinated meats ready for the grill • Mesquite lump charcoal • Great prices Best of all - no smell (which is more than I can say for the Asian grocery up the way). So am I wrong? What is the best Mexican Grocery in Northern CA? Spread the word . . .

Typically, butts plateau at around 170 for a long time while water in meat is driven off. Then, they'll start to rise fairly quickly. One key lesson I've learned is that not all parts of the butt are created equal. The non bone half is the most succulent and delicious. Good luck with your cook.

Chad, Didn't that hog svengali tell you to rub that butt with some spices? The big boys don't slash and they don't brine either. They take a bigass needle, fill it with some secret spices and sauce and plug that butt full of it. At last year's Memphis in May BBQ contest I had the good fortune to hang out with Big Bob Gibson's BBQ team. Big Bob's has won Grand Champion at MIM three times, all in shoulder. In fact, they've won so much some people boo when they go up to accept their prize. They rub and inject and let me tell you, their pork shoulder is . . . . a revelation