infernooo

No they weren't tough in the slightest... its hard to describe :-). Here is my attempt to describe it: You know when you eat chicken or beef, if it's a very tender cut, you can chew it until it is basically mush and has totally broken down in your mouth? Well the tripe didn't completely break down like that... there was still a bit that seemed like I should spit it out. The only other way to describe it like when you eat a segment of an orange that still has the white stringy bits in it (not that the trip was stringy - it wasn't)... most of the orange flesh breaks down in your mouth but you end up spitting out the white stringy bits as it doesn't feel right to swallow them. The tripe was definitely tender and tasty, I just wasn't sure about whether it is a chew-and-spit type thing or not.

I did some tripe yesterday by braising it in my master stock... even after cooking it for 4 hours, it was VERY tender, but it still felt like I should only chew it, then spit out the bits that didn't completely break down/dissolve in my mouth - is this normal? It is the first time I have cooked tripe for myself. I didn't soak it in bicarb, just braised/simmered it for 4 hours straight from the butcher shop.

Thanks for that! I will definitely give these a try :-)

Sear it on the stove top in beef drippings/fat, then put it in an 140-150F oven until internal temp reaches 135. Pull it and leave for at least half an hour to carve. You will have a beautiful piece of beef with a nice seared crust and an even rare/pink colour and texture on the entire interior (unlike cooking it at a higher temperature where the outside inch or so of the meat takes the brunt of the heat and actually gets cooked to well done).

When making the salted eggs, should they be kept in the fridge while they are curing/salting or just in a dark/dry space or... ? Also, I assume they should be raw when you put them into the brine and as they cure, the inside hardens? Last question :-) , are these salted eggs you are giving a recipe for the same as the "thousand year old" eggs you buy from the store? (i.e. the strong smelling ones with translucent egg white and weird coloured yolk)

Now that's just stupid - don't tell anyone and they won't benefit from new customers.. you are effectively depriving them of business instead of helping them. Keeping it a secret is actually detrimental if you think about it (in the worst possible scenario, no-one else finds out about it so they have to shut down and you lose your well kept secret).

I found Zilch - spent a lot of time and made a lot of phone calls too

I found a new one today - Tomato vinegar (ingredients - tomato). Love my Coconut and palm vinegars too (thanks Filipino's).

I just use necks, feet and any left over thigh/wing/leg bones (failing that, chicken frames/carcasses). Costs about AU$2kg on average (~US$1/lb). Much cheaper than using whole chickens, you don't waste the meat (at the end of the stock making process the chicken is basically spent and only good for trash/dogs). Not to mention you get a more gelatinous stock too.

Since posting the question I found the following information. Thanks for all the replies. http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/...temid=42&id=571 http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedIn...SmokePoints.htm Shel ← for searing steaks ,,,,, A cast iron pan. A light sprinksle of salt on the bottom. No oil. Heat it up till the salt starts to "pop", (ie. really hot, at least 600ºf) you will get a great crust and an even greater steak.... (make sure your exhaust fan is on hi....) Bud ← I think for this to work the steak needs quite a bit of marbling/fat on it. Otherwise you end up with a weird looking crust that isn't as flavourful as when using a light film of oil.

Stock is one of those things that salt REALLY brings to life. Once you have reduced it and added some salt (add it gradually, as it's a thin liquid its easy to over season it), the salt will bring all of the flavours out, and you will see that the stock is now in a totally different league as to when it was unseasoned. My only criticism is the lack of chicken - 4 whole legs seems like almost no chicken... I usually stuff as much chicken as I can fit into the pot. Also I like to roast half of the bones/meat I use in the stock, that way I get the best of both worlds (not too rich, but a nice caramelised undertone). I usually end up not with a stock, but a solid mass of gelatin the next day :-) lip-smacking goodness!

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Jack - me too :-) when I can't wait for the pickle to penetrate, I eat them with a spoonful of pickling liquid with each bite !

I will add Northern suburbs in Sydney, Australia. At supermarkets, the usual weekly special is: Skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets: AU$8-11 / kg ~= US$ 3-5/ lb Skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets: AU$7-10 / kg ~= US$ 2.5-5/ lb Skin on, bone in chicken thighs: AU$3-4 / kg ~= US$ 1.5-2 / lb Chicken wings: AU$2-4 / kg = US$ 1-2 / lb Chicken legs: AU$2-4 / kg = US$ 1-2 / lb Chicken necks: AU$2 / kg = US$ 1-2/ lb Chicken frames/bones: AU$2-4 / kg = US$ 1-2/ lb The local butcher shops: Skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets: AU$14-20 / kg ~= US$ 5-8/ lb Skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets: AU$10-13 / kg ~= US$ 4-5/ lb Chicken wings: AU$4-5 / kg ~= US$ 2-3/ lb Chicken legs: AU$4-5 / kg ~= US$ 2-3/ lb Chicken necks: AU$3 / kg ~= US$ 2/ lb Chicken frames/bones: AU$3-5 / kg ~= US$ 1.5-2/ lb

Well Ortiz are well known here in Australia for making just about the best anchovies you can buy - at AU$12 (US$10) for a small tin, they aren't cheap either.

I find the biggest problem with pickled eggs is my lack of will power to resist eating them before they are ready. I think even if they are peeled when submerged in the pickling liquid, they still take way more than a few days for the flavour to penetrate - I would say a couple of weeks is ideal.

Certainly no offense is or should be taken! You have to please yourself. Some people don't like whole grain mustard and some people don't like sweet mustards. The companies who produce mustard commercially have spend many millions on perfecting a product that will appeal to the most people. At least now one knows the contents contain nothing that is harmful. At one time people liked to make their own mustard because when it was made in small factories or shops, the owners sometime added other stuff to extend the mustard. Some really weird stuff was added. By all means continue to use whatever you like. Making one's own is just an adventure in seeing how much diversity can be developed in the home kitchen. ← Thanks for the reply :-). The funny thing is, I really am not very fussy which is why I found it strange that something potentially so good (home made stuff is 99% of the time better than store bought) didn't fare too well with me. I bought top quality stuff, tried letting it mature for just a day, a few days, a week, a few weeks... but it still tasted a bit off and flat. Also, I love both sweet and spicy and wholegrain and smooth mustards - I love them all which once again makes me wonder if there is something I am doing wrong.

Hrmmm yeah it's going to have to be a good binder... I would have to say maybe either honey, maple syrup if raw, or eggwhite/milk powder+water mixed into a paste if they are baked... I'll have to think about this one :-)

If anyone wants to try out any of her recipes, look no further! http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/chefs/chef...d=1&tab=recipes http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep01.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep02.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep03.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep04.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep05.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep06.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep07.htm http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/ep08.htm

When making home-made mustard, has anyone else found that making your own sucks and the store bought stuff is way better? I swear I followed all the recipes in here 100% and just didn't care for the taste of the final product... and I'm not very fussy either. (This isn't intended to offend, just my observations / personal tastes)

Wow, I must say as much as the ingredients have me drooling, this certainly isn't something you would want to have if trying to gain lean muscle or are watching your saturated fat levels... also even though it is sweeter than sugar so you need less, splenda is basically 100% carbohydrates anyways. Regardless of that though, these sound like they would make kickass chewy bars for kids (or something sweet to munch on).

Thanks for that, much appreciated :-). Better late than never. Here is the lost of ingredients from the packet of Shawarma spices: Allspice Cinnamon Ginger Black Pepper Nutmeg Cloves Coriander White Pepper Garlic Salt ←

Hi everyone! I've got a quick question regarding the use of "chili/chilli/cayenne powder" in US food terminology. Here in Australia, if a recipe calls for chilli powder, it means pure ground chilli powder (quite hot), and we also have cayenne powder which is a slightly hotter version. However, whilst watching Americas Test Kitchen and reading numerous recipes, there seems to be a distinct difference between our definition of chilli powder and that used in the US. Would I be correct in saying that cayenne powder as used/talked about in the US is what we pretty much call chilli powder (just ground chillies), whereas in the US, when chili powder is used in a recipe, it is often referring to a blend containing chillies, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion powders (and sometimes, salt/pepper, masa harina) ? The other reason I assume that chili powder in the US is referring to a blend is that many chili recipes (as in the beef stew), call for 4+ tablespoons of chili powder for a 4 person batch of chili, which would be inedible if it were cayenne/pure hot chilli powder. Anyways, thanks in advance for any clarification! p.s. please forgive my interchangeable use of "chili" and "chilli" - I loved that episode of Good Eats but can't be stuffed making sure all of mine are correct

That would be terrific - thank you!

Just out of curiosity, if you get the chance, could you please ask one of these shops what exactly is in the shawarma shown above? (beef/lamb primarily). I have read that it is thinly sliced lamb alternated with lamb fat and some other things - lemon juice, herbs, garlic etc, but I feel it is actually made like some kind of meatloaf... anyways I would greatly appreciate it if you do get the chance to ask :-). Thanks!