DTBarton
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Posts posted by DTBarton
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I don't pretend to be an expert in this area but I did work in the fast food industry way back in the mid 1970s. At that time, we were all given training, with an emphasis to the counter girls, on suggestive selling. The only items that were discussed were soft drinks and french fries. If someone ordered a drink or fries without a modifier, the counter girl (not sexist, they were all girls at that point) was suppose to say "will that be a large drink?", or "will that be a large fry?". Obviously, that was where the profit was being made. The same idea came into play when I worked at a small independent fish and chip shop. The boss told us to make sure that every customer got a large portion of fresh hot chips because in 1977, we were paying eight cents a pound for frozen steak fries. The cod we used for the fish was rigorously portioned because it was relatively much more expensive to the business. So, I can see why franchisees would not be fond of a large variety of new items that aren't profit makers.
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Bone in pork loin roast.
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All right, I had 3 pretzels Friday. Two from the Amish market decadent with pretzel salt and a butter dip served warm. Then a friend treated me to the Washington Nationals/Cincinnati Reds game Friday night. Had a ball park pretzel. Couldn't compete with the Amish market, but it was warm and less stale than I expected. Actually edible for going in with zero expectations. Downside? $4.75 to go with your $9 beer, taking full advantage of the captive audience.
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I wish I had an egg man, but am I the walrus? Sorry, couldn't resist.
Around here, we have a large variety of eggs available from various sources. They tend to run from about $2.50 - $7.00 a dozen. As a general comment, I believe that the eggs that are available in the grocery stores now are quite a bit better than they were a few years back. All the stores have cage free varieties and the flavor is really improved. Some better than others and the same brands vary somewhat from carton to carton as with all natural products.
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I'll have to go to our Amish market and indulge in a warm, soft one. With yellow mustard.
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I made gyro meat last year and it held together pretty well without the glue. I didn't try to slice it as thin as you. I did grill the slices over hot charcoal on a fish grate and that really improved the flavor.
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Like I said, the butts I got from local butchers didn't come out much different for me. Can't remember if they were Berkshire or not, don't think so, just from local farms I believe.
Perhaps the Berkshire cooked faster due to a dramatically higher fat content?
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Looks like all's well that ends well, good job.
A couple of post BBQ comments. I put heavy duty foil around the bottom of the water pan and tuck it over the top rim. Never had a drip problem. I recommend getting rib racks, then you don't have to turn them. I've never turned a butt or a brisket. I liberally spray the cooking grates, rib racks, and the inside of the water pan with Pam to ease clean up.
The water pan is a heat sink, not a moisture generator. I've found that using hot/boiling water in the pan helps to speed the process of getting to and holding the desired temperature, especially if you're cooking a lot of meat and/or the outside temperature is a little cool.
As for the meat, I've found that throwing money at pork for BBQ isn't worth it. No difference in the end result between boutique butts and ribs and grocery store/Sam's club. I'm not squeamish about the meat's pedigree, however. The same cannot be said for brisket. Brisket is a finicky animal and I seek out the best quality I can find, Sam's club briskets don't work out. I'm worried because both butcher shops in my home town (Annapolis, MD) have gone out of business. Have to find another source for quality choice/prime briskets.
I went through several grills (kettles, offset firebox etc.) trying to find one that would hold temperature without incessant fiddling. I was about to resort to gas (gasp!) when I got a WSM. Using the tips on the virtual bullet site it worked great the first time I tried it. Haven't found the need to go higher tech.
Looking forward to doing double ribs (pork and beef short ribs) for Smoke Day 9! http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?40096-What-is-WSM-Smoke-Day-9
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I have two WSMs, the 18 inch and the 22 inch. Doing ribs and butts (shoulders) at the same time is no problem. I'd put all the meat in at the same time and put the ribs on the top rack so they're easy to remove. If you try to put the ribs in when the butts are halfway done the cold meat introduced into a cooker with a diminishing fire might make keeping temperature up a slight issue.
In my experience, baby back ribs take around 5-6 hours, spare ribs 6-7 hours and pork butts 11-13 hours. I keep the cooker
between 225 and 250. Times can be a little longer if you are doing a lot of meat as it takes a little while to get the temperature up. I've done 30 pounds or more with good success, just takes a little longer. It helps to use hot water in the water pan if it's chilly outside or if you're doing a lot of meat. Actually, I always use hot water unless I'm smoking fish at a lower temperature.
Also, I'm a big fan of the Minion method of firing up the smoker http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html#minion because of it's ease in getting the temperature right and the longevity of the fire.
WRT how much butt is enough, I've found that my yield of finished pulled pork is usually about 35-40% of the starting weight of the butts.
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We went to isla Mujeres again in March. I wanted to clue in the Holly Eats fans on one of my favorite places that has moved.
http://www.hollyeats.com/LosAlmendros.htm
This is a place frequented almost exclusively by locals, I'm almost always the only gringo anywhere near it. As Holly reported a few years back, it was located in the parking lot just south of the ferry landing. There is now some construction going on there. Los Almendros has moved to the sidewalk on the beach on Medina just north of where the last beachside restaurant is, now north of the ferry dock about a quarter mile.
Don't have to wait until Sunday to get their conchinita pibil on a torta or a taco. A torta ordered picante, with their hot salsa, to me is my favorite bargain food ever. Great fresh bread, succulent pork (he usually tries to give you some soft insides and some crunchy outside/skin for texture) and spicy salsa for 20 pesos, about $1.70 right now. I think I'll have two. FYI, they are closed on Monday.
I'd also like to put in a plug for the Poc Chuc restaurant at the corner of Juarez and Abasolo in el Centro (different from the one at the Mercado on Guerrero). We've eaten there several times and never had anything bad. Their conchinita on Sunday is fantastic. They have a snack type thing called a picada (I think) that to me is essential Mexican food. It's a masa dough pressed into a small round disk thicker than a tortilla. They grill it on a flat top and put beans, onions and cilantro on it. So simple, so freakin' good. The texture of the dough makes the dish. They also do a mean chicken mole.
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I don't think any trip to Atlanta is complete without a visit to the Varsity.
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I think a combination of all of the above notions perhaps combined with old fashioned over cooking?
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I'll second the matzoh ball recommendation, definitely improves the texture. Have to try it in batter.
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I've been to Jaleo several times over the last 6 or 7 years. The consistency is really an accomplishment. Another barometer for me on the quality of a restaurant is can I remember what I ate a few years back. From Jaleo, I can still remember remarkable quail and spanish mackerel tapas (so good that you order them again at the same visit) and a great one with caviar and quail egg, I think. Had a very nice meal at the Bethesda Jaleo last year. Table for 8 and only a couple clinkers out of many dishes, a thoroughly acceptable batting average.
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Just in the name of fairness, a couple not so scathing reviews:
I kind of fall into the camp of it's a tourist place in Times Square. If you want really good, go elsewhere, that's not its mission.
But I'm not offended that it exists. I'll go elsewhere.
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Another market option that's not quite the undertaking that Lexington Market is is the Cross Street Market in Federal Hill.
http://www.bpmarkets.com/crs1.html A fun Baltimore experence in a gentrified neighborhood. Very good happy hour scene with lots of food and drinks to try.
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My wife makes bourbon balls for Christmas http://southernfood.about.com/od/bourbonballs/r/bl81212f.htm
They're an uncooked cookie that has a dose of boubon in them. We keep them in the freezer and the booze keeps them from freezing solid. Fantastic right out of the freezer.
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There's a lot of good food close by the waterfront Marriott. Three of Cindy Wolf's restaurants are right there within a few blocks. Charleston is the fanciest and priciest, but it's worth it. Prix Fixe menu, choose your number of courses http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com/ Cinghiale is more casual good Italian right near the hotel. Pazo is Mediterranean small plates in a cool old building (my favorite) http://www.pazorestaurant.com/index.cfm
Baltimore's Little Italy is a couple blocks north of the Marriott. Many restaurants. Aldo's http://www.aldositaly.com/ is fancy for Little Italy and very good. Plenty of old school red sauce places, I like Chiapparelli's, http://www.chiapparellis.com/ others will like someplace else.
For a real Baltimore experience, go to Attman's deli http://www.attmansdeli.com/ a few blocks north and east of the Marriott.
Great corned beef (much better than the pastrami) and knockwurst. Better if you can go at a slightly off hour like 10 AM or 3 PM, the line can be really long at lunch tme.
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I think for me the dollar menu is a driving factor. However, I'm probably not the best representative as I don't eat a lot of fast food and when I do, it's just a snack, so I don't get much.
As for the McDonald's dollar menu, I noticed they added a new item called a grilled onion cheddar burger. I tried one the other day and it is an improvement over the standard McDonald's fare. The onions were real, not dehydrated and the cheese had some flavor. A little ketchup and it was reminiscent of a cheese steak in a decent way.
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I like to use the leftover turkey and carcass to make Brunswick stew. Break up the carcass and roast the pieces with salt and pepper until very brown. Simmer roasted carcass in turkey stock (home made or a box), Strain out bones and add chopped onion, celery, tomato, a can of corn and some frozen lima beans. Simmer for a half hour with a couple of bay leaves. Season to taste. Add chopped turkey meat, simmer 15 minutes more. Better the next day.
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Looks like plenty of good ideas in this thread and the linked thread. I want to emphasize a couple of things that will help to prevent trashing your oven when roasting a duck.
Use a deep roasing pan. I like to butterfy the duck so it lays flat, skin side up (or cut it in half if that fits your pan better). Definitely pour off the rendered fat periodically while the bird roasts, if you don't it ends up all over the inside of the oven. Putting water in the pan will prevent some of this, but then you don't have the beautiful fat to use to roast potatoes
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A short ride north on the red line to Bethesda, there are many good places to eat. I like this place for outstanding pizza, if you like clams, get a clam pie.
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Traveling from Austin to Dallas, we decided to stop in Waco for lunch, it's about half way in between. Some quick on line looking gave up Dave's Burger Barn http://davesburgerbarn.com/
Tiny little place, but looked like he was getting ready to add some more seating.
Great burgers. Order it mustard all the way and you get mustard, lettuce, onions and pickles. He does offer avacado and fried egg, but that seemed to me to be gilding the lily. Nice hand cut skin on fries.
Talked to a young man I assume was Dave. He had a simple philosophy: everything's fresh. No frozen meat or potatoes allowed in the place and you could really taste it. Nice toasted bun.
Super easy stop off I-35. Take the East Crest Drive exit and go west about a half mile to North Patricia St., its right on the corner.
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When I talked to the head guy at Smitty's (Smitty, I presume?), he said they almost never run out of food, so he'd be a good bet to be open the advertised hours. He kind of took pride in that, realized that some folks traveled a ways to eat there and he didn't want to disapoint them.
Onion overload
in Cooking
Posted
Kind of obvious, but I've made this recipe and it is very good.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/COOKS-ILLUSTRATED-ONION-SOUP-50127852