ronnie_suburban

Is the green due to nitrite burn (oxymyoglobin) or from hydrogen peroxide accumulation? Lactic acid in the meat reacting with excessive nitrites can cause oxymyoglobin or lactics reacting with oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide turning the meat green. So, maybe the cure or cleanliness and temperature issues? I'm no expert though. Maybe someone can make a more educated guess ← I wish I knew. I've used the same method and equipment set-up many times and only produced this result this one time. The only variable here (that I can think of) was that I was using jowls instead of belly. All my equipment was fresh out of the dishwasher, my hands were washed and I actually used cure from a larger batch which I've been working through. I never recycle cure, either. What remains in the vessel after dredging gets tossed, not returned to the bag. I never let anything sit out of refrigeration for more than a few moments at time. In my mind, I'm going back to that information from UVA's web site, seeing it now with the added perspective of the information you've provided here and wondering if maybe this was an instance of over-curing caused, at least in part, by excessively soft jowl tissue. But, considering that I only dredged the jowls, I'm not sure that over-curing was really a possibility. Perhaps I let the jowls cure too long. I hope to post some pictures later today. =R=

Sounds great. Australian or U.S. origin? =R=

Some days it makes perfect sense to me that pork and work are only letter apart from each other That said, it's been a good day. I've finally launched my first batch of peperone (using pork) and the links are now incubating in my oven. I also dredge-cured a large belly in 2 sections -- some with basic cure and some with a maple sugar-assisted variation. Those will get their smoke a week from tomorrow. I kind of promised myself I'd wait a bit longer until I made more bacon but the inventory dwindled to the point where I could no longer wait. Also, the greenish jowl bacon has been smoked to near perfection. Other than than that bizarre color, it turned out wonderfully. Of course, being the 'gonzo' guy that I am, I cooked up a few pieces from the greenest section of the greenest jowl and wolfed them down . . . absolutely delicious!! I now understand, at least in part, the origin of Green Eggs and Ham. I hope to post a few pics tomorrow. And Chris, at the very least I see that you managed to extract a nice, new avatar out of your peperone foray. =R=

You can always order it from Niman Ranch if all else fails. =R=

Thanks, UE, for the heads up -- and I'm happy anytime our local chefs receive positive ink -- but this story has been done to death already. I'm pretty sure that Chicago Magazine did it a year and half ago. Also, after that shameful Best Burger article Richman wrote a few years back, I find his opinions largely dismissible. When he and I are in agreement, it usually means he got lucky. =R=

Very cool, Abra! That must have made you feel great. And yeah, that chef was a chef's chef. Congrats on earning that affirming stamp of approval. =R=

A brief heads up on some upcoming appearances by Michael Ruhlman: May 23 - The Butcher Shop - Boston (w/ Brian Polcyn) May 24 - Borders/Time Warner Center - NYC May 25 - CIA - Hyde Park, NY June 6 - Joseph Beth Booksellers - Cleveland, OH For further details, please check the eG Calendar. =R=

Eliot, You can definitely start here and afterwards, you'll probably want to go back and read the others. =R=

Hey folks, just wanted to mention to anyone in the area that Michael and Brian Polcyn will be doing a charcuterie demo and book signing at The Butcher Shop in Boston on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 pm. Damn! I sure wish I lived near Boston! For details, please check the eG Calendar. =R=

There is a brief interview with Michael Ruhlman, about the new book, which appears at Time Out New York's web site: Kitchen reverential =R=

DOH! Forgot about Dave's. BTW, welcome to the eGS, markh! =R=

I don't want to speak for Mr. Kokonas and he may want to elaborate but there is a tremendous amount of information about Alinea and how it came to be here. =R= ← To add to more history regarding Nick's initial involvement with Alinea, check out Ruhlman's new book, The Reach of a Chef. The chapter entitled' "Edge Cuisine" is all about Chef Achatz. A nice and easy read that will give you a concise history of Grant's career in the food industry. ← Yes, there is tons of great stuff about Alinea, Grant and Nick in Reach. I just posted a 'review' here. It's a fantastic read all the way around. =R=

Susan, I made chicken sausages with roasted poblanos and they were great. I roasted the pepper first on the Weber and then cut then into a large dice, figuring that they'd break down a bit during the mixing. I'm pretty sure I used one heaping-packed cup of peppers for a 5-pound batch. =R=

Alex is correct in that there's supremely easy access from Evanston, via public transportation, to Rogers Park, Argyle Street and other adjancent areas which offer great food. If you do make it to Rogers Park, be sure to try the Candlelight which has great, thin-crust pizza. Not typical Chicago-style by any means but very delicious. =R=

For fans of restaurant industry books, newly-released The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman is going to be a delight to read. It’s the 3rd book in the “of a Chef” series, which Ruhlman has penned over the last decade. After only a few pages, I was reminded of why I consider Ruhlman’s culinary books to be the gold standard. The writing is typical Ruhlman: tight, richly-detailed, intensely personal and remarkably informative. The Reach of a Chef completes the progression (at least for now) that runs from The Making of a Chef through The Soul of a Chef. This latest installment provides a history of the evolution of celebrity chefdom over the past 10 years as well as several current snapshots of notable chefs in their efforts to go beyond the kitchen. It's also an incidental and unofficial journal of Ruhlman’s role in the evolution of modern chefs. And while Ruhlman doesn’t intend to tell his own story, it’s fairly clear that only someone with his background and experience set could tell this story in such a meaningful way. What Ruhlman does, which few others could duplicate, is provide a highly-focused personal context which helps to create empathy and understanding between the reader and the subjects profiled in the book -- folks the reader will likely never meet who toil in ways most readers will only, well . . . read about. He gets inside these chef’s lives emotionally and delivers details from their worlds so deftly and with such clarity that even non-chefs can easily relate and understand. To be sure, there is a tremendous amount of riveting and salient information here. There are great profiles of up-and-coming chefs like Grant Achatz and Melissa Kelly, candid conversations with industry giants like Thomas Keller and even soulful personal moments for Mr. Ruhlman himself, as he returns, once again, to the place where it all began for him, the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Hyde Park, NY. More than any other aspect of Reach, my favorite part of the book focuses on the current struggles of modern chefs to convert their reputations into brands which will ultimately, hopefully, bring them affluence and fame. At one point Ruhlman recalls a conversation he had years back with Thomas Keller who was suggesting that there were, in fact, no templates or role models for such conversions. Keller, Ruhlman recalls, felt that Wolfgang Puck was the earliest pioneer in this area and that younger chefs with aspirations of celebrity chefdom, would benefit greatly from his advice. But instead of providing a merely perfunctory look the business side of things, Ruhlman ‘busts it open’ by laying out specific examples (with actual numbers) from chefs such as Michael Symon and Brian Polcyn (both Soul of a Chef alums) who are both currently in transition with their business empires. The detailed accounts of these chefs’ business dealings paint a compelling picture and help us to understand just how much work and financial investment it takes for even a great chef to ascend beyond the kitchen. These chefs have as many -- or more -- pans on the fire than in their actual kitchens. The research behind Reach is meticulous. There’s so much fantastic information provided that one almost feels like a voyeur reading it. It’s pretty clear that Ruhlman not only knows exactly who to consult when asking questions that are outside his areas of direct expertise, but that he possesses a masterful skill for asking just the right questions. People want to answer Ruhlman’s questions. Often, it feels like they cannot wait to do so. This makes The Reach of a Chef positively riveting. Will the Celebrity-Chef bubble eventually pop? One can’t help but get the feeling that Ruhlman believes it will but he doesn’t exactly come and say as much. And, given the huge array of opportunities available for chefs these days -- which are detailed wonderfully in Reach -- it seems hard to believe that it will pop any time soon. There are countless voids which have yet to be identified, cultivated and filled. Yet, at the core of it, Ruhlman takes comfort in his belief that the great chefs -- true chefs -- and their kitchens will always endure. And for those dedicated and fortunate enough to permanently transcend the kitchen . . . well, that’s all just gravy. =R=

If I'm not mistaken, Tommy Nevins and Prairie Moon are directly across the street from the Best Western. Also, I forgot one other place I really like, Lulu's, which is, more or less, a pan-Asian noodle shop, downtown on Davis St. I've heard mixed reports lately but folks whose opinions I trust still hit it on a regular basis. =R=

Remarkable that even though she won none of the 3 rounds of the Quickfire challenge, and clearly lost 2 of them, Tiffani still advanced. In the third round, the tasters actively avoided eating her food. I realize that Dave effed up when he only created 2 dishes for the final round of the QFC but he also clearly won a round too, which is more than Tiffani can say. And even in that final round, it was fairly clear that his beef dish was the most popular of the lot. I don't see forgetting a dish as that big a deal because it can always be sent out late . . . not great, but it happens from time to time. And late food is certainly better than lousy food, IMO. The challenge was begun with a mention that the tasters' opinions would be the determining factor as to who advanced. But in the end, Dave was eliminated for forgetting something of which the tasters weren't even aware (until Tom mentioned it to them). It's pretty obvious at this point that the producers of the show wanted Tiffani in the finals and that she was going to get there regardless of how she actually performed in the challenges. =R=

One other great place, also on Central, is the Great Harvest Bread Company. In many ways, it's the heart of the neighborhood. They turn great freshly-baked product, and overall selection varies daily. The folks who run the place are very nice. They hook up kids (young and old) with all sorts of tasty samples too! =R=

It's been a while since I spent any significant amount of time in Evanston but I used to live there and it has a reputation for being a dining mecca. That said, the best thing in Evanston, Trio, is no more. Still, there are some good eats to be had in Evanston. I enjoy The Lucky Platter on Main Street. It's a funky retro-style diner with a solid, relatively untraditional menu. You can get some decent BBQ at Hecky's on Greenbay Rd. Merle's on Benson also offers some decent BBQ, but it's a bit more faux than Hecky's. I love the gyros, 'greek' fries, chicken breast sandwiches and burgers at Cross-Rhodes on Chicago Avenue. If you're in the mood for a grease fix, I love Evanston Chicken Shack on Ridge, which is fairly close to NU's campus. I think Mount Everest Indian/Nepali buffet on Church is ok but if you have a truly favorite Indian spot, it might not stack up. Downtown, I think places like Tommy Nevin's Pub and Prairie Moon are both worth a stop-in. Nevins has decent Irish-esque pub food (Guiness on tap) and Prairie Moon does a good job with their casually-upscale, American theme. Mustard's Last Stand on Central is definitely a place to hit if you want to try an authentic, Chicago-style hotdog. It's near the football stadium. Some of the best food in Evanston is of the non-restaurant variety. The Central St. business district is the home of Foodstuffs (goumet grocery/specialty shop) which has everything from fresh baked breads to imported cheeses, prepared foods, sandwiches made to order, fresh meat and seafood. Just east of there is Tag's Bakery which turns out great versions breads and sweets. The other direction on Central is home to Casteel and Company, a custom coffee roaster. A couple other places of note are Piron Belgian Chocolates on Main Street (across from the aforementioned Lucky Platter) and Bennison's Bakery on Davis, owned by Jory Downer who was on the US team which won the 2005 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie. And while it's not even close to Madison's version, Evanston has one of the better Farmers Markets in the area. It's open on Saturday mornings, beginning this Saturday, May 20. I'm sure there are more worthy spots and it's likely that some of these places aren't quite like they were the last time I visited them but this is a start, at least. I hope some others will chime in as well. =R=

I've definitely noticed a cleaner cut when I up the speed on my KA while grinding. I usually run at speed 2 because running any higher seems to warm things up too fast. As for the mixing, Pallee, no need to confess that you do it by hand, you should be boasting about it. That's downright old skool. I've always avoided it, figuring that my hands are warmer than the KA paddle, which I store in the freezer up until the moment it's used. But clearly sausage has been mixed successfully by hand for a lot longer than it's been done by machine. Generally speaking, how long does it take to acheive the primary bind when mixing 5 pounds by hand? =R=

Ron raises an interesting point about the bowl. The bowl will handle a 5 pound grind, but you really need to divide it into two bowls for the bind, IMHO. Dividing the ground meat into two bowls is definitely the way to go for the bind. Just wait for one of those Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons and get the second bowl. Don't use an extra coupon for the stuffer attachment. ← I have a KA which has a 5-quart bowl and it's usually very full with a 5-pound batch in it but I've never had to split the batches. I know that some KA models only have 4.5 quart bowls and with some of these recipes, that probably isn't enough capacity to effectively bind an entire batch of sausage in one take. =R=

I know I'm going to regret this...where I come from, brandade is pretty cut and dried (pun intended). Pray tell what else are people trying to pass-off as brandade? ← Recently, at Avec in Chicago I had a brandade that was much looser than the usual paste-like consistency I'm used to seeing. This was almost like a brandade dip or fondue. It was very delicious but I was taken aback when it first hit the table. =R=

Dave, Abra, those legs o' lamb look terrific. I want some . . . baaaaad! I've been making my parts list and hope to shop for and construct my curing chamber this Saturday. After that, peperone and prosciutto will not be far behind. Richard, I've had no problems with the KA grinder at all. And really, it's not the grinder per se, that would limit you to a 5-pound batch, it's the bowl itself, which really cannot functionally contain much more than that. As for the KA stuffer, there was enough warning about it in the book that I just avoided investing in one. After making a few batches of bulk sausage and deciding that I wanted to pursue it further, I invested in a stuffer, which I've been very happy with. In case you missed it, here's a link to discussion about stuffers: Sausage stuffers - what to look for?, Recommendations, please =R=

I agree that portions of that piece were "fun", but I found this part heartbreaking: The saddest thing is that the meat was probably at the right temperature for best results, but as Polcyn states in the article, this process is too complex for the authorities to "get". I've seen what Dominic Cerino (in Cleveland) has to do to please the inspectors. Expensive dedicated coolers, digital monitors for temperature, humidity, and pH. His grandma just hung the stuff in the cellar. ← Agreed. Actually, that section of the piece made me angry and made me realize just how important this book and our projects are. Here in Chicago, they've already taken away our foie gras and the folks at Paulina Market quietly admitted to us they'd taken to cooking their dry-cured products at very low temperatures because they didn't have enough space for a "government-approvable" drying area. Who knew Charcuterie could be so delightfully subversive? To the City of Chicago, I heartily raise both my middle fingers. =R=

It is definitely annoying how lean most pork is these days. I have a great butcher who sources his pork from Prairie Grove Farms and even the butts I buy there are often too lean for sausage making -- that's how they come to him. I will say that the PGF pork is nicely marbled but when it comes to our craft, that's not always adequate. That's one of the reasons I sourced some fatback from Niman -- for those times when I need just a bit more to make things go. =R=