jbehmoaras

Fair enough ... Thanks for clarifying, didn't mean to imply what I was saying was correct ... in fact quite the opposite. Clearly I had contradicting thoughts working it out in my mind. That's is why I brought up the thoughts in this forum because I knew someone would be able to help clear things up. Thanks for your final answer

interesting, can you provide more details with regard to the addition of liquid or technique.

Yes. But... At sea level and atmospheric pressure, yes. Is that true at the pressure and temperature of domestic pressure cooking ? (And there's the (65% ?) presence of water in meat in the first place). After further research, it seems the issue is more complex than I first expected. 1. It turns out that complete abscense of water is not necessary, just lower levels of moisture. You would think this would be difficult to achieve in a pressure cooker considering the steam environment, however shola and aki&alex have done this using a mason jar within the cooker. 2. Some things that we may consider caramels may not be true caramels. "Caramels" that contain dairy for instance can possibly host both caramelization and maillard reactions (which wouldnt be unique in the world of cooking by the way). This is because if the right environment/temp is achieved the amino acids brought to the party from protein can brown. 3. Maillard is said to occur at 155 deg celcius, if anyone knows the temp inside a pressure cooker that would help. Otherwise if anyone knows the amount of pressure in the cooker they can use this calculator. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/vappre.html . Though pressure levels likely differ based on the quantity of product in a pressure cooker assuming you use a standard cooker such as the cuisinart; which otherwise would require factoring in the variability of heat applied. 4. Shola, Aki&Alex, playing with fire and water, along with others have shown us "caramelized" chocolate, yogurt, miso ... and many other things. In the cases I listed here both protein and sugar are present ... and with the use of the mason jar the exterior moisture is shielded. So the million dollar question is, - if you caramelize a liquid that has protein, have you actually browned any of the amino acids as well, even though the mixture itself contains moisture? I'm sure they have considered this and will post a comment on their blog to see if they are willing to comment. Interesting stuff

thats actually the only way i prepare my lamb shanks. 2 seared shanks a ton of mirepoix with leeks - sweated a head of garlic smashed black peppercorns and other spices half a bunch each of rosemary and thyme half a bottle of red that matches well can of tomatoes and half a tube of dbl concentrated tomato paste. 1 hour in the pressure cooker separate the meat, chinois the broth ... reduce with the meat as far as you want. add additional vegetables that have been cooked separetely to the meat with its sauce. generally i have been serving this over polenta ... which i have found works better on the dry side here to sop up the jus.

Caramelization and Maillard Browning are two different forms of browning. Maillard browning requires the abscence of water and the presence of protein. The necessary presence of water in a pressure cooker makes maillard browning impossible. Caramelization is about sugar and temperature. Succeful attempts at caramelizing white chocolate, Shola's miso "dulce de leche" etc... are all proof that caramelization is possible in a pressure cooker.

Through further research I learned that the Murcia region also has a certified pimenton designation. It would be interesting to learn about pimenton from that region as well.

yes that was it!!!! amazing thanks

I was interested to know if anyone had any familiarity with different pimenton brands that are D.O certified. I have tried: - Gualtaminos (www.gualtaminos.com) - La Chinata (www.tienda.com/food/smoked_paprika.html) But I know that these brands exist as well: - primabor - el colorin - clavel de la vera - nuestra senora del salobral - el caballo de oros (www.caballodeoros.com) - la dalia (www.pimenton-ladalia.com) - limusa orquidea de yusta - el rey de la vera - santo domingo - el pensamiento Can anyone shed some light on these other brands and perhaps how they taste in relation to any others?

Thats fair. I guess what I'm looking for is a better understanding of the technique in applying these spices to a dish (so when to add what spices) and some insight perhaps into the technique of developing a spice blend. Of course this is subject to taste, but I'm sure traditions of various cultures may have some guidelines that help direct you along your way when coming up with your personal curry or "masala" blend. The truth is. I thought i was never into dishes revolving around various curries because they can often be prepared poorly if you go to the wrong the place. Now that i have been enlightened, and given the fact that I love to cook, why not learn how to prepare them myself and later adjust them to my own tastes or use them as grounds for inspiration of new dishes.

I am not a curry expert by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, I know little about making curries and thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on recipes for preparing the spice base alone, while noting what foods pair nicely with it. Also if anyone has any techniques or tips on creating a good curry blend/base that would also be great. Here are some of the spices, off the top of my head, that I go to when making my own curries (using some traditional and non-traditional ingredients). Cumin Tumeric Black Pepper Pink Pepper Long Pepper Smoked Paprika Galangal Ginger Lemongrass Nutmeg Cinnamon Garlic

Actually it was a spanish website and had molecular gastronomy relate clips by highly popularized chefs such as Ferran Adria.

Through a link on a blog I stumbled upon a while back, I found some website that was like a spanish youtube for modern cooking. I've looked everywhere and i really can find the link again. Can anyone help out with this.

It depends on what needs moistening. If its the sauce thats drying up, olive oil would be a good choice. If its the pasta, I would go with chicken or vegetable stock.

Thanks for the quick feedback ... Keep us posted with ingredient ratios if you wish as you try out new things. I hope to continue some experimenting when I return home this summer from school.

Yeah, the Adria products are a bit on the spendy side. "All for chefs" (www.allforchefs.com) has Gluco in stock for 25 euros, but they just changed their shipping policies so it is now very expensive to have it shipped (before, shipping was only 6 euros / kilo, but took about a month and wasn't trackable. Now they are using UPS, which is more reliable and much faster, but also much more expensive -- more like 20 euros/kilo!). The good news is that I'll have some in hand to play with soon... (And also some "Fizzy" -- because, well, why not?) I think that Gluco doesn't act as a thickener; many of the recipes for big spheres make heavy use of "Xantana" to thicken... But of course I'm not sure... I tried to find some other sources for "Gluco" (the "Texturas" website notes that it is a mix of calcium gluconate and calcium lactate) -- but I didn't have a whole lot of luck finding it in food / pharmaceutical grade in reasonably small amounts. And of course, I don't know what the percentage mix is supposed to be anyway, so it would be a bit of a experiment in any event. Best, jk ← So have you gotten around to playing with gluco yet ... I'm curious to see how everything turned out.

If I'm looking for something quick and simple I like to season simply with salt and some smoked paprika. When I have more time, I like to bash a bunch of thyme in a big mortar and pestle followed by some coarse salt, the zest of half a lemon and enough olive oil to create a wet tapenade like texture to marinate the meat in for a while. Then I throw it on the grill using the marinade/wet rub to baste the steaks.

Could you talk a little bit about ur experience making the duck prosciutto and any changes you may have made to your recipe

jmolinari - I did see that recipe, i'll definately give it a try. russ - do you have any idea about how thick the fatback should be and on reducing the saltiness. I heard that it is possible to soak it in water for an hour or something but i wonder how that would affect the flavor.... And how did you get in touch with Mario B. he's the man!!!

I have searched on this forum for some research on lardo but I was finding little and it was scattered all over. I wanted to start a thread where people could drop different recipes for making different types of lardo as well as recipes for enjoying it. As I understand it, there are two main ways to cure lardo, by brining or dry-curing it. Aging also varies widely from 3-4 weeks to months. How do these different methods affect the flavor and which may be better for making lardo at home? I should be getting some fat-back from a local farmer next week so i'd be excited to hear your input on making lardo.

So my butcher is going to try and get some fatback from some nearby farms so i can try my hand at lardo ... any tips

I think you are right ... do you think it is ok to hang them up to dry again after having cut into one and having been in a fridge for 4-5 days.... I did vaccum pack them but I dno if that makes a difference.... haha still a newbie at this.

So I though I would show a picture of the first duck breast I sliced into ... this one had truffle oil on it and I wonder if that prevented it from drying as much as it is intended to dry. I thought that the color gradient to a brighter red in the center shows that maybe it should have been dried more. This is my first time so I'm not sure what it is supposed to look like ... Anyone else have a clue if this dried out enough.

turns out there is a little green growing on the breast ... if i clean it right away should everything be ok?

Hi Jeremy, I would just rub it off with a little vinegar if I were you, then see how it progresses, it is most likely quite harmless. I have had similar on some of my beef bacon, after it has been kept for 6 weeks, it turned out to actually be the start of bloom which is normal on cured meats and salami in some conditions. I wouldn't be too worried as long as it isn't hairy and green! Regards, Richard ← Yeah it isnt hairy or green and is pretty thin and small. After I rub it in vinegar (distilled i assume) shoud i hang it to dry for longer?

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11606201..._3718_57017.jpg Above is a picture of one of the duck breasts. I dont know how to get the picture to be seen directly in the forum other than by putting in that link. But anyways....'m not sure what to think about those little white splotches on the surface of the breast. Can anyone help me out with it.