Kent Wang

Very good point. This is yet more evidence that drying and salting changes the meat in some way. It may be that it removes moisture at a slow and steady rate which allows it to keep its shape when cooked. The brined piece experiences a rapid lose of moisture when cooked and so curls up.

Your ancestors were true heroes!

I did a blind tasting of unfiltered vs filtered well vodka. Results were split nearly 50/50 so I doubt it was effective.

Pre-salting vs brining: pork chops I picked up some nice butterflied pork chops from Full Quiver Farms, about 3/4" inch thick. Their meat has a wonderful "porky" flavor, unmatched by even the best supermarket pork. I usually get the rib chop as Cook's Illustrated say it is the fattiest portion of the loin but this was all they had on hand. I prepared each piece for about 24 hours. Pre-salted on the left, brined on the right. Then I seared in duck fat and finished in the oven. Much of the visual difference between the two is obscured by the browning but if you look carefully you can see that the pre-salted is a darker, more amber color while the brined is fairly white. This is apparent in the meat but especially in the fat cap. The results were not as one-sided this time. The brined was considerably juicier than the pre-salted while the flavor difference was only slightly in favor of the pre-salted. The margins are close enough it's very hard to choose which was better: flavorful but dry vs juicy but not as flavorful. Unlike poultry, brining pork did not leave any unappetizing blood in the meat. Keep in mind that even the best pork is a much drier than poultry. Unlike with my previous poultry experiments, I would have preferred both pieces to have be juicier -- whereas the brined poultry were often too moist. The flavor difference was also not as drastic with poultry, which I attribute to the fundamental nature of the meat. Where the pre-salting really shined was on the fat portions. The fat cap on the pre-salted piece was much more appetizing than that on the brined piece. The brined fat had little salt flavor and its flavor was simply overwhelmingly fatty and difficult to stomach while the pre-salted had a rich, developed flavor to it. I imagine pre-salting would be great for making lardons. Pork chops may be a good candidate for brining then salting and drying. This did not work well for the quail but this was because poultry does not take well to brining at all. Pork chops on the other hand could benefit from the added moisture provided by the brining -- while still being able to gain the flavor advantages of salting and drying.

http://www.elgringoaustin.com/ For apps we had: Mango wings - Chicken drummettes with mango chipotle barbeque sauce. 4.95 Pâté de Pato - Duck pâté, sangría jelly, jalapeño mustard and bolillo toast. 5.95 Oxtail Barbacoa - Braised oxtail, charred onion relish and crispy cheese grits. 7.95 Portions were substantial, especially considering the cost. Mango wings were nothing special. Pate was mostly duck leg meat, similar in texture to the barbacoa, not really what I expect from a pate though it was still quite good. Oxtail barbacoa was the favorite of the table. Mains: Mango Duck Confit - Duck leg confit, mango chipotle barbeque sauce, sweet potato mashers and pico spinach. 12.95 South Padre Platter - Cracker crusted cod, crab cake, oysters, diablo shrimp, fries and pickled vegetables. 14.95 Chorizo Stuffed Pork - Stuffed pork loin, poblano cumin sauce, sweet potato mashers and pico green beans. 12.95 I had the South Padre Platter. Prodigious portion size. The cod was breaded and fried. Crab cake was also breaded and fried -- I thought it was a hush puppy at first. Overall, a pretty good dish, especially considering the quantity. I had a bite of my friend's duck confit and it was pretty bad. My first shot at making duck confit at home turned out way better than this. The meat was very tough; it tasted as if they had simply roasted it -- and overcooked it in the process, too. I didn't have enough of the pork to judge, my friend loved it though. The food was all quite lackluster in my opinion. The only redeeming factor is the generous portion size. So strange to see the old John Mueller's location turned into a semi-posh restaurant. The decor and layout is quite awkward. The paintings are atrocious Old West paintings, really reminds me of Mesa Ranch. El Chile has a very pretty dining room, so El Gringo was clearly done on the cheap. The acoustics also really amplify noise.

With some salmon roe. Eggs in a egg, you know.

Is it OK to store liquor in a metal flask for a week or two? I've heard that the alcohol leeches all kinds of nasty stuff out of the metal -- but that claim sounds pretty dubious to me.

Thanks for all the nitpicks. Certain substitutions had to be made, such as in the case of rye. Aviation is number one on my cocktail to do list but I'm waiting on the liquor store to receive their shipment of Maraschino liquer. A noticeable difference with the Ramos as it is more sour with all lime. Also, notice that I substituted the orange blossom water for rose water.

Ginger flavor is very versatile. You can add it to a Dark & Stormy. Union in Seattle has a drink called the Jenny O that was pretty good: rum, lemon, ginger syrup, shaken and served up.

I wonder if they will be broadcasting this at The Driskill Hotel bar -- even though the restaurant itself will be closed. I'd be down for a viewing party. I'll give them a ring tomorrow to find out.

Is this pretty much the definitive book on Central Texas BBQ? Any others, specifically about this style?

I've had some good ones in Dallas at Shanghai restaurant. I'm surprised and distressed that that is the only city in Texas where one can find xiaolongbao.

Stopped in at Louie Mueller's today and had a chat with John Mueller. He recognized me from my frequent visits to his former Austin restaurant. John says that he's only doing catering now in Bastrop but plans to open up again in Austin around Airport Blvd sometime in January or February. Very exciting news!

I prefer a sweeter margarita so I use Cointreau. Glad to hear the input; I'll just have to spring for the good stuff. I can't seem to find 100% agave blanco for less than $48/1.75 L of Milagro which comes out to $27 per liter.

Absolutely astounding! This really showcases the strength of Texas arigiculture. Few other states (probably only California) can produce such a diverse array of quality ingredients. I hope the use of Texas ingredients catches on more. T'afia is another example of success with using only local products. If they can do it, and Outstanding in the Field can do it, there is no reason why more local restaurants can't. What cut of lamb and bison was it? Did you feel that the bison was very from different from beef?

Good point. I was thinking that you would want a more substantial soup as it is consumed in such small quantities. A thick consistency is part of "substantialness", though you raise a good point about waste. Another way to take better advantage of the small serving size is to crank up the seasonings. It may be very fatiguing to down a whole cup or bowl of aggressively seasoned gazpacho but it would be perfect in shot-glass portions.

Has anyone tried this? I think a strong, thick soup works best, such as a lobter bisque.

Last night I held a cocktail party for about a dozen of my friends at my place. I've only barely started down the road to cocktail knowledge, and my friends know even less. I would say that the majority do not even know what goes into a Manhattan. I decided to type up a menu with trite explanations of classic cocktails and a few quirky ones I've learned here. See below, or you can try a pretty PDF version. Criticism on the menu would be appreciated. Making a drink. Surveying the carnage. Everything went over surprisingly well. Caipirinha was a hit, as well as the Ramos gin fizz and Le petit mort. Everyone, on average, had three drinks -- real troopers. The menus were a great idea. In addition to being extremely useful, it immediately impresses the guest that you are serious about cocktails and encourages them to be adventurous as well.

I just made a simple syrup with Billington's dark molasses sugar. Divine! It had a heady sugar cane aroma. I even diluted some and poured it over ice for a simple sugar water drink. It was quite possibly the best non-alcoholic sweet drink I've had in a long time.

What I mean is that it won't contribute much moisture to the skin, not enough to affect the final crispiness that you'll be able to achieve with ease. However, you may have difficulty seperating the skin after you've dried the chicken for more than a day -- the skin may become fused to the meat and difficult to pry apart.

Statesman article about new cajun and barbecue joint, VII J's.

How compelling. Is it me or has CM North recently expanded their prosciutto selection? Maybe it's just the revamped signage.

There is a terrific gelateria here called La Dolce Vita that, in addition to serving Italian desserts and gelato, also has a nice bar packed with a number of Italian liquers and, of course, the basics. What drinks should I order there to complement a gelato, tiramisu, profiterole, etc.? I've been told that cocktails with sweet desserts are tricky as you need a very sweet cocktail. Otherwise, tasting the cocktail after having a bite of the dessert will make the cocktail taste more bitter (or less sweet) by contrast. I'm not sure of how accurate this really is.

Snowangel: Terrific! I eagerly look forward to your report. I don't know about the quail; I'll have to enquire next time. I doubt it. I feel that my results show that the salting and hanging affects deeply into the meat. I'm not absolutely certain, but that's about as good as I can tell just tasting without doing a proper chemical analysis. The lemon and oil should also burn off very quickly in the oven so you'll still be able to get a crispy skin and crust. Funny that you mention duck legs as most duck leg confit recipes recommend salting and drying. Looks like those people already know the secret!

That's some fine food-playing, sir. I'm nominating you for a Pritzker Prize.