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right. the day i pull the blinkin' thing out is the day my apt is consumed by fire. i can just see it. which is why i don't pull it out. ← I have a bit of experience with fire protection devices having spent the better part of the last twelve years in a position where I dealt with security systems on a daily basis. I'll try to offer some good advice. If you're having problems with one detector and it's a battery powered consumer device, simply relocate it to another part of the home where it will be less likely to be affected by kitchen activities. If part of a hardwired system you have a couple of options. Unfortunately, many times, technicians or electricians installing systems don't think very carefully about where they place detectors and may not fully test and adjust them at the time of installation. The thought that the best location for a smoke detector might not be right outside the shower or in the kitchen may not occur to the installer. It's also possible that placement of a device may be limited by how something was prewired or where the technician can run a wire. The good news is that most hardwired devices can be adjusted for sensitivity. If they were never fully tested and adjusted when installed, it's quite possible that they're set to full sensitivity and can still be adjusted with a relative minimum of fuss to make them less of an annoyance to the tenant or homeowner. If it's part of a security system/burglar alarm, contact your dealer and ask that they adjust your detectors as needed and/or replace the problem device(s) with a heat detector instead of a smoke/heat detector. This is particularly important if your system is monitored (they call you and/or dispatch the police/fire department any time your system goes off), as you may be subject to fines for excessive false alarms. Any good security dealer will be very happy to work with you to "tighten up" your system, as the dealer wants you to be satisfied with the system they've installed and they may also be subject to fines for excessive false alarms. If part of a hardwired system with power supplied by the building power (i.e. you don't have a security system but when one goes off, they all go off and/or you never have to replace batteries), you may need to contact an electrician to adjust the detector, relocate the problem device, remove it from the system, or replace it with a different type of device less susceptible to false alarms. In the event the offending device is part of a hardwired system powered by the building power, it's quite possible the detectors are required by the local building or fire code, so any changes to the system should be performed by a licensed professional. If you're in a multi unit building, any changes should only be handled by the building management. Hope that proves to be helpful. ← isn't the recommended placement outside the door of the "main"bedroom, so that if there is a problem in the middle of the night the occupants will be alerted??? Bud

The standard dose is 1tsp (6grams) per 5 pounds (2250g) of meat...And for the rest of the cure. I would not use more salt than 4 to 5% of the weight of the meat..The sugar would be at 50% of the salt. Bud

If it is battery operated, Move it down the hall just outside of the bedroom door. Its only a couple of screws...If its hardwired, shut it off and put a new battery operated one down the hall.... Bud

Go to their website and see if any info???? Or unplug/take the batteries out ,and let it sit and "reboot "it??? Bud

Buy some good 3/4"UHMWPE boards and cut them so they will fit in the D/W In various positions.(vert Horiz etc.) You can get the material at a commericial rest. supply place. (not cheap.) But infinitly better than wood. After you use em, put them in the D/w and they are clean and ready to go in the drawer...I have 6 or 7 in various sizes and thicknesses, and will never use a wooden board again... This advice is from someone who builds antique reproduction furniture and can build the "state of the art"wood /bamboo, etc boards very easily.. (UHMWPE, is ultra high molecular weight polyethelene) Bud

try this and then google, lots of stuff out there

Dumb question....Are the pork rinds already deep fried when you pound em with the rest ? Bud

Eat it cold with a nice fresh gaspacho(sp) and some fresh crusty white bread.and creamed horseradish on the side.. Bud

Unless you are very knowledgeable of household electrical circutry I would recommend you pass...240 v. can be very dangerous... Bud

Based on the weights, your the amount of salt% in the finished product would be around 13%. This is assuming that the 3 months would equate to "equilibrium"(the salt % in the brine and the meat would be the same).( 300g salt to 2300g of total weight). The same as if you added 13% salt into a ground meat recipe.And Probably 4%more than a country ham. I don't know if fat comes to "equilibrium" like meat does..And the very thin sliceing would make a difference as well. If your product is ok at that level I will proceed , and report back. I just wasn't sure if that was to much salt...Thanks for the help, Again!You are a great resource,and your blog is very interesting as well!... Bud ← G I'm not sure if fat reaches equilibrium. But my version with 30% brine WAS too salty (not inedibly so, just too salty. It was still excellent on a piece of nice plain bread). I have to try soaking the chunk that is left in cold water overnight. Glad you enjoy the blog. ← Great! Thanks for the comment. I just put some in the fridge to age. I put the backfat in a container and filled it to cover with water, then poured the water out and weighed it..Added the weight of the backfat to the water and calculated the salt to be 9% of the total weight(including the salt that is added).It should end up at 9% residual.The finished brine was about 18% I also added .a couple grams of pink salt because I was concerned about the garlic/botulism thing. (I did add the herbs and garlic) So In three months or so I will see what happens...Thanks again for your help Bud

Based on the weights, your the amount of salt% in the finished product would be around 13%. This is assuming that the 3 months would equate to "equilibrium"(the salt % in the brine and the meat would be the same).( 300g salt to 2300g of total weight). The same as if you added 13% salt into a ground meat recipe.And Probably 4%more than a country ham. I don't know if fat comes to "equilibrium" like meat does..And the very thin sliceing would make a difference as well. If your product is ok at that level I will proceed , and report back. I just wasn't sure if that was to much salt...Thanks for the help, Again!You are a great resource,and your blog is very interesting as well!... Bud

Getting ready to do some lardo. My backfat weight is different so I need to scale the recipe. I have a question about the lardo recipe that Jason posted. Wonder what the residual salt %you are looking for? looks like the brine is 1300g(300 salt+1000 H2o) and the meat is 1000g.That would be 2300g total.The 300g salt would give you 13% residualsalt at equalibrium (300 to 2300). Since I have never tasted lardo, I dont know if that is to salty and I am not sure how to proceed...Any direction would be appreciated.. I also dont have a real feel for how to serve it..But I have 3 months to figure that out...I hope. Bud

Its milk solids, and moisture. the high end butters don't have as much as run of the mill butters. This is very desirable when you want "brown" buttter for use on pasta etc. Gives the butter lots more flavor!I have been lamenting for several years that there is not enough of it in todays butter. Brown butter is a wonderful flavor, Bud

As above, The "pointy "end of the fillet, But I remove the skin and sear both sides, on a very hot grill , or a very hot cast iron pan, so it browns. Don't cook it to death...or else its to dry... Bud

Yes Thanks for the tip!! I was there on Thursday mid day and wandered around like Gomer Pyle , going Gollleee, ....The fish display was mind boggling for us, out here on the high desert...I have never seen a whole 3 foot long carp as big around as my leg in a market...among the rest of the stuff...Bought a chunk of pork belly and have it curing as we speak...Also whole head on shrimp, Never seen 'em here..Wasn't sure what some of the produce was... Tnks agn!! Bud

You can buy it a Kroger/city market/ kingsoopers etc, in the spice section. Its a Kroger brand. I have used it in a couple of sausage recipes that called for it, and didn't die... I did not do a blind A-B test so I am not sure if it did any good... Bud

60 plus a zillion magazines Bud

Great thread, brings back the memories...grew up in grandparents house while ww2 was finishing up. GM was Swiss, and GF was from the Tyrol. The great chicken soup ,with canerdrle, and the fantastic stews, and homemade noodles , and of course the polenta....They raised chickens He made various dried sausages...and wine.I still use his 70 year old grinder to do charcutrie.. I have made many of her meals just from the great memories, without recipies.. And my Mother couldn't hold a candle to her cooking. But that was probably due to the very limited menu my father would eat... Thanks again for the reminder... Bud

A chicken in pieces in a 12" non stick in a 375º oven takes 35 or 40 mins... If the exhaust fan works well 400+º works faster,, Bud

Probably depends on if you live in the high humidty east or midwest, or the high desert of the s west...Mildew is not a problem here on the front range of the Rockies. Bud

Whole chicken, cut it up into legs/thighs, wings ,two half breasts.Save rest for stock. Then make a half cup of salt with a few cloves of pressed garlic in it. In a bowl, add the chicken, pour the salt/ garlic mixture over it. mix to make sure all the outside of the parts are covered. let sit for 20 mins or so. Rinse every thing off chicken and arrange in a 10" non stick fry pan.. roast in oven at 375. Early on, When the surface of the skin is drying out rub skin with butter. continue to cook untill it looks like its getting a bit brown. Go to convection at the same temp till its nice and brown. Done... Bud

depends what kind of "meat" steak. roasts, ??? I heat steaks up in the m/w on ultra ultra low(5 minutes or so) till they are an even 100º thru, and then sear/finish on a 750º grill for a couple mins, so they are a pretty even med rare.(Ala prime rib), and still get the flavor of the grill sear. big, long cooked stuff is right outta the reefer for the sear. Might look on the sous viede(sp) thread for some interesting stuff in that area.. Bud

The time savings at sea level probably is not a big deal. But, at altitude where boiling point can be much less than 212º it could be very helpful...I posted a story of a pal from NY that couldn't understand why spagetti at 9500 ft took over half an hour... The pasta would be the one for me to try , as I usually do beans in the pressure cooker... Bud

I bought two knives for wife that she loves. First is a Henckels 6" chefs, and Other is a 5 1/2" that is a curved chefs knife..(the blade has more curve on the bottom than a reg chefs knife) Bud

My tale is not about bad food,(it was long ago, and I don't remember the meal), but about dangerous food.... Went to a pals house for dinner. we were sitting at the kitchen island having drinks. He pulls out his new electric wok and plugs it in on high, to heat, next to us on the island... He then put in a cup or so of oil in it, and the drinking continued, while it was getting really,really hot... Before I realized it , and could yell or duck, He poured in about a cup of soy and other liquid.....What a mess!!!Fortunately he fell back and did'nt get burned, and we escaped as well.... Close call... Bud