qrn

I assume that "sour cabbage" is sour Kraut that has not been sliced beforehand. sauerkraut is very easy to make. Salt ,water and a cool place to cure it for a couple weeks...Much better than any store bought stuff... Bud

You can buy a tub of it from Whole foods. Its only 6 or 7 bucks... Or do it easily Sous viede(sp) with the rendered fat from one duck. (legs only...) Bud

This is from 60+years ago...my swiss/tyrolian grandmother made a flaked salt cod in a cream sauce over fresh made wide noodles...Still remember it. Been gonna make it for years , this discusssion may get me off the dime.... Bud

For saltpeter. You will want #1 curing salt...Saltpeter is not used any more, as the amount you need is to small to measure accurately. the #2 and #1 cure are 6.25% so they are easier to measure...They also have a huge recipe file that you can d/l ...Probably has ham info Try www.stuffers.com . They are in Langly B.C. Bud

I have the Professional III Foodsaver which I believe has the strongest motor. It also has a feature which permits you to extend the vacuuming process beyond what the sensor on the machine considers necessary. Watermelon is pretty much out of season now but if I see one I'll try to compress a piece and let you know what happens. ← How can you vac bag a piece of watermelon with a foodsaver???If there is any liquid near the seal it does not seal...(at least mine will not) I was looking at some of the non f/s types with the smooth bags and wonder if they deal with moisture better?? Wonder if anyone is using them?? Bud

I really dont care if its real dark or not, the flavor /consistancy is my goal...The store stuff is very fluffy and has a good "rye " flavor., which may not really be rye, but caraway or what ever flavor they put in it. As light as it is, I suspect it is mostly a wheat bread with maybe a bit of rye so they can call it rye.It is definately not a naturally levaned product. I have made a real sourdough rye with a real s/d starter and it a completely different animal. I will re read this thread and try some things and report back.... Thanks Bud

Trying to make some rye that tastes like the really goodf tasting "dark "stuff in the groceries.. Their bread has things like "rye flavor" and things to make it really black. I have found recipies that have coffee and cocoa etc in them. Is there a rye that has that taste ,without all of that "stuff" in it...The ryes that I have made have been less than flavorful. The last that I made had mostly caraway seeds in it for flavor...It was "OK" but not great,,, Any direction would be appreciated... Bud

Since posting the question I found the following information. Thanks for all the replies. http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/...temid=42&id=571 http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedIn...SmokePoints.htm Shel ← for searing steaks ,,,,, A cast iron pan. A light sprinksle of salt on the bottom. No oil. Heat it up till the salt starts to "pop", (ie. really hot, at least 600ºf) you will get a great crust and an even greater steak.... (make sure your exhaust fan is on hi....) Bud

They sell it at BJs ...maybe at Costco too a dollop in tomato sauce is good too tracey ← No pun intended, But whats BJ's??? From the desert on the leward side of the rockies... Bud

I use Minors Soup bases..(beef and Chkn), And have no apologies for doing it, cause its better than my stock and lots quicker. Kicks up all sorts of stuff the proverbial notch......Beef even makes a nice onion soup...Only problem is the Rest. food supply place stopped selling retail and I have to Mail order it... Bud

Jason, Just out of curiousity I was looking around for the "proper" dry cure temp, and Len Poli said 55 to 65. wonder what your thoughts are on that? My curing cabinet is at about 61.5º and should be 60 in another few days, and then off to the grinder...I have not dry cured cured ground stuff above 60 but have done pancetta and guancialle at 65. Bud

I am here,,, Just looked at the drying box in the basement, and it is 64.4ºF, after a few months of close to 70...Time for the things I have been thinking of for the last few months...Onward!!!! Bud

remove the stems and the seeds and into the coffee grinder. All will be well... Bud

Dougal, Good info... I have been using the weight quanity of cure that has the %amount of salt I want in the finished product ,and then letting it cure till it has all been absorbed into the meat.. If I want 3% salt/cure in the finished product that is the amount I use. That ,(for me) ,keeps it a lot simpler, so I dont miss one way or the other.. Takes an extra 3-4-days or so in the bag for bacon, but no suprises... then there is nothing to rinse off...I have also done that for hot smoked salmon as well (it absorbs a lot faster however). Bud

In N/W US ,the wood would be alder...(apple sounds good however) Alder is a member of the Poplar,aspen,cottonwood family (I think...) Its all I use on Salmon, mostly cause I build furniture, etc out of it ,and have tons of it for free... Bud

I am not in seattle , but here,Whole foods will sell casings...There were some postings on the charcutrie thread that in other parts of the country Whole foods would sell em... Bud

I would remove the bone, and end up with a NY strip and a tenderloin...Then leave it on the counter till it gets to room temp. Then As JAYT said , a cast iron pan at at least 500º.. Dont put oil in it. sprinkle a light coat of salt in the bottom of the pan. If you dont have a I/R thermometer to see if the temp is 500º+ , when the salt starts to "pop" its ready. (you cant get it to hot) Turn after the first side is very brown. Then, when you push on the top with a spatula it is kinda firm and the bottom is very brown, move to a plate for 5 minutes or so. then cut into servings and serve... If you are not comfortable with the push with the spatula, use a digital thermometer to stop at about 125º... Bud

I left it on. The Glands on the ones I did had a "greyish" tinge to them, and were easy to spot. I doubt if they would affect the taste after all the curing ,spices etc. Bud

Try this recipe, I think it is better...Len polis Bud

Hamburger... Bud

Butt aka Boston butt , is pork shoulder... veal is essentially tastless so all it is is filler..you can use chicken or turkey. I leave it all out and use just pork... Bud

I have had cryovaced commericial c/b' s in the frig for3 months and they were great and much more tender than ususal. I would think you could just leave it in the cooler till you cook it.That was the original reason for corning, to last longer. I would cook it like a normal c/b. not for such a short time. I have been pressure steaming them for an hour and a half for the thin ones. I asume yours is mega thick ,so longer times... Probably Best to wait till one of the experts weigh in , however. Bud

The F/P drawers have hoses that allow the drawers to open/close. They fail and leak shortly after the waranty runs out. I would never spec them for a job... Bud

I cut the fat,grissle(sp.) off and make the lean meat into a stew. The fat is not really tasty to me.. Bud

I have an electric slicer, but I usually use a serrated knife to slice a few slices off for a meal..That way the chunk stays whole and I think it stays fresh longer. Bud