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qrn

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Posts posted by qrn

    Burgers & Salting

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Not claiming this is a scientific experiment but just passing along the results of my weekend burgers as I ended up doing something I had not intended to do.

    I ground the burgers on Friday night (about 11PM) with the largest KA die and put a light amount of salt (.5% to meat weight) and pepper in right after the grind. Meat was 50% chuck\ 50% short ribs (USDA prime).

    I formed patties as loosely as possible and then lightly salted the outside. My intention was to cook them for lunch at around 11AM on Saturday.

    We ended up doing the burgers for dinner at around 7PM. So the total time salted was about 21 hours.

    The burgers were perfect in every way. They stayed together very well on the grill. They were very tender and had a perfect level of seasoning throughout the patty. My wife said they were the best I had ever made.

    Questions this brings up:

    Is 21 hours of being salted any different than 12? That is, at what point has salt done all it will do?

    Can perhaps the "sausage texture" issue be prevented by a very light touch when forming patties and a larger grind?

    I think that the real course grind makes a great deal of good difference in the burgers.took several tries but I got a 3/8"inch for my #22 hand crank and it is much better than the smaller ones..

    Bud

    Garlic smashed with salt

    in Cooking

    Posted

    You don't want to leave fresh home made garlic and oil on the counter top for more than a couple hours or in the fridge for more than a couple days. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17236

    Commercial garlic paste can last much longer. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17239

    you could put a touch (very small) of pickling salt in it, it has nitrate in it, and it will kill the botulisim

    bud

    The stuff labelled by Morton as "Canning & Pickling Salt" is just plain salt with no anti-caking agents and certainly no nitrates or nitrites listed on any I have ever bought. In fact it says "Plain salt, nothing added" on the label. The dessicants added to table and kosher salts to help them pour freely can cloud up a brine that is heat-processed during canning. The other neat thing about it is that it is a fine enough particulate to make dissolving fairly large amounts of it in even cold water pretty easy.

    But there are no nitrates, nitrites, or anything else that will in small amounts prevent botulism, at least not in what is available around here. Perhaps you were thinking of Tender Quick?

    no I was talking about Insta cure #2 and or DQ curing salt,,sorry for the error in not stating that,,

    Bud

    Burgers & Salting

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Do you think grinding tendons to the mixture would be a good idea?

    Does it render to collagen during short cooking?

    I have been using tendons for stock, they are great for that, amazing

    gelly stock :) Also grind some beef heart for flavor.

    I think if you have your grinder set up as mine is they won't come thru the plate.

    I always end up with them on the cutter that rubs on the plate,and I toss them when I clean the grinder

    Bud

    Breville "smart oven"

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    Because I'm almost always cooking for just myself, this has been a great purchase. I think I've only turned my big oven on once since I got the Breville, which means the kitchen is cooler, the oven heats up faster, and (I imagine) I'm saving electricity.

    the heating element on a kitchen built in oven is probably in excess of 3000+ watts, the breville is 1800 watts, and is smaller interior volume so its not going to be in full heat mode for as long a time as a kitchen oven...

    Bud

    An Easy Bake Oven uses 100m watts. I always thought that that was a great idea that could be developed better for real cooking.

    100 thousand?????? will need some big wires

    Bud

    Garlic smashed with salt

    in Cooking

    Posted

    The only problem around here is the store bought stuff is terrible,,,wonder if there was a problem in Gilroy,that is affecting supply...stuff is either rotten,and moldy, or all dried out...

    Bud

    Costco here in Santa Cruz carries Christopher Ranch Organic tubs, and Gilroy is just down the road. It's always fresh, so it's possible that your bad stuff is a result of improper storage during shipping.

    Im jealous, being that close to Gillroy ,,,The produce around here comes from who knows where,lotsa stuff from Mexico,

    I assume that gilroy would be "the"place to get it but around here, who knows,,,

    Bud

    How they keep store-bought pesto green

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    +1 for blanching. After making the pesto, cover the top with some olive oil and freeze it solid. I've kept garden pesto green for months that way. I freeze it in small containers that are useful sizes for various applications.

    I dont blanch but roughly chop it in the food processorwith a touch of OO and put it in ice cube trays and freeze,then vac pack the cubes, will keep for at least a year...(using Genovese Basil from the garden as well)

    Bud.

    Breville "smart oven"

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    Because I'm almost always cooking for just myself, this has been a great purchase. I think I've only turned my big oven on once since I got the Breville, which means the kitchen is cooler, the oven heats up faster, and (I imagine) I'm saving electricity.

    the heating element on a kitchen built in oven is probably in excess of 3000+ watts, the breville is 1800 watts, and is smaller interior volume so its not going to be in full heat mode for as long a time as a kitchen oven...

    Bud

    Burgers & Salting

    in Cooking

    Posted

    So did anyone else do a better controlled test of this?

    I usually grind my burgers and then lightly salt and toss the ground meat before forming the patties. Now I'm wondering if I don't want to salt right before I grind, do it the old way or hold off until right before cooking.

    Also, I'm planning on forming the patties tonight but won't cook until tomorrow. If I salt tonight will they be any different then if I wait and salt tomorrow and form the patties then?

    I do the same as you, adding a touch of salt and pepper, before formingthe patties,tried it other ways ,but thatcomes out the best...(and with my opinion and a C note,you might be able to buy something useful,,)(joke)

    Bud

    Garlic smashed with salt

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I bought a press from the Rest'supply place that is different than others I have seen,it has another section behind the little holes one, that slices the stuff up into little slices, is really fast for a quick real fine dice on the cutting board after using it in that mode....(or just use the slices..

    Bud

    Garlic smashed with salt

    in Cooking

    Posted

    That sounds like a great idea...when I make vinigarete, I alwaysput it thru a press, and then after I put it in the oil and lecthinhitand vinegaretc.,and mix it it with a stick blender, But this sounds like it would be much better, and easier to get it all mixed correctly and allow the Garlic to get the best flavor, great idea!!!

    Bud

    Chopped Meat vs Ground Meat

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I grind my own burger meat out of what ever they have in the "special mark down section at the krogers.only get stuff that has a suitable amount of fat in it,(If nothing suitable there, I use chuck roast),,, and grind it in a hand grinder with a plate with 3/8"holes (very course)

    after the first grind..I put a touch of fresh ground black pepper and a bit of salt on the pile, and run it thru the grinder again,(same plate),comes out infinately better than the real fine stuff they sell from the stores...

    Bud...

    Breville "smart oven"

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I recently bought a no name unit that looks very close to these things,at tuesday mornings store.think it was less than $30...keep it on a table outside, on the patio, and on these real hot summer days is really great for keeping the kitchen nice and cool,can't do a turkey, but is good for lots of stuff....

    Bud

    Pesto Basics

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Has anyone tried canning pesto?

    Any tips for that if at all possible?

    put it in an ice cube tray and freeze it,then pack the cubes in foodsaver vac bags in the freezer till use..

    lasts long time

    Bud

    Freezing works nicely, but leave out the cheese and freeze. Then add the cheese when you're mixing it up with pasta and a bit of hot pasta water.

    Good point, I forgot I dont put cheese in mine untill I make the final dish....

    Bud

    Pesto Basics

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Has anyone tried canning pesto?

    Any tips for that if at all possible?

    put it in an ice cube tray and freeze it,then pack the cubes in foodsaver vac bags in the freezer till use..

    lasts long time

    Bud

    Hatch Chili Peppers (Merged Topic)

    in Cooking

    Posted

    This is my favorite time of year! Hatch season. I hate the weather, but love the chiles it brings. I saw some very early in the season and picked up 10 or so pounds. I'll get more soon enough.

    The first thing I make is a one year supply of chili verde. I don't use anything but hatch chiles for the base. No cheating with tomatillos here. Then I roast the rest and freeze them before skinning and seeding. The skin protects the chiles from freezer burn for year round access.

    "Cheating?" I originally got my chile verde recipe from my Mexican neighbor and it and every other chile verde, salsa verde etc., recipe includes tomatillos. They make a pickled sauce using just chiles, but it is a flavoring condiment, not the dish itself.

    I don't think that tomatillos "dilute" the flavor, they enhance it in its many variations throughout Mexico where the seasonings change, from region to region, but the base is always chiles (often poblano with other, hotter peppers), tomatillos and onions.

    The local produce market has Hatch chiles and they showed up at three different vendors at the farmers' market yesterday.

    As I said in a later post hyperbole! I love tomatillos, but for me, the perfect chili verde doesn't need them "authentic" or not. I would expect the the rendition of chili verde I make is more of a Southwestern variation than one found in a region of Mexico.

    Care to share a link to your recipe? Maybe I can be converted. :biggrin:

    I agree, verde is only chilis...We get em here and they usually have the thing they roast em with,and so we get em roasted as well(in Denver)Bud

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