Huevos del Toro
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Posts posted by Huevos del Toro
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I certainly agree with dls.
I bought my Cookshack Smokette SM-009 quite a few years ago and like it very much. I usually use it for briskets and pork butts. It really IS a "load it, set the temp, add the wood, plug it in, and walk away" smoker.
If you need the socialization aspect of tending to charcoal/wood smokers then this probably isn't for you. I simply got lazy after using "regular" smokers for so many years.
Like dls I wish I’d have bought earlier.
I see that the money back period is 30 days but barring some minor defect, they ARE built like a tank. It still has a 2 year warranty period and shipping is STILL free.
This still won’t replace your grill. It isn’t designed to reach the heats a grill does. I’ve never tried smoking a steak!
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This explains it a little more. Safeway pulled out of our area years ago but there's a Tom Thumb nearby and will have the printed directions. I suspect there IS some liquid in the roasting pan to keep the grease from smoking.
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Be glad you aren't a guest so that you won't have to try it.
I saw the big display at my Randall's (owned by Safeway) and had to wonder. When I looked at it I was struck by an overwhelming feeling of deja vu. Here is the story:
I had just gotten the Barbara Kafka Roasting book and I figured that the turkey was the thing to try in preparation for Thanksgiving. I procured a bird about 14 pounds. Kafka says that it takes 2 hours at 500F for a 15 pounder so this is close enough for our purposes. I had calibrated my oven and left the thermometer in there just to be sure. It was huffing and puffing to get to 500 and peaked out at about 475. Following all Kafka directions to the letter in went the bird. Looking good for the first few minutes. Then all hell broke loose. Smoke is billowing. Smoke alarms are screaching. We open the windows to clear the smog. We are left with a largely inedible hunk of bird. The meat texture was just ok and the whole thing had this nasty taste of overheated fat. Needless to say, there was nothing useful for gravy in the bottom of the pan. I have no clue as to how Kafka got that golden bird that is pictured on the cover of the book. Several friends insisted that I had done something wrong. Kafka couldn't be wrong. So they tried it. They too lived with smoky smelling houses for a couple of weeks.
Epilogue: After trying several other recipes in the book, with similar results, the book has been relegated to the "ash heap" section of the bookcase. It only awaits an encounter with the appropriate PITA so that it can be gift wrapped and presented with an evil grin.
Thanks fifi. If something as simple as that really worked it wouldn’t be a recent discovery. Suppose the Washington Post is shilling for Safeway? Say it isn’t so!
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I stumbled across ANOTHER turkey roasting technique. I’m a guest this year so won’t have an opportunity to try this.
It’s a high heat technique, fine tuned.
It appears Safeway perfected this technique. They claim you can roast a 10-22 pound turkey to perfection in 2 hours or less.
Roast in a 475°F preheated oven until the meat reaches 160°F
Let rest 30-45 minutes.
The detailed directions appear to be available only from a Safeway store (for obvious reasons).
This is the Washington Post article. You may have to register to access it, but it’s free.
I am a guest this year so won’t have an opportunity to try it. I’ll bet one or more of you will be curious enough to try it and report.
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I laughed 'till I cried. That is, until I realized I AM him. click
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This is a thread for you to post about your favorite local butcher. Pics, stories, memorable meals, whatever.
I go with Rudolf’s, in downtown Dallas.
I happened across them completely by accident shortly after I moved here, and have been a loyal fan ever since. You get a warm greeting every time you go in. I went there yesterday to by a Porterhouse for a fiorentina (see link in my sig) cookout.
They also sell three varieties of Italian sausage: sweet, hot, and just “Italian” which I think is the best. All are sold in one long coil as opposed to separate links.
Fourth of July just wouldn’t be Fourth of July without Rudolf’s hot dogs, done in the old school fashion and attached to each other:
More Rudolf’s goodness:
So what’s your favorite local butcher?
I like Hamm's Custom Meats in McKinney.
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On addition to "normal" roasting methods I've tried Alton Browns Mighty Duck method with good results.
My only disappointment was losing the rendered fat. I might have been able to chill the liquid and pick the solidified fat cap off.
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<snip>
Still, $2.95 per pound isn't much more than I pay for locally-sourced stuff, so unless the S&H is absolutely outrageous, it won't be a big sacrifice to try the stuff available through the link provided by dls above (thank you, btw
). <snip>=R=
Have yourself a good cry. In the spring and early summer brisket here (Dallas, TX) can be found on sale for 89-cents to $1.19/pound. We load up, freeze several and use them throughout the BBQ season. Smoke 'em low and slow, invite your friends (who MUST bring the beer), and enjoy.
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The latest issue of Cigar Afficionado magazine has an interesting article on the
"Kentucky Bourbon Trail". Sorry, the text of the article isn't available online but worth the read anyway.
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What you show there is a vacuum dessicator. It is available from scientific supply houses such as Fisher, Cole Palmer etc. The one shown is plastic, which I recommend. There also come in glass, but those are much more expensive.
Basically it is a vacuum chamber. The lower the atmospheric pressure, the faster water evaporates.
Dehydrators work by gently blowing hot air. A vacuum desicator does not need the heat so it is great for drying things that you want to do qucikly, or you don't want to heat.
In the case of the french fry example fromt the Fat Duck , the fries are already hot, but a vacuum will cause them to lose water even faster then they would at normal atmostpheric pressure.
You need a vacuum pump also - the one in the photo is a very fancy Buchi vacuum pump. A cheaper approach is a water aspirator, or an aspirator style vacuum pump. You need a vacuum pump that will tolerate water vapor.
BRAINSTORM!!! I've used venturi pumps for many years to empty my waterbeds. I don't know how much vacuum it will pull but it will suck the meat from your hand with enough force to be easily felt and seen. They're inexpensive and may be worth a try. You'd have to have a "container" for your product that has a female hose connection to attach the hose. Also, I don't know how well the venturi pump would work if the hose isn't primed. Just a thought.
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Weber has a pretty complete treatment of pork butts. Naturally, it revolves around using the Weber Smoky Mountain (Weber Bullet) charcoal smoker but the information isn't restricted to using their smoker. There is a lot of useful information on selection and preparation.
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I really like my Yama. I like my French press too but the Yama doesn't leave sediment. Vacuum, press, or drip, it mostly depends on grind and water temp and time of contact. At least that's the way it seems to me.
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This works great for opening up beef bones to expose the marrow.
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Anchor Steam "Pale Ale"
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I’ve used syringes purchased from a farm & ranch supply store. I bought the largest bore size needle available but found it was still a little small if I wanted to inject some particulate matter along with the liquid. Doing a little searching turned up this. It looks like it’s designed to do the job. I also like the fact it holds 4 oz. Has anyone used this design to good effect?
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This was, and still is, one of my favorites. The origin is lost to me. It's been many, many years since I ran across this. It was probably from a newspaper but it hit me just right. I like, too, that I can get all the ingredients ready, refrigerate it, and build the sandwiches at the last minute.
NORDIC POCKET SANDWICH
1 large eggplant, cubed
2 cloves garlic, mashed
½ lb. mushrooms, quartered
2 green peppers, diced
olive oil
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped
3 medium onions, diced
1 pkg. (1 doz.) Arab pocket bread
2-3¾ oz. cans sardines in tomato sauce
½ pint sour cream
1½ c. grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, sauté eggplant and mushrooms separately in hot oil until almost tender. Sauté remaining vegetables together until almost tender.
Mix all vegetables in 13x9x2-inch baking dish with parsley, tomato sauce and seasonings.
Bake in 350°F oven 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are tender and liquid is almost absorbed. Cool. Chill in covered refrigerator containers.
At picnic site, split pocket bread along 1 side and spoon in about ½ cup vegetable mixture. Add 3 or 4 sardines, 1 spoonful sour cream and some grated cheese. Eat out of hand. Serves 12.
Note: Hot dog buns, toasted, can be substituted for pocket bread. Or, crusty Italian or French bread, heated and sliced, works well.
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I am going to make hamburgers!
I am also first the first time going to grind them myself, so my first couple questions are what kind of beef to use and what is the best way to grind them?
I have both a food processor and a meat grinder.
Kristin, I was extremely happy with the chuck roast I got from Whole Paycheck last week.
You don't by chance know how to say chuck roast in Japanese....?
I guess it is time to sit down and learn my cow parts, anyone know a good site?
There are quite a few sites with explanations of beef cuts but this one is pretty complete, with pictures of the cuts and explanations for each.
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This probably sounds a little "out there", but peanut butter and bacon sandwiches are absolutely delicious. Same with peanut butter and vidalia onion sandwiches.
Pickled Jalapeño's stuffed with peanut butter. Yum!
Also, peanut butter, banana, and potato chip sandwiches, sometimes with a drizzle of honey.
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...I don't see why you couldn't do this to a steak to give it some nice smokey flavor, but still leave it raw...
Yes, like bacon (America's favorite cold-smoked treat!).
Cold smoking adds flavor without cooking.
Although smoke is also purported to have some properties that inhibit bacteria and help to preserve and lenghten the useful life of products, it's primary contribution is flavor.
Cold smoking is usually done at the lowest temperature possible and much lower than 175 (say about 75).
Hot smoking, for which 175 degrees would be an appropriate temperature, not only adds flavoring, but also effectively cooks the food. From what I have been told, meat absorbs smoke flavor best when it is raw and therefore you can get more intense smoke flavor with cold smoking. This is not to say this is a reason to choose one method over the other, since the method is primarily dependent on the food and the application, but it could help explain why you might want to cold smoke the steak before cooking it.
That's reminiscent of Alton Brown's episode Scrap Iron Chef's Bacon when he used three steel lockers to make a cold smoker. One contained the smoke source, the middle one piped the smoke and cooled it and the third one was where the pork belly was hung. I suppose the only way you could actually see the setup is to buy the CD with that episode on it. The whole thing was a little off-the-wall but interesting nonetheless.
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For this cut of meat I like to do the wrap in aluminum foil and cook for a very long time at a low temperature in the oven.
I don't use the onion soup mix, but do season the meat well. I place it on a layer of carrots and celery, then cover the meat with a mound of sliced onions, thinly sliced garlic, sliced mushrooms and drizzle with a little olive oil.
I wrap it tightly in heavy foil, then wrap it a second time, place it in a shallow baking dish or sheet pan and put it in the oven at 225 for at least 3 hours, if it goes longer, no problem.
Usually at this point is is litterly falling apart and I simply boil new potatoes, split them in half and slide the entire contents of the foil, including the juices, on top of the potatoes on a platter.
That sounds very much like Alton Brown's method as shown on his A Chuck for Chuck episode.
Yumm!
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I'm not a hard-core ice cream fan but I DO like their Mango. It seems to have little overrun, which gives it a creamy mouthfeel. It also makes a nice component of more complex desserts.
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If you're feeling adventurous you can always smoke your own! This link also has a nice background on chipotles.
Edited to correct spelling error.
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Without doing any comparisons I like the Best of the Best series. Louisiana and Louisiana II can be found here. The Best of the Best series is made up from recipes taken from church groups, organization cookbooks, etc.
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I've been asked to add this chili recipe. It was in the eGullet Recipe Database but I guess that's not yet back up and running.
Enjoy.
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Work In Progress Chili
I've tried numerous "championship" chili recipes but have found none to compare with this one (which I've modified a thousand times!).Competition chili isn’t made for eating but for pleasing the judges. They judge based on color, taste, aftertaste (bite), texture, and aroma. You gotta please THEM, not yourself. Successful competitors do not add beer (bitter) and judges don’t seem to like the taste of masa harina.
2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into bite size pieces (cut as you prefer, but re-heating will break down the meat so it is usually better to start with fairly large chunks). Remove all connective tissue.
All quantities are “to taste”
3 Tbsp. "pure" chili powder, not the supermarket variety.
1 tsp. freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper (to taste)
4 tsp. hot or sweet Hungarian or Spanish paprika
½ to 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper (to taste)
2 tsp. toasted cumin seeds
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground Mexican oregano
Beef stock as needed
1 tsp. MSG (Accent, optional)
1-8 oz. can Hunts tomato sauce, 10 oz. can Old El Paso Green Chili Tomatoes or Ro*Tel tomatoes (your choice)
1 to 2 tsp. salt (to taste)
½ tsp. sugar (counteracts the tomato's acidic bite)
Mexican bitter chocolate (Not too much! It should NOT taste like chocolate.)
Optional:
½ to 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. ground coriander OR ½ tsp. cilantro leaves, minced
1. Brown meat and drain, reserving some of the juices; set aside.
2. Thoroughly mix next 10 ingredients (dry spices) together.
3. Add dry spices to meat and blend well.
4. Caramelize the onion, add garlic, sauté. Add to meat and blend.
5. Add liquid ingredients (tomatoes, water, beef stock (and beer if you prefer). 1-2 cups should be sufficient. Combine thoroughly.
6. Add chocolate.
7. Return meat to a simmer for about 2 hours or until almost done. Let cool then refrigerate overnight.
8. Remove the fat cap then reheat. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You can thicken with regular flour or masa harina (corn flour used to make tortillas). Masa harina will give a decidedly corn taste to the chili. Try it to see if you like it. I do. A couple of tablespoons should be sufficient, but the chili will self-thicken over time.
Notes: Chop more onion and serve on the side. Onions tend to lose their flavor when simmered for extended periods. Grated Cheddar cheese and chopped cilantro may also be served on the side. You can even serve beans on the side. I don’t!!!
If you use beer as part of the cooking liquid, use QUALITY beer, preferably a good Mexican import. Dos Equis, Bohemia, or Negra Modelo might be called for here. Grind all herbs in a mortar or spice grinder, if possible, to release the essential oils and to help them blend into the final product.
Copyright © 1972-2005 Robert Bowen. May be disseminated with proper credit.
Chili – Cook-Off 15
in Cooking
Posted
Ah, Menudo. For the morning after the night before!!!