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Shel_B

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Everything posted by Shel_B

  1. I've never used beef cheeks, and I don't cook beef except very rarely, although I like beef quite a bit. I'm planning to make peposo for the first time and have been thinking about the cut of meat I want to use. Beef cheeks came up while reviewing some recipes, albeit not in the context of peposo. I've heard that cheeks are very flavorful, and also that they are quite tough and need a very long braise. Might they be a good choice for peposo? Would the braise required be too long considering wine as the braising liquid? I'm a little out of my element working with beef, so any suggestions would be welcome, although there's no need to spend much time on the various cuts of chuck, which I have worked with. Thanks!
  2. I've had the Smart Oven since 2017-18, and apart from the fan for the convection going out, it's given me good service. I've never checked the oven temp. I just set it for the temp/time called for and the results have been pretty close to spot on. Just small adjustments here and there as with any oven.
  3. Shel_B

    Cabbage

    There are some West Coast growers although I don't know what their area for shipping is. It may be available only seasonally, but my info on that is mixed. https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/joan-didion-potato-masher-sesame-oil-gas-stoves/market-report-conehead-cabbage (Scroll down to the last item of the podcast)
  4. Thanks again to all who jumped in. I found the A-Sha website and was very pleased with the variety and price of their noodles/sauces. There are already some items in my cart.
  5. @Annie_H Thanks so much. I'll also look for the A-Sha noodles.
  6. Has anyone tried them? What are your thoughts? https://shop.momofuku.com/collections/noodle-bundles
  7. That's pretty much what I've concluded as well. Thanks for jumping in.
  8. A follow-up to my original post. I didn't mention that I used pre-packaged supermarket pork, a product I've neither purchased nor used before. Some people have said that the quality of such products may be less than ideal. I didn't think anything about that when I made the purchase, as I just wanted some convenient pork. I've since bought some pork from one of the two local butchers I use and the results were superior, much more in line with what I wanted and expected. From now on, I'll stick to my trusted butchers where I can get the cuts that I want ground, and packaged, to my specifications.
  9. Shel_B

    Brûléed Mustard

    No, and I've found little more than the original mention of the technique <shrug>
  10. I've also enjoyed those, although made in the Breville countertop oven.
  11. I've not seen Kenji's post or video. I'll look for it ... thanks. The harder bits felt more like gristle .... hmm, hadn't thought about gristle before. If it was indeed gristle, then the problem wouldn't be solved by long cooking as the gristle doesn't break down, right?
  12. The idea of using the IPot for making a ragu has been on my mind. Pleased to know it's possible and to get a ballpark idea for cooking times. How do you deal with the lack of evaporation when using the IPot?
  13. A little background: I've been experimenting with Bolognese over the past few months. I came late to the party. The first few ragús that I made were done with 100% beef, apart from a relatively small amount of pancetta in the soffritto. After four hours of cooking, the results were smooth and silken. The most recent batch included ground pork in the meat selection, and after a four-hour cooking process, I discovered some harder and chewier bits in the ragú. Very disappointing, especially so since additional cooking time did nothing to reduce or eliminate this failure. So, a few questions: Does ground pork require any different cooking techniques compared to beef? Might a finer or coarser grind of the pork affect its texture and mouth feel after prolonged cooking? What might a fine pork mince do to the texture compared to ground pork? Do different breeds of pig produce different textural results? Are there any preferred breeds for use in Bolognese? Are there any preferred cuts of pork to use in the ragú? I've heard that shoulder is a good choice. What is the approximate fat content for a package of typical supermarket ground pork? I believe the pkg I bought said the fat content was 20%. Pre-packaged ground pork contains meat and fat from various parts of the pig, yes?
  14. I've not seen that in my area. I'd like to try it as I'm starting to explore the flavor profiles of Indian food.
  15. Shel_B

    Brûléed Mustard

    Thanks for checking. Do you know which chef made the mustard?
  16. Shel_B

    Brûléed Mustard

    I can't help you as I'm trying to find a recipe or technique for doing this. My experiments are just that, and I have not as yet reached any conclusions.
  17. Some useful and thought-provoking comments ... thanks!
  18. Shel_B

    Brûléed Mustard

    Thank you for taking the time to search. I found that information and tried to load the video on Amazon. I received a message that the video isn't available in my area. Your post led me to other ideas to explore. However, I did learn that the mustard used was a "spicy brown" variety. I've been playing with a couple of Dijons, and while my results were OK, using the spicy brown mustard is certainly worth a try. My initial experiments used Turbinado sugar, which I'll use with the spicy brown mustard, and I'll also try Demerara sugar which, it seems, is sometimes recommended for a brûlée. I also want to try toasting the sugar, something I've done with white sugar which gave good results in the simple desserts I made with it. My "experiments" consisted of mixing different percentages of sugar into the Dijon mustard..
  19. I've heard of brûléed mustard, and have searched online to learn more about it, but have come up with no recipes or techniques and very few references. Has anyone done this, or can I get a pointer to a recipe or technique? I'd like to know more about it. Thanks!
  20. I agree about the ragu. I've been playing around with some ideas and techniques over the last few months. Recently, I heard about sheets for lasagna. I'm looking into them. I believe ATK mentioned no boil noodles.
  21. Thanks. I'm familiar with Pasta Grammar and it was their recipe that motivated me in the direction of a Neapolitan lasagna. I was wondering how I'd do some test batches and your idea of making a small one sounds great. There are plenty of smaller Corningware dishes here that would lend themselves to your suggestion.
  22. Hi, guys ... I'm toying with the idea of making a Neapolitan-type lasagna for dinner with a few friends later in the year. I am saying type because it doesn't have to be completely traditional. I've never made this before and I want to allow some time to make one or two as a learning experience. What recipe ideas can you suggest? I don't necessarily need specific recipes, but one or two that have worked well might be useful. Tips, tricks, and techniques would be welcome.
  23. Shel_B

    Dinner 2024

    Fregola Pasta e Ceci with some nice Cherry Tomatoes
  24. My Dinner With Andre has always been a favorite, as has Diner (He ate the whole left side of the menu). White Palace has some memorable moments as well.
  25. Shel_B

    Lunch 2024

    Excellent, on all points!
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