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docdix

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Everything posted by docdix

  1. How to Cook Meat Christopher Schlesinger
  2. docdix

    Paper towel as filter

    There are dozens of chemicals used in paper towel manufacturing. whether or not any residue is left behind is another question but why risk it? For wine, why not a small fine sieve strainer and for broth I use a few layers of cotton on a sieve. I don't think paper towels are particularly dangerous or a health hazard but it was not meant to be used to filter food or beverage and food items.
  3. For fun, we bought a Lello 1 quart ice cream maker from amazon about 3 years ago.We have had fun making granita, ice cream etc... it has served us well and has never disappointed. One tip though, when making ice cream it is best to chill (not freeze) all the ingredients you are going to add, that way it doesn't have a hard time freezing the mix. I would also buy extra quart containers so we can make several batches at a time.
  4. That is an exciting project. I have a Masterbuilt and am quite happy with it. The reason why i chose this was because the Bradley required you to get their proprietary wood chip cakes and I don't have access to that where i live. The Mastebuilt allows you to use any wood chip BUT, it seems to work better if the chips are very small pieces or splinters. My only complaint about the MB is that the temp can shoot up passed what you desire so I tend to set the temp lower than my desired objective. Also, something I may not be able to do with a Bradley is to use my MB to cold smoke salmon by attaching a separate smoke box via the wood chip loader on the side using a flexible clothes-dryer duct hose. It's a simple modification and it has worked. The advantage of the Bradley is that you do not have to check the wood to see if it is still generating smoke as it automatically loads it for you. But heck, that is part of enjoying the smoking process right... to see it happening! Hope you are successful in your project.
  5. docdix

    Storage of Tokaji Wine

    Hi, It is best to store the bottle in a temp controlled environment like a wine chiller then put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before serving. Storing it in the fridge for more than 2 months may make the cork contract and affect the wine itself. What I do when I am anticipating opening any good bottle of wine which I know I won't get to finish is to get an empty screw capped glass bottle (Pelegrino/Evian or similar 300-500ml size) and transfer some of the wine into it. Fill it up to the brim and screw it closed and stick it in the fridge... that will keep for up to a week or two as long as there is no air between the wine and the screw cap. The Tokaji is not like port and you cannot leave that in the bottle. The reason for port's longevity is from it's alcohol content 20% for port versus Tokaji 10%. Port is a fortified wine whereas Tokaji is not. Enjoy!
  6. docdix

    Pickled Pig's Feet

    Here in the Philippines, we boil the pigs ears, feet and face, we pickle them in a mix of vinegar, soy sauce onions and minced chilli peppers then have this as a snack with beer or distilled spirits. Fantastic!
  7. That's a great idea... there is one at Serendra too. While these are only open on weekend mornings, you can get fairly good regional street food which you may not otherwise find in the resto's.
  8. If my previous reply is confusing here is a more orderly one: Appetizers: Chicharon Bulaklak, Bituka, Sisig or Fish Kinilaw/kilawin, or all three + Beer Veggies; Fresh Lumpiang ubod (palm heart in a egg-based wrapper) served with sweet sauce, garlic and crushed peanuts. Meat/Poultry: Bicol Express, Lechon, Binagoongan (pork belly simmered in shrimp paste), Bulalo, Kare Kare (Tripe and ox tail and veggies braised in a peanut based sauce served with shrimp paste), lechon kawali or bagnet Seafood: Adobong pusit (squid sauteed in it's ink), Any fresh steamed fish especially in Chinese resto's try the steamed grouper or fresh jumping shrimp, Grilled Tuna panga (Tuna jaw/mouth), fresh prawns and red crabs (the best place for this isThe Red Crab resto) Sweet: fried sweet potato with caramelized sugar, turon saging at langka (fried banana roles with a slice of jackfruit inside) top it with Vanilla Ice cream!, Taho (bean curd with caramel syrup and tapioca balls), Be daring! Good luck
  9. Street food here is more of fried skewered food like what you find in Hong-Kong. Fishballs, squidballs, quail-eggs, chicken intestines.It probably isn't a good time as it is so warm and humid now. Forget the lumpia, pancit or adobo: IMHO, the place for "street food" would be in China town. I know this may sound like an off recommendation since this is not Filipino but it is a must. Find a parking lot and walk around China town starting at 5:30pm because it is cooler. If lunch is more your fancy, then do so. Go to Eng Bee Tin Chinese grocery for duck liver sausage (in packs which will have to be sauteed) There are many hole-in the-wall places that serve food ranging from turtle soup and steamed uterus (called bituka) dipped in sweet/spicy sauce to dumplings and sea food to roasts and tons of noodle houses. If Filipino fare is more to your liking, good food can be had at any of a dozen or so malls within the Manila area. Resto's like Cabalen, Mangan or the more upscale Centro. I personally like the following dishes: Bicol Express (pork lardons/chili peppers and cooked in coconut milk) or the more hearty Bulalo (beef bone marrow and tendon soup). sauteed Bangus Belly (Milkfish belly). Try the Sisig (a dish of minced pork ears/face/liver/brain/onions and chili peppers served on a sizzling plate (served in most drinking places) or try the crunchy fried pork rinds or pork omentum called chicharon bulaklak (flower)... fantastic dipped in vinegar and chili pepper, many malls have carts that sell these and most Filipino beer houses like Dencio's or Katip's will have this on the menu. Please do not leave without trying the whole roasted pig we call LECHON, this is a MUST NOT MISS and I prefer the suckling pig. A variant of this is called Prichon (bite-sized lechon wrapped in small tortilla patties with a sprig of spring onion and sweet sauce). If you like seafood look for Kilawin or kinilaw (raw marlin/tuna) pickled/cooked in vinegar and chili peppers and/or Tuna Panga (Tuna jaw/mouth) grilled! One final tip: break up my recommendations into different meals as they are very rich and forget wine, beer is the perfect match with most of these foods. I know you said the place is not up to you but if by chance you get asked where at least you may have a few ideas. Good luck
  10. docdix

    Undercured bacon?

    hi, my 2 cents: I have used Ruhlman's recipe with excellent results. I mix all the ingredients together and dredge the slab on all sides then slightly shaking off any clumpy excess. if any I had even reduced the amount of recommended pink salt by half and still do get an excellent pink finish. It takes me about 6 days to a week to cure a 2.5 inch/1.5kg slab. it rests in a container that has about a 1cm space all around the meat so the level of fluid is always high. It is then overhauled ever other day. I agree, the feel is like a well done steak. Sometimes I add muscovado (dark brown raw) sugar to make it slightly sweeter s we have no maple syrup here. I am sure your next batches will be more successful! Go for it.
  11. Hi, Go to open library, this link: http://openlibrary.org/books/OL6064948M/How_to_cook_and_eat_in_Chinese/daisy then click on the "Download Daisy Zip". After the zip file downloads, you will see a number of files. Open the file that says "howtocookeatinch00cha0_daisy.xml" with a browser (either Safari or IE or Chrome) from there, you can cut and paste the entire file into a word processor. It won't be the prettiest recipe book but it will be readable. Good luck
  12. I meant Pernod AND Brandy are the two that I have tried. It might be interesting to try some port.
  13. my ten cents: Red: Burgundy or Pinot Noir White: Pinot Gris, Brut Cava/sparkling, kabinett riesling and when all else fails a chardonnay is classic pairing
  14. This too: and chck out the book... highly recommend it! http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292472473&sr=8-1
  15. It looks like the brining time is a little long. I follow the recipe of Polcyn and Ruhlman in their Charcuterie book and so far I haven't had any misses so far. I am sure the quality of the brisket matters but even an inexpensive cut will do. The recipe brines the brisket incorporating the herbs in the brine and uses some pink salt instead of saltpeter. Meat should be completely submerged and cooked for about 4-6 hours under very low fire with the liquid hardly bubbling. After the 3rd of 4th hour stick a fork into the meat and if you can twist the fork with little effort with the meat going apart, then it's done. the thing is you have to check and make sure that the brisket is always completely submerged in water, adding throughout the process as necessary. here's the topic list: http://egullet.org/charcuterieindex
  16. ARGHHH I just ordered it shipped overseas! Kicking myself on the behind! Thanks for the info Chris, maybe it will serve as a nice bookend!
  17. If by optimal consumption you mean shelf life well I have some which have been in the fridge for a few months but the last time we tried some they were a little too ammonia-tasting but still edible. However if by optimal you mean optimal taste and freshness My recommendation would be to consume them within a few weeks after purchase. I believe the quality of eggs also matter... that is, buying reputable brand. Hope this helps Cheers
  18. they are sharp but I would not use it for cutting when there is a chance of hitting any bone or cartilage.Since it is very hard too, it will not take to bending. I use my kyocera for sashimi or carving tender boneless roasts only. Incidentally, it was only given as a present but I have always had reservations about buying them for my own.
  19. docdix

    Thanksgiving Day Wines

    The Guigal CDR is also good drink $15-$20
  20. docdix

    Thanksgiving Day Wines

    I was under the impression that you wanted to limit it to american-made wines. I always go for a Trimbach or Gustav Lorentz for inexpensive Rieslings if it's Alsatian you want or Dr. Loosen, if German is okay with you. A Gewurtz might work too.
  21. docdix

    Thanksgiving Day Wines

    for 10-20 dollars an 08 Mark west pinot will go well with the turkey. so would a unwooded chardonnay.
  22. Forgive my ignorance but there was a time when I was told that aluminum reacts with food that is cooked in it and gives off some kind of chemical that is not good for you? I actually have shunned aluminum cookware ever since. Is there any truth to this especially since if used as a dutch oven, you tend to use them for very long periods of time? Thanks
  23. from what you are saying, the question is what should you exclude.
  24. Not really because for brine to diffuse into the meat it has to be in a cold environment. If you add salt during sous vide it isn't brining and only the surface really gets affected. Placing salt for 6 hours during this time might make the outer layers of the meat salty without doing much to the inner layers. Brining penetrates the meat affects both texture as it hastens cell breakdown of the meat inside whereas marinating only basically affects flavor at a shallower level. Marinating after cooking is pointless unless you mean glazing the food in which case you will taste the surface glaze and this may not be all that bad as ribs are rather thin anyway.
  25. docdix

    Popeyes

    Popeye's closed in Manila years back, much to my regret. But our local KFC has a hot and crispy style that sort of takes after Popey's spicy chicken so that's what I get when I have the craving. I was so happy to get some Popeye's while passing through Atlanta's jackson airport last April, actually it was a feast for my five kids who just love it!
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