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&roid

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  1. The Guardian have just released a companion app for their Feast supplement (weekly magazine that comes with the Saturday paper). https://www.theguardian.com/help/insideguardian/2024/apr/17/introducing-the-feast-app

     

    I've only had a brief look at it but it seems really nicely designed and has a few handy features like the ability to save notes for recipes and a cook along feature that keeps the screen live with easy step by step instructions.  It also has in-app conversions for US measurements/temperatures if you're so inclined.

     

    The main draw for me is the recipe quality is really good, I love sitting down with my Saturday morning coffee and picking out a dish or two for our weekly menu.

     

    It's subscription based but at £29 a year it feels a decent deal.  Six month free trial too.

     

    Example recipe which we had for dinner tonight was the chipotle chicken and black-eyed bean salsa from here

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  2. I had a wolf five burner cooktop for some years then upgraded to the 4+grill rangetop in 2018. 
     

    the rangetop is a big step up in terms of cooking power and feels a lot more robust. The knobs on my cooktop broke after a few years and with the way they’re designed would need replacing quite often. Having said that, the knobs on the rangetop aren’t perfect either - the one for the burner I use most has started to develop a bit of drift which is annoying. 
     

    Overall I’d get one again as they cook really well and look great. the range of power available on the burners is phenomenal - can go from directly melting chocolate (no double boiler) to a nuclear sear on the same ring. 
     

    I don’t think I’d bother with the grill though - I was so excited to have one of these, thought I’d cook on it all the time but the truth is I use it less and less. It’s probably been a year since it was last lit. The issues with it are that its heat is really uneven, it cremates some parts while others are barely touched and it’s really messy and unpleasant once you’ve used it. I even bought grill grates for it a bit ago. I want to love it but the truth is it’s nowhere near an outdoor gas grill. Given my time over I’d try the plancha instead. 
     

    if you want any pics or have any specific questions I’d be happy to help. 

  3. 1 hour ago, Slim W said:

     

     

     

    Chris Young has some interesting videos about this subject and others.  I have used lower temperatures now successfully on steaks, crispy skinned fish etc. I haven't tried it with burgers, but don't see why the theory would be any different?

     

    I was going to post exactly this. I’ve been amazed with the results of this technique - makes a massive difference to the smoke production. 

  4. On 4/12/2024 at 9:29 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

    The Perfect asparagus with garlic and salted olive oil from Dining In. Is it overhyped? Probably. Unexpectedly fussy? For sure. Peeling and blanching asparagus before dirtying a pan to make an olive oil / garlic / Aleppo pepper drizzle... it's a fairly big production for a side dish.

     

    I used way less than the 1/4 cup of olive oil it calls for (a few tablespoons was enough) and the drizzle in a pan to which I added the asparagus so I could coat it well, rather than making it in a small saucepan as described in the book.

     

    This was a nice accompaniment for steak, but not something I will likely make again any time soon. I liked her roasted broccolini much better! :)

     

     

    Perfect asparagus with garlic and salted olive oil

     

    Perfect asparagus with garlic and salted olive oil (Alison Roman)


    They do look good though! I reckon you could trim the prep down and have  an even better dish by skipping the peeling stage and simply microwaving them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.
     

    This is probably my favourite way of dealing with asparagus as it gives beautiful bright green spears, with none of the flavour leached out into the boiling water. It’s easy to get doneness just right too. 

  5. Beef cheeks are one of my favourite cuts and would make a great peposo. They make for a nice neat presentation too with a lot less waste than short ribs (when properly trimmed). 

     

    The main thing to bear in mind with them is that they need a lot of cooking to make sure you render out all the collagen. You want them to be fully probe tender before serving. Once you get to that point, reducing some of the cooking liquid and glazing them up is great. 

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  6. This sounds like a fun trip
     

    Lasagne is a go to of ours for feeding groups, super easy to make the ragu ahead of time, even assemble the whole thing. then you’re only half an hour away from eating. 
     

    Curry would be another - maybe a meat dish and a chickpea one with a salad. Very easy to scale up. 
     

    Last suggestion would be a slow roast lamb shoulder or two. 5-6 hours of unattended cooking will make the backbone of a great meal. 

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  7. We’ll be staying in soho but will be in most places south of the park during our stay. 
     

    I love Neapolitan and New York style pizzas so if there are any truly great options there I’d be delighted. Also any great Detroit style options we should look at for a bit of variety?

  8. On 2/20/2024 at 6:20 PM, dcarch said:

    So, adding batteries to kitchen appliances to tie into the grid? good luck finding a repair person if some thing goes wrong.


    I know what you mean but I’m sure there were plenty of horsemen and coach drivers who said similar about internal combustion engines, “pah! These new fangled cars will never take off. Who would even fix them!”

     

    it feels almost inevitable that we’ll all have cheap, scalable power storage in our homes.


    Whether these guys and this idea works out, who knows. But a current lack of repairmen isn’t the issue. 

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  9. You can but catering packs like this, they don’t work out much cheaper (if at all) than regular supermarket 280g packs but less waste

     

    https://www.marcoalimentari.com/online-store/PHILADELPHIA-CREAM-CHEESE-1-65kg-p131478726?gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9eyd58RLmnVtgs5nsGZVq5CqZiKGSjDSPcGf-gM5f5x2biNmm1s3eZxoCsfIQAvD_BwE

     

    Costco might well sell larger amounts, will have a look next time I’m in there 

  10. Farro is great. Makes a brilliant filling for a nice squash like a delicata. Cook the grains first with some stock and aromatic veg then stuff the squash and roast - I like it topped with cheese such as talleggio or a soft blue. 

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  11. 34 minutes ago, scott123 said:

    Two words. Peking Duck. The lower temp drying process they do for Peking Duck is, imo, the secret to super crispy and tender poultry skin with meat that hasn't been overcooked.

    My process is always evolving (and probably always will), but right now, I'm closest to the approach @Dave the Cook uses.  I start the wings in the oven at about 200 and then cycle the oven on and off for about an hour, making sure the internal wing temp stays below 135. Obviously, since the wings start at fridge temp, I can give them more heat at the beginning than the end. It's effectively a dry sous vide.  I use an infrared thermometer and make sure the outside doesn't exceed about 140.  The oven is typically off way more than it's on. It's a similar approach to the one I use to proof dough, but a bit warmer. If you make wings enough times, and stick to about the same quantity, you can dial in the drying process so it doesn't require constant attention.

     

    After that I'll either deep fry them or bake them in a 500 degree oven.

     

    This gives me the crispness that I'm looking for, but, the skin likes to stick to the bone joints, which I'd like to avoid. I also get slightly different results between the wingettes and the drumettes, so I might end up cooking them separately for the final cook.

    I've done 200 degree oil for 1 hour, and those were very similar, but, because the wings released so much of their juices, you have to toss the oil on the first 200 degree cook and start with fresh oil for the final fry.  Once you've dialed in the process, an oven achieves the first cook exponentially easier and without the cost of the oil.


    Interesting @scott123, I’ve often done the confit method so would like to give this dry process a go. 
     

    I’ve got a combustion inc thermometer, am thinking if I can find a reliable enough way of inserting it into a wing I can recreate this process. Might be stretching it a bit with the size of a chicken wing but will give it a go next time. 
     

    For those unfamiliar with the CPT, it gives a really accurate of view of internal, surface and ambient temps using eight different sensors in a single probe. 

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  12. So many variables at play here. will try and give some thoughts on my experience so far. 
     

    I’ve had a kamado joe big joe for years now. They are truly great bits of kit. Versatile, very well made and can turn out brilliant food. Buy a fan controller like a ThermoWorks billows or a fireboard and you can keep smoking temperatures for 12+ hours with ease. 
     

    I’ve recently joined @rotuts pellet grill club, bought a Yoder 640s on eBay a month or so ago. They are amazing cookers and have a few big pluses over charcoal options - the ease of use, consistency and capacity are impossible to match with a kamado. I recently did a summer party for forty people and it was a doddle - two whole pork butts, a packer brisket and a plate of beef ribs, all at the same time with no drama. 
     

    The Yoder has the ability to do direct heat cooking but don’t let anyone tell you it’s as good as charcoal. If this type of cooking is more important to you, and you only have space for one device I’d have to go with a kamado. But if you’re more about smoking and want to turn out bigger quantities a pellet grill would be perfect. 
     

    Either way, buy the biggest and best you can possibly get - a Yoder is more expensive than a traeger but is 100% worth the difference. I’d happily get a used 640 over a brand new traeger, you’ll never be replacing it. 
     

    As to your question about adding pellets to a charcoal cooker, you can, but I’m not sure you would. Chunks of actual wood are the way to go here, you want different flavour, you add different wood. 
     

    Ultimately, there isn’t a single right answer to this question- Tell us a bit more about what you want to use it for and I’m sure we can help you spend some money!

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  13. What a great day - everyone loves the Yoder! By far the best food I’ve turned out at this event. 
     

    The pork butts were really good - made me realise how little difference the rub actually makes though, they were practically identical despite having very different ribs pre-cooking. 
     

    Brisket was okay - great flavour but had dried up a little on the bottom. I’d done it on the bottom rack so I think it was a little close to the deflector plate. Not sure how to deal with this in future if doing a fully loaded cook?

     

    The absolute star of the show though were the beef ribs. They were also done on the bottom rack but the bones protected the meat perfectly. These were a bit of a last minute addition and had the simplest of rubs (just salt and pepper), but they were astonishingly good. Juicy, subtly smoky and so so tasty. 
     

    The Yoder was the real star though, being able to cook this much food with such ease is amazing. I’m so glad it’s previous owner decided he needed space for that pizza oven!

     

     

    IMG_7838.jpeg

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  14. Got a decent sleep and all looking good this morning. 
     

    pulled the ribs at around 530-6 as they were fully done. Wrapped in butcher paper and relaxing in a 140 oven while everything else finishes up. 
     

    pork butt 1 and brisket also finished now after a couple of hours wrapped so they’re resting too

     

    Just the final butt to do now, he’s still unwrapped as the bark needs a bit more work. Probably another hour or two I think. 
     

    What’s really interesting to me is how much difference there is between 200 and 225. I kind of knew there wasn’t a linear relationship of time to temp but the difference is stark - my brisket cooks at 200 have taken 20+ hours (including ramping the temp towards the end), this one was done in just over 12. 
     

    Pork butt 1:

    IMG_1163.thumb.jpeg.31e369a2b4fe0b6d5c9120450e0fc831.jpeg

     

     

     

    beef ribs:

    IMG_1157.thumb.jpeg.9f77a76c25d50b554d5915a4f43268af.jpeg

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  15. 2 hours ago, rotuts said:

    fantastic.   would you identify the pieces of meat


    so we have two whole butts, a plate of beef ribs (top middle of first pic) and a whole brisket (top left, first pic). Second pic is the brisket and third is the ribs. 
     

    2 hours ago, rotuts said:

    I'd love to know more cookng details

     

    Initial temp of the Yoder   temps you aim to,  then wrap 

     

    different timings , then the final unwrapping.


    The Yoder is set to 225, started at 7pm with a plan to wrap each piece when it gets to 175. So far (four hours in) the ribs seem to be flying so they might end up not being wrapped (ie I don’t want to get up at 3am!). 
     

    When each gets to final done point (200-205) they’ll be pulled off and snuggled in a blanket to rest. Once the last piece is done I’ll drop the Yoder to 150 and they can all rest in there till we’re ready to eat.
     

    Big gamble here as I’ve never tried it exactly like this before but we’ll see.

     

    Only two issues I foresee: 1 - something is fully done while I’m asleep and 2 - something takes forever and I keep people waiting. Will report back what happens!

     

    The beef will be wrapped in butcher paper, the pork will go into a foil tray with a bit of liquid. 
     

    Christmas Eve has nothing on this! 😂 

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  16. The “raw” meat pics were last night, everything got a dry rub and overnight uncovered in the fridge. 
     

    scale is a little difficult on pictures but this is a LOT of meat!

     

    Let’s see how it goes 😊

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  17. So… big weekend coming up. We’ve got about 35 people coming for our annual “summer” bbq. Quotation marks as the weather forecast is pretty abysmal - rain, maybe some lightning, plenty of wind… never mind, we’ll have fun. The house might suffer a bit more than normal but it’s all cleanable!

     

    On the menu we have, two whole pork butts (11lb each), a plate of beef ribs (about 7lb) and a whole grain-fed brisket (11-12lb).
     

    The Yoder is going to earn its keep here! They’re all going on overnight and will get wrapped as each hits the right point then pulled to rest once they get done. When they’re all done the Yoder will go down to 150 and they’ll rest until we’re ready to eat - hopefully just before I’ve had one too many cocktails. 
     

    Wish me luck!

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