Dave the Cook

Hell, they let me in wearing tennis shoes, a black fedora and a ladies' jacket.

See? I told you he knew what he was talking about.

In that case, go back to your original post. This is a good cut for slow cooking. I would only make two suggestions: add some spice and herbage, and maybe some garlic to the braising liquid; brown it on the stovetop rather than in the oven. Alternatively, you could do Nigella's Shoulder.

. . . or even Jiffy buttermilk biscuit mix . . .

Just out of curiosity, Suzanne, what's your floor made of? Some cleaning agents might not be too friendly to certain materials.

I just throw down more sawdust.

The gravy's prettier on the top, but more practical, and ultimately more satisfying, on the side.

Looks great, fifi. So: brine first, then the spice rub/mojo thing? BTW, 137 F is the magic number for pork -- not for doneness, but for killing trichinae (if you're worried about it).

Not much fat, and not much soluble connective tissue, so it's not really a good candidate for braising. Definitely brine it if you've got the time, then as tommy suggests (don't let him fool you, he knows what he's talking about). Don't overcook it.

That's not entirely true, Holly. You also have to have something for all the crispy bits to hang onto. Really folks, despite its prominence in the name, steak plays a supporting role in the dish.

OK, but then it relates back to just two things, I think: the type of bean, and the age of the bean. Is that right? With experience, we can handle the first. As for the second, we are at the mercy of processors and packagers. Weathering the curious glances of fellow shoppers, I spent some time (an amount, I suspect, that only an eGull would find reasonable) examining bean packages. Most of them did have expiration dates -- including quite a few outdated specimens at Whole Foods -- though they're not easy to find. The smallest (read: boutique) packagers had no dates. The imported brands had straightforward, "Best if used by - - - " nomenclature. The largest brands, meaning Goya and the store labels, used a simple code that employed the day of the year (1 through 365); then a character or two that might be the plant where they were packed, or might be a letter designation for a year; and finally, what was apparently the expiration year. (I have a real example, but I left it at home.) Actually, it's very similar to the code used on fresh eggs. It would be nice if we could simply buy the beans with the most distant expiry, but that depends on the policy of the packer. Beans that expire in January '05 sound good, unless the packer thinks that 18 months is a reasonable shelf life -- they would have been packed in June or July of '03. In that case, a bag of December 04's from a more perspicacious 12-month packer might be more pleasing.

Hmmm. fifi's observation, "typical uncoated iron on the top edge just like on the ovens." along with PoorLawyer's, might be a clue. According to LC, that's not uncoated iron (I thought it was, too). In the section of their site titled "Manufacturing Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron," they say: Maybe the inside of the grill is simply the ground coat without the finish coat?

fifi, I don't read that page as definitive regarding what, if anything, is inside the pan. What they say could easily apply only to the exterior (trust me, I make part of my living out of writing disingenuous and ambiguous crap like this). This is what confuses me: This sounds like seasoning. Since they don't call for seasoning of the rest of their stuff, and enamel is not porous (that's sort of the point of it, isn't it?), why do this, if you're not dealing with nekkid iron?

Welcome Fay Jai! What cut of pork is it -- loin, shoulder, or something else?

To be fair, or thorough, anyway, LC indicates that the interior of their grills and griddles do require seasoning. I assume this means that these items have raw iron interiors, though the site is not clear on this point.

As usual, Maggie, your example sets the bar formidably high. I do remember, however, a guy that used to work for me. Two weeks prior to V-day, he enlisted me in a search for a particular foodstuff he was certain his date would find irresistibly romantic. He also asked me to research classical prepartions for same. Alas, we came up short in our search, finding only preserved items no longer suitable for cooking. So he settled for tradition, and roasted her a chateaubriand with souffled potatoes. But as consolation: from the best specimen yielded by his original quest, he made a lovely centerpiece: a crystal jug, festooned with red and white gingham ribbons, containing a pig's heart in formaldehyde.

Maybe I'm dense. Would you explain your caveat, please, Paula?

I'm up for it. Of course, we need to know the pack date, too, or what the standard shelf life is.

I agree that undersalting at the stove results in oversalting at the table. I try to pay attention to salt at pretty much every stage, but I think its effects are most profound in the early stages, especially for starchy things. Rice, potatoes, polenta, pasta and beans don't taste the same if all the salt is added at the end.

Funny you should mention this. Just the other day, I snagged two pounds of pintos to go with some chili. I dumped out half of them to pick over, and as I tied up the remainder, I noticed the package was stamped with an expiration date of this summer. I couldn't remember having ever seen one on beans before, and I became concerned that I had missed it all these years. Happily, your story confirms: it's not me, it's the beans (a line I've used before, under other circumstances).

Only 40 to 50 percent of the white population, and 65 to 70% of the black population (I couldn't find numbers for other groups) are salt-sensitive. I'm not qualified to advise you on the crucial medical aspects of diet, but it might be worth your while to find out if you're really in the sensitive group.

Yes. Morton's is closer to the usual cube in shape (somewhat rougher, but mostly just larger, than standard table salt), whereas Diamond Crystal is formed in flakes. The practical difference is that, when measuring by volume, you get more Morton's in the measure than DC. Roughly: one teaspoon table salt = 1-1/2 teaspoons Morton's = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal

A variation on fifi's excellent basis: - Render some ground andouille in a little bit of oil. - Remove the andouile and saute your trinity in the fat until you get a little brown on it. - Push the trinity to the sides of the pan, letting the fat drain back to the center. Add four or five cloves of garlic, chopped, and a bit of cayenne. Saute until you can smell the garlic - about 30 seconds. - Deglaze the pan with chicken stock (low sodium canned is fine). Turn this mess into your bean pot, add your pork product and bay, along with some dried thyme. - Cook the beans as fifi recommends. I like the crockpot, too. - About a half-hour before the beans are done, brown some sliced andouille, kielbasa or other smoked sausage. Add it to the pot to finish cooking and tenderize. - I think it's Emeril who suggests extracting about a third of the cooked beans and running an immersion blender through them, then returning the puree to the pot. I've done it this way -- it gives you an extra-creamy finished product that you might like. Are Camellias the same as the guys labeled "small red beans"?

It's my understanding (and IIRC, it's what Mario says in the book) that Risotto Milanese is the traditional accompaniment to Osso Buco, but I agree that it's just too much. I prefer noodles or plain rice. (Also agreed on the garlic. Giving the peppers some thought.)

Why rely on your subjective observations? As long as you're there, tell them you want to check out scales, too.