amsci99

This apparent new technique for cooking steak purportedly pioneered by the Orange Group in Taiwan (owners of the Valentia Steakhouse and Cafe-Onion Restaurant) has been getting a lot of press on various food/lifestyle shows on Asian cable TV lately. Whilst these shows never explain the science behind the technique but credit it as stemming from molecular gastronomy, the technique is reported to involve passing a low frequency high voltage current into meat as it cures in a negatively charged freezer? (http://www.neofreeze.com/series4.html) which supposedly locks in 70% of the moisture and tenderises it. During the cooking process, electric current is introduced into the frying pan (crocodile clips in the pic) or into the oven (rail like protrusions in the convection oven from the video)which is claim to distribute heat, decreasing cooking time. Now, I've of electrosimulation or electro-tenderising used immediately following slaughter but this so called molecular gastronomy technique sounds like a lot of BS to me.

I thought that you would be the perfect person to other enquire about Hanbang herbs which are used in Korean cuisine. I am afraid other than siberian ginseng/korean ginseng, milk vetch and jujube, very little of the many varities of herbs are mentioned anywhere. Some years back, I watched a late night Korean food and entertainment program (from MBC) on the local food channel which featured the dish, 'Dak Doritang' and the chef included siberian ginseng, milk vetch and a bark like herb into the chicken broth. I never managed to figure what the herb was since the English subtitles referred to it as birch bark which is not a herb. Managed to track down the VOD but can't access it, http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/ent/delicious/vod/index.html?kind=image&progCode=1000826100176100000&pagesize=5&pagenum=33&cornerFlag=1&ContentTypeID=1 Nonetheless I had the opportunity to view the following program available from a Hong Kong cable channel TVB8, which I think featured the same bark like herb I am looking for. 리얼미식기행 the Chef http://www.qchannel.co.kr/thechef/main.asp The VOD has been taken off now but it's available for free for those located in the US & Canada (which excludes me) at http://www.dramafever.com/drama/1785/1/The_Chef/ I can't remember which episode, it may be either the 3 episodes on the Jiri Mountain or on the Midland National Highway. Nonetheless, in one of these episodes where the 3 chefs went to the mountains, they had free range chicken soup which was cooked with that hanbang herb I am looking for. Based on the substitles (which are often not accurate) I think it's either the bark of the Alder tree or bark of the Omija tree. I seek the assistance of korean speaking members on the forum to confirm this. My thanks and appreciation in advance.