Norm Matthews

I have made it with a small brisket in less time even without pink salt or Tender Quick or SV and the results were OK but the full cure without sodium nitrate or special equipment takes about two weeks. Ruhlman said that sometimes his method does not cure all the way through.

Just FYI, if anyone would like to make homemade corned beef for later this month, it's time to start now. I understand that corned beef isn't a traditional Irish dish but rather it is a meat that Americans often serve on St. Patricks Day.

Our dinner was pork loin riblets, potato cakes, green bean dill salad, cheese tortellini, and store bought walnut apple caramel pie.

In the US Canadian bacon is cured pork loin. I used tenderloin once. It was smaller in diameter and so took less time. Tastes like ham. Per pound of meat use 1 tablespoon Tenderquick plus brown sugar and onion powder, garlic, rosemary etc. Rub on, seal in plastic wrap and turn daily for 7 days per inch (measured to the center). Remove, rinse, soak in cold water 6 hours, smoke at 200-230 until internal temp is 150-160 for fully done. Use 1 Tbsp of it per Lb. of pork loin- plus any spice/herbs you may want to use. I think just garlic and onion is traditional. but honestly I am not sure there. Then you rub the meat, wrap and keep chilled for 7 days PER INCH DIAMETER to cure. If your loin is 3" across...that's 1.5" diameter. Allow an extra day or so for fat caps, which cure does not penetrate very well. I usually add 3 extra days. If you use the right amount of cure, you cannot overcure..ONLY under... 5T. QT 1T. onion powder 1T. garlic powder 1T paprika 1t. montreal steak seasoning one week per inch radius, soak in cold water 6 hours, dry out 1 or 2 days, smoke to 160º Before smoking, slice off end and fry, taste for salt and soak some more if needed. OK.. for a dry cure... which I recommend- use 1 Tbsp TQ per Lb of meat. You may add some garlic, onion, rosemary...whatever flavors you like to this. Curing time is 7 days per inch thickness... thickness being .5 times the total thickness as you are curing from both sides. And IMO... with the right amout of cure, you cannot OVER cure..only under...so add a couple days....patience is key. After the curing time, Slice off a chunk and fry it up before smoking and check for salt. if it's salty to you, soak in cold water for 6 hours... and try it again. repeat if necc... but prolly won't be. Then let rest loosely covered in the fridge to develop the "pellicle" or well..just let it dry a bit. Smoking it kinda personal in wood choice..I like apple, but hickory works. I will advise against mesquite for this,-it's too strong IMO, but whatever. Run your smoker in the 200-225 range. Bring it to an internal of 150-160 for a ready to eat lunchmeat/bacon, or 125-130 for a "must be cooked" version. The lower internal temp stuff tends to be mellower in flavor, but the texture is little different than the other.

I can clean my large rubber cutting board in the sink but often scrub it in place with coarse salt (kosher) and a cut lemon. I've been told that butchers clean their boards with watered bleach and salt. Every few years I go over it with a sander. I have had it for around 10 years. When I had a wooden cutting board, I scraped it with a bench knife. I have never seen a wood cutting board rot.

I wasn't planning to cook today but shrimp was on sale and then on impulse I got some mussels. Then I figured I'd better cook the mussels right away so I steamed them in dry white wine and butter. The shrimp was cooked in a recipe called Louisiana Killer Shrimp. I also cooked some sausage, potatoes and corn. Corn was a mistake. It was frozen and cooked up mushy.

building on pbears list, I agree with Julia Child and James Beard and add Jacques Pepin. Chefs like Waters and Keller, imho, have had more influence on other restaurant chefs than on the rest of us.

Jacques Pepin makes cheese ball appetizers with pignoli nuts. He takes left over cheese(s) such as fontina, camembert, blue or other soft cheese and mixes about a cup of it with 1/2 C. pear or apple and about 1/4 cup dried cranberries and salt and pepper, combines them in a blender then rolls little balls of the mixture in toasted pine nuts.

Here is a link to scalding milk in the microwave. When you scald milk, you do not want to scorch it or boil it. Around 85 C or 185 F is as hot as you want to get it. http://www.howtobaker.com/techniques/baking/how-to-scald-milk/ "Scalding milk in the microwave is as easy as making popcorn! But do we really have to our scald milk? Many older baking recipes call for scalded milk to kill potentially harmful bacteria and to remove enzymes which prevent the milk from thickening when cooked. Today, the pasteurization pretty much takes care of both these fears for us." "So why do modern recipes still call for scalded milk? The main reason is heated milk speeds the baking process. By scalding the milk, we are helping butter melt, sugar dissolve, and yeast rise more quickly. Scalding is traditionally accomplished by placing milk in a saucepan and heating until “scalded” or near boiling (185-190° F)." But, since scalding has essentially become a way to heat the milk why not use the microwave?

I know this is after the fact but, pasteurized milk for custard does not really need to be scalded. Scalded milk does not need to be scorched. When it is scalded, technically it just needs to be heated and not necessarily very hot, certainly not boiling. Around 90 C degrees is plenty hot enough. So microwave heating should work just fine. This link discusses why to scald milk. http://www.thekitchn.com/scalding-milk-is-it-really-nec-112360

We had ham steaks (cured smoked pork loin) with mushrooms, fried rice, bread sticks and a dip for bread sticks from Jacques Pepin

Here is a link about the ale. http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/chocolate-ale/

Five or six weeks ago I read that Boulevard Brewing here in Kansas City was releasing a run of chocolate ale in Feb. The newpaper said that two years ago was the last time they made some and liquor stores were mobbed with lines around the block. A week or so later I asked a local store if they knew if they were getting some and leaned that there was a sign-up list with a limit of two bottles. I got a call today that mine were ready to pick up. I'll share them with my son and his fiancee on Valentine's Day.

I made this flourless raspberry chocolate torte for Valentines but somehow I don't think it will last that long.

Main course for dinner tonight was braised brisket with gravy and potatoes.

I made some soup. I don't know what you'd call it. Maybe chicken, bean and vegetable soup. I cooked some pre spoaked mixed beans in water,(I took out most of the lima beans) poached chicken breasts in chicken stock. Cooked onion, baby bok choy, garlic, carrots, potato, zucchini in olive oil until softened. Added can of diced tomatoes, bay leaf, Parm. cheese rind, chicken, chicken stock, a little beef stock and simmered about an hour. Tasted for salt. Added cheese tortellini, cooked 7-10 minutes, removed bay leaf, served.

I once was drawn to some very white packages in the meat counter and when I looked it said "Pork: The other white meat" It was leaf lard. I know it is unconventional but I cook spaghetti in a 12" skillet. The water boils faster and the pasta fits laying down.

I used pre-washed bagged spinach. It didn't say it was baby spinach but it looked like it was. It was separate, cleaned leaves. I did leave it whole. I just dumped one bag in an oiled flat bottomed wok and cooked it over medium heat, covered, until it started wilting, then turned it over and added another bag, turning until it was all cooked down, removed it to a strainer then added one half small onion, diced, two garlic cloves and two tablespoons of butter to the wok and cooked the onion and garlic, then added two tablespoons of flour, cooked it briefly, added about a cup of milk and stirred it until it was thickened. I added the spinach back in; added a pinch of cayenne and a grated a chunk of Romano cheese over it and folded it all together. At some point I salted it too.

Not a very good picture but supper was strip steak, bearnaise sauce, hash browns and creamed spinach. Dessert was fruit with custard and a raspberry sauce. I was going to sprinkle cookie crumbs over it but I forgot.

My son made dinner last night. We had Kalbi, kimche and fish cakes with rice. The day before I went to the market and asked for short ribs. The guy went in the back and brought out a slab. I asked him to slice them across the bones. He looked at me funny and said "Really? How thick?" Time before the other guy knew exactly what I wanted and said "You mean like for kalbi?" They were nice and meaty. Perfect for the dish and my son did a great job with dinner.

I'm not sure what to call dinner tonight. Cassie suggested enchilada salad or Mexican lasagna. It was layers of taco sauce, tortillas, seasoned ground round with onions, cheese topped with green onions, tomatoes,lettuce and sour cream. We also had some okra chips. They are dehydrated, and/or roasted until crispy like potato chips.

Lodge cast iron has a lifetime guarantee. They should replace it for free.

Thanks for the advice Toliver. The sauce was a little dry. I should have added more chicken stock I think. BTW, since my son's fiancee does not like celery, so I did substituted some water chestnuts and romaine lettuce ribs. Bok choy is a good idea that I have not tried yet. I'll keep it in mind next time I want to try a substitute something for celery.

I had some chicken in the freezer that was left over from making gumbo recently. I decided to make chicken pot pie by using up other left-overs as well. I ran into a few problems. I was half way through it when I discovered there was no milk or cream so I made a gravy with chicken broth and part of a jar of Alfredo sauce. I had a little left over broth and pie dough so I made noodle soup for lunch with those. I couldn't find the rolling pin to roll out the dough so I used an Olive oil bottle shaped like a wine bottle. I rolled out the dough and was surprised that it turned out round instead of looking like Texas. I buttered it and folded it over, buttered the half and folded it again and rolled it out again. Repeated the process in hopes of making the crust flaky. It was... sort of. Noodle soup with pie dough noodles for lunch Chicken pot pie and a little salad.

Here are the non electric-manual versions of the vacuum coffee pots. Both have cloth covered porcelain filters as well as the glass filters that were extra. They will break if used on an electric coil stove unless those wire M's or W's are placed between the element and the bottom of the pot. One is Silex, the other is Pyrex. The small opening of the Pyrex makes it a bother to clean. Looks like the electric ones that andiesenji has are easier to use.