btbyrd

There can be a flavor difference in the meat itself, but there's nothing wrong with your overall approach. This is how a lot of what is commercially sold as "ground beef" is created -- lean beef scraps are ground with a certain ratio of fat to yield a particular percentage in the end product. But I usually prefer the flavor of the tougher cuts (like shoulder) that are commonly used to make ground pork and beef. My local market sells 80/20 ground beef (made from random mince and fat) and 80/20 ground chuck, and I prefer the flavor of the chuck. But if getting the fat percentage right is your main priority, there's nothing wrong with taking a good-favored but lean cut and then grinding it with fat (or grinding it and adding ground fat back in).

Some prime rib sliders for Christmas with my family. With horseradish sauce and arugula. Broke the 8.6lb roast down a couple days ago. Ended up with a pint of rendered tallow, a few pounds of bones and scraps to make stock, and three lovely cuts of beef. I’m saving the rib cap for myself. Salted the ribeye and put it on a rack in the fridge for 36 hours. Then seared it super hard in my Darto 27. The core temp was still ice cold after all that searing. Then into a low oven for an hour and a half. The core hit 131F after testing. Here it is before carving. Finally, sandwich time. Red and green for the holiday!

That warms my heart!

And I think I'm the EG "master enabler" of Darto pans (though the credit for me goes to ChefSteps). I like having an IP and a stovetop cooker for those rare occasions when neither will suffice to make the amount of stock I require. This is usually a Thanksgiving problem. I'm often the turkey cook for two different Thanksgivings, which means I end up with two carcasses (and four wings). This overwhelms my 8 quart stovetop cooker and my 6 qt IP, but together they get the job done. I also like having the IP around to keep things warm to serve at big gatherings.

I was waiting for someone to mention me! Surprised it took until page 2 -- thanks Smithy!

Haven't tried that recipe, but Modernist Pantry ships anywhere in the world and can supply all your magic powder needs.

I order spirits neat occasionally and haven't had a problem with being understood. But I'm usually doing it at places with well-trained staff. I am a firm believer that a splash of water can open up a spirit and make its subtleties become more apparent. On our first stop touring the bourbon trail, my wife and I visited Heaven Hill in Bardstown. After completing their tour, we did a complimentary tasting where we were offered, among other things, some 18 year old Elijah Craig. It was served alongside a small dropper bottle of water. We were instructed to smell and taste the bourbon neat, then to add a few drops of water to the glass and nose/taste again. The difference between "before" and "after" was not small; the aroma, taste, and overall flavor were much enhanced by the addition of a small amount of water -- not enough to dilute things, but enough to wake up the spirit. I don't know the chemistry of why this happens, but it's undeniable. My usual drink at home is booze in a glass with ice. Not a lot of ice, but I do like a cube or two to chill things down slightly and tame the burn -- if I'm going to be having more than one, that is. I also don't tend to put ice in anything that costs more than $35 or so -- with the possible exception of some barrel strength stuff, and then only on occasion. In the expensive stuff, a drop or two of water is all I add. Unless it's the summer time. Or I just feel like it. I have no principles.

Made some mashed potatoes tonight and remembered another Foley tool that I'd forgotten about. Not a masher, but I'm hoping that my mentioning it in this thread won't be unwelcome. It's a "kettle draining device" (according to the patent) or "pot strainer" (as I call it). It keeps your potatoes (or pasta or whatever) in the pot but lets the boiling water out. I got it as a bonus when I bought a different Foley fork on eBay (with the same green handle as this strainer) that I gifted to a friend. The strainer/drainer takes up a lot of space in a drawer, but it hangs nicely alongside my other hanging kitchen tools. Not a necessity, but I do use frequently when I make mashed potatoes. And sometimes making pasta. Saves the trouble of washing a colander. Mipples. Minn.

Jon is the best. And his sharpening tutorial videos on YouTube are fantastic. And speaking of sharpening, his sharpening supplies (stones and whatnot) are also excellent. JKI’s customer service is some of the best in the business.

The angle of the "bowl" of the fork makes mashing easier than you might expect by looking at pictures. I use it more as a masher than a whipper (at least with potatoes). Really it's more of a "mash then stir, mash then stir" sort of situation. I found an episode of The French Chef online where Julia uses the fork to mash potatoes, so you can sort of see the technique. It starts around 10:40 into The Potato Episode. Maybe I'll make a YouTube video one day.

The Otto Wilde grill is the closes thing to a commercial broiler for home use that I know of. Booker and Dax are working on a broiler version of the Searzall. It’s still a ways off and think it will likely be for outdoor use only, but it will deliver a restaurant quality intense broil. These are so much more powerful than the broilers in 1800W countertop ovens (and even most full sized home ovens) that they’re altogether different animals.

I used my trusty old No. 27 to sear off some steak for lunch. There's some video in this Instagram post if you scroll over a couple pictures. I think the big paella is my favorite pan. Here it is alongside the No. 27 making some fried chicken. And here it is roasting some veg underneath a chicken. I use it all the time.

Wagyu Wednesday. Epic Darto sear. Warm pink center. There’s video of the sear on my Instagram page. Darto always delivers. https://www.instagram.com/p/CW8vLUcJLf4/

My fork is kind of bowl shaped, so the tines easily sit flattish (remember, they’re wonky) against the bottom of a pot or bowl.

It's roughly 10.25 inches long and the tines are roughly 2.25 inches long.

Growing up, mashed potatoes were one of my favorite foods. In the winter, my grandmother would serve them as an entree with hamburger gravy. Simple but delicious. The somewhat sad fact is that my mother and both of my grandmothers only ever used instant potato flakes to prepare mashed potatoes. Potato flakes are a fine product, and I keep them around for various purposes even today. One of their virtues is that they effortlessly deliver a super smooth, creamy mash. But given my early life experiences, I have come to associate super smooth potatoes with lower-quality instant product. Which is to say, I generally prefer somewhat lumpy potatoes -- small chunks of potato suspended in a continuous phase of buttery smooth potato. I have definitely passed my fair share of riced potatoes through a tamis (usually combined with half their weight in butter, a la Robuchon) and while that's delicious, if I'm making mashed potatoes to go alongside a roast chicken or meatloaf or whatever -- it's rustic lumpy goodness all the way. Which is where my fork comes in. My preferred masher is a Foley fork. I first learned of the Foley fork from Julia Child, who used it to make mashed potatoes and guacamole. It's perfect for those tasks. (Julia also used a ricer and even a Kitchenaid stand mixer with a whisk attachment to make mashed potatoes -- there are many paths to deliciousness.) These were made by the now defunct Foley corporation of Minneapolis Minnesota. You can find them on eBay or Etsy or just keep your eyes open at thrift stores and antique malls. They're relatively inexpensive and make good gifts. There are modern knockoff versions, but I've never used one so I can't personally recommend them. This particular model was well used before coming into my life, as is evidenced by the state of the handle. It was originally painted bright red, but that's now just a ruddy tint over visible wood grain. I personally like that kind of patina on vintage kitchen gadgets. Anyway, what sets this fork apart are that the tines are gently curved. Not only that, but they're all kinda janky and uneven with each other. This is intentional, as the minor imperfections facilitate mixing and mashing. Janky tines -- they get the job done! If you want things smooth, you can smash all the lumps you want with this fork, but it's not overly aggressive so you can ease off before you're hitting smooth puree territory. Nice for lumpier mash, perfect for guac. I also use it to beat scrambled eggs and flip proteins in pans. It also brings batters together pretty well without working them too hard. It's wisklike but doesn't carry the risk of incorporating a bunch of air (unless you really want it to). Sometimes I cook my mashed potatoes sous vide, rice them, and pass them through a tamis. Sometimes I use an Oxo masher with holes that delivers a less labor intensive lump-free result. But most of the time, I just reach for the Foley fork. Unlike those other tools, it's always at hand.

Happy holidays everyone! Disgraceful.

To echo what has already been said, if you're using a venting pressure cooker all that's required is a low hiss. If you're using a non-venting cooker like a Kuhn Rikon, just check to see what bar/line you're at on the pressure indicator. If you hear hissing on those cookers, you're overpressurized and it's venting through a safety valve. Check the manual on your Alto. But no matter what, it shouldn't be hissing full blast.

Toast?

The APO is 15% off ($509) as an early Black Friday deal.

Or meatballs. Or chicken/veal parm or whatever. Or gringofied low-brow spaghetti with red sauce topped with garbage low moisture shreds. Also good for cheesed-out garlic bread. I haven't used one and infrared broilers are much better than lower-end ones. But the Searzall is better than the broilers on any of the mid-tier electric and gas ranges I've used, and there are certain applications (like searing foie gras) where I'm doubtful any standard broiler could replicate the Searzall's results. And having that power in the palm of your hand is something special compared to conventional broilers. It's a much more precise tool for delivering heat where you want it (and none where you don't).

Do it! The cheese melting is so satisfying. My wife, who is a good cook but not really a gadget gal, gets into it without hesitation and Searzalls her burger cheese and breakfast sandwiches with gusto. Also good for shredded mozzarella over pasta. The palladium coated screens don't burn out. And I'm still running my original set of non-coated screens after six years and they show no signs of burning out. I do have a spare set, just in case. In the event that there are problems changing screens, the Booker and Dax support crew is very good. cdh on eGullet had problems with the screws and sent it in for repair and Dave fixed it for him.

I just wanted to bump this thread to ask those who have Chef's Presses what size they like (if they have used multiple sizes). I'm going to put these on my wishlist for Christmas, since they're kind of inexpensive (for a gift, anyway) and I'm hard to shop for. I was thinking about getting two 8oz and two 13oz ones, but I don't know if the "mix and match" approach is best.

They seem stupid to me. What's the draw?

RTG is legit. They've got the largest selection of tinned fish anywhere, and Dan provides fantastic customer service. He always lets you know about the shipping situation -- what box they're using and why -- so you'll know that they're not trying to make money by overcharging on postage. Dan is also very active over on the tinned fish area of Reddit. Each tin comes wrapped in paper, so it's kind of like Christmas when your order shows up. Their prices are pretty good, but the selection is the real draw; if you've ever wanted to try a $50 Michelin starred can of fish, RTG has you covered. I also like buying from TinCanFish.com -- especially the spicy mackerel from Minerva (which I eat a couple times a week). My other go-to tins of non-tuna are the Matiz spicy sardines (which I get on sale at Fresh Market for $3/can) and the spicy Nuri sardines (which I get from World Market whenever they have a sale). Amazon, horror of horrors, also has a pretty good selection, though many are through third-party vendors like Caputo's Market. If you're an enthusiast of canned fish but don't know what to try next, I highly suggest checking out the Canned Fish Files with Matthew Carlson over on YouTube. Just a nice fellow eating fish with chopsticks and letting you know what they're like. He even has a RTG unboxing video. Anyway, here's a random recent video of his comparing standard Ortiz tuna (my favorite) with their ventresca. RTG is the source of Matt's "Another Fish Conquered!" poster. I have one on my fridge. And for a more surreal and more disgusting take on Ortiz, there's always Slow Jabroni. Fishfluencers are real, y'all.