Richard Kilgore

I have used inexpensive, barely aged "Balsamic" vinegars as just another red vinegar. I have tasted an older one of about 30 years, as I recall, and it was a different thing altogether. I once read that balsamic of quality starts at about 12 year old. I think it was Jim Harrison who wrote that in one of his food essays. So I picked up a bottle of Manicardi balsamic labeled "12" recently. I was assured by the Italian market manager that it was 12 year old. When I got home I read the label and the booklet that came in the box with it very carefully...more than once...and could find nothing that said "12 year old" clearly and unequivocally. Now, I agree that "12" is a very fine number, a number that any cook would be charmed to own, but is it any more than a fine number? Beyond wanting to know what I have and whether it is balsamic, a close cousin, distant relative or stranger to balsamic, it would be good to hear how you use balsamic, be it 12, 40 or 100 year old.

Now that's perspective! It makes a certain amount of my debating about what to get almost a waste of time. I have a Sitram (copper disk bottom) that I like, but if I were doing it again, I would get Falk.

The main thing you will need to replace from time to time is the gasket. Just check it for cracks, extra stiffness or brittleness, and leaks. For the other things, it is going to be, for the most part, a matter of visible damage. Gaskets are the only thing I have ever replaced.

I think that part of the confusion in the US about Spanish chorizo is due to the fact that, as far as I know, only one brand of chorizo is allowed into the country from Spain. That's Palacios brand, which comes in regular and hot versions. There are, however, at least a couple of producers in the US that market Spanish-style sausage of a variety of types, and all I have had have been good, though I assume still different than the real article. The Palacios brand may be more available in some parts of the US than others. Here in Dallas it is sold in most main stream grocery stores, as well as specialty markets. I always keep a couple of rings hanging in the kitchen.

Welcome to the eGullet Society, dangerpirate! I think you will find the answers to most of your questions in this Texas forum. You can use the search function at the bottom of the forum to search for any of those terms. Then if you have further questions about one of those services, just post it to an existing topic thread. If there is not already a topic, please start a new one. That will make the information easier to find for members now and in the future. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me or Foodman.

Dallas

A friend mentioned to me that Rouge looks like it is dead early in the evening, because it is european and more of a late evening place. This may be true for De Tapas and Cafe Madrid as well.

pedrissimo, I don't recall the word for belly. My Spanish is weak and their English is limited but we manage to communicate well enough to get a belly out the door. Point and gesture when needed. I would have no problem with getting it from the Vietnamese market I shop at regularly either. Just let your eyes and nose be your guide just like they would anywhere. There are plenty of good asian and hispanic markets in most Texas cities. That's a beautiful peperone, Ron. Congratulations!

That did the trick. I don't know why I did not think of this first. A 60 second discussion in Spanish and English with the two butchers at Latino Market and I walked out with 3.3 pounds of pork belly at $1.99/lb. There are many asian and hispanic markets that butcher pigs on site, so if you're having trouble getting a belly, this is an alternative. I would still like to get some kind of farm-raised pork belly, but at least this will be a start.

I found trying to get fresh pork belly for curing bacon (see the Cooking (or curing) from "Charcuterie" topic) at the chain grocery stores to be a major challenge, so I dropped by Latino Market. A 60 second conversation in English and Spanish between the two butchers and me, a steeling of the butcher's knife, a trip into the walk in, and wola! - a 3.3 pound pork belly. While I was there I had a couple of tacos, al pastor and lengua, with a Mexican (cane sugar) coke. There has been disruptive street construction in front of Latino Market for months, but it's supposed to be finished next Wednesday. The best way to shop here for a while has been by helicopter, so the owners are looking forward to it being easy to drive in and park again. And the widened street will bring more people their way. But the competition is moving closer, with a new site for the neighborhood store of the Michoacan chain sitting ready to occupy since earlier this year. Presumably waiting for the road construction to finish before making their move.

I think I agree Ron. I'm sure you could could smoke without the skin, but not sure I'd want to mess with it. Then again, maybe we're wrong and Richard could try it and let us know. ← I'm not sure I want to mess with it either. I think I'll run over to my nearest carneceria and see if they will save a 3-5 lb belly from the next pig they butcher. They'll be commercial ones, but fresh.

Pork Belly question: In my search for great pork belly here mentioned up thread, I talked to Central Market about geting a Berkshire pork belly. Today I looked at the bershire site and they list only a pork belly with skin off. Michael and Brian call for a skin-on pork belly. So should I avoid the Berkshire and have a grocery store source a commercial skin-on belly, or look for a local farm-raised skin-on belly?

pedrissimo - I am in Dallas. The $3.99/lb at CM is because they are Berkshire pigs. If you talk to a meat manager at other stores, they can get them but will have to special order them, and they will be the thinner commercial pork bellies, as far as I can tell. They may not know what you are asking for because it's not on their order list, but can call up the chain to take care of your request. The CM meat manager here is checking on the belly/belly side and will call back before he starts the order. My best guess is that bombdog and Ron are onto what he was talking about -- probably means with the ribs attached.

The fennel salmon turned out fine. While the anise flavor is not over-powering, eaten alone the salmon is overly salty to me, but when eaten with anything else that is a non-issue. Now I have been calling grocery stores around the city to get a pork belly. I talked to the meat manager at one of the Central Market stores, and he can get a Berkshire, but he said I want a "pork side" rather than a pork belly, because if I ask for the belly it will be mostly fat. He was quite clear that I wanted a "pork side" if I was going to make bacon. All their pork is Berkshire, but this will take about two weeks for him to get it in. So pork side vs pork belly. Are we really talking about the same thing, or is he essentially getting me a leaner piece of belly?

Richard - I have done about 10 Costco Salmons so far - each time I vary the recipie a bit. I pretty much stay with salt, brown sugar(light & dark) - then I use scotch, or rum and lemon or lime zest. The reason for the color difference is the amount of concentration of the cure at the edges vs the middle. No worries -- actually the edges end to get a little "over-cured." I have found that the salmon gets better if it sits for a few more days - I put them in a food saver bag - seems there is a bit of an osmosis(sp?) that occurs and a more even color and curing is the result. Actually I like to wait at least a week... seems to be best after that time. Mark ← Thanks, Mark. As long as I am not food poisoning myself and others. I'll try future ones for different lengths of time, as well as different cures.

No smoking process, Susan. I am late to the party. This is one of the first recipes in the book: the fennel cured salmon.

I did the salmon, about 2 1/2 pounds of COSTCO salmon,so skin-off...and left it in for a total of about 80 hours (after checking it at 48). While there is nothing squishy about it, the center section 1/3 is a lighter orange than the edges, which are a dark orange. Looking at Elie's first post it appears to have some of that effect, but not as pronounced. I assume this is because I left it in longer, but someone let me know if there is a problem.

There have been several mentions in the Dallas Morning News that Dean Fearing's new restaurant will be in the new Ritz-Carlton condo and hotel complex now under construction.

Thanks, Ron. Do you think I may be right in guessing that Restaurant supply houses would be likely to have the lube?

Thanks, Abra. I already sent them my order for pink salt, dextrose and casings, so I'll try to find some NSF quality lube at the restaurant supply house here.

My Grizzly 5 lb arrived Friday. I also was surprised at the build quality. I do not plan on doing sausage more than once a month, and maybe less, so this stuffer should be fine if treated well. The directions indicate using a "sanitizer", so what are the rest of you using? Soap, water and Clorox or vinegar? Something else?

Also watch out for the annual Williams-Sonoma sale if you want to pick up LC at a best price. Whenever they bring in a new LC color, they discount the old one substantially. For example, one year I got the 9 1/2 qt oval for $90. Another year the large rectangular baking pan for $39.

You're right!

I recall seeing these in a discount store, TJMaxx I think, a year or two ago and thinking they looked okay. You would have to pay about $100 for an LC second of that size in one of these stores. How does the enamel look to you? Any cracks or chips? The color okay? That is, the lid matches the bottom and doesn't look like a manufacturing error? Your budget is up to you, but the price is about right.

Thanks for all the interesting ideas. Last night I used them, blanched in an omelet with onion, potato, crimina mushrooms and herbs -- and grated P-R on top. Nice. I'll look forward to trying them some of these other ways, too.