jmcgrath

Reminds me of the mud people at Woodstock. Jim

Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets are essentially the same thing, both C. Chinense. They are more likely to be called Scotch Bonnets in the Caribbean islands and Habaneros in the South American mainland. Jim

I bought a 5 pound bag of ice and fit as much as I could into a gallon ziplock bag. That cooled down the stock very quickly, and in a few hours I could skim the hardened fat and begin reducing. Jim

It's great to see threads that expired long before I joined being resurrected. I was unfortunate to be born in the early '40s to parents who lived through the depression and at a time when much food was rationed. To make things worse, my mother learned to cook from her mother who was English. To be honest, I can't remember a single meal that was edible. I still remember the bag of white oleo with the color capsule. The only fresh vegetable I can remember is iceberg lettuce served with thousand island dressing. Everything else was canned. Clarence Birdseye predates me, but none of his products made it into my parents house. It wasn't until I went away to college and started dating a woman who grew up on a farm that I learned that food actually tasted good. Jim

I am considering coming down on Saturday to do some exploring of the area. It would be a lot more fun with some companionship. There doesn't appear to be much night life, but there are a lot of attractions in the area. Anyone interested? Jim

Another way to control the early feeding frenzy is to put out a fourth of your side dish every hour. I signed up for 100 stuffed jalepeno halves. I'll put them out in batches of 25. It will also provide time for someone else to share my grill if needed. Ice. What about ice? In the dual interests of food safety and cold beer, ice may need to be replenished during the day. I am completely unfamiliar with the area. Jim

The problem here is scalability. Very few will be able to consume 50 2oz. portions. Roast hog makes a great social event, but the sides are going to be in what most people are interested. A typical pig roast provides 3 sides, beans, slaw and corn bread. With 50 side dishes, a fork full or two per person is the right quantity if everyone samples everything. In reality, there is no perfect measure. Early arrivals will get cleaned out quickly and late arrivals will have a lot of leftovers. Jim

I think it depends on how they are being used. As a crust, dried. As a filling, fresh, perhaps soaked in milk and squeezed dry. Bread crumbs in either form are an abomination when used as a crab cake extender. Jim

I have done quite a number of high attendance (50-100 adults) hotlucks/potlucks at my house and I think your numbers are way high. I ask each adult guest to bring appetizer portions for 10 to 12 people. No one gets to try everything, but much less food gets wasted. I'm a software engineer and not a caterer, but that is what seems to work at my potlucks. One of my house rules is that you are not allowed to donate your leftovers to me. Anything not consumed gets taken home or trashed. Jim

I'm bringing a 10' X 10' canopy (with sides available if needed), my Weber grill (I can cook in 30 minute shifts and share). My appetizer will be stuffed jalepenos, aka ABTs. I will do 100 halves. Jim

Thanks for not identifying me:-) I guess it's time to come out of the closet. I was sorely tempted to just give you that piece of shit, but figured you would appreciate it more if you had at least a minor investment in it. I'll give you your $25 back the next time I see you. Jim

The WSM is fine, but has nowhere near the capacity needed for this large a group. I was considering chicken, which I can smoke hot and fast, but no one has expressed any interest. Bringing an appetiser will simplify things considerably. Perhaps ABTs on the grill. Jim

It looks like it will be about a 4 1/2 hour drive for me, and I'm not up for doing a single day round trip. Are there any accomodations in the area? Towing my barbecue pit down there will be a moderate PITA. Unless there is serious interest, I will go with something more transportable. probably an appetizer. Jim

What do you got? It's a Klose pit imported from Houston. The cooking chamber is 24" X 60" with two levels of shelves. Jim

Vintages may be a tiny jewel box of a shop, but it is also a jewel. Where else on the East Coast can I find El Molino Chardonnay? I don't think they stock much $8.00 spaghetti red. Jim

=Mark did those at one of my hotlucks. Excellent!! I just ran across this thread and would like to attend. I could tow my pit down if people would like chicken to go along with the pork. Jim

Well, 137F is the minimum safe temperature for pork and that works just fine for a loin, but is not even close for a butt. At 180 to 185, a butt is sliceable and around 200 is where you want to be for pulled pork. Each butt is going to be different and it is much more of a feel thing than an exact temperature. If the shoulder bone is loose and feels like it can be pulled out, the butt is at the pulling stage. This can be anywhere from 195 to 205. Jim

A few people are starting to experiment with using the WSM as a grill by removing the water pan. I've not bothered to try it myself since I also have a Weber kettle. Jim

You can also smoke dry them. Chipotles are smoked ripe jalapenos, but I have smoked many varieties. Unless the peppers are very dry, they keep best in the freezer. Jim

I was trying to determine if freezing the egg yolk was worth the bother for a home cook. You have convinced me that it is if the intention is to reduce cholesterol or a create a more neutral mayonaise, but probably not otherwise. Thank you for the wealth of information and I think I will forgo the experiment. There is no need to tread where experts have gone before. Jim

Again quoting from Harold McGee's The Curious Cook: He doesn't go into this further. Most of the emulsifying power in an egg yolk comes not from the "protein-emulsifiers" McGee mentions, but from the phospholipid lecithin. I deduce that freezing is suspected of adding to the already substantial emulsifying capacity of the yolk by loosening this previously untapped source. That's my guess, anyway. I think it's time for an experiment. The use of frozen egg yolks in commercial mayonaise may just be a matter of convenience. I'm an engineer and fairly proficeint home cook, not a professional cook in any sense. The experiment must have repeatable results to be valid. 1 extra large egg yolk frozen for 2 hours and then defrosted to refrigerator temperature. 1 extra large egg yolk at refrigerator temperature. The rest of the ingredients are identical: 1/2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice. 1/2 tsp Maille Dijon mustard Inexpensive EVOO (e.g. Bertoli) Add yolk, lemon juice and mustard to blender and blend for 10 seconds at high speed. Start dribbling in oil 1 Tbsb at a time until emulsion no longer incorporates oil. Does anyone want to change proportions or process before running the experiment? I'll go first. Jim

Could someone enlighten me on why freezing an egg yolk enhances its emulsifying power. This is a tip I have never run across before. Jim

Puck got his start in one of the Philly suburbs. Actually, he got his start in Europe but he became well known at Ma Maison in LA. From Puck's website... Sorry for the bad information. Who could I have been thinking of? It was the same timeframe, mid '70s.

Puck got his start in one of the Philly suburbs.

No one has suggested burgoo. Is that just too fancy?