Msk

Has anyone ever tried dry aging steaks at home? Most of what I have read says "Don't try this at home!" but I have my own motivations to do it regardless. Given the potential health risks I never gave it a try until I saw this recipe. Its AB's dry aged Rib Roast recipe. After looking at the recipe I wondered if you could do the same with 2 inch thick cut Ribeye steaks. I have actually done this now several times with pictures to prove it. I have had every intention of doing a big writeup and posting my findings, but time is very scarce at the moment. Round 1 was Ribeye roast following the recipe exactly Round 2 was 2 inch thick Boneless Ribeye 48 hrs Dry aging in the fridge Round 3 was 2 inch thick Boneless Ribeye 72 Hours Dry aging in the fridge Both steaks were seared on cast iron and finished in the oven as per above. I found if you have the time and forethought, it is well worth it. I will ry to put this together soon. Msk

Sam, Foodsaver also has "Rolls" of bags you can custom cut to your food size. Just be careful you don't cut the bags too close to the food as the seams are more likely to pop open. Msk

I did just eat at Tito's Burritos in Summit. It was much better than Tinga in my opinion. In fact they had the best wings I have had in the area. My wife got the Blackened Salmon burrito and I got the blackened chicken. Very spicy and flavorful though the Guac was a bit disappointing. They definetly made our normal rotation though they do not deliver. The tacos look great though we didn't try those this time, I will certainly next time. Msk

Been to the Millburn one several times, as well as gotten takeout. Its ok, its certainly fresh. The house salad has a great mustard vinaigrette. Its good for suburban Mexican, however, I greatly miss Blockheads in NYC. This is similar but nowehere as good. I've tried many things on the menu but the thing I keep going back to is the "Casa-dilla" Basically a bean and cheese quesadilla with salsa and guacamole. Everything else from the tacos to the wings are "ok." (Which is good for suburban NJ Mexican) Msk

Toast-n-Serve Magic Bag Thread That would seem to fit the bill. Msk

You could try a ziploc bag, and submerging it in water with the seal open a bit in order to get rid of most of the air, then seal it. Msk

I do almost all my fish cooking sous vide now. It is just amazing the taste and texture. I typically do not like Salmon (my wife does) but cooked sous vide its moist and tastes fantastic. I did a brisket once also, though it was good, I need to refine that technique. I placed it in a 200 F oven in a foodsaver bag. I filled a roasiting pan with water and I think it was like 10 hrs or so. It needed more time though the concentrated beef taste was there. I braised it some more in a homemade BBQ sauce the next day and it was great. Msk

I have been experimenting with sous vide at home, mostly with fish but I did try a brisket. I use a foodsaver and a slow cooker that has a temperature control on the side. Sometimes I just use my oven and a roasting pan filled with water. As far as I am concerned, there is no better way to cook fish. I cook salmon at roughly 150 F for 5 minutes then turn over the bag and another 5. I do nothing more than put butter, some lemon slices, and some fresh herbs in the bag before sealing it. The flavor is intense with no fishy smell or aftertaste. It is taking some trial and error to get right, for example I recently undercooked some salmon because the lemon slices were too thick and I didn't adjust the cooking time accordingly. Here was the surprising thing, I returned a piece of the fish to a heated pan to finish cooking it (my wife is nursing and I am paranoid). All of a sudden the house STUNK of fish. I plan on trying the steak experiment soon. Msk

Erik I recently made Blueberry sorbet adapted from a blackberry sorbet recipe which I think was from the Williams and Sonoma Ice Cream book. It was something like (ill check later when I get home) 3 Cups fresh blueberries (I used 2 fresh and 1 frozen) 1 1/4 cups sugar 3 Tbls lemon juice 1 1/2 cups water Put blueberries and sugar in a suacepan with water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for a couple of minutes (or until blueberries are soft and breaking down). Puree mixture in a blender (Do it in small batches so as not to turn everything in the vicinity purple) Strain if you choose (I did) Put in machine according to your instructions. I have to say, this had a very intense blueberry flavor. More than I thought it would. I plan on trying this with other fruits, and maybe dialing down the sugar a bit. Msk

I typically cook Salmon using a poor man's sous vide. I don't suppose you have access to a foodsaver. I find Salmon poached in a sealed Foodsaver bag 150 degree water for about 5 minutes per side tastes great with just a little butter and lemon thrown inside the bag before sealing. Omit the lemon if you have to. Salmon is far from my favorite fish, but this way I enjoy it thoroughly. Its moist, and has zero fishy odor or taste. The butter makes a great sauce that tastes like a concentrated fish stock. It also couldn't be easier to clean up. Msk

I recently bought this book to join in on this thread. I look forward to making recipes you all have outlined here, but I have had little time lately. However, I did make Migas for the first time this past weekend. It was the first time I had eaten them too. My wife and I really enjoyed them, and its a great base recipe. I didn't take any pictures because, well, it looked pretty gross. I hope to report back on new recipes soon. Mike

I'm looking for a Single Malt of the month clubfor a present. Anyone have any experience with any? I need to buy a present for someone in New York. I also no nothing about Scotch. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike "Msk"

Your friend wouldn't happen to be Rick Rubenstein, would he? ← No, its my wifes family actually. Thanks again for the info. Mike

Grub, I have used that same recipe and gotten good results, though I use Pain L'ancienne now usually. You can prevent those air bubbles by "Docking" your dough before you put it on the grill. Basically poke holes in it with the tines of a fork. Msk

Thanks for that rundown John. Have you ever tried the Abels and Heymanns kosher Dogs? How do they rate versus the Best's brands (from Chicago) Just figured I'd ask since we were on the subject and I often find myself buying kosher dogs for various reasons. Mike

I have used it for both pizza and focaccia with great success. What I really like about it is that you basically throw all the ingredients together, mix and set it in the fridge. Its low maintentance but takes a fair amount of time. Typically I'll do this on a wednesday and let it rise slowlu in the fridge until the weekend. Msk

Thanks for all the great advice! Considering I am likely to eat Hot Dogs more than once this grilling season, I will give both a try. My father-inlaw works in the area so it won't be too difficult for him to get to them. I noticed Jason in another thread had said they were Glatt Kosher but apparently they are not. Perhaps it was the Chicago Best he was referring to? I have a good friend who used to love Syd's dogs and has since turned Kosher so was curious about it. Thanks again guys. Mike

I can't seem to find any information on the Newak Best's (as opposed to the Chicago Best's) Hot dog company. I have seen several allusions to buying from their factory in Newark but don't know the address or any other information about them (other than Syd's and various other places use their product) Can anyone help me out? I even tried calling information when Google turned up nothing. Msk

LOL I love the suggestions so far. I vote for Perfectly Frank or for The Dog House. But just because its fun I'll add some suggestions. "Franks for Beans" "Franks for the Memories" Msk

Good Eats Transcript AB: True. Tell me, what do you roast when you want to roast something really special. CC: Ah, that's easy. That'd have to be a standing rib roast. AB: Ah, you must mean a prime rib. CC: Not necessarily. There's a difference there. Prime rib must come from prime beef. Otherwise it's just a standing rib roast. So is the butcher wrong by saying this? Can a prime rib be made from other grade meat? Msk

I made the braised cauliflower with capers and toasted bread crumbs. I enjoyed it very much. I made sure to brown the Cauliflower very well since I am used to roasted cauliflower. I also made the Chicken Fricasee with artichokes and mushrooms (without the cream), it was also very good. I used chicken thighs and the chicken was melt in your mouth tender. There was one section where she says to take out the sauteed onions and mushrooms and use brandy to deglaze. I found the onions and mushrooms had released enough liquid to deglaze the pan already. So I just added the liquid and reduced it with the mushrooms and onion in it. I was very pleased with the sauce it created. I find that I get almost no evaporation using my Le Creuset 5 qt Braiser and dutch oven. So I just remove the meat and reduce on the stove. Or in the case of the Cauliflower, I just took the lid off like the instructions said. I can't wait to do some of the other recipes. Msk

Aother method for measuring reductions. I keep one of my wooden spoons with a rubber band on the handle as a way to measure approximately how much I have reduced a sauce. I put the handle in the sauce/stock, roll the rubber band to where the liquid is and now I know where it has started. I forgot where I saw this, Alton Brown maybe? Msk

I don't remember where I saw it but as an alternative to the straw pseudo-vacuum technique. Place your meat in a ziplock back submerge the bag in water to push the air out close bag while submerged Seems like it may give you a better "vacuum" Msk

I agree, I have been eating bagels in the Millburn/Springfield/Livingston area for 20 years. Bagel Supreme are the best in my opinion. They are also Kosher for those that swing that direction. Msk

I have not experienced this either but my mother has twice in the last 6 months. She thought it was fantastic. I can't wait to go. Msk