How to Cook Like Heston (TV GB)

[rotuts]

I cant say how you might get this show if you are not in GB

But work hard to get it. There are ways even in the Colonies.

Delicious!

Y&ou might look here:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/columnists/todays-tv/2012/01/04/how-to-cook-like-heston-channel-4-8pm-115875-23677296/

The food he makes you can make yourself with no fiddle - faddle

Edited January 4, 2012 by rotuts (log)

[Dakki]

I just caught ep 1. Loved it. The guests (local rugby team?) added to the entertainment value of the show, unlike the obnoxious D-list slebs from Feasts, and the format, props and demonstrations made Heston's advice easy to digest and remember, a bit like a BBC-fied Good Eats. I don't think Heston would mind the comparison; the use of the cow prop looked like a shout-out to Alton's steak show, also ep 1 IIRC. Really looking forward to seeing more of this show; as much as I liked Perfection, it wasn't really something one could follow at home without serious commitment in time, effort and money.

My one objection as a former adopted Texan is BEANS IN THE CHILI ARGH.

[LesleyC]

Enjoyed the show, was slightly annoyed that I watched it a mere two hours after cooking steak for dinner. I'm intrigued by the turn every 15-20 secs thing, and have to try it ... soon.

I do need to restock the freezer with hamburger patties though, so wil do them his way this time round. Very similar to the Perfection series hamburger, but with much less fuss. I did make the ketchup from the perfection burger ... once. It took an awful lot of ingredients and time to produce about 2 tablespoons full.

Oh and not being a Texan allows me to really enjoy beans in my chilli

[Broken English]

It was quite a good show, and I like how they played a bit on how ucomfortable Heston seems at times around a camera, like when he stuffed his line twice and just said something like "don't overcrowd the pan or it won't bloody work".

It's a refreshing change from the super polished idiots that dominate food TV these days.

[_john]

The super close up shots and cut away pan shots seem heavily influenced by modernist cuisine.

He really loves star anise doesn't he. I tried his star anise trick several times and everything turns out tasting like pho.

[JudyB]

Enjoyed the show, was slightly annoyed that I watched it a mere two hours after cooking steak for dinner. I'm intrigued by the turn every 15-20 secs thing, and have to try it ... soon.

Curiously the Guardian's TV reviewer (see here) asserted scathingly that Heston's technique was so obvious that it wasn't worth wasting time on:

Alas, most of the programme was taken up with learning how to get a steak to go brown on the outside and stay pink on the inside (use a hot pan and turn often – a conclusion that the fire-making monkey that was in the news a few weeks ago has probably reached by now),

Well, like you, we hadn't heard that before, so steak cooked that way is what we are planning on eating tomorrow for dinner

[rotuts]

He flipped those burgers the same way. will try both soon

seems his knife want so sharp cutting those burgers.

[emannths]

It really is like "Good Eats meets the Modernist Cuisine design team." I liked it. If I had to make a critical comment, I'd complain that the burger segment asked a bunch of rugby guys to cook burgers, then told them the right/best way to do it is to grind your own meat and align the fibers. The jump from using a binder to grinding your own aligned meat seems pretty big, even for a rugby team that makes Thai burgers and compound butters. I don't really fault him for it, but the segment seemed a bit like showing off more than giving advice.

Oh, and is medium rare in the UK really 45C? Even with substantial carryover, that sounds solidly rare rather than medium rare (I think I'd put the low end of medium rare at about 52C after carryover, and more commonly more like 54-55C).

Thanks for sharing this!

[olicollett]

It really is like "Good Eats meets the Modernist Cuisine design team." I liked it. If I had to make a critical comment, I'd complain that the burger segment asked a bunch of rugby guys to cook burgers, then told them the right/best way to do it is to grind your own meat and align the fibers. The jump from using a binder to grinding your own aligned meat seems pretty big, even for a rugby team that makes Thai burgers and compound butters. I don't really fault him for it, but the segment seemed a bit like showing off more than giving advice.

Oh, and is medium rare in the UK really 45C? Even with substantial carryover, that sounds solidly rare rather than medium rare (I think I'd put the low end of medium rare at about 52C after carryover, and more commonly more like 54-55C).

Thanks for sharing this!

I think you miss-heard, medium rare should be 55C. His book has the scale as:

45C - bleu

50C - rare

55C - medium-rare

60C - medium

That should really be an international scale of sorts, I know I always have problems going to Europe though!

[emannths]

I think you miss-heard, medium rare should be 55C. His book has the scale as:

45C - bleu

50C - rare

55C - medium-rare

60C - medium

That should really be an international scale of sorts, I know I always have problems going to Europe though!

I think in the show, when he was cooking his steak, he said 45/rare, 50/medium rare, 55/med, 60/well-done, but that's by memory (and also pre-rest, so if you allow 5C of carryover, it maps pretty well). But the hamburger recipe says to pull it at 45C for medium-rare (the steak recipe has no temp listed). No biggie--it just caught my eye when I was looking at the text. Maybe someone misheard him.

Edited January 5, 2012 by emannths (log)

[Dakki]

Curiously the Guardian's TV reviewer (see here) asserted scathingly that Heston's technique was so obvious that it wasn't worth wasting time on:

Alas, most of the programme was taken up with learning how to get a steak to go brown on the outside and stay pink on the inside (use a hot pan and turn often – a conclusion that the fire-making monkey that was in the news a few weeks ago has probably reached by now),

I thought the general tenor of the review was that she wanted more entertainment and less education. As one of the "misguided complainants who crawled out of their joyless pits after some of his previous shows to mewl and puke that ordinary people could not be expected to make lifesize birdcages from spun sugar and fill them with talking parrots made of foie gras, seaweed feathers and working potato larynxes" and want to learn things from a cookery show instead of watching reaction shots of some dude who guest starred in a Dr Who episode once, I say, you lot have the whole damn Food Network. You can let us have one show.

[olicollett]

I think you miss-heard, medium rare should be 55C. His book has the scale as:

45C - bleu

50C - rare

55C - medium-rare

60C - medium

That should really be an international scale of sorts, I know I always have problems going to Europe though!

I think in the show, when he was cooking his steak, he said 45/rare, 50/medium rare, 55/med, 60/well-done, but that's by memory (and also pre-rest, so if you allow 5C of carryover, it maps pretty well). But the hamburger recipe says to pull it at 45C for medium-rare (the steak recipe has no temp listed). No biggie--it just caught my eye when I was looking at the text. Maybe someone misheard him.

Ah - yes pre rest that sounds right

[rotuts]

That Swell at the Guard. simply writes to preserve The Job.

probably does not Cook. No Matter.

of course there was this other show at the similar time:

The Fabulous Baker Brothers 101

I havent posted this up, but perhaps it should be.

Somefine stuff here, a little more entertianment

maybe the Gaurd-ette liked this better?

it (parts) are quite good: Rabbit Pie?

Ive got them all over in the AM when I get the Paper!

[offcentre]

I have absolutely no idea what any of that means

[Dakki]

"The stuck-up individual writing the previously linked and discussed review at The Guardian is only interested in finishing her column so she can get paid. Also, she probably does not cook, so we who do can safely ignore her opinion on these matters.

Heston's show was followed in the programming by The Fabulous Baker Brothers 101, which is in a similar vein but oriented more toward entertaining the audience, as opposed to Heston's educational slant. Perhaps the reviewer at The Guardian found this show more satifying? The rabbit pie made in this show looked interesting."

Better?

[rotuts]

well what does the Guad-ette say about that Rabt. pie?

Id like to taste one!

[thampik]

Recipes are here.

I am enjoying this as you can actually learn something and apply it fairly easily to home cooking.

[Shalmanese]

Did he cook that steak in a non-stick pan? Seems pretty dangerous to heat non stick the way he was advising. Also, how hot could the pan have been if the oil in it wasn't even smoking (even grapeseed oil can't get above 500F).

[rotuts]

I also noticed his abuse of non-stick. maybe he gets his pans for free, and doesnt mind a little cancer here and there.

[olicollett]

Did he cook that steak in a non-stick pan? Seems pretty dangerous to heat non stick the way he was advising. Also, how hot could the pan have been if the oil in it wasn't even smoking (even grapeseed oil can't get above 500F).

I would have thought a decent non-stick pan would be OK?

[Shalmanese]

Did he cook that steak in a non-stick pan? Seems pretty dangerous to heat non stick the way he was advising. Also, how hot could the pan have been if the oil in it wasn't even smoking (even grapeseed oil can't get above 500F).

I would have thought a decent non-stick pan would be OK?

All Teflon coated pans will become dangerous if they exceed 500F which can quite easily happen with a dry pan.

[Broken English]

I'm downloading episode two as I speak.

[Broken English]

Another interesting episode, his custard doneness technique is genius.

[olicollett]

Did he cook that steak in a non-stick pan? Seems pretty dangerous to heat non stick the way he was advising. Also, how hot could the pan have been if the oil in it wasn't even smoking (even grapeseed oil can't get above 500F).

I would have thought a decent non-stick pan would be OK?

All Teflon coated pans will become dangerous if they exceed 500F which can quite easily happen with a dry pan.

With a dry pan, yes, but in a pan with a good layer of oil as per in the TV show I'm not sure it would be an issue?

[rotuts]

yep. a remarkably fine show.

if you bake, check the baker bro. some good baking, could use a little less fluff.