Cooking with "Modernist Cuisine at Home" (Part 1)

[chefmd]

I cooked Bob's Red Mill Polenta/Grits per pressure cooker recipe. Made a few changes: cooked the entire recipe in one larger mason jar and increased the time to 30 minutes. Also replaced mascarpone cheese with heavy cream and sour cream combo. Grits were so good, I actually liked it better than the duck breast.

[Twyst]

When I was comparing the recipe to that in Modernist Cuisine, I saw that the iota carageenan isn't used in the At Home version. Any thoughts on what that adds?

I asked one of the MC staff that question on another forum and the response was

"Adding iota carageenan was an optimization to have some additional control over the final texture, but we thought it was unnecessary for the at-home version of the recipe."

Edited December 3, 2012 by Twyst (log)

[jmolinari]

I thought the iota carrageenan was for freeze/thaw stability....

[torolover]

Pressure-Cooked Pork Belly Adobo

WOW! This dish packed some flavor! By far my favorite recipe from the book thus far. It is dead simple to make, has relatively few ingredients but transforms into something truly wonderful.

Some of the meat (the bigger muscle pieces furtherest away from the skin) dried out a bit but didn't detract too much from the dish. I'd be interested if anyone had any ideas on how to avoid this ... I've never had much luck with pork.

None the less a great recipe for a great meal.

Merkinz,

One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps.

Johnny

Hi Johnny,

Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid?

Merkinz,

One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide.

[jmolinari]

I made pressure cooked risotto last night. Had a kabocha squash and decided to make pumpkin risotto. I didn't follow the MC@H recipe to separately make a sqush puree (didn't make sense to me), so added cubed squash to the onions after the saute', also added some baking soda to help caramelize the squash while cooking. Sauted for a couple minutes and added the rice and liquid and pressure cooked for 6 minutes.

Liquids were canned chicken broth in which i boiled the seeds and center fibers of the pumpkin and some wine. 350g broth, 50g wine to 200g rice.

Opened, and it needed probably 5 more minutes and additional liquid. Finished with a chunk of butter and shaved aged gouda.

Astounding. I will never go back to standard risotto cooking method. Every grain was perfect.

Next time i'll do 7 minutes in the PC.

Questions:

1) I looked in both MC and MC@H and i couldn't for the life of me find the ratio to be used for risotto to liquid for straight pressure cooking. I had to derive it from the sample recipes (it's 2:1). Not hard to do, but wouldn;t it make sense to state the ratio in the same table as cooking times?

2) There is a small note in MC@H that says if you use more rice than listed in the recipe it could take longer to cook. This doesn't make sense to me. Why would it take longer to cook based on the amount of rice used?

Edited December 4, 2012 by jmolinari (log)

[Johnny Zhu]

Pressure-Cooked Pork Belly Adobo

WOW! This dish packed some flavor! By far my favorite recipe from the book thus far. It is dead simple to make, has relatively few ingredients but transforms into something truly wonderful.

Some of the meat (the bigger muscle pieces furtherest away from the skin) dried out a bit but didn't detract too much from the dish. I'd be interested if anyone had any ideas on how to avoid this ... I've never had much luck with pork.

None the less a great recipe for a great meal.

Merkinz,

One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps.

Johnny

Hi Johnny,

Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid?

Merkinz,

One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide.

Merkinz,

That's correct. When the meat is removed from the braising liquid to cool, the moisture evaporates through steam, and even more liquid migrates out as the meat contracts from the cold. When the meat is allowed to cool in the braising liquid, the steam tends to evaporate off the surface of the liquid instead of the meat, and as the meat contracts it draws in more of the liquid.

Johnny

[ElsieD]

I am making my first recipe from the book, it being the caramalized carrot soup. Right now, I have the StoveTop Carotene Butter on the stove and will make the soup part tomorrow. My question relates to the carrot juice that is strained off the butter. Can it be used to make the soup? Or is it simply discarded?

[pep.]

I am making my first recipe from the book, it being the caramalized carrot soup. Right now, I have the StoveTop Carotene Butter on the stove and will make the soup part tomorrow. My question relates to the carrot juice that is strained off the butter. Can it be used to make the soup? Or is it simply discarded?

You can use it for something else (risotto?), but a significant part of its flavor will be in the butter. To maximize the aromatic "impact" of the soup, you should use fresh juice to thin the puree.

[torolover]

Pressure-Cooked Pork Belly Adobo

WOW! This dish packed some flavor! By far my favorite recipe from the book thus far. It is dead simple to make, has relatively few ingredients but transforms into something truly wonderful.

Some of the meat (the bigger muscle pieces furtherest away from the skin) dried out a bit but didn't detract too much from the dish. I'd be interested if anyone had any ideas on how to avoid this ... I've never had much luck with pork.

None the less a great recipe for a great meal.

Merkinz,

One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps.

Johnny

Hi Johnny,

Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid?

Merkinz,

One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide.

Merkinz,

That's correct. When the meat is removed from the braising liquid to cool, the moisture evaporates through steam, and even more liquid migrates out as the meat contracts from the cold. When the meat is allowed to cool in the braising liquid, the steam tends to evaporate off the surface of the liquid instead of the meat, and as the meat contracts it draws in more of the liquid.

Johnny

Pressure-Cooked Pork Belly Adobo

WOW! This dish packed some flavor! By far my favorite recipe from the book thus far. It is dead simple to make, has relatively few ingredients but transforms into something truly wonderful.

Some of the meat (the bigger muscle pieces furtherest away from the skin) dried out a bit but didn't detract too much from the dish. I'd be interested if anyone had any ideas on how to avoid this ... I've never had much luck with pork.

None the less a great recipe for a great meal.

Merkinz,

One thing that I like to do for all braises, in general, is to let them cool over night in their cooking liquid. Also, I recommend reducing the cooking liquid separate from the meat. This ensures that the lovely braised meat is not boiling away its moisture after pressure cooking. Hope that helps.

Johnny

Hi Johnny,

Perhaps you can explain why letting the meat cool in the braising liquid makes the meat "juicier"? Is it because the meat absorbs the the braising liquid?

Merkinz,

One thing I do with pork belly is cut off the part of the meat furthest away from the fat. This part of the meat seems to have less collagen so it can get tough even with long braising or Sous Vide.

Merkinz,

That's correct. When the meat is removed from the braising liquid to cool, the moisture evaporates through steam, and even more liquid migrates out as the meat contracts from the cold. When the meat is allowed to cool in the braising liquid, the steam tends to evaporate off the surface of the liquid instead of the meat, and as the meat contracts it draws in more of the liquid.

Johnny

Hi Johhny, Now how about sous vide Pork Belly or short ribs? After I Sous Vide them in their sealed bags, is it better to ice them and leave them in the braising liquid overnight? or is it better not to ice them and let them naturally cool down? Will the meat reabsorb the braising liquid and be "juicier"?

[EnriqueB]

I thought the iota carrageenan was for freeze/thaw stability....

I made side-by-side tests with and without the carrageenan (all remaining ingredientes being equal), used both samples in several recipes and also freeze/thaw both and cooked again with the thawed samples. Iota did alter noticeably the texture, mouthfeel and melting properties, but I could not detect any difference in freeze/thaw stability.

[slkinsey]

Enrique, how would you characterize the differences in texture, mouthfeel and melting properties?

[jmolinari]

Thanks Enrique. What were the differences? Better or worse with iota?

[Johnny Zhu]

Hi Johhny, Now how about sous vide Pork Belly or short ribs? After I Sous Vide them in their sealed bags, is it better to ice them and leave them in the braising liquid overnight? or is it better not to ice them and let them naturally cool down? Will the meat reabsorb the braising liquid and be "juicier"?

torolover,

In general, one should always cool the meat in the bag. Any opportunity to limit moisture loss from evaporation should be taken. Also, I would recommend icing the bag immediately after cooking. The rapid cool down should not affect the moistness of the meat, as long as the bag is still sealed. Remember, that when cooling things in the fridge, whether it be stock or meat, it must be cooled to below 40F before placing it in the fridge. Putting hot items directly into the fridge can keep your food in the danger zone for longer than desired.

Johnny

[HowardLi]

The book recommends adding coconut cream to the carrot soup. Has anybody tried adding a nice balsamic instead?

Also, is there a good tutorial out there for doing nice patterns in soups?

[EnriqueB]

Enrique, how would you characterize the differences in texture, mouthfeel and melting properties?

Adding iota produced a constructed cheese that was more firm and "elastic" when cold/solid, easier to slide or grate. When tasting it cold, my wife also said the sample without iota had a more intense taste and would dissolve more easily in the mouth.

The sample without iota melted much faster and spread more. Again the sample with iota felt more firm when tasting it hot (melted). My wife and I did not agree on which sample had the more intese taste.

Both samples felt, behaved and tasted more or less the same before and after freezing to -30ºC for one month, thawing in the fridge, and re-making the tests. We did not perceive differences with the original samples (according to our memory).

Each sample was made with 200 g of dry white wine infused with garlic and thyme, 150 g Gruyere, 150 g aged Comté, and 10 g sodium citrate. One sample included, in addition, 4.5 g iota carrageenan

[slkinsey]

Interesting. This would seem to suggest using iota for slices (e.g., for melted cheese sandwiches) and no iota for cheese sauces (e.g., for mac & cheese). The no-iota cheese slices do seem to get pretty runny for sandwich use -- almost like a cheese sauce between two pieces of bread.

[EnriqueB]

Interesting. This would seem to suggest using iota for slices (e.g., for melted cheese sandwiches) and no iota for cheese sauces (e.g., for mac & cheese). The no-iota cheese slices do seem to get pretty runny for sandwich use -- almost like a cheese sauce between two pieces of bread.

Exactly. In fact, one of the changes between MC and MCaH for the Mac&Cheese was to remove the iota. They also changed the ratios, saying that using a lower liquid/sodium citrate ratio would make for the removal of the iota (if I remember well).

Edited December 7, 2012 by EnriqueB (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

I doubt my copy of Modernist Cuisine at Home will land on my doorstep before I need to make this: the simplified jus gras. Has anyone followed this recipe before? Happy with the results? Given I'm just going off the website and don't have access to the book (yet), I was curious about what the purpose of the soy lecithin was. To emulsify the fat into the liquid, right? Too, on the seasoning front, I'm not planning on adding salt. I made a turkey stock and unthinkingly included some of the carcass of a supermarket (i.e. pre-marinated) bird along with some unmarinated wings, necks, etc. The end result was about as heavily seasoned as, say, tare. Rather than throwing it out I froze it figuring I'd be able to use it to season a chicken stock-based 'gravy'. I assume adding seasoning in liquid form to the Modernist Cusine jus gras after the fat and starch (i.e. when you'd add salt if you were following the recipe to the letter) won't cause problems.

[Twyst]

I was curious about what the purpose of the soy lecithin was. To emulsify the fat into the liquid, right?

Yes. Make sure you are using liquid and not powdered, the two are not interchangeable. Edited December 8, 2012 by Twyst (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

What if I can't get soy lecithin in liquid form? I've found the powder and the grains everywhere. I've found capsules (like vitamins) all over the place. The only place I know that sells the liquid, Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot, does so in 20kg buckets. Will any modernist emulsification agents do the work? As odd as it sounds I might have an easier time getting my hands on those.

EDIT

Never mind. I started poking around websites of stores that sold soap making stuff. They all sold liquid soy lechitin so it was just a case of finding one that'd ship me one small bottle of the product without making me order a minimum of $40 worth of shit.

Edited December 9, 2012 by ChrisTaylor (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Looks to me like the capsules contain 100% liquid soy lecithin - so if you've got the patience to pierce the capsules you should be able to use the contents.

[ChrisTaylor]

I did consider shucking the capsules but I wondered if the contents were modified by some sort of gelling agent during the encapsulation process. Obviously not. Still, I found the liquid.

[Kerry Beal]

I did consider shucking the capsules but I wondered if the contents were modified by some sort of gelling agent during the encapsulation process. Obviously not. Still, I found the liquid.

That will make the process a whole lot easier!

Edited December 9, 2012 by Kerry Beal (log)

[egraaf]

I also made the caramelized carrot soup as my first recipe, and I was very happy that it just worked the first time.

My next quest will be finding some of the ingredients. I live in the Netherlands, so that will be interesting. The Texturas line from El Bulli will be the first place to look, those are available from a few web shops here.

[Bojana]

I also made the caramelized carrot soup as my first recipe, and I was very happy that it just worked the first time.

My next quest will be finding some of the ingredients. I live in the Netherlands, so that will be interesting. The Texturas line from El Bulli will be the first place to look, those are available from a few web shops here.

I also live in NL. If you can get access to Hanos, most modernist ingredients are available there. I can also recommend modernistpantry.com, even wider choice, small consumer sized packages and good inernational shipping rates. Veel kookplezier!