Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 2)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Sorbet in blast freezer.  Final measured Brix was 30.9.

 

 

[Alex]

2 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Where X is the weight of preserves I believe the correct equation is:

28 = (16*420 + 65*X) / (420+X)

 

I can rearrange that to:

X = 2.32*X - 180

 

Is it possible to directly solve for X?

 

 

Yes. Subtract X from both sides, then add 180 to both sides. Flip the sides, if you like (I do), and you get 1.32*x = 180. Divide both sides by 1.32 and you get x = 136.363636...

[billyhill]

Its about bacon,

My lack of faith bothers me. 2.5% (2.25/0.25%) salt/#1 pink salt? Or, do I need to modify my cure? I see a range of numbers. I am also alienated by most recipes having a fixed weight of pork. I like to be able to adjust and calculate.

 

With Canadian bacon and speck, I run 5 kg at a time. 2-2.5 kg packages. I add 50 grams of water each and curing mixture to bring meat and water mixture to 2.5%. Most of the liquid is usually absorbed by the time it is cured. I usually soak the loins before smoking for an hour or 2 and hot smoke at 225-250 till 140 internal (~4-6 hours) and then SV for a few hours @150. Is this the path?

 

The seasoning, I am comfortable with the seasoning, but...

 

I have read Ruhlman and Polcyn, and other books,  a host of websites, including this one, and have achieved paralysis by analysis. So now, I turn to my security blanket. Oh mighty egullet, help me. 

 

10.77 lbs. Honestly, It is the only pork belly that ever spoke to me

Edited March 24 by billyhill
additions (log)

[BeeZee]

Anchovies, oil packed. I took them out of the tin and put them/the oil in a clean glass jar and covered with more oil. Currently keeping in fridge. Are they more or less good forever (or at least 6 months) in this state? The oil has solidified.

[Kerry Beal]

8 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

Anchovies, oil packed. I took them out of the tin and put them/the oil in a clean glass jar and covered with more oil. Currently keeping in fridge. Are they more or less good forever (or at least 6 months) in this state? The oil has solidified.

Yup!

[Dave the Cook]

On 3/23/2024 at 10:59 PM, billyhill said:

Its about bacon,

My lack of faith bothers me. 2.5% (2.25/0.25%) salt/#1 pink salt? Or, do I need to modify my cure? I see a range of numbers. I am also alienated by most recipes having a fixed weight of pork. I like to be able to adjust and calculate.

 

With Canadian bacon and speck, I run 5 kg at a time. 2-2.5 kg packages. I add 50 grams of water each and curing mixture to bring meat and water mixture to 2.5%. Most of the liquid is usually absorbed by the time it is cured. I usually soak the loins before smoking for an hour or 2 and hot smoke at 225-250 till 140 internal (~4-6 hours) and then SV for a few hours @150. Is this the path?

 

The seasoning, I am comfortable with the seasoning, but...

 

I have read Ruhlman and Polcyn, and other books,  a host of websites, including this one, and have achieved paralysis by analysis. So now, I turn to my security blanket. Oh mighty egullet, help me. 

 

10.77 lbs. Honestly, It is the only pork belly that ever spoke to me

 

I don't really understand the question, but does this not help?  Cure calculator

[AlaMoi]

two methods - a wet cure and a dry cure.

 

for a wet cure the pork-whatever-cut is immersed in a liquid - essentially a brine.  all the percentages refer to making some quantity of liquid curing/brining solutions. you may need quarts or gallons - depends on how much pork you're dealing with.

 

for a cry cure - all the percentages refer to the dry rub/mix - make as much as you need for the pounds-to-tons of pork you want to cure.

followed by hanging/drying/smoking.

[gfweb]

On 3/23/2024 at 10:59 PM, billyhill said:

Its about bacon,

My lack of faith bothers me. 2.5% (2.25/0.25%) salt/#1 pink salt? Or, do I need to modify my cure? I see a range of numbers. I am also alienated by most recipes having a fixed weight of pork. I like to be able to adjust and calculate.

 

With Canadian bacon and speck, I run 5 kg at a time. 2-2.5 kg packages. I add 50 grams of water each and curing mixture to bring meat and water mixture to 2.5%. Most of the liquid is usually absorbed by the time it is cured. I usually soak the loins before smoking for an hour or 2 and hot smoke at 225-250 till 140 internal (~4-6 hours) and then SV for a few hours @150. Is this the path?

 

The seasoning, I am comfortable with the seasoning, but...

 

I have read Ruhlman and Polcyn, and other books,  a host of websites, including this one, and have achieved paralysis by analysis. So now, I turn to my security blanket. Oh mighty egullet, help me. 

 

10.77 lbs. Honestly, It is the only pork belly that ever spoke to me

 

Sorry for the delay.

 

It looks reasonable to me.  How long do you cure and how thick is the meat?

 

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

22 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Yup!

Would this hold true for any tinned fish product, including tuna in oil?

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

Would this hold true for any tinned fish product, including tuna in oil?

Don't think so - anchovies have been cured in salt (either dry or brine) before being packed into tins or bottles with oil. 

[Tropicalsenior]

On 4/1/2024 at 7:29 AM, BeeZee said:

Are they more or less good forever (or at least 6 months)

For what it is worth, this is my preferred method of storing anchovies. These are the only two types of anchovies that I can buy.

Both of these are about double or triple what I would use at any one time. I take the remaining portions out of the tin and blot the oil out of them. Then I wrapped them in aluminum foil in the portion size that I would use. I store them in my freezer in a little yogurt container that I have cut to size.

It fits perfectly in a space on the door of my freezer. I can put tiny little portions of things in it that would otherwise get lost completely.

[AlaMoi]

around here. . . two ounces of flat filets = one Caesar salad (dressing) + one cook's snack.

opened, et, gone.

 

some sources suggest "weeks" storage in oil after opening vs. months.

must admit, bit perplexed on how/why/wherefore two ounces would suffice for "months" of need . . .

[BeeZee]

1 hour ago, AlaMoi said:

must admit, bit perplexed on how/why/wherefore two ounces would suffice for "months" of need . . .

well...some don't like them "that much" but a little bit is good for umami!

[AlaMoi]

I do not disagree . . . but _months_ to "use up" 2 ounces = 56.7 grams....?

[weinoo]

My preferred anchovies are these (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)...

 

 

Or these:

 

 

When I'm not using salt-packed. Take out what's needed, and store the rest right in the jar they came in, in the fridge.  For salt-packed, they stay in the salt in whatever can/jar they came in as well.

Edited April 2 by weinoo (log)

[billyhill]

Bacon turned out fine. 1 3/4" 7 days of curing. Smoked with apple, cherry, and maple mix. I use a little water when I cure my canadian bacon to try and even out the cure. Most is absorbed during curing. In this case, I infused the water with bay leaves. Went light on the sugar and a little maple syrup. 

[rotuts]

@billyhill

 

your bacon looks delicious.

 

what are the 4 smaller pieces ?

 

 

[billyhill]

The other are smoked chicken wings. The bacon was very good. I gave my venison supplier a pound and he returned with 2 pork bellies. It is cut and weighed out and ready to start curing this afternoon. 

[ElsieD]

Can Boston Cream Pie be frozen?  I'm thinking of making individual ones and am wondering if I can do this.

[blue_dolphin]

36 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Can Boston Cream Pie be frozen?  I'm thinking of making individual ones and am wondering if I can do this.

 

I know exactly what you are asking and don't have the answer but this sort of query always reminds me of a comment by Niloufer Ichaporia King in her book, My Bombay Kitchen:

Quote

It keeps for at least a week refrigerated and can be successfully thawed. (Note, I didn't say 'frozen'. Anything can be successfully frozen).

🙃

 

Edited to add that because I'm a looker upper, I looked it up and I think this response to the question touched all bases:

Quote

It is best if you do not freeze Boston Cream Pie.
You can freeze a Boston Cream Pie if the Crème Pâtissière is made with Flour but not if it is made with Corn Starch. It will weep, break down and become watery.
There are also recipes that call for using Crème Pâtissière made with Gelatin which also freezes.
Any of them will be better if not frozen but you can but personally I wouldn’t.

 

That last line cracks me up!

Edited April 17 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Kerala]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:08 PM, weinoo said:

 

 

 

Ooh, that stopped me in my tracks. Like someone designed a snack just for me!