Manitoulin test kitchen (Part 2)

[Anna N]

Ooooooooooo !

 

Oooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

Id like to see and hear a bit more about the P. belly  

 

etc.  etc.  

 

Good Eats you seem to have here .

So here's my story and I'm sticking to it. Sometime last week I had committed to cooking a pork belly in the Big Easy. Given Kerry's shifts and our other commitments it was decided that today would be the day. Partway through the day I decided this would be a good opportunity to see what the combi oven could do with a pork belly. I sliced off a piece and cooked it the combi. I started it at 425 steam bake. It soon occurred to me that this was too high a temperature and I dropped it down to 350. After about 1 1/2 hours the small piece of belly was cooked and the skin was reasonably crispy. So...... The temperature on the balcony has not got much about 15° all day. I debated how dedicated I was to the idea of cooking out there. Not very! So the rest of the pork belly went in to the combi oven at 350 for another hour and a half. One side of the skin crackled rather nicely but the other side did not. I cut the crackle off and put it back in the oven to crisp it up.

Some work is needed to make this a viable option for pork belly. I am thinking skewers through the belly to keep it flat while it is cooking would be the first step. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has attempted this.

[rotuts]

Oooooooooo

O

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

so many Kodos your way

 

AnnaN

 

 I so do know that the Cusi ComI  need and Expert such as YourSelf  to see through the Fog of Cooking

 

and see the CSB's potential

 

many thanks

 

I have a Fz 1/2 belly in the Freezer 

\

and as some point i now know after your Insight

 

what to do With It.

 

a few more Kudos, your way , If your like !

 

        

[Anna N]

Oh that pork skin!!!! What was the method for the cauliflower cheese - looks like decadent mac n' cheese

Heidi

Apologies. So wrapped up in pork I forgot to answer your question about the cauliflower cheese. It is nothing more than a basic bechamel with cheese added, poured over already steamed cauliflower and then baked until bubbly.

[rotuts]

OK  Ok  Ok

 

Im very game to look into this

 

this Sunday Ill go into my Chinese Meago Lo Mark and look for a few 'bellies'

 

I have to get there at 8:50 to Combat the Little Old Ladies that go directly to the Bellie Section.

 

I would like a few tips :

 

 looking at the curve, and that 'bistering' crackling  :

 

it looks that the PB's are on their side, not the skin side at the Top ?

 

did you coat the PB's with anything ?

 

did you score the fat or skin side ?

 

so interesting.

 

maybe 350 the flip ?

 

so inspirational.

[Anna N]

Oooooooooo

O

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

so many Kodos your way

 

AnnaN

 

 I so do know that the Cusi ComI  need and Expert such as YourSelf  to see through the Fog of Cooking

 

and see the CSB's potential

 

many thanks

 

I have a Fz 1/2 belly in the Freezer 

\

and as some point i now know after your Insight

 

what to do With It.

 

a few more Kudos, your way , If your like !

 

     

It's amazing how a freezing cold balcony coupled with a streak of laziness can spur one to creative options!

[rotuts]

PS  how was the pork itself re tender ?

[nakji]

Any mussel experts able to explain why these were so tiny? Each mussel was barely thumbnail size.

I was in PEI this past weekend, enjoying a seafood feast at a relative's. Our mussels were tiny, too - IIRC, he said it was because they're breeding this time of year. The Malpeque oysters we had were also in spat, but I found them no less delicious.

[Anna N]

PS  how was the pork itself re tender ?

It was acceptable. i have had better. I am wondering about other options in terms of initial cooking temperature. It seems to me the route to go is low and slow for the flesh itself. So I am wondering if steam alone for an hour then steam bake might get me where I want to be. It might require a whole herd of pigs to meet my experimentation needs. Pork belly is reasonably priced down south in the Asian stores but certainly not here. Further experiments will have to wait for another time.

[rotuts]

You Betch'ah

 

I was thinking the same sort of thing:

 

Steam to get some tenderness, then steam-bake at the temps you tried

 

then steam-bake at a much higher temp after you take out, pat dry and add some glaze ?

[Anna N]

I was in PEI this past weekend, enjoying a seafood feast at a relative's. Our mussels were tiny, too - IIRC, he said it was because they're breeding this time of year. The Malpeque oysters we had were also in spat, but I found them no less delicious.

Ah so that might explain it. I've had them so fat and juicy at times and so miniscule at other times. Guess I need to study the breeding habits of mussels! Must add that to my to do list. Thank you for commenting.

[Anna N]

Just a comment on the combi oven. After all the cooking of the pork belly the oven itself and the little pan that comes with it looked as though they would never ever come clean again. Grease was burned on to everything. Following instructions in the manual I ran it on steam function 210F for 30 minutes (twice) wiping it out with paper towel and all is now sparkling clean again. I am impressed.

[Beth Wilson]

Just a comment on the combi oven. After all the cooking of the pork belly the oven itself and the little pan that comes with it looked as though they would never ever come clean again. Grease was burned on to everything. Following instructions in the manual I ran it on steam function 210F for 30 minutes (twice) wiping it out with paper towel and all is now sparkling clean again. I am impressed.

And that makes me very interested in getting one now! 

[weinoo]

Just a comment on the combi oven. After all the cooking of the pork belly the oven itself and the little pan that comes with it looked as though they would never ever come clean again. Grease was burned on to everything. Following instructions in the manual I ran it on steam function 210F for 30 minutes (twice) wiping it out with paper towel and all is now sparkling clean again. I am impressed.

Is this really happening?!     

[rotuts]

it is.

 

It Is Indeed !

 

           

[cyalexa]

Located, copied, edited and saved. I will want to try this when the weather cools off. We like to make lamb patties and bbq them to stuff into pita bread halves. Freshly-made pita bread sounds like a nice addition.  I will most certainly have my wife make her home-made tzatziki for them.

 

Have you seen the BA recipe for lamb burgers grilled inside pita? I have not made it but plan to do so.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spiced-lamb-burger#recipe-ingredients

Edited July 29, 2014 by cyalexa (log)

[FauxPas]

Just a comment on the combi oven. After all the cooking of the pork belly the oven itself and the little pan that comes with it looked as though they would never ever come clean again. Grease was burned on to everything. Following instructions in the manual I ran it on steam function 210F for 30 minutes (twice) wiping it out with paper towel and all is now sparkling clean again. I am impressed.

 

I love the way it cleans up, also. I also like being able to use it for meat + veggies. I have steam-roasted half a dozen whole chickens in it and dry-roasted a few roasts. I wrap the chicken or roast or whatever in some tin foil and put on top of the Cuisi - it generates just enough heat to keep the meat warm, while I steam or steam-roast potatoes and veggies. The local nugget potatoes are perfect as they are done in 20 to 25 mins. I put them on the rack + tray and then add veggies about 10 mins later, depending on the veggie. Works out very well. 

 

We are currently living in a temporary furnished place while our house is being reno'd and I am so glad I brought the Cuisinart. 

[Kerry Beal]

Yesterday - between trips into to the ER - I put together some blackcurrent jam with the berries we picked on Sunday.  

 

Ran the jars through the steam oven to sterilize them. 

 

 

 

 

Going to take a couple of jars this am and add some water and reboil - looking for a slightly looser texture!

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Working on some tonic water syrup today.  

 

Hadn't brought any cinchona (or as Anna calls it chinchilla) bark along - so had to get hubby to mail it up in an envelope.  Noticed the envelope had been opened and stapled back together - hope this happened at work and not at the post office (they usually leave you a little note of apology if they open something suspicious).   

[Anna N]

Good morning. Breakfast is a crumpet with some of Kerry's black currant jam.

When she returns from the hospital we will head out to do some errands. We hope to drop in at one of the nurse's homes to pick raspberries, drop in again at the "Flee" market, drive over to Pike Farms for some fresh produce, and finally drop in to the grocery store for flour and other staples. That, as they say, is the plan.

[Smithy]

Is this one of the crumpets Kerry bought, or did you make them this time? I love crumpets. Can't suss why they haven't caught on like English muffins (which I don't like) on this side of the border.

[Porthos]

After I pick up some yeast I am going to try James Beard's recipe in Beard on Bread.

[Anna N]

Is this one of the crumpets Kerry bought, or did you make them this time? I love crumpets. Can't suss why they haven't caught on like English muffins (which I don't like) on this side of the border.

Store-bought. Don't think I have ever tried making crumpets. These ones fall well short of my ideal but I am not sure if I am comparing them to something that actually exists or something that exists only in the idealized world of memory.

Imagine a crumpet, not much thicker than a crepe but 8-10 inches across and made perhaps with buckwheat. This is the crumpet of my childhood. Made by an old lady in the entrance to the Corn Market in Derby circa 1950s. They were called pikelets. That's the taste and texture I am hopelessly trying to recapture. Like I say - a figment of my imagination.

[Kerry Beal]

One of the places we got to today was Pike Lake Farm for some eggs.  

 

 

Entertained by this partridge on the road - didn't stop for pictures of the baby skunk - didn't think it was wise.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Lunch today was at a lovely little campground in Sheguindah that I had driven by a million times before but never stopped at.  I had to drop a form around on Friday and thought that the food smelled great and that the kitchen was open and clean - so when we found ourselves in the area today it was a perfect place to stop!

 

 

Meals come with coleslaw.  It was a very nice coleslaw.

 

 

Liver and onions for Anna.

 

 

Club sandwich with turkey - just the way I like it for me.

 

One of the best meals we've had out on the island this trip.  

[ElsieD]

Mmm Mmm good. It love, love, love, liver and onions (and bacon too if I can get it). Kerry, are those triangular things on your plate some sort of potato puff? They look good whatever they are.