Culinary Conversations

[karstopography]

I don’t know the rules either. Animal rennet, as far as I know, requires a killed and butchered animal to obtain so I would think that any cheese made with animal rennet would be a no go zone for vegetarians, but it seems like I have known vegetarians that eat hard cheeses made with animal rennet.

Vegans have a whole other set of rules to follow. Where does yeast and mushrooms fit as neither are plants? I’ve known Pescavores that eat only fish, plus all the other vegetables and cheese, dairy stuff.

My rules are it should taste good and be reasonably healthy, or at least not terribly unhealthy.

[worth1]

There are vegans that aren't really vegan according to the strict rules of the original intent.
Basically if you're riding a horse and claim your a strict vegan your not.
But to each their own.
I just don't want to be hammerd for what I eat.

I was raised eating home raised meat rabbits but have been beaten up big time for it.
We actually ate more home raised rabbit at one time than we did any other meat besides fish.

[worth1]

Ran up to the corner store for something.
The Mexican market is right nextdoor.
I wanted to see if they had something and they did but it was huge.
More than 2 feet across.
It's a convex comal.
It's got another name Rick Bayless called it but for the life of me couldn't find it anywhere on line.
The contraption is like a Mexican slow cooker but with a dome in the middle to cook tortillas and crisp up the slower cooking meat around the edges.
No place to use one but just wanted to see it was actually there like I thought it was.
Used a lot with Mexican street food vendors.
They also have the concave comal as well where the central dome is inverted.

e735731b7ad60415e9fc2600ace83db9.jpg

comal-bola-23-42.jpeg

[worth1]

Here's the video.

[worth1]

I've come to the conclusion that the sous vide method of cooking certain cuts of meat isn't to my taste.
I like a tender so called blue rare steak meaning red cool center so the sous vide is counter productive.
But I do see some use for it like making cotto salami mortadella and other cuts you don't want to melt the fat out of.
This would also be a great way to pasteurize eggs and treat seeds.
The experiments will continue.

[Old chef]

I've come to the conclusion that the sous vide method of cooking certain cuts of meat isn't to my taste.
I like a tender so called blue rare steak meaning red cool center so the sous vide is counter productive.
But I do see some use for it like making cotto salami mortadella and other cuts you don't want to melt the fat out of.
This would also be a great way to pasteurize eggs and treat seeds.
The experiments will continue.

Hello Worth,

I agree with You. You are never going to get the caramelized exterior on a piece of Sous vide beef. That's what gives beef it flavor!! Even if you sear it!
To achieve the best crust, I liberally salt my. beef 1 hour before grilling and leave out , unwrapped at room temperature. Then grill either over wood or charcoal (not briquets ever) fire

However, Please consider other applications for the sous vide machine. Poultry works very well. Pork .....

Think about marinated chicken thighs, souvide cooked until falling apart, cooled than either battered or breaded and fried.

Could be the best, most tender, flavorful, crisp Bird sandwich ever. Nothing wrong with a spicy chili mayo!

Precooking marinated ribs...etc.

Old Chef

[worth1]

Not feeling the love for sous vide sausage either.
Tried at several temperatures and times and not getting the results as I do with direct water bath.

Tried chicken thighs twice and not satisfied with results at two different temperatures and times.
Both too dry.

Maybe it's just me because I already have methods to cook what I consider good food with good results without sous vide.

The sausage for example is cooked in a water bath at around 150F for about 10 to 15 minutes and then cooked on the grill or pan to crisp up the skin.

Potatoes in cold water stove on medium and brought up to boil for a bit and set the pan off the heat to finish cooking.
Time varies depending on potato size.
Steak cool and on the hot grill not room temperature.
Seasoning black pepper and salt.
Depends on thickness of steak too.

Maybe I'll make a small batch of mortadella and see how it works with that.
Good mortadella fat needs a slight crunch to it not mush.
Maybe an olive loaf.
It's getting short of hard to find some of these quality cuts of meat these days.
Can't find cotto salami with whole peppercorns anymore.
Been years since I've seen pimento pickle loaf.

[Old chef]

Not feeling the love for sous vide sausage either.
Tried at several temperatures and times and not getting the results as I do with direct water bath.

Tried chicken thighs twice and not satisfied with results at two different temperatures and times.
Both too dry.

Maybe it's just me because I already have methods to cook what I consider good food with good results without sous vide.

The sausage for example is cooked in a water bath at around 150F for about 10 to 15 minutes and then cooked on the grill or pan to crisp up the skin.

Potatoes in cold water stove on medium and brought up to boil for a bit and set the pan off the heat to finish cooking.
Time varies depending on potato size.
Steak cool and on the hot grill not room temperature.
Seasoning black pepper and salt.
Depends on thickness of steak too.

Maybe I'll make a small batch of mortadella and see how it works with that.
Good mortadella fat needs a slight crunch to it not mush.
Maybe an olive loaf.
It's getting short of hard to find some of these quality cuts of meat these days.
Can't find cotto salami with whole peppercorns anymore.
Been years since I've seen pimento pickle loaf.

Worth
For salumi and other such items. Look into Salumeria Biellese. This is the only place I buy my Salumi for the restaurants. salumeriabiellese.com.

Their products are all amazing! I always find making mortadella a little tricky. There is a sweet spot when you get the meat, fat and a few ice cubes to emulsify. Give them a try. They ship the salumi UPS

Old Chef

[worth1]

Not feeling the love for sous vide sausage either.
Tried at several temperatures and times and not getting the results as I do with direct water bath.

Tried chicken thighs twice and not satisfied with results at two different temperatures and times.
Both too dry.

Maybe it's just me because I already have methods to cook what I consider good food with good results without sous vide.

The sausage for example is cooked in a water bath at around 150F for about 10 to 15 minutes and then cooked on the grill or pan to crisp up the skin.

Potatoes in cold water stove on medium and brought up to boil for a bit and set the pan off the heat to finish cooking.
Time varies depending on potato size.
Steak cool and on the hot grill not room temperature.
Seasoning black pepper and salt.
Depends on thickness of steak too.

Maybe I'll make a small batch of mortadella and see how it works with that.
Good mortadella fat needs a slight crunch to it not mush.
Maybe an olive loaf.
It's getting short of hard to find some of these quality cuts of meat these days.
Can't find cotto salami with whole peppercorns anymore.
Been years since I've seen pimento pickle loaf.

Worth
For salumi and other such items. Look into Salumeria Biellese. This is the only place I buy my Salumi for the restaurants. salumeriabiellese.com.

Their products are all amazing! I always find making mortadella a little tricky. There is a sweet spot when you get the meat, fat and a few ice cubes to emulsify. Give them a try. They ship the salumi UPS

Old Chef

First hats off for serving quality food.
I went to the website and looked.
Snail of approval rating is one good thing.
For those that don't know the snail of approval is an approval rating for slow food meaning it isn't mass produced like some of the crappy stuff they sell in many supermarkets.
Not saying all supermarkets just sell crappy salami and sausage but it's there.
Our HEB stores in Texas has some fantastic stuff and some not so fantastic.
I freaked the guy behind the deli counter out one time when I asked what the Soppressata was a pound.
I then said slice s pound and give me the rest unsliced.
I've made a good Soppressata here at home in the winter.
Hung it up in the garage to age.
Willing to admit I've had some total failures too.
Not dangerous to eat they just sucked.
Everyone that's tried my stuff has wanted to buy it and couldn't get over how good it was.
Still sawing away at my pancetta.

[worth1]

Went whole hog at the grocery store on the way home from work.
Got my ration of pecorino romano cheese.
Uncured Ham hocks I've been looking for.
Carrots.
Celery.
Onions.
Spells soffritto.
Two kinds of squash yellow and calabsa or how ever it's spelled.
It's the light green squash the Mexican folks like.
We're making a minestrone soup you see, even in the heat.
A surprise pasta, haven't made my mind up on the beans.
Two big seedless watermelons one in the refrigerator.
Vanilla ice cream with finely chopped habanero peppers.

Several other odds and ends but that about does it.

[worth1]

In the other thread I'm making the soup.
But here I want to express something that is my opinion.
I had crockpot I was going to use and decided to put it aside.
They have their place but not here not at this time.
I need instant reaction from my stove not sitting around waiting for things to happen.
Needed to brown the meat and the soffritto.
Not going to happen in a slow cooker.
Why bother with it and mess up more stuff to wash.
That's the beauty of a cast iron enameled dutch oven.
It's basically a slow cooker on the stove with more range of adjustment.

[worth1]

Taco tips.
https://www.tastingtable.com/1321110/mi ... -martinez/

[worth1]

I'm going to stop off and buy a big bottle of Skyy vodka today.
Fried chicken experiment coming soon.

[worth1]

No vodka.
I had a hankering for chili dogs so I stopped off at the store to get wieners buns and Wolf Brand chili.
Upon looking at all the wieners I noticed a whole bunch said uncured.
Oscar mayer was one of them.
Seriously they all had celery powder in them but they are playing the game making people think they're getting a healthy wiener.
Wiener section was wiped out.
I wonder why.
Next there wasn't any hotdog buns.
Had to go the the bakery section and get those trashy French brioche buns.
It's a frigging hot dog not a gormet meal.
Anywho outside I ran across and older gentleman with Marine stickers on his little tiny Fiat.
He had been in Korea and Vietnam.
Got spit on up in Dallas airport by a pretty young girl for being a baby killer.

He was next to my van and nobody would let him back out.
Even when he was sticking out so people could see him they just kept going by.
Basically didn't give a hoot.
I'm going to help him.
I get out and block traffic so this guy can back out.
This ain't the first time I've gotten out and blocked traffic for the people bringing back shopping carts or couldn't get out of their parking spot due to rude people.
Not vertue signaling just stating what I do for folks not asking for anything just pass on the good deeds.
It'll help you sleep better knowing you helped someone.
And maybe just maybe it'll help straighten out this upside down world we are in.

[worth1]

I have a small case of something mental.
Not for sure what you would call the disorder.
I must have put several brands of refried beans in my cart and put them back.
The first brand I checked on my way to some other place in the store for ingredients, darn it's soybean oil not lard.
Going back.
I'll check the Latino section.
Vegan, nope automatic vegetable oil.
Nope lard but vinegar.
Going back to the regular section.
Found it lard but price was high.
Some lard but vinegar, nope not me no vinegar.
Canola oil no way.
Saw a Mexican reach in and grab some Gebhardts brand for a dollar a can.
Wow didn't see them what's up with that?
Checked.
Lard excellent.
No vinegar excellent.
I just can't stand the idea of vegetable/soybean oil in refried beans.
It's totally a mental disturbance on my part.

[worth1]

I just watched a guy turn all his meat into charcoal on a Santa Maria grill.
He keeps putting butter and beer in it for whatever reason and even burns his arms.
The darn chicken is literally getting burned up over the flames.
The excitement starts around 13 minutes in.

[worth1]

Stopped off at the south Austin fiesta market yesterday.
What a total bummer it was.
The international section sucks and I couldn't find hardly anything I wanted.
I managed to get out with a couple of pounds of Roman beans a big 20 pound sack of basmati rice I found by accident and 10 heads of garlic for my trouble.
The HEB in Bastrop has a better selection.
I'll be going to the one on 38th Street from now on.

[Danny]

That vieo made me just cringe, the meat was burnt and he was so wasteful of the meat trim. What a shame.

[worth1]

That vieo made me just cringe, the meat was burnt and he was so wasteful of the meat trim. What a shame.

But he said cooked until golden brown then burned it to charcoal then said cooked to perfection or some such rot.
The tri tip was even burned up.

[worth1]

Ya think.
I've been doing this for years.
There's also an article on cooking frozen steaks and not thawing them first.
Been doing that too for years.
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1342698/tr ... ing-first/