***Official Cooking Discussion Thread*** (2 Viewers)

[Tiger Fan]

I made the best top round I have ever had earlier this week. I cooked it sous vide for 48 hours, sliced it into 1.5'' thick steaks, which I packaged in the fridge with salt and pepper and have been pulling out to sear in the CIS. They're a bit dry, as there isn't much fat, but I've been searing in butter, and they've been delicious.

Everyone should own an immersion circulator. I can take a crappy hunk of meat and make delicious steak, and it's ridiculously easy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9-NOkxho_N/?taken-by=masonethompson

Think I am going for one for Christmas. I need to use it with a big pot instead of a giant tub. What are you using?

Anova

I've got the older Anova without the wifi. Though why I'd need to connect this thing to the internet I have no idea. The app is pretty worthless. The device is amazing.

I used my own pots for a little while before getting a dedicated SV container from a restaurant supply house. I wanted one with a lid so I could reduce evaporation on longer cooks. The one I've got is a little big for smaller stuff, I think I'm going to swing by and pick the one they've got that is half the depth but fits the same lid.

This is my setup, but most of the time I put it on the floor in the corner these days to keep it out of the way.

I'm completely shuked. What does this thing do?

Also, another stupid question, for the sous vide...are you vacuum bagging the meat yourself or do you buy it that way?

It holds water at a precise temperature. In it you can put anything that is sealed - I vaccum bag my food with a 60 dollar foodsaver I got at Costco. You can do zip loc freezer bags too. I've even made creme brulee in small mason jars.

There are a few benefits

1. Perfectly even cooking. Whatever temp you set the water to is the temp your food will be cooked to. Evenly and all the way through.

2. Longer cooking times without drying out or overcooking. Since it can only get to the temp the water is set at, it just stays there as long as you want it to. Just like a long smoke on a pork butt, the collagens melt and it gets very tender.

3. Timing isn't a big deal. For me, currently, I do all the cooking, and I also work pretty late. I can throw a roast in the bath and pull out a perfectly done roast, sear it, and have dinner on the table right away. If I have something come up and I'm stuck out for a couple hours, no big deal, it'll still be ready.

It's definitely not the right tool for every job, but there's no tool I know of that can do what it does.

Interesting. Thx

TF - this makes melt in your mouth meat or fish - even chicken. Unbelievable difference - just brown it up (if you want) in the pan or on the grill. Filets are awesome too - and always the perfect doneness the way you like it.

 

[bierfiend]

These have become staples for thanksgiving. i may play with some of them, but my family is fighting me on that.

- basic roasted turkey with gravy

- roasted apple/butternut squash soup or cream of mushroom
- stuffing with sausage and dried fruit (currants, cherries, apricots, golden raisins)
- caramelized brussel sprouts with bacon and onions and sherry vinaigrette
- orange/rum cranberries
- pumpkin chiffon pie (everyone voted for a pumpkin) or black russian pie
- sweet potato casserole with streusel topping.

basic turkey:
1 14-16 lb turkey (thawed)
2-3 tbs olive oil
1 C + 2 tbs butter (2 1/4 sticks- 1/4 inch dice)
2 tbs minced thyme
2 tbs minced rosemary
2 tbs minced sage
2 tbs parsley
10 C chicken broth
3 C diced onion (1/2 inch)
2 C diced carrot (1/2 inch)
2 C diced celery (1/2 inch)
2 lemons (halved)
S&P
preheat oven to 425. remove neck, gizzards, etc. rinse turkey inside and out. pat dry. create a pocket between meat and skin. rub whole bird with olive oil, salt, and pepper. mix thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary in a small bowl. evenly distribute in the pockets and outside of the bird.... if you need more make more evenly distribute about 2 C of butter inside those pockets. stuff the bird with 1 C onion, 1 C carrot, 1 C celery, and 2 lemons. tuck legs under and tie legs (trousing).

roast for about 20-30 min, reduce temp to 325. cook 30 min.. pour 1 cup of broth over turkey. add abut 1 tbs of butter to roasting pan. cook 30 min. baste with pan drippings. pour another C of broth over the bird. and add another tbs butter to pan. cover loosely with foil and roast until therm reads 15 at thickest part of thigh....basting with a cup of broth and tbs of butter every 30 min. this should take about 1 hour and 45 min + or -. overall time is about 15 min/lb.

for gravy (base)-
melt 2 tbs of butter. in deep skillet over high heat. add 2 c onions, 1 c celery, 1 c carrots.... saute until brown. add 6 cups of broth and bring to boil.. reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 20-25 min uncovered. strain.

strain pan juices from the turkey... whisk in gravy base. melt 2 tbs of butter in large sauce pan over med heat. add flour and whisk constantly until our roux is golden brown (about 6 min). gradually add the gravy base/pan juice mixture into the roux. increase heat and whisk until gravy thickens, boils, and is smooth. reduce heat to med. reduce gently until it reduce to about 4 1/2 cups..whisking often (about 10 min). season gravy with s&p.

stuffing:
1 lb- unseasoned pork sausage (crumbled) you also want to remove the casings
1/2 C- finely chopped onion
1/2 C- finely chopped celery
1/2 C- butter
1 C- finely chopped unpeeled mcintosh apples
1 C- dried cherries
1/3 C- cherry brandy
1 loaf- french baguette cubed
1/4 tsp- cinnamon
1/4 tsp- mace
1 tsp- salt
1/4 tsp- ground black pepper
3 C- chicken broth
pinch nutmeg
pinch dreid sage
pinch dried thyme

brown sausage. saute onions and celery until soft. combine all ingredients. .......

spray dish you are going to use to cook. spread stuffing evenly in dish. bake at 425 for 30 min (or unitl golden brown). cover with foil (to prevent burning). lower temp to 350. cook until stock is absorbed.

soup:
1 butternut squash
2 green apples
5 C veg stock
2 C cream
1-2 oz maple syrup
1-2 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
s&p to taste

preheat oven to 425* cut squash in half (lengthwise). put on cookie sheet seed side up. lightly coat with oil. roast for about 45 min to 1 hr until pulp is soft. bring stock to boil. turn heat down and let it simmer. scald cream. set cream aside. peel and core apples. cut into wedges. roast for about 20-30 min (until lightly brown).

when squash is ready, let cool enough so you can handle it.... scoop seeds out and either discard or set aside to roast another time. scoop pulp out (you don't want that outer layer). put pulp and green apple in stock.... simmer for about 20-30 min. puree. once smooth, add cream (while blending)..... then add maple cin, nutmeg, s&p.

Black Russian Pie:

crust:
1 C chocolate wafer crumbs (or chocolate graham crackers)
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
2 tbs kahlua

combine well. press onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. chill for 10-15 min.

filling:
1/2 C milk
2 envelops unflavored gelatin
1/2 C kahlua
2 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C vodka
1 1/2 C heay cream, whipped
shaved chocolate

heat milk to boiling. add gelatin and kahlua.... stir until dissolved. in a blender, mix eggs, sugar, vodka. with machine running pour in milk mixture and blend well. transfer to a bowl. chill for 15-30 min. fold gelatin mixture into whipped cream. pour into crust. chill until set (about 3 hours). sprinkle shaved chocolate on top right before serving.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family this year, sitting down and planning it tonight.

• For the turkey I think I'm going to do the chefsteps method, making a roulade with the dark meat and cooking the breast in the oven. Also the gravy. Only deviation is that I'm going to do a dry brine instead of a wet brine.
• I'm going to make Kenji's green bean casserole and I'm thinking about his deep fried brussels sprouts too, but I may just pan fry unless I have time to practice the deep fry before Thanksgiving, because I've literally never deep fried anything in my life.
• I'm going to start my potatoes out like the Chefsteps pomme puree, but instead of pressing it through a sieve or a ricer I'm going to mash it for a slightly more traditional chunkier mashed potato. I do like the idea of not impregnating the potato with water at all. Liquid is just delicious, delicious dairy.
• I'm going to make a cranberry sauce, I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for it yet, but I've got a bunch of blueberries in the freezer, and I'm watching the pioneer woman's thanksgiving episode tonight and may get some inspiration.

My wife is allergic to wheat, my sister is on a strict diet for general fitness, and my parents are pretty much grain free, so I'm not going to make a stuffing, which doesn't really offend me. I'm really looking forward to this a lot. Way more than I probably should be.

Now I need to plan a timeline and what I can get away with making beforehand.

Love the idea on the potatoes and eliminating any water touching them.

 

[bierfiend]

Very easy soup. I top it it with creme fraiche and sage oil

 

[Mr. Ected]

Have been making breakfasts on Sunday before kids go to skating lessons. Been doing mostly regular stuff like pancakes, eggs, etc. But found this article about The Egg McMuffin and decided to try it. Ordered egg ring molds from Amazon and tried them this morning. Very easy, delicious, as long as you follow the procedure.

Here is the basic recipe; but read the article, it is interesting for explaining the why.

Egg McMuffin

Ingredients

Eggs

Canadian Bacon

Cheese

English Muffins

Egg Ring Molds

Instructions

Heat a nonstick skillet using medium heat, place the ring mold in the center of the pan, and apply some vegetable oil inside the ring, using a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly. You could also use cooking spray.

Crack the egg into the mold (breaking the yolk and stir it a little, to disburse it evenly throughout the whites) add salt and pepper and add a few tablespoons of water to the outside of the ring.

Cover egg and leave for 2-3 minutes.

Assemble it in the following order: English muffin (bottom), cheese, egg, Canadian bacon, English muffin (top).

After making a couple I made the following adjustments:

Toasted the muffins on the lowest setting on my toaster to get them warm. I also warmed the Canadian Bacon up slightly, and that helped. Used PepperJack cheese for extra flavor.

you needed a recipe to figure this out?

Maybe I'm a moron, but for me it wasn't so much the recipe, as to the explanation of how and why. I would have ended up just frying the eggs and it wouldn't be the same.

 

[Swing 51]

Another egg dish I make from time to time on Sunday and eat throughout the week. Very simple as I'm a moron in the kitchen (and elsewhere).

Precook sausage, bacon, other protein. Cut up red pepper or other veggie you want to add. Beat 12 eggs and pour them in to muffin tins. Add protein and veggie and cook at 300 for 20 minutes. It can get messy if you overfill the muffin tin.

Reheat throughout the week for easy breakfasts.

 

[sbonomo]

Have been making breakfasts on Sunday before kids go to skating lessons. Been doing mostly regular stuff like pancakes, eggs, etc. But found this article about The Egg McMuffin and decided to try it. Ordered egg ring molds from Amazon and tried them this morning. Very easy, delicious, as long as you follow the procedure.

Here is the basic recipe; but read the article, it is interesting for explaining the why.

Egg McMuffin

Ingredients

Eggs

Canadian Bacon

Cheese

English Muffins

Egg Ring Molds

Instructions

Heat a nonstick skillet using medium heat, place the ring mold in the center of the pan, and apply some vegetable oil inside the ring, using a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly. You could also use cooking spray.

Crack the egg into the mold (breaking the yolk and stir it a little, to disburse it evenly throughout the whites) add salt and pepper and add a few tablespoons of water to the outside of the ring.

Cover egg and leave for 2-3 minutes.

Assemble it in the following order: English muffin (bottom), cheese, egg, Canadian bacon, English muffin (top).

After making a couple I made the following adjustments:

Toasted the muffins on the lowest setting on my toaster to get them warm. I also warmed the Canadian Bacon up slightly, and that helped. Used PepperJack cheese for extra flavor.

you needed a recipe to figure this out?

Maybe I'm a moron, but for me it wasn't so much the recipe, as to the explanation of how and why. I would have ended up just frying the eggs and it wouldn't be the same.

Try it with an over medium yolk and tabasco sauce. That will knock your socks off.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Another egg dish I make from time to time on Sunday and eat throughout the week. Very simple as I'm a moron in the kitchen (and elsewhere).

Precook sausage, bacon, other protein. Cut up red pepper or other veggie you want to add. Beat 12 eggs and pour them in to muffin tins. Add protein and veggie and cook at 300 for 20 minutes. It can get messy if you overfill the muffin tin.

Reheat throughout the week for easy breakfasts.

We do this for a no sugar, easy breakfast for us and the kids. We add cheese though.

 

[pollardsvision]

had the same set of kitchen hardware (pots & pans) for 12 years now. Want to begin slowly replacing. Anyone know where to start?

Sam's and Costco are great places to start. Not the stuff sold in sets (probably solid, but generally over-priced). The stuff sold in the restaurant section.For instance, Sam's sells a 10" Tri-Ply for $25.. If you like non-stick stuff, their non-stick pans are great and cheap ( like this one).

For a largish stockpot, the Excelsteel 16 qt on Amazon is a great pot at an amazing value ($30).

Personally, if I were starting from scratch, nearly everything I bought would come from the Sam's/Costco restaurant section and Cast Iron (preferably vintage, but new Lodge is also great). I'd patch together the rest from Amazon.

 

[pollardsvision]

Not sure how you guys go about keeping your knives sharp, but I've finally gotten around to using sharping stones (whetstones) and those damn things are awesome.

A good one can be cheap and will put a crazy sharp edge on knives without a ton of work.

I had been using an electric diamond wheel sharpener, which was okay for cheap knives (Dexter or Sam's white handle knives). But it was worthless for my Victorinox knives (wrong angle, I suspect). 10-15 minutes on a relatively low grit King stone (1000 grit) will restore that edge to damn near factory sharp. I don't think 1000 is high enough grit for razor sharp, but it'll get it sharp enough to slice through a tomato, parallel to the cutting board, without touching the tomato with your hands.

 

[Instinctive]

 

[bierfiend]

tri-stone or professional service have worked best. every kitchen i have worked in has had a local sharpener come around once/week to take care of blades.

 

[pollardsvision]

Not sure how you guys go about keeping your knives sharp, but I've finally gotten around to using sharping stones (whetstones) and those damn things are awesome.

A good one can be cheap and will put a crazy sharp edge on knives without a ton of work.

I had been using an electric diamond wheel sharpener, which was okay for cheap knives (Dexter or Sam's white handle knives). But it was worthless for my Victorinox knives (wrong angle, I suspect). 10-15 minutes on a relatively low grit King stone (1000 grit) will restore that edge to damn near factory sharp. I don't think 1000 is high enough grit for razor sharp, but it'll get it sharp enough to slice through a tomato, parallel to the cutting board, without touching the tomato with your hands.

I recently acquired a set of whetstones (220, 1000, 3000, 8000), a whetstone holder, and a ceramic hone, and I've been playing around with them. A couple thoughts:

If I had it to do over again, I'd get a cheap rough stone, a nice 1k and 5k stone. Would save some money over what I did, and I usually use my 220 for repairing busted tips on friends' knives, or removing a lot of material on a pretty chipped blade. Also, the 8k is near worthless to me - a guy I know who sharpens knives for a living says that he generally finds a knife will cut better at 3k than it will at 8k because there will be exceedingly small imperfections that act as serrations that help to grab the skin of things that are tough to cut.

Also, if anybody wants to get a nice knife, check out www.epicedge.com - they do a cyber monday sale that are the best deals on nice knives around. Margin isn't high and discounts usually don't get this deep on knives. They update details and times here. I have my eye on a 270 stainless powdered steel gyuto, a shorter santoku, and some kind of decent bread knife. After that I should be mostly done acquiring knives for the rest of my life.

I just have the 250/1000 King stone. Seemed like a good starter for $20. I've really just used the 250 on some of the rougher knives (I work in a kitchen with a bunch of people that don't take care of knives), but I could see the 1000 being about all one would need.

I think I'll probably go ahead and get the 1000/6000 King stone just to have a back-up 1000 if/when mine meets an unfortunate fall. Anything higher than that, or a good, cheap 3000 stone, is probably about as much as I'm willing to spend, as I know going head over heels on whetstones can be an expensive endeavor.

What kind of stone holder do you have? I just keep mine in the plastic soaking bin with a towel. How badly will they get screwed up if they don't dry out completely?

 

[bierfiend]

http://www.foodservicefiresale.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DRI07946&Click=80195

 

[NewlyRetired]

I have a question about brining.

Is it ok to do a wet brine, and then pat it dry and then put a dry rub on the bird (chicken in this case)?

 

[Osaurus]

I have a question about brining.

Is it ok to do a wet brine, and then pat it dry and then put a dry rub on the bird (chicken in this case)?

I do it with a turkey breast every year

 

[VA703]

okay best recipe for gravey?

going to get the gibblets? neckbone and whatevers in that pouch, brown it in a pot 15 mins remove

deglze pot with some dry wine

toss in carrots onions celery same pot get all the goods off the pan 5 mins

throw gibblets back in with chicken stock

cook for 1 1/2

strain add in turkey drippings from the pan

toss in some flour

enjoy

 

[Tiger Fan]

okay best recipe for gravey?

going to get the gibblets? neckbone and whatevers in that pouch, brown it in a pot 15 mins remove

deglze pot with some dry wine

toss in carrots onions celery same pot get all the goods off the pan 5 mins

throw gibblets back in with chicken stock

cook for 1 1/2

strain add in turkey drippings from the pan

toss in some flour

enjoy

Posted mine last page

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Annova is selling a couple machines for $100 - you sign up to get notified when it's live here

http://anovaculinary.com/2015-holiday-sale/

Thanks - unlikely I'll get to it quickly enough - but that would be a nice savings.

 

[John Bender]

Looking to brine the turkey this year. Can I get the quintessential formula?

Also...is it safe to keep outside? It's going to be 29-32 degrees overnight and around 49-50 during the day here Tuesday and Wednesday.

The brine bags dont really cover the entire bird.

Also, really looking to step up my stuffing game this year. I bake outside of the bird but always use the pre packaged ####. Help me prep 2 days in advance...

NO nuts, NO fruit, NO cornbread, NO oysters. I'm not opposed to using giblets or the neck though.

 

[bierfiend]

i mentioned a few thanksgiving recipes above.

 

[John Bender]

i mentioned a few thanksgiving recipes above.

i do appreciate it, but your stuffing recipe breaks 3 of my 4 NO rules...

And i'm more interested in the brining thing. For the past 6 years it's either been only me or only me and my sig. other. This year, it's still just her and I, but we want to take a chance on a brine finally.

Also...

I bought this thermometer recently and will never look back.

ABSOLUTELY essential for cooking meat as it's a true instant read. Most "instant" read thermometers necessitate leaving it in the meat during cooking and that can be shoddy if any of the reading mechanisms touch a hot surface.

This thing gives the temperature within 3 seconds every time.

Best kitchen item I've ever purchased.

 

[bierfiend]

i mentioned a few thanksgiving recipes above.

i do appreciate it, but your stuffing recipe breaks 3 of my 4 NO rules...

make it without the fruit and sausage

 

[John Bender]

i mentioned a few thanksgiving recipes above.

i do appreciate it, but your stuffing recipe breaks 3 of my 4 NO rules...

make it without the fruit and sausage

all that would be left is bread in the recipe you posted.

 

[bierfiend]

i mentioned a few thanksgiving recipes above.

i do appreciate it, but your stuffing recipe breaks 3 of my 4 NO rules...

make it without the fruit and sausage

all that would be left is bread in the recipe you posted.

throw in carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms

 

[John Bender]

neat thread

 

[Binky The Doormat]

neat thread

Sorry JB, I cook a lot but only provide a little help at Thanksgiving. Its my wife's show. We only make the standard dressing with a dressed up version of Stovetop that we love. But - I trust much of the Chowhound recipes so here is a sausage stuffing recipe from there.

Maybe better, here is a link to one of my favorite food sites - Food52 and their Thanksgiving recipes. Lots of cool stuff here.

 

[heckmanm]

Stumbled across a great combo of leftovers yesterday. Chopped up some smoked brisket and stirred in a big spoonful of hot giardinera. Mixed it in with some roasted butternut squash. Sweet/hot/savory - .

 

[Tiger Fan]

Anova sous vide thing precision for $99

http://slickdeals.net/f/8292697-anova-one-sous-vide-cooker-for-99-anova-precision-gets-50-off?utm_source=rss&utm_content=fp&utm_medium=RSS2

 

[John Bender]

neat thread

Sorry JB, I cook a lot but only provide a little help at Thanksgiving. Its my wife's show. We only make the standard dressing with a dressed up version of Stovetop that we love. But - I trust much of the Chowhound recipes so here is a sausage stuffing recipe from there.

Maybe better, here is a link to one of my favorite food sites - Food52 and their Thanksgiving recipes. Lots of cool stuff here.

Thanks GB

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Anova sous vide thing precision for $99

http://slickdeals.net/f/8292697-anova-one-sous-vide-cooker-for-99-anova-precision-gets-50-off?utm_source=rss&utm_content=fp&utm_medium=RSS2

Missed the $99 ones (I think there were only 2), but they followed up with a $50 savings - so I got one for $129! Thanks again TF.

Will be a gift my wife will get for my kids to give me for Christmas. Now to find one of those special buckets ...

 

[RC94]

Aside from fantasy football, cooking is my primary hobby. I love it and have tons of recipes. If anyone wants something specific let me know and I will try to find it and/or we can work on creating our own recipe.

Here is a tip I learned from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" show on how to dry-age steak, although I have changed it a bit since my way works better for me. Unless you have a special cooler/refrigerator temperature-controlled room that is also humidity-controlled you can’t age steak like the top steakhouses do. This makes the steaks taste great and it’s very easy for normal people like you and me:

Wrap the steak (individually) in a couple of paper towels, put it in a plastic bag and then in the refrigerator. On the first day or 2 you might want to change the paper towels a couple of times a day after it’s soaked thru, otherwise you can change it once a day. After several days the paper towels will have absorbed enough of the water in the steak to make it more firm and dry. It will taste great, like you would get in a restaurant.

 

[heckmanm]

Made this tonight to good reviews

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Looking to brine the turkey this year. Can I get the quintessential formula?

Also...is it safe to keep outside? It's going to be 29-32 degrees overnight and around 49-50 during the day here Tuesday and Wednesday.

The brine bags dont really cover the entire bird.

Also, really looking to step up my stuffing game this year. I bake outside of the bird but always use the pre packaged ####. Help me prep 2 days in advance...

NO nuts, NO fruit, NO cornbread, NO oysters. I'm not opposed to using giblets or the neck though.

Sorry I missed this GB

IMO stuffing should be dry bread, poultry seasoning, onions, celery and chicken broths

Get the celery and onions nice and soft then mix with the bread and broth a little at a time

Prep it the the night before

Cook

Add gravy

Eat

 

[Road Warriors]

Starting at 8pm ET today, there's one of the best sales going on high end kitchen knives. Goes from tonight all through tomorrow, a new knife every two hours.

I'm hoping to score a good bread knife and a santoku/270mm gyuto from a line I like.

Link?

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I started putting pictures of what I make on instagram, along with random pictures of my family

great idea - we all should start one

 

[Nugget]

Just did my first biscuits and gravy from scratch. It is stupid good. 1 pound of country sausage with 4 thick cut slices of bacon from the meat counter make an amazing gravy base.

 

[RBM]

I started putting pictures of what I make on instagram, along with random pictures of my family

Green bean casserole looks killer.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Made 10 pounds of roast, been cooking them sous vide for the last 48 hours. I love how I keep all the juices when I cook sous vide. Diced two shallots, that much garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme, and cooked them in butter. Cooked until the shallots were translucent, then added liquid from the cook as well as red wine. It's reducing now. It's a really easy, wicked good sauce to pair with really tender meat. And it's nice to have it in the fridge ready to rock at a moment's notice. Sear on a CIS, add some sauce, and in about 5 minutes I've got a heck of a meat course.

I really, really love my immersion circulator.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-7_01zho_a/?taken-by=masonethompson

What is your recommendation on buying/using a vacuum sealer? It seems like a great idea, just costly and potentially not needed in some/many? cases.

- Seems like it would really keep meat better in the freezer - worth it?

- When is it important to use the vacuum sealed bags for certain dishes?

- What vacuum sealers have you used? I have been looking online and it seems like this one gets the best reviews but about 40% more than the next step down.

 

[VA703]

Made 10 pounds of roast, been cooking them sous vide for the last 48 hours. I love how I keep all the juices when I cook sous vide. Diced two shallots, that much garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme, and cooked them in butter. Cooked until the shallots were translucent, then added liquid from the cook as well as red wine. It's reducing now. It's a really easy, wicked good sauce to pair with really tender meat. And it's nice to have it in the fridge ready to rock at a moment's notice. Sear on a CIS, add some sauce, and in about 5 minutes I've got a heck of a meat course.

I really, really love my immersion circulator.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-7_01zho_a/?taken-by=masonethompson

What is your recommendation on buying/using a vacuum sealer? It seems like a great idea, just costly and potentially not needed in some/many? cases.

- Seems like it would really keep meat better in the freezer - worth it?

- When is it important to use the vacuum sealed bags for certain dishes?

- What vacuum sealers have you used? I have been looking online and it seems like this one gets the best reviews but about 40% more than the next step down.

I have this one

its pretty good and I think around $100 or so

whenever buying meats in bulk from Costco ill seal up half and freeze. lasts months

also when I go fishing ill prepare the fish with old bay and whatever then seal and freeze to eat later down the road

 

[Mister CIA]

Made huge pot of chili yesterday, first time from scratch in several years. It's pretty warm by my standards, which means it's probably very hot. Can wait to see how the flavors come together this afternoon.

It kind of sucks that it's supposed to get in the upper 60s today, but I could not wait for a cold day any longer.

Here's what I did/used:

Note: Except for the 6 oz of chili powder, I don't actually measure anything.

The Base, or what I call the Chili Ether (it's basically a Wick Fowler knock-off w/ brown sugar added):

The dry powder mix below gets broken into thirds and gets mixed in with each two pounds of meat below. It just feels right to gradually work the flavors together.

• 30 oz tomato sauce/30 oz water ... first thing that goes into the pot.
• 6 oz dried chili powder (5 parts NuMex; 1 part Chipotle)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (not usually a fan of onion and garlic powders, but they're appropriate for chili, imo)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 4 tsp brown sugar

The Meat

• 6 lbs course-ground chili beef
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 chopped serranos
• 1 chopped habanero
• Kosher salt

I have small kitchen and I cooked beef 2 lbs at a time with the onion and peppers equally distributed in the last two batches. Had to have a pepper free batch of beef fat for Cujo. In case my ex-wife is reading this, I drained the beef - LIKE ANY MORON KNOWS YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!

Roasted Peppers

• Roasted jalapenos, Hungarian wax peppers, an Anaheim and a poblano under the broiler (rotate frequently). Toss into arge bowl and cover with plate. Let sit for a good while (30-45 minutes). Peel skins off and chop, add to chili.

Enchilada Sauce

I never make this the same way twice. Basically throw about 2 handfuls of dried chiles into a 6qt pot and rehydrate on low boil for about an hour (while I'm doing all the aforementiond). Probably about a 70/30 ratio, with 70 being NuMex, Anaheim and guajillo, and 30 being arbol, japones and ancho.

Add the rehydrated peppers to food food processor (Nutri-Ninja killed it!) with a little water, puree. Strain peppers, and pour pepper broth through the strain until you have about two cups of sauce. Add about a tbsp of honey and and a tsp of liquid smoke.

Almost Last but not Least

• 1/2 oz dried chili pequins - toss in non-stick on medium heat for a few minutes. Just want to get them dry so that they crush easily. Be careful, they can burn quickly. Crush and add to chili.

Last and Least

• After about and hour of simmering - Mix 1/4 cup of flour with about a cup of warm water. Mix and add to chili to thicken.

Will serve with shredded cheddar on the table along with a bowl of chopped white onion. And dammit, I'm going to have to make a run to the store because I cannot eat chili without crushed saltines.

ETA: It's a must for this to set overnight in the fridge. Just simmering for a few hours does not get the flavor anywhere close to where it needs to be.

ETA Part Deux: I think I made just a little to hot. Taste buds dig it but it's pretty rough on the stomach lining. Added about a cup and half of water and may come back later with a little more flour/warm water to thicken it back up. Can't tell for certain, but I think I went too heavy with the pequins.

 

[VA703]

sounds pretty damn good.. a lot of steps though

 

[Mister CIA]

sounds pretty damn good.. a lot of steps though

It took almost three hours to make. Of course I am notoriously slow in the kitchen. Take me close to four hours to make a pot of ratatouille, but it's worth the wait.

This is why God made beer.

 

[Instinctive]

Have you tried oyster crackers instead of saltines?

It's nice to see another chili recipe. I'm about to take my third shot at my own completely made up one. Will report back in like 12 hours lol

 

[NewlyRetired]

when a recipe calls for 2.5 cups of sifted flour, do I measure the flour before or after sifting?

 

[Mister CIA]

Have you tried oyster crackers instead of saltines?

It's nice to see another chili recipe. I'm about to take my third shot at my own completely made up one. Will report back in like 12 hours lol

I have. You would not think there'd be much difference, but I much prefer crushed saltines. It's probably a comfort food thing.

 

[fasteddie_21]

when a recipe calls for 2.5 cups of sifted flour, do I measure the flour before or after sifting?

Before. Sift after, always.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Made huge pot of chili yesterday, first time from scratch in several years. It's pretty warm by my standards, which means it's probably very hot. Can wait to see how the flavors come together this afternoon.

It kind of sucks that it's supposed to get in the upper 60s today, but I could not wait for a cold day any longer.

Here's what I did/used:

Note: Except for the 6 oz of chili powder, I don't actually measure anything.

The Base, or what I call the Chili Ether (it's basically a Wick Fowler knock-off w/ brown sugar added):

The dry powder mix below gets broken into thirds and gets mixed in with each two pounds of meat below. It just feels right to gradually work the flavors together.

• 30 oz tomato sauce/30 oz water ... first thing that goes into the pot.
• 6 oz dried chili powder (5 parts NuMex; 1 part Chipotle)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (not usually a fan of onion and garlic powders, but they're appropriate for chili, imo)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 4 tsp brown sugar

The Meat

• 6 lbs course-ground chili beef
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 chopped serranos
• 1 chopped habanero
• Kosher salt

I have small kitchen and I cooked beef 2 lbs at a time with the onion and peppers equally distributed in the last two batches. Had to have a pepper free batch of beef fat for Cujo. In case my ex-wife is reading this, I drained the beef - LIKE ANY MORON KNOWS YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!

Roasted Peppers

• Roasted jalapenos, Hungarian wax peppers, an Anaheim and a poblano under the broiler (rotate frequently). Toss into arge bowl and cover with plate. Let sit for a good while (30-45 minutes). Peel skins off and chop, add to chili.

Enchilada Sauce

I never make this the same way twice. Basically throw about 2 handfuls of dried chiles into a 6qt pot and rehydrate on low boil for about an hour (while I'm doing all the aforementiond). Probably about a 70/30 ratio, with 70 being NuMex, Anaheim and guajillo, and 30 being arbol, japones and ancho.

Add the rehydrated peppers to food food processor (Nutri-Ninja killed it!) with a little water, puree. Strain peppers, and pour pepper broth through the strain until you have about two cups of sauce. Add about a tbsp of honey and and a tsp of liquid smoke.

Almost Last but not Least

• 1/2 oz dried chili pequins - toss in non-stick on medium heat for a few minutes. Just want to get them dry so that they crush easily. Be careful, they can burn quickly. Crush and add to chili.

Last and Least

• After about and hour of simmering - Mix 1/4 cup of flour with about a cup of warm water. Mix and add to chili to thicken.

Will serve with shredded cheddar on the table along with a bowl of chopped white onion. And dammit, I'm going to have to make a run to the store because I cannot eat chili without crushed saltines.

ETA: It's a must for this to set overnight in the fridge. Just simmering for a few hours does not get the flavor anywhere close to where it needs to be.

ETA Part Deux: I think I made just a little to hot. Taste buds dig it but it's pretty rough on the stomach lining. Added about a cup and half of water and may come back later with a little more flour/warm water to thicken it back up. Can't tell for certain, but I think I went too heavy with the pequins.

An error occurredYou have reached your quota of positive votes for the day

 

[sbonomo]

I started putting pictures of what I make on instagram, along with random pictures of my family

the steak looks killer.....did it have good flavor?

 

[General Malaise]

I have always wanted to try cooking with tomatillos so today I did this recipe. It is simmering away now and looks pretty good.

It is a chili verde/pork stew

Video is included if you scroll down

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2015/09/pork-chili-verde-green-pork-chili-green.html

I have a very similar recipe in my rotation, so damn good.

nice! What variations does your have?

I did not find any pork shoulder at my supermarket today so I subbed in country style ribs. The white part of the ribs won't be as tender but the dark meat should be great.

Very similar ot yours:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chile_verde/

It says Poblano or Anaheim peppers optional, I use both and I double the jalapenos. I also add a pinch of cumin.

I'm going to try this over the weekend. How is it received? I've never cooked with tomatillos before and am curious if my teenage sons will enjoy this dish. I know I'll love it, but want them to try it and like it too.

Good stuff!