Comments for Me&MyTorch: Adventures in Taste, Sous Vide & Blowtorchery

Comment on Sous Vide Pork Shoulder by Erik Leander

Erik Leander — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:20:40 +0000

Was really good……thanks for the tips. Dennis, I think the stove top or blow torch is to create the mallard effect and to also kill anything that may have been on the outside of the meat.

One issue I still have is the bag filling up with water during the cooking process. I double seal…but still happens. The only thing I can think of is maybe I should wipe the inside of the bag before I seal. I’m also thinking of using a second bag…anyone tried that?

Comment on Equipment Review: Global 10″ Chef Knife by rob

rob — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:49:46 +0000

What do you think of this one? I bought some other Winco stuff before, so just wondering

http://www.restaurant-hq.com/store/viewItem.aspx?idProduct=896

Comment on Tonkotsu (Pork) Soup by Rob

Rob — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:52:26 +0000

Thanks for stopping by, Bruce. The soup in the picture is from the rapid boiling method, not the blender. I’d recommend you blend the soup at least warm so that the fat melts into the soup broth. After you finish your soup and cool it in the fridge, you will have a big layer of rendered solid fat on top. That’s the fat you want to use. The brown soup is just the natural color of the bone and meat. I have blanched, soaked, scrubbed, and rinsed enough bones to be convinced it’s not from blood or impurities. Try the boiling method again, but let it be at a roaring boil, not a simmer. You’ll get your white soup. I’d only recommend the blender if you use a pressure cooker and still want the effect. Hope that helps.

Comment on Tonkotsu (Pork) Soup by Bruce

Bruce — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:43:23 +0000

Hi Rob, thanks for your posting. I have some questions about your blender technique. First, is the white soup you showed created by the blender method? Second, do you blend the soup cold or hot or doesn’t matter? Third, what fat do you put in? Raw or cooked? What makes the soup brown? Is it the natural color of the pork soup or is it the blood from the bone? I have made four pots of soup before I saw your web post. All four pots were brown. One pot I cooked for 60 hours. It did not work. I am going to try your blender method next. Thanks.

Comment on Equipment Review: Bernzomatic TS8000 Torch by Nick

Nick — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:34:12 +0000

If the weight is to much you may want to get an extension cable as most of the weight is in the tank: http://www.amazon.com/Worthington-Cylinder-309336-Universal-Extension/dp/B002FXGLV2
The TS8000 is a high intensity torch, if it is too hot for some things you may want to get a heat shrink torch which burns much cooler with a wider flame: http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-BZ4500HS-Electricians-Shrink-Torch/dp/B00834RCLU/
Or go cheap with a flame spreader: http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-Stainless-Steel-Flame-Spreader/dp/B0000DINGL/
One could think of a torch like a knife, you have your “go to” knife but you still have several others. I have a TS3000 which is still to hot for toast…
Nice Blog BTW.

Comment on Buying Half A Cow by Rob

Rob — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:28:06 +0000

Hi Natalie,
I don’t have a copy of my cut list unfortunately. That cut list they send over is pretty incomprehensible though. I just called the butcher and we went through it together. He asked questions like if I wanted steaks or roasts, how thick the steaks should be, etc. From what I recall, I got all the ribeyes cut with the bone-in (so no rib roast), and all the porterhouses and t-bones were cut 1″ thick. I like thinner steaks. I asked for the ground beef to be extra fatty ~70/30, and it’s delicious. I also had some of the bottom and top round roasts cut 1/4″ thin as “sandwich steaks.” If you want bones or offal, you gotta ask for those as well as if you want suet. Hope that helps.

Comment on Buying Half A Cow by Natalie

Natalie — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:08:59 +0000

Hi Rob.

Can you share your cut list – what you ordered? The butcher just called me and sent me a cut list, but I’ll be honest – I’m not sure what to choose…

Comment on Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak by Rob

Rob — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:27:18 +0000

Hi Yvan,
The air drying serves to remove some of the moisture from the meat, intensifying the flavors a bit and giving way to a very nicely caramelized crust.

Comment on 72 Hour Sous Vide Chuck by Leigh Jones

Leigh Jones — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:54:12 +0000

It’s still early in my practice of sous vide cooking, but I have already had the finest chicken I’ve ever made come out of the bath. Four hours at 142 degrees in a store-brand ziplock sandwich bag with a little salt and pepper did the trick.

But it didn’t take any special sous vide equipment to make this happen. I just baby sat my 7 quart crockpot with an accurate meat thermometer. Along the way I learned that I could keep pretty good temperature control by running on the crockpot’s “warm” setting and propping the lid open a crack with a spoon. My round steak has been at a constant 140 degrees for 24 hours now, and is looking quite stable. If this holds, I expect I’ll have the juiciest medium cooked steak ever made in my kitchen.

I have a temperature controller for the crockpot on order now, so soon I will have even tighter control of the temperature. For these long cooking times, it doesn’t seem that circulation is needed, I just stir the bath a few times.

Comment on Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak by Yvan Chartrand

Yvan Chartrand — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:02:52 +0000

Hello,

Looks beautifully, what is the advantage of air drying the meat in the fridge for 48 hours?

Thanks, Yvan