|
||||
|
I don’t know exactly what country style ribs are, but I saw them staring at me in the store with those well-marbled, fatty eyes that I just can’t refuse. So I got a few pounds. I know they’re pork, obviously, but they’re boneless and thick, and looked a lot like pork shoulder. Anyhow, I threw them in . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Country Style Ribs
I used to buy half shanks all the time and braise them in red wine for about 9 hours at 250 with a handful of garlic, rosemary, and 3tbs black pepper. This is the “Hunters” preparation that Jamie Oliver suggests, and its really tasty. I was excited to get to the essence of this cut, sans strong aromatics, and at a nice medium doneness. FULL POST I can’t tell you how good it feels to be so strongly reminded why sous vide and blow torching are so amazing. This was nothing short of insanity, and it was exactly what I needed to get back into water cooking mode. If you have had braised pork belly, then you have an idea of what I’m . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Pork Belly
Wow. Just wow. I can’t believe it took me this long to do lamb in the SVS. Luckily I got 5lbs of boneless leg from Costco, so I’ll have plenty to eat for a while. This was actually the opposite of what I expected flavor-wise. Instead of a more concentrated lamb flavor, it actually mellowed out a bit, becoming more like prime rib…with just enough extra complexity. I tried out a new technique that proved to be quite successful. Before bagging, I sprinkled cumin, rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the meat, then used my needled tenderizer to really get the flavor in there, and also guarantee tenderness. In all reality, it didn’t need any help with the tenderness, but the flavor definitely seemed enhanced. After the Jacquard, I bagged with some fig conserves and cooked for 22 hours at 135. After a quick 1 minute sear on each side with some blow torching assistance, I sliced off a piece of the tenderest, juiciest lamb I’ve ever had. Perfect.
Lately I have been making huge batches of things for H and I to eat because we have been wrapped up with house-hunting stuff. This week it was rice and beans, and some other stuff to accompany them. So here we have an improvised chili braised pork that turned out to be one of the most delicious things I have ever made. Some of you may recall my experiment in bear chili, wherein I created a chili base that was super concentrated and overly powerful. Well I found great use for that here, along with a dash of liquid smoke and some coke. The result is a rich, decadent, sweet, savory, meaty masterpiece that just puts a smile on your face. FULL POST I’ve always been a ribeye type of guy. Big beefy flavor and generous marbling make it a smashing success every time. Except there’s one problem – H won’t eat it because of the vein of fat that usually (deliciously) runs through the middle of the cut. Enter NY Strip. This cut is less beefy, but less fatty – . . . → Read More: 12 Hour NY Strip
So I have been reading Ratio by Michael Ruhlman recently, and he makes a specific point about how underrated pate a choux is. Truth be told, I had never heard of it, but I think most of us have experienced it. You know cream puffs? Well pate a choux is the pastry part of the deal. The dough, which is almost like a batter, is rich and fluffy and can be made into a savory, decadent treat in under half an hour. I made the dough and boiled chunks into makeshift gnocchi, with some awesome Piave Vecchio in the mix. I dressed it with a basil pesto with Mascarpone cheese, and quickly seared some chicken with herbs and lemon to accompany it. This is filling and absolutely delicious – a new experience that anyone can/should try. FULL POST After my recent success with sous vide pork tenderloin, I was excited to try some more swine in the water bath. I picked up a pork toploin roast and decided to bag it with generous helpings of Schezuan peppercorn, smoked salt, and agave nectar at 141 for 2 hours, the same as the tenderloin. Now I know . . . → Read More: Sous Vide Pork Loin Experiment
Okay so this was pretty mind blowing. I have never really been impressed with pork tenderloin before – it’s rather bland, super lean, and well, boring. But this, like turkey breast, was a true transformation. Tender, juicy, and, yes, even porky, I will be doing this again very, very soon. I bagged the tenderloins with sliced apple, applewood smoked salt, duckfat, fennel pollen, and maple sugar, which pretty much hit all of the key flavor pairings for pork except for sage (maybe next time..). After I debagged and dried well, I gave them a very generous sear, sliced, and plated over some couscous with garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Surprisingly amazing!
This has been my most frequently used protein for sous vide since I got my Sous Vide Supreme, and the reasoning is quite simple. Chuck is cheap, flavorful, marbled, and did I mention cheap? You can turn a $2.99/lb cut of meat into something that you would mistake for prime rib, for a tiny fraction of the cost, and you can do it EASILY! Just bag with salt, pepper, and whatever MILD seasoning you want (everything intensifies over 48+hours) and wait for the metamorphosis. I like to use some smoked salt, and just a scant 1/8tsp dried thyme and garlic powder. You will of course debag, dry well, and blast on a hot cast iron pan with a blow torch to finalize the crusty details, right? FULL POST |
||||
|
Copyright © 2013 Me&MyTorch: Adventures in Taste, Sous Vide & Blowtorchery - All Rights Reserved |
||||
