To fuck or to cook?

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by tmdiva

Too bad you didn't post this a week and a half ago, when I was home and it was peak strawberry harvest and I had chocolate mint close at hand. No strawberries in Utard worth eating.

tm

I realize you live in Portland and all that, but even there it's not the law that you have to be a locavore. Buy some strawberries from Cali. There may not be any chocolate mint in UT. Fortunately, in that state it's allowed under law to substitute Miracle Whip and tiny marshmallows.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

I realize you live in Portland and all that, but even there it's not the law that you have to be a locavore. Buy some strawberries from Cali. There may not be any chocolate mint in UT. Fortunately, in that state it's allowed under law to substitute Miracle Whip and tiny marshmallows.

After having fresh strawberries for the past month, it will be a long time before the ones that get trucked across country seem appealing again.

I've moved on to the raspberries that are in season now.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Fugee

After having fresh strawberries for the past month, it will be a long time before the ones that get trucked across country seem appealing again.

I've moved on to the raspberries that are in season now.

maple sugar and cream. Nothing more, nothing less.

[ltl/fb]

If I have cooked chicken, what is the best way to shred it so I have shredded chicken?

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by ltl/fb

If I have cooked chicken, what is the best way to shred it so I have shredded chicken?

Use your hands to rip the meat off the bone. Take the chunks, one at a time, and use two forks, pulling in opposing directions, to shred the meat. It works a lot easier if the chicken has just been cooked and allowed to cool off only enough to handle it.

[ltl/fb]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Use your hands to rip the meat off the bone. Take the chunks, one at a time, and use two forks, pulling in opposing directions, to shred the meat. It works a lot easier if the chicken has just been cooked and allowed to cool off only enough to handle it.

Sadlly it is boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thank you. I may have missed the window.

[Sparklehorse]

Originally Posted by ltl/fb

Sadlly it is boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thank you. I may have missed the window.

You should still be able to shred the meat pretty easily. I made a Vietnamese salad a few weeks ago and poached the boneless breasts the night before I put the salad together. There is a "grain" to the meat so if you just pull a piece of the breast, it should pull off into shreds for you. On the breasts, the grain will run lengthwise, for the most part.

Edited to add that I just use my hands to shred chicken meat, not forks. This is one advantage to shredding the meat when it's cooled.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Sparklehorse

You should still be able to shred the meat pretty easily. I made a Vietnamese salad a few weeks ago and poached the boneless breasts the night before I put the salad together. There is a "grain" to the meat so if you just pull a piece of the breast, it should pull off into shreds for you. On the breasts, the grain will run lengthwise, for the most part.

Edited to add that I just use my hands to shred chicken meat, not forks. This is one advantage to shredding the meat when it's cooled.

I use the forks because you get a finer, rougher product, which works well for holding the dressing on salads and the sauce on stuff like enchiladas, or "barbecue" pulled chicken. Hand shredding, at least with big hams like mine, tends to result in "hunked" chicken rather than shredded.

When you are going with the grain, you are going to be giving someone a product that will be more resistant to biting than one that is served across the grain, so I like to have the meat be in more strands, each with fewer cords of muscle tissue. But then, sometimes I am a foodie diva.

[Replaced_Texan]

Just bumping up the thread.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

The effect you create with slow cooking fibrous muscular tissue like short ribs is that the intramuscular collagen turns into gelatin and dissolves, making the muscle fibers more easy to chew and digest, as well as giving the meat an unctuous (God, I hate that term since Batali beat it to death, but I can't really find an adequate synonym) mouth feel. Once that effect is achieved, you're ready to eat, whether it's after 30 hours in sous vide or 5-6 hours at 225.

The one thing that I think sous vide is good for that isn't easily duplicated by other methods is with fish, where the presssure and lower temp allow a thick piece of fish to cook through without drying out at all. That is something that is difficult to produce, even with the most masterful chef, other than by poaching. Poaching carries its own baggage though, since too long in the bath will cause the fish to start falling apart.

Responding to Wonk here.

The above is mostly correct (including the hatred of "unctuous"). But there seemed to be differences with the sous vide. The meat was much more evenly cooked -- perfectly even, really. And because the temperature was so low (130), the meat cannot be overcooked, at least in the traditional sense -- that's the temp of a medium-rare steak and if the water is that temp the steak can't get any higher. (It can be overcooked in a different sense -- left so long it turns to mush -- but that would take days). Also, because it is sealed, it cooks in its own juices. No moisture leaves the bag until you cut it open. In any braise or poach, juices will leak out no matter how perfectly you sear it to start.

I was as skeptical as you about the whole concept, but was pretty amazed with the result.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Responding to Wonk here.

The above is mostly correct (including the hatred of "unctuous"). But there seemed to be differences with the sous vide. The meat was much more evenly cooked -- perfectly even, really. And because the temperature was so low (130), the meat cannot be overcooked, at least in the traditional sense -- that's the temp of a medium-rare steak and if the water is that temp the steak can't get any higher. (It can be overcooked in a different sense -- left so long it turns to mush -- but that would take days). Also, because it is sealed, it cooks in its own juices. No moisture leaves the bag until you cut it open. In any braise or poach, juices will leak out no matter how perfectly you sear it to start.

I was as skeptical as you about the whole concept, but was pretty amazed with the result.

If any of you make it to Boston, I will take you to a Persian restaurant that slow-cooks its meats for days. Truly incredible tastes.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Responding to Wonk here.

The above is mostly correct (including the hatred of "unctuous"). But there seemed to be differences with the sous vide. The meat was much more evenly cooked -- perfectly even, really. And because the temperature was so low (130), the meat cannot be overcooked, at least in the traditional sense -- that's the temp of a medium-rare steak and if the water is that temp the steak can't get any higher. (It can be overcooked in a different sense -- left so long it turns to mush -- but that would take days). Also, because it is sealed, it cooks in its own juices. No moisture leaves the bag until you cut it open. In any braise or poach, juices will leak out no matter how perfectly you sear it to start.

I was as skeptical as you about the whole concept, but was pretty amazed with the result.

I have tried sous vide dishes only twice. If you really think it's that much of a difference, as soon as I can afford something better than cat food, I'l give it another shot.

[ltl/fb]

Gnocchi.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by ltl/fb

Gnocchi.

the fringy I grew up with was a bacon as comfort food girl. I guess you're all sophisticated now. the growth is all good, but don't expect any of these socks to get you gnocchi of the month.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by ltl/fb

Gnocchi.

I had an orgasmic gnocchi in a little restaurant in St. Helena about ten years ago. Still get weak in the knees thinking about it.