cooking thread...

[Old Ironmaker]

3 hours ago, misfish said:

Thats how I do it as well. I am going to try off the wall and throw some in the smoker after roasted. Never know unless you try.

Exactly, many recipes out there including some of mine were by mistake. 

Talk about pickles green beans. We had guests over one day this summer and I know Dominic and Mary like Caesars. So I picked up a jar of pickles green beans, my wife likes one in a while and we had dinner and hers came with a long pickled green bean, cool. But 6 bucks a jar!!!! There are 3 beans missing from them. I better start making her a few and a good excuse for me to start drinking Seizures. I don't think I have ever had one outside a Golf course. 

[Old Ironmaker]

4 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

Exactly, many recipes out there including some of mine were by mistake. I used to do 4 bushels every September. I would roast 4 bushels of the buggers and give away 5. We always made a fun day doing it with a few families. No fun doing it alone. 

The way Mom and Dad did them was to line the bottom of a colander with cheesecloth,  fill with cleaned peppers, cover them with cheesecloth and put weight on top. A pot of water even a brick. The water and oil drained into a bowl. I let the "juice" sit. I would skim the oil off the top. I got almost a 1/2 cup of veggie oil, almost. I spiced that up with Asian hot pepper oil. I didn't have to do all that but did because I could. I don't anymore but can if I wanted to. 

Talk about pickles green beans. We had guests over one day this summer and I know Dominic and Mary like Caesars. So I picked up a jar of pickles green beans, my wife likes one in a while and we had dinner and hers came with a long pickled green bean, cool. But 6 bucks a jar!!!! There are 3 beans missing from them. I better start making her a few and a good excuse for me to start drinking Seizures. I don't think I have ever had one outside a Golf course. 

 

Edited August 23, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[misfish]

Some candy anyone ?

Went back to the dry cure. Wet works,but I like that jerky texture I get from the dry. When I removed it at 3am this morning after 16 hours of getting happy in that syrup from the fridge, I washed off and air dried till I got home at 10 am. Yup, off fishing I was.  In the smoker til 5 pm. I reached a stable mark of 155 deg through out the whole thing. My neighbors now , do not mind the smoke scent, as they all got some to eat, and I am their new smoke fish monger, LOL

 

The bottom 3 pieces lower rack,  the loins, are for me. May fav cut of the fish.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I'm not a die hard smoked meat guy  but am for fish. Those look lie Fish flavored candy I agree. 

[smitty55]

That last pic looks so rich and sticky, oh yea!

 

[misfish]

Thats alot of bacon

Interesting the time they take to make and no nitrates,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

[akaShag]

Interesting video.  Where did they say they don't use nitrates?  I did not catch that..........

 

Doug

[smitty55]

It depends on what and how you are curing when it comes to using nitrates.

Also called Pink curing salt #2. It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, 4% sodium nitrate, and 89.75% table salt. The sodium nitrate found in Prague powder #2 gradually breaks down over time into sodium nitrite, and by that time a dry cured sausage is ready to be eaten, no sodium nitrate should be left.

Nitrites inhibit the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which logically inhibits toxin production. Nitrates turn into nitrites over time which makes them a time-release form of the inhibiting compound.

 

Two Forms of Pink Salt

Pink salt comes in two forms: cure No. 1 and cure No. 2. Cure No. 1 pink salt is used to cure all meats that require cooking, brining, smoking, or canning. This includes poultry, fish, ham, bacon, luncheon meats, corned beef, pates, and other products. It is 93.75 percent table salt and 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. It is used at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of ground meat.

If you are using it for a brine, you use 1/2 cup InstaCure No. 1 per gallon of water, plus 1 3/4 cup table salt, 2 1/4 tablespoon sugar, and any spices you wish.

Cure No. 2 is formulated for dry cured products such as pepperoni, hard salami, prosciutti hams, dried sausages, and other products which do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. One level teaspoon (a mix of 1 ounce sodium nitrite (6.25 percent), 0.64 ounces sodium nitrate (4 percent) to 1 pound of salt) is used per 5 pounds of meat.

People often ask if they can cure meats without nitrites and just increase the salt. Salt inhibits bot's growth, but won't kill it. Neither will vinegar. You should not attempt to cure meat at home without a curing salt.

Note that if you decide to use a nitrate-free cure, you should recognize that there is an increased risk from pathogens when consuming the cured meat. You may also want to shorten the curing time to limit bacterial growth.

Lastly, botulism spores are not killed by cooking in a water bath, it requires temps over 240°F which requires the use of a pressure cooker/canner. That being said, the farmer up the road still cans lots of beef each year and she still just uses a water bath method for 10+ hours, just like the old days.

This is a good site to visit. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/science-curing-meats-safely

 

Cheers

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by smitty55

[smitty55]

1 hour ago, akaShag said:

Interesting video.  Where did they say they don't use nitrates?  I did not catch that..........

 

Doug

Right near the beginning she asks him if there is anything else added like nitrates and he said no, only salt and brown sugar. It sure does look like nice bacon, I really like thick sliced.

My local butcher makes great bacon and he uses a cure. He said it's not worth taking the chance on someone getting real sick. I agree, specially for the home smoker like us.

 

Cheers

[Old Ironmaker]

My  Father, Uncles and now my brother cured all sorts of meats in the cold cellar and never used any salt other than table salt. Dry sausages, prosciutto and suprasate. It was very important to get the glands out of the shoulders and the vein out of the pork leg. I remember huge boxes of Sifto Salt doing the prosciutto and it hanging for a year. It was washed periodically with red wine. I also remember that he kept an eye on the temperature of the Cantina (cold cellar). If someone left the door open to get something wet and cold out of it they could face death by chores. I didn't get involved making it because until I was in my 20's I wouldn't touch the stuff. The smell made me noxious. I'll eat it now, a bit, and the smell of my brothers cold cellar still makes my stomach turn. Nothing better to wet an appetite than to look at a huge ham hanging on a hook covered in black and green mold.  

Edited August 28, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[smitty55]

So yesterday when I was in Kanata and stopped by a Sobeys. This is high tech central area and there is a large oriental population so this store seems to carry a more varied produce section than most. Anyway I notice a pile of large trays just loaded with small Thai Chili peppers like 200-300 hundred in each tray. Dirt cheap too, just over $3 so I couldn't refuse. Figured I'd dehydrate them. So I'm looking at them around noon today and I said to myself I bet they'd be good smoked. ?️ So I found a metal fruit basket to hold most of them that just fit in the smoker and a splatter screen to hold the rest. I also filled a pie plate with paprika, it's hard and expensive to find good smoked paprika these days.

So after 5 hours and 4 pans of chips they were getting fairly dry but I'll have to finish them in the dehydrator for sure. The ones in the basket were second shelf up and they all turned pretty dark but the ones two shelves up didn't darken much, but they sure smell good. Regardless, I'm looking forward to trying them, I'll leave a bunch whole and grind up the rest, should be good for the year, these are pretty hot peppers, in the 50,000-100.000 SHU range, so I won't be using lots at a time.

The pic doesn't show the color well except for a few as I dumped the screen load on the top.

 

[akaShag]

I can practically hear my sphincter SCREAMING for mercy............?

[misfish]

1 1/2  cup Sugar cane, 1/4 cup molasses,and 1/3 cup salt. In the fridge from 1 pm til 4am. Flushed with cold water . Air dried til I got home at 9 am. Smoke with 1/2 and 1/2. Apple and hickory.  Yup,it made it dark, and very delish. This is candy. Not yer Turks bar candy either. LOL

I have been doing a cream cheese roll as of late, for on crackers and begals. Chives, dill and pepper. This smoke needs a bit of a kick to that. Something to accompany the hickory.  The taste buds and brain are going zeppelin. HMMMMM ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bacon bits? Not store bought,but home made. That bought crap is S,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

[akaShag]

Capers.  Like these:

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-are-capers

Smoked fish, cream cheese, and capers on a bagel, yum yum.  I mix the smoked fish and cheese together, then stir in about a tbsp of capers and stir a bit more.  Very toothsome.

Doug

[misfish]

I have never given capers a real honest try. Put one in my mouth once, and spit it out.  What is it about these little green beads that makes a dish ?

 

[akaShag]

They are not raisins, Brian.  I would not eat a caper all by itself, but I really think they are excellent with smoked trout in particular.  I have served that to dozens of people, who seem to have agreed. 

Give them another try, remember that TV ad from the 60s or 70s, "Try it, you'll like it..."

Doug

[smitty55]

Nothing too exciting here, but I was in the grocery store a couple of days ago and picked up 3 reduced loaves of bread. Sliced them in 3in slabs and filled up the smoker. After 4-5 hours and 4 pans of chips the ones on the bottom were totally dry but had to finish the upper ones in the oven which I had on anyway to keep some jars warm for my Million Dollar relish. A double recipe included 12lb of cukes, 4lb onions, 6 green and 4 red peppers worked out to 14 pints, exactly what the recipe said it would.

As for the bread, after going through the food processor I ended up with a gallon bag full of smoked bread crumbs, should do us for a good while.

Cheers

[Old Ironmaker]

If anyone is looking for the real deal Hungarian Paprika cheap go to Punjabi Market on Queenston Rd. and Centennial Parkway in Hamilton. Kiddy corner from Eastgate Square. They sell both smoked and sweet in bulk and in the cans. Nowhere as expensive than the big stores. While you are there pick up some Hungarian Papricash in the bag. I know not home made but eesey  peesy and good with cubed pork. The instructions will make you laugh. Cook pork, add content, add 750 ml water cook more add noodle. 

Racking my brain today to figure out what to make for supper. Spaghetti Carbonara last night, hard to beat. Ordered Chinese and my wife picked it up on her way home. When in doubt order out. 

 

[Spiel]

11 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

If anyone is looking for the real deal Hungarian Paprika cheap go to Punjabi Market on Queenston Rd. and Centennial Parkway in Hamilton. Kiddy corner from Eastgate Square. They sell both smoked and sweet in bulk and in the cans. Nowhere as expensive than the big stores. While you are there pick up some Hungarian Papricash in the bag. I know not home made but eesey  peesy and good with cubed pork. The instructions will make you laugh. Cook pork, add content, add 750 ml water cook more add noodle. 

Racking my brain today to figure out what to make for supper. Spaghetti Carbonara last night, hard to beat. Ordered Chinese and my wife picked it up on her way home. When in doubt order out. 

 

Good to know, close to home too.
Thanks JD.

 

[smitty55]

16 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

Racking my brain today to figure out what to make for supper. Spaghetti Carbonara last night, hard to beat. Ordered Chinese and my wife picked it up on her way home. When in doubt order out. 

 

OI do you ever make Puttanesca? Or is it too strong for you?  That recipe that I posted here is great IMO. Ready in 30 minutes and chock full of flavour. I make it every couple of months.

 

 

Cheers

[Old Ironmaker]

10 hours ago, Spiel said:

Good to know, close to home too.
Thanks JD.

 

Lots of bulk spices you pay an arm and a leg for from McCormicks.

I buy Croatian sausages there called Chevap or Chevapcici (sic). Little no skin sausages, man they are good on the BBQ. Combo's of Beef, Lamb and Pork. Traditionally served with raw green onions and a yogurt dip, we use Tzaziki. 1st had them at a stag and been eating them for the last 30 yrs. I've never found them anywhere else. You all got to try them.

At the counter they sell in store made fried Pork rinds, I'll grab 6 and scarf them down before I get home and destroy all the evidence before Tich finds out. Punjabi Market has food I have never seen before. All sorts of pickled and veggies in oil, some good some bad, one jar tastes and smells like turpentine. Big world out there. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[Old Ironmaker]

5 hours ago, smitty55 said:

OI do you ever make Puttanesca? Or is it too strong for you?  That recipe that I posted here is great IMO. Ready in 30 minutes and chock full of flavour. I make it every couple of months.

 

 

Cheers

Of course I do and no nothing much is too strong or hot for me. Edit: maybe a young woman.

A while back I posted my recipe. Do you know what  Puttanesca means? It is said the street walkers in Rome wanted something to eat after their shift. Something quick, hot and easy. Just like them. Puttana means checkout girl in Italian. Mine has garlic, anchovies, capers, pepper flakes and tomatoes. No salt. The sauce is done as soon as the spaghetti is done. 

edit: puttana does not mean check out girl in Italian. Man this auto thing here is weird. I once typed "Killed a Musky" and it changed it to "Killed a Muslim." 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[misfish]

6 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

Puttanesca

I looked this up. I am a big pasta guy when the fall and winter months come. Need those carbs when dragging that porty hut all winter ice season.  One ingredient caught my eye right away. Anchovies. I love them little salty fishes. Going to be trying this. Without the capers. Still on the fence about them.

[Old Ironmaker]

2 minutes ago, misfish said:

I looked this up. I am a big pasta guy when the fall and winter months come. Need those carbs when dragging that porty hut all winter ice season.  One ingredient caught my eye right away. Anchovies. I love them little salty fishes. Going to be trying this. Without the capers. Still on the fence about them.

There is no putannesca sauce without the capers. You don't put a jar full in maybe a dozen. Bri, you can put whatever you want in it or don't and then name it. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[misfish]

1 minute ago, Old Ironmaker said:

There is no putannesca sauce without the capers

There will be, when I am done. LOL