The real, original Wiener Schnitzel is veal.

Definitely.

I can't link to a web source now, but I have some German cook books at home, including one solely about different kinds of schnitzel.

From the veal, you use parts 6, 7 and 11 for any kind of schnitzel, 7 being the best and highest-prized choice.

I don't know the English names, maybe somebody can supply them.

Also, try using leaner meat.

I think that in the US, the fat marbled beef is considered higher quality.

But in Europe, lean beef is preferred.

A good beef schnitzel has maybe 3% fat.

This said, there are lots of places which cook pork schnitzels in the Wiener style and call them Wiener Schnitzel.

It isn't traditional, but if you like the taste, there is nothing against doing it that way at home.

They come from the same parts of the pig as the veal schnitzel: the ham and the lower back.

Again, they should be very lean.

And in both cases, unlike a steak, a schnitzel is always boneless.

When you see 'Wiener Schnitzel' on a german or austrian menu it is ALWAYS veal.

Schnitzel made with pork loin can not be offered as such in restaurants, but must be called instead"Schnitzel Wiener Art"(Vienna Style).Here is a tip for those schnitzel lovers out there:use japanese panko bread crumbs for your coating!

German Food Guide says to use the pork loin.

Cooks.com says to use either a pork chop or a veal cutlet.

I was taught that the "Wiener" referred to the original recipe origins in Vienna.

This Schnitzel in the Vienna style was originally veal.

American German restaurants usually serve a variety of meats prepared into paillards (flattened with mallet) and breaded - generally only the Veal one is called "Wiener Schnitzel".

At home, I prefer to use Center Cut pork chops to prepare what I like to call "Swiner Schnitzel".

I agree with the answer above that leaner is better.

Schnitzel cooks extremely quickly and marbling is unnecessary.

"Wiener Schnitzel" in Austria is pork.

The term is only protected in Germany where your Wiener Schnitzel is made from veal. "

Wiener Art" refers to pork Schnitzel.

Technically, schnitzel made with pork is schweinenschnitzel.

Weiner Schnitzel is Veal, but even german restaurnats will often sell port and call it weiner Schnitzel

I’ve not the points to comment on rumtscho ‘s post, but this is an extension of what he said. 6)

goes from loin to sirloin 7)

tenderloin 11)

Round; Ham when taking pork With regards to pork: Using the loin is a nice and quick way.

Just slice (butterfly cuts are good) and prepare them.

In my opinion the flavor is good but not great.

It never puts my back in Mittelfranken, Oberbayern, or any part of Germany for that matter.

With sirloin , the flavor was dead on, but the fat running through it, made for a pour consistency and wasn’t nice to work with.

Pork Tenderloin lacks circumference and makes small schnitzels, but flavor and consistency are there.

I believe the top-round is the best cut for large, tasty, and consistent cuts, but alas I have not used it.

At some point, I’ll pick up a raw ham and cut the top-round from it.

I have no idea where, in America, you can buy the round already cut out.

I’d likely use the bottom and eye of round for stew… or perhaps additional smaller schnitzels.

Tip: though oil of your choice works, using butterschmalz (Clarified butter) ads some really nice flavor.

I found some clarified butter called Ghee at a store here, however you could make your own.

Regardless, not needed, just a nice touch.

Note:

Our cook book and German wiki says the Oberschale is used for schnitzel.

Dict.cc lists the Oberschale as top-round.

Part 11 on the image is the Oberschale.

Question: I understand that the meat is thinned with a mallet before coating with breadcrumbs and frying.  What parts of veal or pork are suitable?  (Googling the subject seems to produce mostly sausage related hits for some reason)

What kind of meat to use for Wiener Schnitzel?

The original Wiener Schnitzel is veal, but you can also use pork loin or sometimes lean beef.

While the original recipe is veal you can also use pork.

You can use pork according to some sources.


Yes, I've heard this suggested, using wet/dry sandpaper and a mousepad.

It is a very inexpensive way to match a whetstone, and you can use sandpaper with the same grit to produce an excellent edge.

You duct-tape the sand-paper together

so it wraps around the mouse pad, and then pull the knife along the sandpaper with the edge trailing.

This is to say, you use sandpaper in the opposite direction as a whetstone.

Once you work up to the finest-grit papers, you can use jeweler's polish and a leather strop for a truly razor-sharp edge.

Because the mouse pad's rubber/foam has some give, this method produces a convex edge which remains sharp for longer that an V-cut, because it has more metal behind the edge.

It also still presents a very sharp point for cutting, moreso than an equivalent V-cut front bevel.

Using sandpaper will also cost a small fraction of what you spend on a good sharpening stone, which will run you $50 or more PER STONE.

Wondering what grit to use?

There are comprehensive tables here and here .

However, here is a quick-reference mini-table for you: Name / US Grit Rating / Use Coarse / 100-400 / Remove lots of metal.

At the low-end of the range, used for reshaping blades, taking out large chips, or restoring snapped points.

At the higher end of grit range, used to establish a bevel angle and restore very dull edges.

Medium / 400-700 / Remove moderate amounts of metal.

For refining an edge established with coarse grits, and for restoring moderately dull blades.

Can be used to establish a bevel angle, but it will take considerably longer.

600 grit is a common point to start at for standard sharpening.

Fine / 800-1200 /

For finishing a blade or touching-up a slightly dull blade.

At about 1000 grit, you will get something equivalent to a factory edge, assuming you use the same bevel angle.

Ceramic steels have grits in this range.

Extra-Fine / 2000

For polishing.

Higher grits create a shinier and sharper edge, until at 8000+ grit you get mirror finishes and sharpness equivalent to a straight razor.

If you're going to bother using grits this high, a leather strop and polishing paste may serve you better than even a ceramic steel; the steel would actually be reducing the edge sharpness with use.

Source: Sandpaper-mousepad sharpening Source2:

Sharpening techniques and explanation Edit: Another way to use sandpaper in sharpening -- expanding the grit range for a Spyderco Sharpmaker

I'm currently using sandpaper to make a very coarse stone for sharpening extremely dull edges on my Spyderco Sharpmaker.

I wrap both of the normal triangular stones with a strip of emery cloth or 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper, and then hold it in place with medium binder clips.

Since the lowest stone the Sharpmaker comes with is 800-grit ceramic, this saves HOURS versus using the normal stones.

It is also considerably cheaper than the diamond stones they sell; for a big tub of clips and a package of sandpaper, I paid $7, versus about $37 for the diamond rods.

I bought my (Chinese) whetstone for 7,5€

and I've used it for the last 20 years.

You could spend some money on a honing steel, but even these are not really expensive.

I got mine for free at a fair, and it receives regular action.

Make sure you buy cheap vanadium steel knifes for your kitchen (shameless self-promotion).

If you're looking around your house for stuff you already own to sharpen your knife on, the story goes that the underside of a dinner plate is the way to go.

I've never done it

- I bought stones from Lee Valley many years ago

and I have a steel, and between them I'm taken care of.

I have for years used sandpaper for sharpening and polishing my plane blades and bench chisels in my woodworking shop.

It works wonderfully well provided every stroke on the abrasive is exactly the same angle.

Remember that the cutting edge is the union of two planes.

The more uniform the planes, the sharper the edge.

I finish off with 6000 grit wet paper, it has the texture of a brown paper bag.

I can see my reflection and readily shave hairs off my arm.

The difference in usability of my woodworking tools is downright sexy.

Why wouldn't this technique work with kitchen knives?

Consider shopping at a thrift store for economical kitchen knives to practice on before going to work on your real knives.

Try this website: http://www.woodbutcher.net/scary.shtml Do yourself a favor and skip to the condensed version; or grab a mug of Earl Grey and be entertained by the ramblings.

Sand paper does work on chisels.

I had to have my oak kitchen floor repaired.

The flooring expert just sat on the floor with an old cheap chisel and my rubber mallet.

He stopped every 15 minutes or so to refine the edge.

When he finished the repair, darned if I could find where he had worked.

Note:

The wood was Bruce pre-finished red oak strip.

I used to sharpen my pen knife on 1000 grit garnet paper.

However, I am not going to use this method on the very expensive kitchen knives.

I will buy some water stones for that.

Question: So I was thinking, instead of purchasing a dedicated (and expensive) whetstone with limited coarse(ness?) range, why not use patches of sandpaper in increasing grit numbers (getting finer), stretched on some small flat surface? This way I can have as many grit steps as required, to the fineness level required, for relatively cheap and disposable?

Can I sharpen a knife with sandpaper?

Wet/dry sandpaper is sometimes used to sharpen knives and other tools, but a whetstone can be quite affordable.

You can use sandpaper to sharpen all kinds of blades.

You can certainly use sandpaper on blades of all kinds.


Not sure how much rice you are making, but if making about 2 cups of rice, first heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over Medium High heat.

Add the rice and toast it in the oil until it releases a nutty fragrance - about 1-2 minutes.

Then I like to use Chicken stock (3 cups) to finish it off.

Personal preference

but I like to add scallions (green onions) and cilantro to the rice when it is done.

Cooking it this way I have not noticed a tremendous taste difference from different brands of Jasmine Rice.

A few things come to mind: Before cooking: Cook the rice in coconut milk, maybe with a piece of ginger or Put a teaspoon or two of cumin seeds in the cooking water After cooking: Mix with fried scallions, ginger and mustard or cumin seeds

Jasmine is specific as it has high GI index.

As for the flavor, it is a bit bland on top, but should have a floral fragrance, so it is perfect for Thai, Indonesian, Malay and other far east recipes where you have very strong sauces or tastes from the main dish (where basmati would be best for Indian and middle eastern dishes).

NOTE:

I would not call myself a cook, but my Thai friend, whom I would, used to use a mix of three types of rice, some for texture and some for taste (SEA dishes).

Also, I must say that I got aware of subtleties in taste of rice only after few months of heavy rice diet.

Although I have not tried this with jasmine rice, I think you can try cooking it like the Indian pulao .

In a tbsp or two of neutral vegetable oil fry 2-3 cloves, 1-2 inches of cinnamon, and 4-5 whole cardamom pods.

When spices release their flavor, add jasmine rice soaked for roughly half hour and drained.

Fry the rice for a couple of minutes and then cook it in water, as you would usually do.

The aromatic spices will impart a nice flavor to the rice.

Alternatively, you can also add star anise or fried onion.

In my experience, it at least partly depends on where you buy your jasmine rice.

If you buy it at a large American grocery store chain, you'll get something bland.

I don't know where they get it or what they do to it, but it has no smell or flavor.

If you buy it at a small Asian grocery, it will taste and smell very good, and complement the dishes you serve it with.

Replace your rice water with stock.

Vegetarian/vegan?

Use vegetable stock instead.

Other liquids to intensify the flavor--

rice wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce.

I'm sure you could use the Western style wines/vinegars too, though I haven't tried with those specifically.

allnet's answers cover the rest of what I would say: basically toasting the rice and using herbs/spices.

What I ended up doing, which worked well: Toast rice before cooking until just a hint of golden brown appears, and a nutty smell is produced (as per allnet's and avinash's suggestions, which is why allnet's answer was accepted) Add minced garlic and diced Roma tomato to rice just before toasting is done (for 2 cups dry rice, I used 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium Roma)

Add caramelized onions both before and after cooking rice.

This is similar to the "fried onions" suggestion. Add an additional diced tomato after rice is cooked Finish flavor of cooked rice with rice wine vinegar, honey, and a touch of lime juice

My girlfriend called the final result the best of my cooking experiments, after chicken breaded with pakora batter.

Thank you everyone that had suggestions!

I think toasting the rice made the biggest difference from previous versions.

The rice released a very delicious flavor and smell.

I could have used even more onion and garlic; although I thought the amount excessive based on the smell when cooking, the actual flavor was fairly mild afterward.

I will experiment with adding toasted cumin, mustard seeds, and ginger to my current result.

Don't have good (read: homemade not crappy grocery store) stock or scallions to play with right now.

Tilda Rice & Spice guide suggests jasmine rise teams perfectly with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, lime, green chilli and kaffir lime leaves.

So maybe try ginger instead of star anise, which is a better match for basmati.

Question: I'm used to cooking basmati, which can stand on its own with just a few spices and a little butter.  With jasmine rice, I come away disappointed; the rice never seems to bring anything to the dish, and generally comes off a little bland, even with fairly potent flavorings.  Is there some technique or trick specific to jasmine rice that I should be using?  Are there particularly good flavor/ingredient combos for jasmine rice I can use?

How can I get more flavorful jasmine rice?

Try cooking it with stock or coconut milk rather than water, maybe adding ginger to the coconut milk. Tilda Rice & Spice guide suggests jasmine rise teams perfectly with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, lime, green chilli and kaffir lime leaves, which can often be added after cooking. You could also cook it like Indian pulao. The taste can also depend on the source of the rice.

Cook in stock instead of water and think about adding spices and flavourings.

Add scallions, cook in coconut milk, add ginger, lemongrass and green chili.


In Northern India, we eat Musk Melon and Water Melon seeds.

In fact they are used like nuts.

We make sweet dish too.

The de-kernelling process is done by hand at home, which is quite lengthy.

We deseed melon.

Put the seeds to dry for approximatively 2 days; with fingers or tweezers, break the kernel and get the yummy seed.

Of course, it can be stored for months, if dried properly, and for years, if kept in freezer.

There are a few seeds which are good to eat.

These generally get sold in the supermarket (pumpkin seeds, apricot kernels).

If you buy the fruit containing them, you can keep the seeds.

If you want to store them, you should dry them first.

Spread the cleaned seeds in a single layer on paper and put it in a warm dry place (not in direct sunlight), and wait a few days.

You should deshell them right before consuming, that way they keep longer.

If you want to eat them right away, don't dry them.

They taste better when fresh.

Some should be roasted in the shell before eaten (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds).

There is little sense in eating seeds not commonly sold in supermarkets, like melon seeds or apple pips.

They don't have any nutritional value for humans, or taste bad (e.g. very bitter), or both.

It is even dangerous to experiment too much.

For example, peach kernels contain poisonous cyanide compounds.

So stick to what is commonly eaten, there is a reason the other seeds aren't used.

My wife's family is from Peru and they tend to eat the seeds of things that I would typically avoid.

Look at fruits like grenadillas or tunas (more commonly known here as the prickly pear) and the granada (pomegranate).

I had a friend who used to eat the entire apple and, while the seeds are considered poisonous it would take a large amount to affect you.

All of this said, I don't like the texture of the seeds so use your judgement and do a bit of research.

You may find that the seeds add an interesting element to your foods.

The accepted answer says that seeds not commonly sold in stores have no nutrition, are bitter, or are poisonous.

This is incorrect.

Watermelon, cantaloupe, apple, peach, apricot, and so forth seeds are packed full of nutrients; even more than most commercially sold seeds.

Watermelon seeds are one of my top favorites, and are loaded with vital compounds, one being zinc.

They are crunchy, and taste nutty.

They are delicious!

Cantaloupe seeds have been eaten by other cultures for years, and studies show they are full of good stuff too.

Also, apricot seeds which are bitter, are said to be poisonous because they contain hydrogen cyanide.

Although this is true, it is such a small dose that it takes 70 apricot kernels to be lethal

[editors note:

probably mean lethal dose in full sized adults].

Many cultures, like turkey adore apricot seeds; they simply don't eat too many.

Studies also show that the small amount of cyanide is beneficial to our immune systems.

Do you know that apple, cherry, peach, apricot, almond or anything else in this family produces cyanide?

Guess what cyanide tastes like?

Almonds!

That's right, our beloved almonds contain cyanide too!

I used the seeds of a honeydew melon in my daily green power smoothie.

I found pulverized in the high powered blender made the bitter kale taste disappear.

Pumpkin seeds roasted with a little of salty water is a great (and commonly sold and home made in México) snack.

They are also used along with sunflower seeds in preparing some hot sauces and Mole (the hard way).

Seeds of Cantaloupe (melon) and Watermelon can be blendend along with their edible parts to strengthen flavor and keep freshness when preparing fruit flavored/fresh water ("Agua fresca").

When watermelon seeds are really small, you can eat and chew them along with the fruit: they are usually sweet.

There's no harm in eating the fruits of a melon, or fruit.

It just passes through your system completely.

You probably can't store them for future usage, as only ripe seeds are eaten, and most seeds from a melon don't ripen until the melon rots.

If you are able to find watermelons with seeds in your local market or supermarket,you’re in luck,but if you can’t,I suggest you to buy the seeds of them...

My recipe is to use the watermelon seeds and blend them with your seedless watermelon(2 or 3 slices of them) and turn on your Ninja or Nutribullet...

You won’t regret,it tastes delicious and you’ll have a really healthy prostate.

When it comes to pumpkins, there's a variety called kakai that has hull-less seeds, easier to prepare and good to eat (the flesh is quite good too).

Melon seeds can be treated in the same way.

Melons and pumpkinsa are in fact very closely related.

You can simply clean and dry them, but generally they're nicer toasted in the oven, perhaps with some spice (or salt, or honey).

Once very dry, or toasted, they will keep for months in an airtight container in a cool place, though if I toast homegrown pumpkin seeds they're normally eaten in a week.

Question: I usually throw away seeds in melons (and other fruits) and I paradoxically buy different seeds from the store. Are seeds in such things good to eat and where can I use them? Because they are not dry, how can I store for future dishes? Do they have the same nutritional profile as other seeds for sale?

Are seeds in melons and other fruits good to eat?

Many varieties of melon can be eaten, as can the seeds a Some seeds like sunflower and pumpkin need to be roasted in the shell first.nd stones of other foods like peach and apricot. Melon seeds can be blended into smoothies or along with the other parts to strengthen the flavour. When storing, the seeds should be dried first.

You can eat watermelon, melon and pumpkin seeds.

Make sure you dry them for storage and then toast them for eating.


There is no single cut of meat that is universally used in Philadelphia.

Top round is common, and it may actually be the most traditional given the sandwich's Italian origins (top round is what is used in braciole and Italian beef sandwiches ).

It is becoming more and more common to use rib-eye , though, which is what is used in some of the most popular Philadelphian establishments ( e.g. , John's Roast Pork and Tony Luke's ), which makes sense given its higher fat content.

As lazoDev mentioned, you should be able to get your butcher to slice the meat into thin (~1mm) pieces.

If that is not possible, though, you can put an entire rib-eye roast into the freezer for a half hour or so.

This will harden the meat without actually freezing it solid, and will make thinly slicing by hand much easier.

As a person who actually sells Philly steak meat to many of the national chain accounts and most of the cheesesteak accounts around the Philly area, the raw material used to make a true Philly steak is knuckle meat or wedge meat .

These are both cuts of meat you will not find in your local grocery store.

Thousands of cheesesteak accounts claim they use only ribeye, but very few can afford the high cost of ribeye and having ribeye advertised on their menu but serving something in place of ribeye is actually a crime, but who is going to turn them in?

Chances are nobody is going to fight that legal battle and that is why they get away with breaking truth in menu laws.

I think that the best meat to use for a Steak sandwich is very thinly sliced ribeye.

The fattiness of the steak make the best flavor for sandwiches in my opinion.

You can get it thin sliced at any butcher shop, or grocery store that have a good meat department.

Top round with tallow to lubricate the griddle.

Using ribeye for this application is a waste of a pricey cut, but the extra fat is 100% required.

Hanger steak is also a very popular choice.

Flat iron would work, as well.

Question: I want to do some cheese steak at home. I was wondering what kind of meat  should I buy. What part?

What kind of meat is used in cheese steak?

There is no one meat that is universally used in Philadelphia, but good options include ribeye, top round, hanger steak, flat iron, knuckle meat or wedge meat. A meat with higher fat content is good, and tallow can be used to lubricate the griddle. Meat should be thinly sliced, which can be found at a butcher shop or grocery store with a good meat department.

There is no single cut of meat used for this. People often use ribeye, top round, hangar steak or flat iron. It should be thinly sliced.

There is no single cut of meat used. You can use top round, knuckle meat, wedge meat, hangar steak or flat iron.

You can ask a local butcher to slice it thinly.


You may have been served Bearnaise, which is a common red meat sauce.

Bearnaise is based on Hollandaise (a mother sauce), a butter based sauce.

Hollandaise is somewhat advanced to make because it is important to keep the temperature right and the ratios correct while making it, but the result is worth the effort.

My spousal unit taught me to to make cream-based sauces with the drippings when pan-frying steaks.

Something like:

Remove meat to stand

Throw in a few green peppercorns or capers Deglaze with a little brandy (not too much, if you need more liquid use hot water) Add cream, turn off the heat and stir until thickened.

You can vary the spice and deglazing agent almost endlessly.

Now I have a hard time walking away from dripping without doing something with them.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1670/dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten

I don't see Steak Diane here, so I'll add that.

The sauce is prepared from the pan juices, using butter, shallots, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, and flambéed with brandy.

Sometimes with mushrooms too.

Pepper corns are mentioned, but no-one explicitly said Au-Poivre.

Dijon, brandy/cognac, cream, sometimes shallots.

Basically, as stated above, but with a formal name.

I've seen this in France with and without the dried crushed peppercorns stuck to the steak.

More often it's soft green peppercorns in the sauce.

Both are on every (ok, most)

French cafe/brasserie type menus.

To be honest, just add a little cream to your existing sauce and you'll find it pretty delicious.

Add some worcestershire sauce (quite a lot) for Diane, add some green peppercorns for Au Poivre.

My absolute favorite way to eat steak is Oscar style...

To @michael's point, this is: rib eye + asparagus + crab cake (or lump crab meat)

+ hollandaise... Fantastic!

Cream gravy is traditional with chicken fried steak (breaded and fried cube steak).

It isn't a high-end steak cut, though.

Cream gravy is basically just wisking flour into a few tablespoons of the pan drippings / leftover frying oil to make a roux, and then cream to make a white sauce, usually seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

Often when I see roasted cuts of beef served with a white sauce, it's a sour cream or mayo-based horseradish sauce, though.

The recipe I like to use for pepper steak features cream, and I use strip steaks for pepper steak.

Once the steaks are out and resting, get rid of the fat (but not the browned bits, random fallen off peppercorns etc) in the pan, add a little butter, some finely chopped shallot, let them cook but not brown, deglaze the pan with some brandy, reduce, then a nice slug of cream.

18% or 35% is great, but I use 10% when that's what's in the house.

Finish with a tablespoon more of brandy at the last minute and everyone loves it.

I do fries in the oven whenever I do pepper steak and that sauce on fries ... irresistable.

the best cream based sauce i have found in many years of cooking is caramelized onion sauce,first get a nice skillet cast iron or a old school pan...not a non stick pan.next get the skillet nice and hot med high heat slice the onions toss em in the skiilet no oil

, they will stick at first ,stir with wood spoon as they start to get darker and caramelize add a touch of oil,salt &or sugar ,

next take about 1/4 cup of redwine/marsala/or sherry to deglaze pan

then take them off the heat,in another sauce pan add a little bit of beef stock or base with about 1 quart heavy cream , add onions then reduce on med/low heat till it gets darker and the cream gets thicker a little thicker than a chowder soup base, finally put this cream mix in a blender and emulsify the onions into the sauce.

it is great for steaks,venison or any other rich red meats.

Question: I've reached a point where I am very comfortable with a nice red wine/shallot reduction as a pan sauce for my strip roasts/steaks.  I think I remember have a meal once where they served sliced tenderloin with a white sauce.  I imagine it was cream based but I don't often see this combination.  I was wondering if there was hope for throwing together a cream based sauce and if so if anyone had an idea of what base (mother or otherwise) sauce would be a good jumping off point for experimentation?

Would a cream based sauce go well with steaks?

Common white sauces include Bearnaise, a sour cream or mayo-based horseradish sauce, caremelised onion sauce or a sauce made with the pan juices, butter, shallots, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, and flambéed with brandy. Cream sauce is often seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

You can make a bearnaise or horseradish sauce or just take pan juices, onions and cream and create a sauce that will go well with red meat.

Bearnaise or horseradish cream sauce are commonly served with red meat.

You can make a caramelized onion cream sauce, or a pan sauce with cream and brandy.

Just add cream to your usual sauce and this will be equally nice.


Using a cut of meat without too much connective tissue will definitely help.

Talk to your butcher about good options.

Stew meat isn't the best choice; it contains a lot of connective tissue which breaks down during the long, slow stewing process.

Grilling is too hot and quick to break down that tissue.

If you do grill stew meat, lower temperature and longer cooking time may help some, but in that case you'll probably want to do the veggies separately.

A good marinade will help.

You can add some meat tenderizer, or make fresh pineapple juice one of the marinade ingredients.

Pineapple contains an enzyme that'll break down some of the connective tissue, but it has to be fresh -- canned juice will have been heated, destroying the enzyme.

Also, they aren't as pretty with this strategy, but I've begun skewering my shish kabobs more in line with cooking time than for aesthetics.

So I will skewer all my meat together...

This would allow you to cook your meat kabobs seperately and only until they are cooked rather than trying to get everything on the kabob to cook at the right time.

Admittedly, I know once you get really good at this, it's totally doable (to cook it all on the same skewer), but I'm not there, and it might make your life easier as well...

a proper marinade helps, but if you want juicy soft meat there is no substitute for fat .

The meat must have marbling and not come from an old animal.

Also, scoring the meat before marinading helps the liquid penetrate.

tenderizing chemicals like pinapple juice or papaya do work, but they can leave you with a mushy texture - not very appetizing.

Experiment before you get a nickname and a place in the family history...

I have found a pin style meat tenderizer (before you cube or marinade the meat) to be very helpful in using a cuts that might otherwise prove "too chewy".

This model is on Amazon .

Once penetrated by this type of tenderizer a good marinade (BEER) will work wonders on those connective tissues.

Another option is to cook the meat low and slow.

Once the meat is tender, let it cool in the fridge.

Once it's cooled, you can skewer it on to the shish (or is it the kabob?).

The high heat will now caramelize the outside and warm the inside.

At least in theory.

try marinating stewing beef in your favorite marinade...then sprinkle some coffee grounds into it.

mix thouroughly.

i did this last week...

marinated in the fridge for a day.

the tough cut was sooooo tender and cooked quickly with the veggies.

i sliced the stew beef in at least half to get quarter inch thick pieces.

my buddy was amazed....

as was i.

I know I'm coming late to this discussion, but thought I'd answer for those referencing or googling the topic!

I use stew beef for souvlaki and shish kabob all the time.

The 2 best ways to get it tender are: 1)

Marinate over night in yogurt, just google yogurt marinades, but make sure you are using plain Balkan style yogurt 2) brine.

This is my favourite because it's more adaptable.

Brining is not just for poultry or pork.

Just google brine for beef, but this is the ratio I start with 2 3/4 cups water1/4 cup salt3 tablespoons brown sugar2 cups ice Bring water salt and sugar to a low boil to dissolve sugar and salt.

Do not lower amounts of salt or sugar.

These are what break down the meat fibres and make it tender.

The meat will not be salty.

Add 2 cups of ice and let cool completely.

Place meat and brine in a baggie and keep in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Rinse the meat.

Pat dry.

Put on skewers with whatever accoutrement you like and grill away.

That is a basic brine.

I like to add extra stuff depending on my mood.

During the boiling stage I'll add things like mustard, herbs, vanilla and/or liquid smoke.

Many have mentioned beer.

Instead of ice, add alcohol during cooling stage.

I like adding Guinness.

Other faves are whiskey/bourbon or a bold red wine like Shiraz.

Do not add alcohol during boiling stage ( particularly whisky), as it will flare up.

Hope this helps!!

Ps-

if I'm adding a BBQ sauce ( I rarely do)

I only add it in last few minutes of grilling, and I try to use something similar to the brine.

Guinness BBQ Sauce if I had Guinness in the brine for example.

Pps.

Also makes a difference to whole kabob if you Marinate the veggies.

Just use a cheap store brand Italian salad dressing.

Place pre cut veggies and dressing in a baggie and Marinate for as long as you like.

Question: We cut beef stew into one inch cubes and pierce them on a stick with cherry tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc, and grill them nicely.  The meat is brown and grilled on the outside, pinkish in the middle, vegetables are grilled, but the meat ends up being not so tender.  How can I make the Shish Kabobs tender?

How do you grill Shish Kabobs so they aren't so chewy?

Talk to your butcher about good options with fat but not much connective tissue as in stewing beef. Marinading and tenderising the meat can be helpful, as can cooking low and slow.

Local for a better cut of meat for this. You can also try marinading it or tenderizing it before cooking.

Talk to your local butcher about meat cuts that are more appropriate for this.

A good marinade will help make the meat more tender.

Cook the meat separately on a low heat until tender.


I agree with the others that 1 gram is way too much saffron.

Unless you're making one of those huge outdoor pans of paella which feeds 20 people.

Exact quantities depend on how much paella you're making, and the freshness of the saffron involved.

I tend to use a hefty pinch, which would be around 12-20 threads, for a paella for 6 (2-3 liters).

I'll adjust that downwards for very fresh saffron, and upwards for old stale saffron.

You can tell how fresh your saffron is by (a) smelling it, and (b) soaking it in a small amount of warm water.

Fresh saffron will smell strongly floral/spicy, and will turn the water bright yellow very quickly.

I like saffron a lot though, and also tend to err on the side of more rather than less.

Err on the side of caution.

Too much saffron can be overwhelming to the point that it will destroy the dish.

A gram is an awful lot.

Most recipes

I'm familiar with call for a pinch or sometimes a specific (small) number of threads.

Crush

the threads first; don't add them whole or you won't get as much out of them.

If your goal is the bright yellow color, soaking the crushed saffron threads in a little wine or vinegar for 10 minutes

or so helps quite a bit.

I don't know if this makes a difference on how much saffron flavor you get.

(And obviously this has to be in a dish that won't mind a couple tablespoons of wine or vinegar.)

I add saffron sparingly, starting with a medium pinch of the threads as I'm cooking, and adding slowly as I go, with pauses for steeping of the flavor.

Have occasionally used the powdered (really expensive)

saffron and warn you to be extremely careful with that product - once ruined a beautiful seafood stew trying to 'tap' the powder out of the bottle.

Bottom line: Start with small amounts and taste.

It is an extremely powerful spice (used a lot by medicine manufacturers) and can end up making your dish taste like vitamin pills if you aren't careful.

Experience will guide you as you use it more.

One gram does seem like too much saffron.

From what I've seen, most recipes call for 1 pinch to 1/2 teaspoon of saffron.

To make a pound of saffron, over two hundred thousand stigmas from crocus sativus flowers must be harvested by hand.

That's why saffron is the world's most expensive spice, and also why so there are so many fakes on the market.

Fortunately, a little of the good stuff goes a long way--it only takes a few threads to add saffron's distinct yellow color and earthy aroma to a family meal of paella or bouillabaisse. foodsubs.com

I have read that 2 to 3 strands per person is as much as you need to use when it comes to Saffron.

Its not just overpowering to the dish but is also toxic in high amounts.

One medical site states that a medical overdose of saffron, whether used in a dish or medicinally (caps), is five grams and the symptoms range from vertigo, jaundice, vomitting, nosebleeds, bloody evacuations as well as death.

Yes I know.

Death.

LOL.

On the lighter side just use very little saffron.

The two to three strands per person seems like the best "rule of thumb" until u are more accustomed to the spice.

Saffron is one of the most appreciated (and expensive by weight) spices, due to the laborious process of obtaining it from the flowers.

It is growth mainly in the Mediterranean area.

You only need a small amount (0.15g or 3-4 threads) for a 6 people paella.

I'm going to disagree with the other answers a bit, and say you can have a recipe, a good recipe, that asks for a lot of saffron.

Whether that's a recipe (or a flavor)

you like is a different story, it is just not an automatic fail to ask for a larger amount.

I have a bread recipe that asks for a gram and a half of saffron

(it does make two loaves)(oh, but it's so, so good).

I use the whole amount, and do not regret it because I really like the flavor and color it gives.

I have a few other recipes, a saffron and garlic mayo dip, and a risotto recipe, that I use saffron pretty generously for - starting with a heavy pinch (thumb-to-side-of-finger pinch) and occasionally adding a bit more to taste.

I do make the most of the saffron I add with grinding, hot steeping, and rinsing spice dust into the dish, and I do admit I make these dishes very rarely, since saffron is dear, but that's how it goes.

And again, it isn't wrong to be sparing or prefer less, it's just also not wrong to be generous or prefer more.

Mama would use a scant pinch, or a few threads, to give her (usually sweet)(often large quantities) dishes a bit of a saffron scent

and that's enough for her.

Plenty of people like it like that.

But there's my brother, who has said that saffron "only gives a bit of color,

right, there's no flavor to it" (based on history with mama's very light usage), and might benefit from a stronger-saffron'd dish if he was here to taste it.

Along the same lines if I would get three dishes out of the same amount that gives her ten dishes, I like my three dishes enough more to go seven dishes without, so it's worth it to me.

So, to bring the whole thing back to your paella, I'd suggest finding a recipe that looks good (pictures, instructions, and reviews all appeal) and trusting it whether it asks for threads, tsp(s), or gr(s).

And if in the end, the flavor of the saffron is a bit light or elusive, next time you make it

you can add a bit more, and if it's a bit strong or feels out of balance, next time add less.

Question: I'm a bit confused with how much saffron to use in a paella recipe. I've seen numerous recipes that state to use 1gram. However I have a 1gram jar and that seems like a lot of saffron to me. I've spotted some recipes that say to use 1/2 a teaspoon and they state that this is about equal to 1gram. But my jar of saffron is a lot more than 1/2 a teaspoon.

How much Saffron to use?

You should use saffron sparingly to avoid overwhelming the dish; one pinch to half a teaspoon should be plenty for six people.

2-3 strands per person is enough. Saffron should be used sparingly.

1 gram sounds like too much. Too much saffron will ruin a dish.

Saffron should be used sparingly. 2-3 strands per person is enough.


If you can't get a bigger cutting board, here are a couple pointers to getting the most done CLEANLY in a small space (mostly tricks from my kitchen manager):

Use a sharp knife.

It's easier to control, and when you chop, pieces don't move as much.

Hone it at least daily to keep the edge aligned.

Organize your work on the board.

If you're right-handed, keep raw ingredients on the left side, and finished, cut product on the other.

Keep the spot you're using to cut clear.

It may only be 4-6 square inches, but it shouldn't have anything to get in the way.

I like to use the bottom middle of the board for cutting and the corners & top to organize stuff in various stages of cutting.

Remove trash (trimmings, ends, unusable vegetable scraps) from the board.

Either keep a trashcan next to the counter, or use a bowl to collect garbage.

This frees up space on your cutting board.

You can use additional bowls to store uncut material, and finished results.

This frees up more cutting board area.

All of these tips help, but I'll tell you what my chef told me:

the bigger your cutting board, the more room you have to work, and the faster you can go.

As your knife skills improve, you will be able to work in a smaller space without problems.

But first, start off with plenty of room.

As you you gain experience, your cuts become more precise, you organize your space, and work faster and cleaner.

With this advice in mind, you should move to a larger cutting board.

The extra space to work make it much easier to develop proper knife skills, because you're not trying to cramp yourself in.

I suggest the largest board that you can comfortably fit in your sink for cleanup.

With professional knife skills, I can handle prepping multiple items on an 8.5" x 9.5" cutting board; however, I find that my 11" x 14" board provides a lot more room to organize my work, and is more comfortable to use.

At work, I use the biggest board I can fit on my station.

I disagree that your board is small.

My go-to everyday boards are about 4"x8" - smaller than a standard piece of office paper folded in half.

I use them to chop onions, carrots, cabbage, potatoes - even watermelon!

Sure, they're small.

But they fit easily in the dishwasher and the cupboard, and I have four of them

so I can always grab a clean one.

My tips: sharp knife.

We all agree on this prep bowl.

Don't accumulate finished product on the board - there's no room for it economy of movement.

Don't knock down neat piles.

Have a gesture repertory.

For example, when slicing a carrot I can do about 4-6" of carrot without moving the carrot.

Then one hand pushes all the carrot slices up towards the empty end of the board while the other moves the carrot forward

so I can start slicing again.

If the pile of slices wants too much of the board, it goes into a prep bowl.

I don't feel cramped at all cutting up one potato at a time or one of anything at a time and putting them into a pot or a prep bowl as I go.

I like that my cutting boards don't take over the universe when I am working.

I do own a giant wooden one which is mostly for serving pizza on, and occasionally for bread, a medium oval wooden one that gets a ton of bread use, and a giant plastic one that ...

well, if I recall correctly it mostly gets used by visitors who are more comfortable with large boards.

To me the advantages of the small boards are all I notice.

And I the meals I routinely cook serve 6-8 people.

It's probably mainly technique given that size, but you're working on the smallest board I'd consider suitable to the task without really cramping your style.

So much of knife work is the skills and technique - but its also the knives.

Dull, un-ergonomic knives really are a pain to use and the result is overall sloppy work.

All that said though - in cutting anything though, I always give myself as much space as I can.

Stuff falling off board and such starts to become dangerous(in a food safety concern), unless you just have a sparkling sterile kitchen.

If that's your biggest board, and you're cutting meat on it sometimes - I'd consider a bigger board for more reasons than an onion.

Use a very sharp knife and slow down.

A dull knife requires more pressure, and food (especially hard foods, like carrots) tends to break free and bounce around when you're cutting it up.

A sharper knife will allow you to use more of a slicing motion, rather than exerting pressure, and food will stay put better.

Working slower will let you concentrate on using a slicing motion rather than trying to push through the food.

It will also move the food around less, so you'll have less trouble knocking it off the board.

Also, keep a bowl nearby to transfer already-cut-up food into and get it out of your way.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice!....

To quickly improve your technique you may find a Mandoline Slicer helpful.

With the julienne attachment you can get strips quickly, easily and consistently.

Once you have the strips, dicing is easy and should be doable with a minimum of mess.

[The Mandoline slicer I provided a link to is a "typical model".

From Amazon to Walmart you may find a variety of brands and models with an assortment of attachments and of varying quality.

This is not an endorsement of a particular model.]

Question: I have a fairly small cutting board - about 8.5" x 12.5" (22cm x 32cm), and I am finding it difficult to dice vegetables, especially the onions, without stuff going all over the place.  Is it my technique that's sloppy or should I just get a bigger cutting board?

How can I dice vegetables on a small cutting board?

Transfer cut vegetables to a prep bowl and use a sharp knife to stop food from breaking free. A mandoline slicer may also be helpful.

Transfer chopped vegetables to a bowl to leave space on your board. Make sure your knife is sharp.

Don't accumulate chopped vegetables on the board. Transfer them to a bowl.

Use a sharp knife and don't try to work too fast.


If it's refrigerated, it'll last for at least a week, as long as you didn't pre-dairy it.

Unrefrigerated, I wouldn't trust it for more than a day.

Coffee is a crappy growth medium and it should start out the next best thing to sterile, but, even covered, its going to start to get moldy.

Obviously if you add dairy, then you're dealing with that dairy shelf-life, and that isn't very long at all.

Oh dear.

I wish I could answer this more anonymously.

I am notorious among my friends and family for drinking old coffee left in the mug in the center console of the car,often for a week or more.

Coffee is safe to drink, as far as I am concerned, as long as there are no fuzzy things growing on it .Today is Wednesday.

At present, I am drinking a mug of room temperature coffee from a pot I made Monday afternoon.

I make my coffee medium strength.

It tastes acidic although I have never run a pH test on it.

I use Chock Full O'Nuts brand when I can find it.

I don't use any additive, flavors or sweeteners.

I like it cold and black.

Nothing bad has happened to me that I can attribute to old coffee; I have been doing this for perhaps 40 years since college.

It was a habit I developed when I was very broke and never lost.

I keep post-brewed coffee in the fridge in a big glass container.

It lasts for a long time; weeks!

My buddy is a chef, and at his restaurant they make liquor/coffee/martinis--the bar keeps black coffee in the fridge for weeks.

He insists it won't go bad for a month.

I've drank coffee I've left out for a few days without any noticeable consequence.

It's always black, so I don't have any other components that go bad.

coffee doesnt grow mold for quite some time..

try it youself; saturate some coffee beans and some grounds and let them sit out..

normally 4-5 days until mold grows on the grounds

.. 3 in warm conditions and since its diluted with all the water..

the first signs of mold I've actually seen are around 7 days in the pot.

We have always kept coffee outside for a week, no problem.

No difference in taste.

But, now that the idea of keeping in the fridge has been planted in my ears, I will do that.

If you freeze and make it as cubes then it will last very long.

In fact, I am gonna do this.

It's been a hassle to brew coffee every morning for a single person.

I brew a whole pot for myself and then refrigerate it (I drink it black).

It usually takes me about 5 days to finish the pot.

If I stretch it to 6 days, sometimes the last cup tastes "tinny" (metallic) and I don't enjoy it very much.

Funny thing is, the freshly brewed (first day)

cup is "just okay" as it tastes more tannic than the cups I have on day 2 through 5.

Having it "mellow" in the refrigerator seems to make it taste smoother to me and I enjoy it more.

I heat a single cup of it up in the microwave each morning.

From reading other's comments, I can see I'm not with the crowd as most people detect a negative taste from coffee after just a few hours from brewing.

Frankly, I like coffee most ways.

I like the $6 hand-poured stuff where you can really taste the beans, and I'm fine with most diner coffee too (as long as its not too watery).

I just feel its a waste to throw away coffee that's been brewed just because its not "fresh.

In my opinion, it just tastes different, but not "bad." To answer the actual question; I don't really know how long its safe, but almost all food is safe in the refrigerator for several days (as long as its not been sitting out too long) and in my years of experience with coffee, I feel comfortable with keeping it up to a week.

I believe that the process that you use in brewing and storing your coffee can make a difference.

I have a coffee maker that you load with whole bean coffee and clear, cold water.

Press a button and the coffee is ground and water drips through it and a filter into a vacuum bottle type container.

It stays warm for hours, and when it is no longer hot enough for me

I place a cup full in the microwave to heat up.

It lasts for days with no deterioration.

If I forget to dump the filter with the ground coffee in it, after a few days it will begin to develop mold.

I also found that if I want to you have cold coffee.

I can store the brewed coffee in a glass closed container in the refrigerator and simply add half-and-half and ice cubes to it when I'm ready to drink by the glass.

Question: How many hours/days would you recommend to drink coffee (after brewed) and consider it safe? (For example if you don't want to waste it). What is the difference if it is refrigerated or not?  The question is not about flavor since (I think) it is probably ruined after at most a couple of hours.

How long is it safe to drink coffee after brewed?

Plain black coffee can last for a week or more in the fridge, or longer in the freezer, but is less durable when left out. It will grow mould after some time, but usually not for a few days at least.

You can keep coffee in or out of the fridge for several days without any problem.

In the fridge it will last for a week or more without any deterioration.

It will last for many days without growing any mold.


If you want to make sure your wine is still good without opening the bottle (wine, vinegar or broth), there are some things you can check.

This doesn't give you 100% guarantee that the wine is actually any good.

Did the bottle lay horizontally (good) or was it standing up (bad).

The wine must be in contact with the cork to hydrate it.

This way the seal stays intact and the wine doesn't spoil.

How 'aged' was the wine?

Normally a young wine will last about one year (maybe two in the fridge), a reserve or great reserve can last longer.

Some wines will mature for 25 years or more.

Check the seal.

If it's in good state (no 'dirty' spots), that's good.

Check the cork (without opening the seal).

If the cork is pushing the seal out, then your wine may have suffered from heat (the air in the bottle pushes the cork out).

This may cause your wine to taste of cork (broth).

Remove the seal and check the cork.

If the cork is clean, that's good.

If it has red spots (see point 4).

If it looks dry...

you may have a nice vinegar.

Substances floating in the wine doesn't mean the wine is bad, but you'll need to decant the wine carefully.

But anyway, open the bottle soon.

Waiting any longer won't make the wine any better.

That's the thing about wine.

You never know until you taste it.

It might be a pleasant surprise or it might be swill.

That's actually part of the fun of trying wine.

But generally speaking, if it was nothing special 2004 it won't be better now.

Wines that are worth "waiting for" are noticeably outstanding even when they're new (they might need more decanting early in their life).

Just try it... but have a back-up bottle!

Until you are ready to "take a swig" it doesn't really matter what state it is in "Now".

At present it is a perfectly fine mantel piece.

When you are ready to actually drink it, it is either wine or vinegar, but you are going to have to pop the cork (or open the twist top...) to find out.

If it is for an important occasion, have a back up bottle in the wine rack.

You need all the information on the label to assess a wine.

the vintage in only part of it.

The fridge is not a good wine cellar.

wines deteriorate quickly there.

ultimately, it is all educated guess work anyway.

It might not have been good in 2004. try it. if you like it, serve it.

if not, flush it.

Easiest answer:

you can taste it, wine doesn't go off.

It can lose its taste and quality but it can be drunk without making you sick or killing you so crack her open and taste it.

If it tastes bad don't drink more obviously.

If it's sweet then drink it.

That's from a professional wine expert.

Question: During my move to a new place, I found a bottle of wine that I had kept in my refrigerator that was dated 2004. It was still sealed; it didn't look like anything was floating around inside, and to all intents and purposes, it looked to be an average bottle of red wine that you'd find at your typical liquor store. However, I'm wondering if it's still any good or not, and if there was a way to check outside of opening it and taking a swig.

Wondering if the bottle of wine I have is still good or not

The fridge is not a good replacement for a wine cellar and the cork should be in contact with the wine to hydrate it, but you can safely test whether the wine is still good or has turned to vinegar.

Wine cannot go bad so it will not make you sick. Opening it is the only way to check if it is still good to drink.

If stored in its side, the wine should still be in contact with the cork. Many wines last for a very long time and are still fine.

You will have to taste it to be sure. The fridge is not good for keeping wines but it will definitely not make you sick. Wine cannot go bad.


Personally, I've switched almost entirely to heat resistant silicone for all types of stirring and scraping spoons.

They don't stain, they are fine up to quite high temperatures, they clean up easily and can go in the dishwasher.

They are also won't scratch the surface of non-stick cookware.

It is true that they don't feel quite so nice as a good wooden spoon, but the convenience is outstanding.

(On the other hand, I stick with metal for the type of spatula one uses to flip a fritter, because silicone can't have a thin enough leading edge, it is too flexible.)

I think it is just a matter of style.

I prefer the bamboo to all others for the fact that the grain and the resilience of the bamboo pretty much guarantees that the edges won't break off due to water expansion and the accompanying drying contraction after years of use.

In wooden utensils, the grain direction is a weak point, which will crack and eventually fail more often than bamboo, which isn't a wood at all (bamboo is classed with grasses).

For high temperature cooking though, such as making roux or other cooking which expose the spoon to high heat for extended periods, use stainless steel.

Found this out the hard way several decades ago: Used my favorite bamboo spoon (which I still have) to make a roux for an Irish stew.

The stew was beautiful, smelled wonderful and tasted extremely bitter.

The cause was that the bamboo charred at the end of the spoon as I scraped and stirred the roux, the charred bamboo became incorporated in the roux, and rendered it inedible.

As I recall, the dog even turned it down after a couple of laps.

I just get relatively inexpensive wood spoons (maple, most of the time).

When they get too chewed up, scorched, and stained, I replace them.

Even with rough use, including the odd accidentally setting it down too close to a burner and charring the edges a bit, they last me several years.

I have one solid wooden straight-edged flat paddle that I bought my first year living off-campus in college, and it survived several years of being used by me and my roommates, followed by a few in my own kitchen.

It shows no signs of failing yet.

I think it is an Oxo model of some sort, very thick, heavy wood.

The thinner, cheaper spoons haven't faired nearly as well.

Plastic spoons have never lasted as long as wood for me.

I do have one fully-encased silicone spatula that I use quite a bit, but the edge isn't stiff enough to scrape up fond.

I use it for gently folding stuff, and stirring delicate foods like custards and scrambled eggs, as well as for pushing back the edges of omlettes.

I also have an Oxo plastic perforated spoon because it's just the right shape and has holes just the right size for everything I use a perforated spoon for.

My ladles are both metal, but other than them I don't use metal spoons for cooking much.

I just don't like the sound they make when scraping against the bottom of my pans.

Doesn't seem to hurt anything, it just bothers me like nails on a chalkboard.

I do use metal spatulas; I have one very thin, gently-curved slotted spatula that's great for getting under fish and other delicate proteins, and a much thicker, heavy rectangular spatula that's great for less delicate jobs.

Any hardwood (and bamboo is effectively a hardwood) is going to be pretty much equivalent except from an aesthetic perspective.

The only woods you should avoid are softwoods (pine etc.) and anything which is actually varnished or shellacked instead of being properly oil-sealed.

This is because varnishes will eventually come off in your food.

In general, I'd recommend getting inexpensive wooden spoons rather than fancy olivewood ones.

That way, if one gets chipped or discolored severely you can just toss and replace it.

I have no opinions about steel, silicone, or fiberglass, since I pretty much use wooden spoons all the time.

I picked up a pair of "synthetic wood" spoons from the local Job Lot a few years back, and they are excellent.

They have the "feel" of wood - a somewhat rough texture and exemplary stiffness that makes them comfortable to hold and gives them "bite" when scraping fond from the bottom of the pan, but a softness that won't mar enamel or teflon.

They're made of fiberglass and nylon, and are dishwasher safe and nigh invulnerable and so long as you don't stick them in the oven at 500º or leave them in an empty pan on a burner set to high, heat-resistant.

(Don't do this with wooden spoons, either.)

They do stain, however - turmeric and tomato paste in particular left their mark.

Otherwise, they last forever without much care or maintenance, are colorful and a joy to use.

I use bamboo for most things as they don't scratch, are hard to stain and are very resilient.

Yes, you can char them, but this is the case with any wood

and I find them much sturdier than other wooden spoons I've had.

However, for very high temp things, I also recommend the silicon or stainless (with heat resistant handles).

Question: We use standard wooden spoons, but they soon pick up stains from the various dishes. What are the pros and cons of the various woods, e.g. olive, Cilio Toscana Olivewood, beechwood, maple, bamboo, etc? Is there a 'best', or is it just a matter of style or personal preference?

What is the best material for a cooking spoon?

Hardwood or bamboo spoons will be mostly equivalent except for aesthetics and price, although bamboo may be more resilient to expansion and contraction from the water. Synthetic wood and silicone are also good options.

Bamboo is very hard and resilient. Maple is inexpensive to replace.

Bamboo or any hardwood is very resilient. Maple is also inexpensive.


For the next time you make it, a common way to take out the "bite" of raw garlic is to roast it first.

Chop off the top of the unpeeled head, drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle some salt, wrap in tin foil and pop in the oven.

More details and pictures covered here and here .

A quick search for roasted garlic pesto came up with a bunch of recipes as well.

I've used this trick with numerous recipes when I want lots of garlic, but want to take out the bite (from salsas, to guacamole, to just a straight garlic spread for bread).

I know this is a bit of an old question

but I came along it on my own search

so thought I'd share my solution.

I figured the problem with the excess garlic is that it's raw

so I sprinkled some parmesan on top of my pesto and baked it in the oven for 5-10mins.

Stirred through the now melted parmesen with the semi-cooked garlic and it tastes so much better.

Still a little garlic-y for my liking

but hey, we can't all be perfect.

Oh, I was making my pesto in a glass mixing bowl so just chucked the whole thing in the oven but make sure whatever you have it in is oven safe before whacking it in.

Enjoy!

I had this exact same problem when I first made homemade mojo...

It would snap your head back when it was fresh!

I had made it a day early for a party the next day and by the time the party came along, it was perfect!

Could you try this and let all the flavors marinate for a day or two before serving?

Pasteurization or freezing should cut the spiciness of garlic somewhat, since they reduce the flavor of whole cloves.

Pesto generally freezes well, so give that a shot first.

Heating the pesto briefly to a high temperature may affect the flavor, but will reduce garlic's role.

The shorter the period at heat is, the less it'll affect non-garlic flavors.

If you didn't pre-roast your garlic and need to fix it after the fact...

Throw your pesto in a saute pan with a little olive oil and cook it very lightly; that will help mellow the flavor.

Also, are you using lemon juice in your garlic?

I find that helps temper it while adding some much needed acid.

Finally, make sure you are cutting out the "sprout" piece from the center of each garlic clove as that usually has the strongest, most unpleasant flavor.

If you are willing to end up with something that is 'not pesto' but rather ' pesto cheese spread '

you can mix your pesto with cream cheese, butter, sour cream (etc..) to dilute the garlic over a larger volume.

The dairy product will help take the edge of the pesto and will give a delicious dish, just not the one you were planning.

The more the membranes in walls of raw garlic are bruised or torn, the spicier/stronger/more bitter it will taste.

Cutting fewer walls (instead of smashing which tears many of them) results in less spiciness especially when cut with an extremely sharp blade.

So if you're goint to use the garlic raw, chop or slice it rather than smashing if you don't want that extra pepperiness.

To get the skin off easily, a little bit of smashing with a knife blade won't affect things too much.

Cooking garlic makes it almost "sweet" though and removes that "hot" spicy taste, which is very different.

Had the same problem and used a little dry mustard.

Seems to blens the garlic not the rest of the sauce.

My hunch is that the answer is quite simple: mix your pasta into your pesto immediately after draining it, before it has time to cool.

This will cook the garlic just enough to take the zing out.

(Adding a bit of hot pasta water will help as well, as is often recommended in pesto recipes to thin the sauce out.)

In Uganda some people don't like garlic at all

but we all know the importance of garlic and some foods are just tasteless without garlic.

So as a training chef I put a small pinch but for the times when I put a little too much of it, I use lime, oranges or lemon.

Question: I recently made some pesto from scratch and my end result, while delicious, was overpowered by a strong garlic flavor, and not entirely in a good way. I'm talking about that sharp, spicy flavor that garlic sometimes imparts.  I would have added more basil if I had it on hand, but I used all of my stash in the first go-round.  What else could I add to lessen the flavor?  Is there a general purpose ingredient for this situation?

How do I neutralize a strong garlic flavor?

Try roasting or sauteeing the garlic first to cook it, pasteurising or freezing it to cut the spiciness, or diluting it with cream cheese, butter, sour cream or mustard. You can marinate the flavours for a day or two before serving, or heat the pesto briefly (although this may affect the flavour of the pesto).

Try roasting the garlic or heating the pesto slightly to take the edge off. You can also leave it to rest for a day before using.

Leave it to rest for a day before using.

Freezing wil reduce the garlic strength.

Try mixing mustard powder or cream cheese.


There is no chemical reaction that happens.

It is mainly a garnish.

You might get a tiny bit of celery flavor in the drink from the celery, but I think this is negligible given the other strong flavors in a bloody mary.

If you want a celery flavor, add celery salt.

It's meant to be munched on between sips, and permits a "reset" - the cocktail will be fresh upon the tongue the sip after the bite, permitting you to enjoy its flavor and consistency without being oppressed by the cumulative effect of unctuous, spice and salt that is the hallmark of the beverage.

Celery is an astringent and an aromatic - it will cut through the palate-coating tomato juice can leave behind, cool the intensity of the salt and heat, and will interrupt the soup-like consistency with a firm crunch.

It's often included in tuna and chicken salad and served with hot wings for the same reason.

Other vegetables that tickle our sense of "bitter" in a pleasing way may be similarly substituted - but celery also acts as a handy swizzle stick.

the celery help cleans the taste in your mouth ..helping every sip of your ceaser taste delicious

I've always seen it done as a garnish, and only a few places anymore will keep fresh celery around just for one drink, so it's becoming that much rarer.

To be fair, there are a lot of ways to make a Bloody Mary.

A good barman will ask their patron how they like theirs.

The two requisites that make it a Bloody Mary are the vodka and the tomato juice, and then a source of salt and sour are typically also considered must-haves, but exactly how you get those in the drink are up to you.

Beyond that, any and all of the following are commonly added or omitted based on drinker's preference: Clam juice (traditionally a must-have, and a good source of salt, but the name is off-putting in many regions, especially outside New England) Pickle juice (for those further inland, this is typically a little more palatable than clam juice to add salt, and also a sour note) Olive juice (same idea as pickle juice) Jalapeno brine (same but adds a spicier kick)

Lemon juice Lime juice Sweet & Sour mix Worstershire sauce

(yes please; most don't consider it a BM without this)

Tabasco/hot sauce (ditto) Balsamic vinegar Kosher salt (some will put it in the drink, others will salt the rim) Cracked pepper Chili powder (same idea as Tabasco; works best when mixed with the tomato juice ahead of time)

Sriracha, wasabi, etc (exotic forms of spicy)

Beer (traditionally a chaser

, now it's just as often added directly to the drink)

Ginger (Heard of it, never tried it; the theory is that since a BM is supposed to settle the stomach after a wild night, the ginger furthers that goal.

Also a spicy note)

That's just what goes in the drink.

I have seen or heard of all of the following being used as garnish, most of them skewered:

Celery (traditional) Olives (modern cop-out) Dill spear or whole dill pickle (common in the Midwest) Gherkins/sweet pickles Asparagus Cocktail onions Cherry tomatoes Lemon wedge/slice Jalapenos (fresh or pickled, whole or slices;

obviously common in the Southwest) Pepperoncini peppers Artichoke hearts

Pepperoni Salami Bacon Ham (we making a drink or a sandwich here?)

Slim Jim/beef jerky Cheese (various varieties from cubes of pepperjack to string cheese) Shrimp Tater Tots Onion Ring Hard boiled egg (say what?) Spare rib Brisket slice (ok, now it's a combo meal)

Buffalo wing Bacon cheeseburger (yes, an entire bacon cheeseburger on a skewer) ... and of course, someone just had to put them all in one drink:

The celery stick garnish became a staple of the Bloody Mary only after an impatient patron at Chicago’s Pump Room couldn’t wait for his server to bring him a swizzle stick.

He took matters into his own hands and snatched a celery stalk from a nearby relish tray.

Question: Why do you put celery in a bloody mary? Is there a chemical reason for this or is it done just for garnish?

Why do you put celery in a bloody mary?

It is used as a garnish and shouldn't affect the taste of the drink, but munching on it between sips helps to cleanse the palate and make every sip taste delicious.

It doesn't give much flavor to the drink but it refreshes the mouth and complements the flavor.

It is used as a garnish. It doesn't give much flavor.

The celery can be eaten to complement the drink. It helps to cleanse the mouth.


Grana padano and pecorino romano are two other very savory, hard grating cheeses that work well on pasta.

They taste a bit different than Parmigiano-Reggiano, but are quite good in their own right and often less expensive.

You can also look at parmesan type cheeses that are not actually Parmigiano-Reggiano.

For example, Whole Foods often has one from Argentina that offers a reasonable price/performance tradeoff.

All of that said, in many people's opinion, nothing is really quite as delicious as true Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Buy in bulk and save "Expensive but going to be used in cooking anyway" cheeses such as Parmesan or blue varieties freeze extremely well

The do loose their presentation quality, but retain their taste, smell, and texture qualities

I have had good quality blue vein wheels in the freezer for over a year and they are still perfect

(though not much left now :-[ ) Processes as required (crumb, grate, shave etc.), and then pack into air tight freezer bags, and boxed for protection Also, restaurant food wholesalers sell bulk bags of pre-processed Parmesan which you can freeze as is.

Typically 1Kg plastic zip-lock style bags.

You can usually get a cash account with them for small purchases.

They will often sell wheels in 1/4 or 1/2's too

I think it's worth the money, but buy in bulk like from Costco or Wholesale.

You can get a big block for about 20 bucks and it lasts a long time in the fridge.

Parmesan is rich in glutamates, the stuff that gives us the umami or meaty savoury taste.

That's why we like it so much.

If you want to replace it, try replacing it with another cheese that was mentioned, but beef up the umami with another source.

Depending on what you are cooking, a glutamate rich food such as anchovies, mushrooms, marmite, MSG, soy sauce, sea kelp....

in small portions would do the trick and not effect the dish much.

You could also try nutritional yeast - its a vegan alternative for yeast.

Its quite 'cheesy'.

All that said, its hard to pass up Parmesan (the real stuff).

Its just one of those things its probably worth biting the bullet for.

Also, the rind of the cheese going in chicken stock is indispensable!

Another option is to make your own Parmesan Cheese ... not an immediate solution but it is interesting to do at least once.

It isn't exactly difficult, but it does take a while to mature.

oh goodness, never considered parmesan that way -

but maybe another sharp Italian cheddar would be more to your liking?

Try pecorino romano, or a sharp matured asiago or maybe an aged provolone if you can find a sharp one?

I tend to think if you got a better quality parmesan like Reggiano or Padano you may like it?

it can be expensive though.

Question: The parmesan cheese in pasta recipe is quite expensive.....do we have cheaper alternative??  Are there are cheddar cheese which can replace parmesan cheese?

Cheaper alternative to parmesan cheese?

Grana padano and pecorino romano are two other very savory, hard grating cheeses that work well on pasta. You can also buy expensive cheeses like parmesan in bulk, then freeze until needed. Another option is to make your own parmesan, which is slow but an interesting process.

You can use Grana Padano or pecorino as alternatives. You can also buy it in bulk and freeze it.

Grana padano, pecorino romano, asiago and provolone are cheaper and have a similar taste.


That oils' smoke points can be generically classified solely according to their type is a myth.

Robert Wolke , a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and food columnist for the Washington Post, claims that the smoke point for an oil varies widely depending on origin and refinement .

While the smoke point does generally increase with respect to the degree of refinement of the oil , Wolke notes that generation of the nasty tasting free fatty acids is a function of time, i.e. , the longer you cook the oil

the worse it tastes.

Therefore, if you are going to be using the oil for a quick fry/sauté, it doesn't really matter what type of oil it is.

(I'm not sure if I'd use an unrefined oil for a long roast, though.)

Alton Brown , a US cooking celebrity who specializes in the science behind cookery, agrees : Now many charts and tables attempt to quantify smoke points, and I'm here to tell you they're all complete hooey.

The truth is, there are just too many factors going into a smoke point to make such concrete claims.

I will tell you this.

High heat will destroy the fruity goodness of an extra virgin olive oil or the nutty goodness of a walnut oil.

But you can sauté with just about any oil, as long as you work fast.

[Emphasis is mine.]

I wouldn't recommend using an Extra Virgin Olive Oil for high heat applications, not because you're likely to get off flavors (if you work fast), but because it's a waste of money: You'll be losing the fruity notes for which you're paying a premium.

Throughout Southern Italy and Spain, though, it is very common to use olive oil for frying (even Virgin olive oil).

For example, Mario Batali (another US celebrity chef who is a widely acclaimed Italian chef) did it all the time in his old TV show .

I don't want to disappoint you, but the sad truth is that extra virgin olive oil is unsuitable for all the cooking methods you mention.

When you heat any oil past its smoking point it starts to deteriorate and can even become dangerous.

Olive oil, extra virgin in particular, has a lower smoking point than most other oils.

In fact, you will be better off with an olive oil of lesser quality.

Such an oil will have been processed and thus purified, increasing its smoking point.

You may think that butter is unhealthy, but at high temperatures it will actually withstand the heat better than extra virgin olive oil.

Good oils for the purposes you mention are canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, and grapeseed oil.

I have used olive oil for all of those tasks when I didn't have anything else around.

It's also my preferred oil for oven-roasting vegetables.

As Henrik says, though, it has a low smoke point, so it doesn't work as well as some others for cooking in a wok, or other high temperature cooking.

Aside from agreeing with ESultanik, I wanted to add this additional answer: Virgin olive oil is not appropriate for stir-frying because it would taste weird.

Unless you're doing a recipe which is specifically an Italian/Chinese fusion dish, or something which expects olive oil, you want to use a mostly flavorless vegetable oil for stir-frying.

I prefer peanut oil, but canola, safflower, and sunflower also work quite well.

Mario Batali does it all the time, so it's safe to say you can use it for that.

Should you?

Probably not, but if the $$$ doesn't bother you...

You have to consider that extra virgin olive oil usually has a smoking point around 190 degrees celsius.

For stir frying and getting the natural sugar of e.g. the vegatables to to be extracted and caramelized you need around 150 degrees celsius.

I use extra virgin olive oil for fryin vegetables and it maintains it's fruity flavor plus all of it's health benefits.

Make a test on your stove to figure out your extra virgin olive oil's smoking point, and make sure to keep the temperature below the oil's smoking point.

I use gas so it's very consistent, and I've made a mark on the regulator, so I don't have to worry about the oil overheating every time I fry something.

Once you get used to frying you immediately smell if the oil is smoking.

Referring to a series of articles written on cooking at high heat with olive oil: The answer is yes, it's perfectly fine to use olive oil to cook at high heat.

"Olive Oil is High in Monounsaturated Fats, Which Are Stable

When Heated" "Extra Virgin Olive Oil is High in Antioxidants and Vitamin E, Which Help Fight Oxidation (Olive oil contains Vitamin E and many powerful antioxidants.

These substances protect the oil from damage during high heat cooking.)

" The reasons normally stated that advised against it is based on the fact of nutrition loss -->

Again, nutrition is lost when you cook vegetables as well

(Doesn't stop me from cooking them)

References:

Question: I'd like to use extra virgin olive oil for the above mentioned cooking methods as opposed to other oils/butter. Are there any downsides to it, or can it be used safely in all those cooking methods? Is there anything that it doesn't work well with?

Can extra virgin olive oil be used for stir frying, roasting, grilling?

Olive oil has a low smoke point around 190 degrees Celsius, so while it can be used for quick frying and sauteing, the flavours will start to deteriorate quicker than other oils, and especially at high temperatures.

Olive oil can be heated up to 190°C. So it is fine for sautéeing but not for high heat frying.

You can use olive oil for sautéeing and frying up to 190°C.

When you heat it past its smoke point it will start to deteriorate and is not worth spending money on this.


There is nothing inauthentic about using sugar in an Indian dish, even a savory one.

For example, Gujarati cooks often add raw sugar (jaggery) to daal and curries.

Quoth Wikipedia:

"It is common to add a little sugar or jaggery to some of the sabzi/shaak and daal.

The sweet flavour of these dishes is believed to neutralize the slightly salty taste of the water."

And here's an example Gujarati potato curry recipe , which includes a tablespoon of sugar.

As for how much to add, that's a matter of your taste and the level of acidity and/or saltiness in the dish.

My Gujarati friends in Boston like stuff rather sweeter than I would personally prefer, so be cautious.

I have a restaurant in Delhi.

Whether you add sugar to a curry really depends on the region you're cooking is from.

A Kashmiri dish will usually never have sugar in it, but may have raisins or dates added if sweetness is required.

In contrast & (as previously mentioned) most savory Bengali dishes will have a bit of sugar added (my Kashmiri husband hates this).

It is also interesting to note that the type of onion most commonly used in India is a small pink/red onion that has quite a bit of sugar.

That is where the caramelized 'sweetness' in many Indian dishes comes from.

And yes, it is quite an 'art' to get those tonnes of onions perfectly caramelized!

It depends on your ingredients, as you allude to, sugar can help balance some flavors.

For example half a teaspoon of sugar can help counteract the acidity of tinned (crushed) tomatoes if you're using them in a curry.

yes, adding a little bit of sugar and lime juice always give it an extra flavor and freshness, specially if it is a heavily spiced curry.

I have a recipe book for cooking curries 'just like an Indian restaurant'.

The most glaringly obvious point is that just about every curry (except cream-based ones like kormas) start off with tons of onions, sweated for hours.

This releases a lot of natural sugars from the onions, so most restaurant curry sauces do have an underlying sweetness.

Obviously most home cooks don't have hours to spend sweating onions, so naturally their curries don't taste quite the same.

Adding sugar recreates the sweetness somewhat.

Their are other factors (like adding half a tin of ghee to every curry), but it does help and there's nothing wrong with it.

I find that sugar gets added to the curries from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc sometimes.

They are usually sour and sweet, eg use tamarind and tart ingredients like lemongrass, or very salty smelly like blachan or fish sauce.

these need leavening with sugar

so follow the recipe for good results.

Adding sugar on the off chance

I would be less certain of.

A garnish of half a sliced onion, fried until brown, and added last, will typically work well, esp with lentil dhals as the caramel in the onions comes through

Adding sugar does not make large changes in taste of recipes, A small quantity of sugar can be added to make it tasteful.

The only use of sugar in a curry is for its color.

It gives a brown tint to the dish and is always used in least amount.

If you put it for balancing spices then put a balanced amount of spices in the first place rather than balancing it later with sugar.

Given that Masala based curries always get some sweetness from tomatoes (which could be anything from sour to rather sweet), and it is generally a good idea to balance tomato based sauces of all kinds with sweet (sugar, jaggery)/sour (yoghurt, vinegar) ingredients at the end, how could one find fault with this?

Question: I've seen that sugar is used to balance out other flavors in a dish. I was just wondering if I could add a little sugar to a spicy curry(chicken curry, for example). Would that take away the authentic flavor? If no, then how much can be safely added before it becomes too sweet?

Sugar in Indian curries?

Sugar is often added to curry to add flavour and freshness, as well as changing its colour.

Sugar is often used in curries to counteract the acidity of tomatoes or to add some color.

Sugar is often used in curries in different regions.

Half a teaspoon of sugar counteracts the tomatoes in a curry.


You may be able to find vegetarian Grana Padano style cheese, but I don't think you will find the real thing in vegetarian form.

This is because the making of Grana Padano is still a traditional process and true GP cheese is only produced in certain regions of Italy.

It in fact has P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin) status, which means that only those cheeses produced in certain regions and using certain methods can legally be called Grana Padano.

I imagine one of those methods is using animal rennet.

I would be surprised that there isn't some form of substitute available in Italy, as they have the highest proportion of vegetarians in Europe at 10%.

I get the feeling, however, that they are perhaps less zealous about it than others if it means giving up good cheese.

The only suggestion I have found as an alternative to GP as something to sprinkle on pasta etc is nutritional yeast powder, which apparently has a similar nutty, creamy taste.

Not ideal, but if you make the choice to be veggie you have to take the rough with the smooth!

I see from your profile that you live in the UK; we are lucky in that we have a lot of fantastic small local producers, so it may be worth looking up some local dairies or cheesemakers and seeing if they can offer an alternative.

I Buy kosher Grana Padano: http://www.collaspa.it/en/index.php Since we can't use animal rennet

,it is vegetarian and it says so on their web page.

You can get a cheese named Grandi Pascoli from QuatrtroColli.

Its is a grana padano made With vegetable rennet.

This is especially made for vegetarian use.

No. Grana Padano's traditional recipe uses animal rennett and because it has DOP protection under EU law, no cheese made to any other recipe can be sold as 'Grana Padano'.

Try Grana Padano Tipo, which contains a modified enzyme.

It's used by a leading vegetarian restaurant in Brighton, for its full flavour.

I believe the best vegetarian alternative is Gran Mantovano .

It's made in Italy by a reputable maker of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano and

in my opinion is an excellent substitute for Grana Padano.

It is made specifically for vegetarians.

There is indeed a fabulous Italian Hard Cheese that is Vegetarian.

It's called Quattrocento and is made by Granarolo.

You can buy it at Waitrose or from idelionline.com

It's a smoother texture but still packs a punch so cooks and eats the same as a parmesan or PDO product

It is made with microbial rennet and is preservative free so a much cleaner ingredient deck than a few other cheeses of a similar style

Question: My wife is vegetarian and, since meeting her, I've come to realise that all Grana Padano seems to be non-vegetarian. Is this really the case, or are my local supermarkets just not stocking the veggie stuff? Would be a shame for her to miss out on so many things (esp. pesto) just because of this.  Thanks.

Is it possible to get vegetarian grana padano cheese?

Vegetarian Grana Padano-style cheeses include Kosher Grana Padano, which does not use animal rennet, Grandi Pascoli from QuatrtroColli, Gran Mantovano and Quattrocento from Granarolo.

You can't buy Grana padano without animal rennet. You can also try Grandi Pascoli, Gran Mantovano or Quattrocento.

Grana Padano can't be made without animal rennet.

You can replace with Grandi Pascoli, Gran Mantovano or Quattrocento.


the strong metallic taste is telling you something.

This something is don't eat me .

I suggest you listen.

No, seriously, if it tastes like metal it is probably because some of the can material leached into the tomatoes.

Although it might not hurt you, I still would not eat it.

Metallic taste is due to the tannins in the tomato pomace and skins.

A pinch of baking soda will alleviate the problem.

I've tried the baking soda and ruined the entire dish..

I would not suggest that..

I find a bit of brown sugar.

and extra spices,, and cooking it like mad will reduce it..

I wont buy canned again as using fresh is the only answer here.. but those of us with cans in the pantry still want to use them up somehow..

A little bit of baking soda will offset the pH of the tomatoes.

Check out the relative pH of baking soda versus tomatoes and it should give you an idea of how much to use.

Salt may also work.

But in my experience, to get canned tomatoes tasting nice, you need to reduce them like crazy to break down the pectins and get the original flavor.

I was making green chili, I used oregano, onions, garlic, cumin, pork, fresh jalapeno, salt and pepper.

I decided to add a little tomato puree (Hunts brand) and that is when the problem appeared, the metallic taste.

I added sugar which did not solve the issue, I then added some chili powder which didn't change the taste.

I really don't want to toss it.

Maybe I will try a little vinegar.

Thanks for all the tips.

I agree with the "don't eat" answers.

But if you still want to save your chili and eat it, you can add some sugar, and cook for at least 20 mins more.

Question: I used some canned tomatoes to make chili, which normally works fine, but today it has a really strong metallic flavor. From what I can tell, this is just because they're probably low-quality, so I won't be using this brand again.  Anyway, is there anything I can do to save this chili? I didn't notice the flavor until I added everything else.

Counteracting a metallic taste in canned tomatoes?

The metallic taste can come from the tannins in the tomato pomace and skins, or from metal leaching into the tomatoes from the can. A pinch of soda will offset the pH of the tomatoes.

You can try adding a pinch of baking soda or some sugar.

Try adding sugar and cooking a bit longer.


Have you tried not adding egg?

In my experiments, egg is needed when you add breadcrumbs, but if you just form some ground beef into a patty and fry it, it doesn't fall apart.

Hm, let me clarify that.

If you take a single blob of ground beef straight from the styrofoam and press it in a patty press, it doesn't fall apart.

If you take two pieces and put them next to each other in the patty press, it does fall apart as you cook it.

So when I need to add an extra bit, I add it on top.

That works.

So there is at least one way you can make a hamburger without adding egg.

Now, if you wanted to mix spices into the beef, then you might have a problem.

I'll admit that.

Better than nothing, though.

A bit of corn starch would help if you cannot add egg at all.

I've never used anything other than beef, dry spices, and sometimes garlic to make my hamburgers.

Truthfully, I much prefer the taste of a burger with no binders.

We buy our beef by the half cow, and make plenty of burgers.

Freezer -> defrost -> Mix beef with spices ->

Form burgers while still cold (I make a round ball with the meat, them compress it)

-> straight to grill.

We've never had any issues.

I will also say, that my wife is much better at making evenly sized, well formed burgers, that hold together really well..

There are two things you need to do to make perfect hamburgers without egg or other binder.

First knead the meat balls so that the meat binds together.

Kneading give you a better bind you will get.

Press the meat firmly into your mould before popping out.

Second, after forming into shape, refrigerate the meat pats.

This process first stretches the proteins in the meat.

When chilled, the proteins contract again but now they are twisted together in a bond.

When cooking, the pat will hold together just a well as any that you buy in a shop.

If find that this works even when I add liquids to the meat.

I often season my meat with Worcester sauce mixed in.

Even with this extra liquid the meat will hold together just fine.

No egg required.

You can use what is called a flax egg , it is 1:3::milled flax seed: water (4Tbsp is about 1 egg in terms of binding strength).

Not only is flax the secret glue in many vegan recipes, but it might be a good additive for your wife's diet.

You can fry it without an egg at all.

I just form a patties, leave them on the table or in the fridge for a hour or so and then fry it.

Nothing fall apart, everything is fine.

I too had an intolerance to egg when I was pregnant with our last child.

In place of egg when making hamburgers or meatloaf I used a jar of veal baby food.

It helped bind and keep the dish moist.

Doesn't really add or subtract from the flavor of the beef either.

Best of luck to you!

Time for some molecular gastronomy.

Transglutaminase ("meat glue") should work perfectly.

Tbs flour for 1 Pound of meat

Using pork mince will make a good burger as the proteins in pork meat bind naturally

and so you do not need the egg to bind the mix.

Just work the meat a little to encourage a good mix.

Question: My wife is having pregnancy cravings for (homemade) hamburgers, but has developed a prenatal allergy / intolerance to egg.  What is a possible replacement for egg to stop a hamburger pattie from collapsing into mince during cooking?

Substitution for egg to bind hamburger mince

Try making the patties without binders, or using a flax egg, a jar of veal baby food or a bit of corn starch. The proteins in pork mince will bind naturally, making it a good choice for burger meat.

You don't necessarily need a binding agent. You can also try using a flax egg or a bit of corn starch.

You don't need to add a binder like egg. Pork mince will hold together on its own.

Try using a flax egg or adding a bit of corn starch.


This one had me scratching my head for a while.

I came across the phrases "stovetop oven", "raised center skillet", "steamer pan" and a bunch of other dead-ends.

Well, I finally stumbled onto "Ultimate Dutch Oven" : Looks familiar, doesn't it?

This one is cast iron, but what you've found is clearly a non-stick version of the same thing.

It's sold as camping gear.

The raised center in the middle is what they call a "convection cone".

Presumably it's meant to emulate a convection oven (inefficiently, I might add, since there's no fan) -

the vents in the cone are a means of distributing the heat, to help mitigate the usual skillet problem of the bottom being overcooked while the top is still raw.

I'm pretty sure that nothing is actually supposed to go "inside" the cone, other than hot air.

It's probably fairly effective if you're cooking over an open flame (i.e. extremely hot air).

A 3" high non-stick version of this would seem to be of pretty limited use.

I can imagine trying to make "baked" potatoes in there, or maybe pre-butchered chicken parts?

As you can see from the link above, the "full-size" version can hold a couple of small birds, and again, it's cast iron, so it's infinitely more useful for outdoor cooking.

It is a dry pan, from Tefal, you most likely find in Europe.

Edit by rumtscho

The answer used to contain a deep link on a site called top-shop.ro, now the domain still exists, but the product page is gone.

We had one of these when I was growing up.

I remember the commercials identifying it as the perfect pan for frying chicken.

The concept was the vents let out undesirable moisture so that all of your pan fried pieces of chicken would be crisp throughout.

It was also supposed to be a healthier way of cooking since it was supposed to use little to no oil.

I seem to recall it was a pain to use and results

were eh...

okay.

It got a lot of use though because of the cost.

Funny thing is, my mom

and I saw one of these at goodwill today

and my 17 year old daughter asked the very same question and

my mother was able to confirm my memory was correct.

See these two links: What is this pan all about? and Kitchen Sleuth:

What Is This Pan?

The holes are for steam.

What is under the raised center?

It's called Dry Cooker in Europe.

You can find it in Romania, buy it from TV shopping.

Not sure who makes it, but I can tell I used it

and it really works.

Unfortunately there are fake copies which are not Teflon, so you need to be careful what you're buying.

Not sure whether they can be purchased online and have them delivered in other European countries, but I have tried getting one here in The States and was not able to find it.

I have one like this, but much older.

It is useful to bake things on a stovetop when you don't have an oven.

I have used mine for roasting potatoes and making sponge cake and it works quite well.

Mine, though, has a heavy iron rin that you are supposed to put underneath it, I guess to spread the heat.

I saw one today in a charity shop for £2:00.

I was curious about its purpose

so I have done a bit of research.

As previous posters have said it’s a dry cooking pan.

They are widely used in eastern Europe and seem to be quite a good alternative to using an oven especially if you are only cooking for one or two.

They sell in Romania for about £30:00.

Here is a video from 1987 promoting them as a “Swiss dry cooker” for only $19:95 each.

They are available today on Ebay for as little as £8:25 plus postage and packing.

I’m back to the charity shop tomorrow to snap it up.

But I might just keep it as a conversation piece LOL!

I have one of these.

It's a Swiss Dry Fryer and it means you can cook mushrooms etc with just one teaspoon of oil.

You put the oil in, put the lid on and wait til it heats, add whatever onions, pappers, mushrooms... and replace the lid and just shake occasionally and they cook perfectly in so little oil!

It's a great gadget.

Mine is over 15 yrs old!

It's called a convection frying pan.

I've had one for about 30 years.

They were most recently made by Starshine & you can still get a pre-owned one on Ebay.

You rub just a tiny bit of butter in them, like you would with a cake pan, & cook on low heat - like a on an electric stove.

They come with a lid.

The holes in the center allow the heat to come in through the bottom.

They are great for chicken, vegetables, any kind of meat.

You can cut pork chops with a fork & there's hardly any fat & no grease.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/63272/Linda Clark Kohrt Brooks

When I was growing up on Long Island, NY we had a stove

top oven looking very much like the one that you showed in the first picture.

It was from the middle 30's.

I was told that it was for baking potatoes on the top of our gas stove.

If I remember correctly it didn't work very well

What we had was aluminum

Question: I asked a question about a " Wonder Pot " a bit ago, and this item came up on a search. I don't think it's a wonder pot though. The center hole is effectively much smaller, and there are not any vents in the lid. There isn't a "flame tamer" either, although this part may be lost.   I keep seeing cookware like this in thrift stores, and I'm pretty sure it's for one specific task. What might that task be?

What is this type of cookware called?

This is called a dry cooker or Swiss dry fryer, and it is like a convection frying pan. It uses less oil and vents unwanted moisture to make food crispier.

It is known under different names depending on the area. It is meant to emulate convection cooking. It is a healthier way of cooking than frying.

It's meant to emulate convection cooking.

It is used for baking potatoes, chicken, mushrooms or onions. It is a healthier way of cooking as it uses very little oil.

It is known as a dry pan, a dry cooker a Swiss dry fryer and a convection frying pan.