Gravy's Cooking Thread
- Thread starter chaos
- Start date
-
Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
opiate82
Bronze Squire
- 3,078
- 5
I've sous-vide skirt steaks with asian marinades before that turned out amazing, but if I were just cooking up some fajita meat I'd probably just grill it.
When I am doing sous-vide with a marinade I try for a longer cook time. I shoot for 4 hours-ish.
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
- 14,826
- 2,730
I think it would be a waste to sous vide flank or skirt steak just because by the time you're done searing it, it's pretty much done. Of course I think it's a waste to sous vide any steak, but it's silly on super thin steaks in particular.
Crone
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
- 9,714
- 3,211
Chaos, I think there is some good information in this post that is front page worthy, in the sous vide section!
chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
- 17,324
- 4,839
Sous vide pork tenderloin: marinade in olive oil, garlic, honey, rosemary, salt, pepper. The flavor was great. I tried browning it on the grill real quick but it was raining and the grill didn't get hot enough, either that or I just didn't leave it long enough or something. Probably I am to blame. However, it highlighted the use for a torch. With a torch I wouldn't have been sweating overcooking the pork I just meticulously crafted out of sweat and iron and rich mahogany. Oh well, still an A meal, just could have been A+.
Next up: maple-soy salmon, SOUS VIDE!
As an aside, it is about a month of eating wheat free due to my new curse from god in the form of a wheat allergy. At home the only thing it has really changed is I don't bake anymore. I may try after a while, idk. No breads or tortillas sucks the diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick. I finally found some acceptable gluten-free wraps at the store but I have given up on making my own for now. Eating a lot more protein. GETIN SWOLE SON. Eating out is what sucks. Gluten free bread is not good, and those lettuce wrapped burgers are no substitute for a man's meal. I can't even eat fries at most places. We went to Famous Dave's (because there is no good barbecue here) and I literally could eat one thing on the entire menu. One thing. Fucking blows.
Next up: maple-soy salmon, SOUS VIDE!
As an aside, it is about a month of eating wheat free due to my new curse from god in the form of a wheat allergy. At home the only thing it has really changed is I don't bake anymore. I may try after a while, idk. No breads or tortillas sucks the diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick. I finally found some acceptable gluten-free wraps at the store but I have given up on making my own for now. Eating a lot more protein. GETIN SWOLE SON. Eating out is what sucks. Gluten free bread is not good, and those lettuce wrapped burgers are no substitute for a man's meal. I can't even eat fries at most places. We went to Famous Dave's (because there is no good barbecue here) and I literally could eat one thing on the entire menu. One thing. Fucking blows.
Gravy
Bronze Squire
- 4,918
- 454
Will just a regular propane torch work?
And as an aside, I feel your pain on the going out for dinner thing.
Lanx
<Prior Amod>
- 66,897
- 152,880
torch/grill/cast iron past for the after effects of a nice sous vide piece of meat just to try to get the yummy Maillard reaction (browning/searing) is a tradeoff. In 1 hand you have an entire slab of meat that is cooked to perfection, but is lacking the OOMPH of a sear. (Plus it looks god damn disgusting)
You really need a super hot cast iron pan + torch combo to get the best of the best, torch while you cast iron 1 side. I'll admit the torch becomes problematic w/ larger cuts b/c then you have to use so much surface area.
For 1 slab of meat, a torch will do, if you're doing it for a dinner party? gotta whip out the pan.
You really need a super hot cast iron pan + torch combo to get the best of the best, torch while you cast iron 1 side. I'll admit the torch becomes problematic w/ larger cuts b/c then you have to use so much surface area.
For 1 slab of meat, a torch will do, if you're doing it for a dinner party? gotta whip out the pan.
So.... Masterchef US auditions usually start in October. I'm debating auditioning. Having watched a ton of cooking shows, the main things are precise execution of basic techniques, keeping it simple, correct seasoning, and finding ways to do things faster than usual. I wanted to audition last year but the wife was working full time and had grad school, I was her support network through that and she wouldn't have managed without me. But she is finished with her Masters and all her lesson plans are updated for the new standards, so next year won't be hard on her at all by comparison. I'm really curious if anyone has ideas for how to do things faster. I can now make fresh yeast-risen bread in a hair less than an hour using the microwave fermentation trick. It isn't quite as good as a long rise loaf imo, but fresh out of the oven it tastes better than any other bread I've managed to make in an hour. I've started memorizing recipes for the common pastry items that get made every season (souffle happens every season, swear to god). Ideas?
- 7,879
- 507
opiate82
Bronze Squire
- 3,078
- 5
Honestly to get on the show I think your cooking will be secondary to your "screen presence." They are going to be looking for interesting and potentially conflicting personalities. Not say you don't also have to cook, what some of those guys and gals come up with on a moments notice amaze me, but you had better also make yourself stand out in a crowd.
Either way, keep us updated, sounds like it could be fun/cool!
*edit: Might be a little hard to know what ingredients you get to work with, but try watching the show and playing along with the contestants. I think the most recent one I watched was a cinamon roll challenge in 45 minutes, try to do shit like that with along with the show, especially the pressure challenges.
Yeah, I just watched that episode. Honestly I've never tried to do a chemically leavened cinnamon roll. I would have done a basic dough, put some cinnamon, sugar, butter mixture on it, rolled it, cut it, baked it, and prayed. That probably would have been enough to get by (Simple things executed well rarely go home). So now I have Googled it and I have discovered something previously unknown to me: Cooks Illustrated made a cookbook called Quick Recipes that actually has a 45 minute cinnamon roll recipe. So clearly I am going to be acquiring and reading that.
chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
- 17,324
- 4,839
They're ok but not my preference. And they don't work for everything. Corn tortilla fajitas are against god.
Lanx
<Prior Amod>
- 66,897
- 152,880
You can't prepare for the multiple episode elimination cook shows (masterchef/hells kitchen etc). First they are looking for a particular contestant, from exit interviews of a few hells kitchen/masterchef ppl, they know your exact skillset, so all the bumbling and all the awesome that you see on TV, producers know what they're getting/giving.
Plus they interview you multiple stages/times, so you can't "create" a persona (i'm a super villian!), or something.
My only advice is that if you're going for masterchef, i notice asians always fuck up the rice for the first audition, cuz they don't bring their own rice cooker. could i make rice in just a regular pot? yes, b/c i've done it at least 3000x in my teens (i was responsible for the dinner rice), but that was 20 years ago, ha.
So if you have a piece of equipment you know like the back of your hand and is integral to your audition meal, bring it along, imo.
Masterchef i notice, "if" you manage to get on, you're fucked if you don't at least have passable skill in the major ethnicities, able to work with the major meats, and using the major techniques.
like a lot of ppl fuck up, cuz they've never cooked indian b4, wtf!
A lot don't bake!, while most baking is math and memorization, stuff like "3-2-1 dough because it's made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part water (by weight)" should be used.
btw how is masterchef s6 looking? i haven't had time to watch, i'm wondering how Tosi is as a personality?
Plus they interview you multiple stages/times, so you can't "create" a persona (i'm a super villian!), or something.
My only advice is that if you're going for masterchef, i notice asians always fuck up the rice for the first audition, cuz they don't bring their own rice cooker. could i make rice in just a regular pot? yes, b/c i've done it at least 3000x in my teens (i was responsible for the dinner rice), but that was 20 years ago, ha.
So if you have a piece of equipment you know like the back of your hand and is integral to your audition meal, bring it along, imo.
Masterchef i notice, "if" you manage to get on, you're fucked if you don't at least have passable skill in the major ethnicities, able to work with the major meats, and using the major techniques.
like a lot of ppl fuck up, cuz they've never cooked indian b4, wtf!
A lot don't bake!, while most baking is math and memorization, stuff like "3-2-1 dough because it's made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part water (by weight)" should be used.
btw how is masterchef s6 looking? i haven't had time to watch, i'm wondering how Tosi is as a personality?
- 7,879
- 507
Touch?.
On the other hand, good/great corn tortillas are better than all except the best flour tortillas.
- 7,879
- 507
I'm probably biased because when I go to mexican places they usually serve corn and the ones we eat at home are just above shit-tier. I remembered this article, so maybe it's just me:Cook-and-Serve Flour Tortillas From TortillaLand Are as Close as You'll Get to Homemade | Serious Eats
Khane
Got something right about marriage
- 20,690
- 14,456
Looks like $10.95 of that is shipping, but those aren't the tortilla land ones, they are a different uncooked variety (doubt it makes a difference). Are these not eligible for Prime shipping? $18.95 for the actual 44 count of tortillas.
Amazon.com : Uncooked Flour Tortillas Fresca 8 Inch 44 Count In Pack : Frozen Uncooked Tortilla : Grocery Gourmet Food
Also, Apparently some Whole Foods and Safeways carry the Tortilla Land ones.
EDIT: They have a store finderFind a Store - TortillaLand Flour and Corn Tortillas