We’ve made chef John’s beef stew several times and always pleases. The way he explains things works for my wife who never cooked much before we got married.
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
I've been on a quest to make good bread from scratch. Last night was my best attempt yet. I added a liiiitle too much salt (last time I added nowhere near enough) and could have stood to up the hydration slightly but I think I'm starting to get a handle on how it should look and feel every step of the way. Having a stand mixer for bread making is civilization.
It's worked pretty well this week, although I was too impatient to wait for the 2nd rise so my bread is still a bit shorter than I thought it would be.
But it's very good and is making yum breakfast toast and sandwiches
I am a heathen and use a bread machine. I have no regrets.
Bread machines are the best! I use it for making pizza dough all the time. Dump a bunch of ingredients in, get dough like an hour and a half later, line a pan with it, poke some holes in it, put it in the oven for like 5min to raise and solidify a bit, put your sauce and toppings on, put it back in for 15min, and bam, you've got a deep dish pizza. Honestly, I'd probably make them way more often if I didn't think it'd be absolutely terrible for me.
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
I have a bread machine!
but I have never gotten a loaf that I've been happy with, other than like a cinnamon raisin loaf.
It's good for pizza dough though.
But I'm just a softy for kneading my own bread. It's been fun with the 3.5 year old too. Having her watch the bread happen.
That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
I've had a lot of bread from a lot of different bread machines over the years. I have never once gotten what I could consider a GOOD loaf of bread out of one. That little tiny paddle at the bottom just does not have the purchase, engagement or power to properly knead the dough. It's not even good for pizza dough for the exact same reasons. Also the heating method just doesn't produce even results. The bottom of the loaf is always overcooked and the top is under.
My quest is to produce a good loaf of bread you might find in a nice bakery. I'm sick of these home gamer results I had been getting. The bread I have been making over the years has been acceptable but nowhere near when I could get from a nice bakery. Making bread is so much more than just following a recipe. There was a while where I was following one of the King Arthur recipes down to the gram but kept getting different results every time. The environment you're making bread in can massively effect how much liquid you need, how long you need to knead, and how long it takes to rise. Getting a feel for the dough and adjusting as conditions around you change is the difference between ok bread and really good bread.
I picked up a nifty trick from some semi pro Youtubers that really made a difference with my last loaf. A good bakery is going to have a high pressure steam injected oven. The steam causes that blistered look on the crust of really nice bread. No home gamer is going to spend thousands of dollars on one of those ovens but you can simulate the results somewhat. The trick is to load up a pan with ice to bake along with your bread. I used an oven safe frying pan on the lower rack off to the side for my ice. It actually worked. I neglected to take pictures but it was pleasantly surprised with the amount of blistering on the top crust.
I've had a lot of bread from a lot of different bread machines over the years. I have never once gotten what I could consider a GOOD loaf of bread out of one. That little tiny paddle at the bottom just does not have the purchase, engagement or power to properly knead the dough. It's not even good for pizza dough for the exact same reasons. Also the heating method just doesn't produce even results. The bottom of the loaf is always overcooked and the top is under.
My quest is to produce a good loaf of bread you might find in a nice bakery. I'm sick of these home gamer results I had been getting. The bread I have been making over the years has been acceptable but nowhere near when I could get from a nice bakery. Making bread is so much more than just following a recipe. There was a while where I was following one of the King Arthur recipes down to the gram but kept getting different results every time. The environment you're making bread in can massively effect how much liquid you need, how long you need to knead, and how long it takes to rise. Getting a feel for the dough and adjusting as conditions around you change is the difference between ok bread and really good bread.
I picked up a nifty trick from some semi pro Youtubers that really made a difference with my last loaf. A good bakery is going to have a high pressure steam injected oven. The steam causes that blistered look on the crust of really nice bread. No home gamer is going to spend thousands of dollars on one of those ovens but you can simulate the results somewhat. The trick is to load up a pan with ice to bake along with your bread. I used an oven safe frying pan on the lower rack off to the side for my ice. It actually worked. I neglected to take pictures but it was pleasantly surprised with the amount of blistering on the top crust.
I've had a lot of bread from a lot of different bread machines over the years. I have never once gotten what I could consider a GOOD loaf of bread out of one. That little tiny paddle at the bottom just does not have the purchase, engagement or power to properly knead the dough. It's not even good for pizza dough for the exact same reasons. Also the heating method just doesn't produce even results. The bottom of the loaf is always overcooked and the top is under.
My quest is to produce a good loaf of bread you might find in a nice bakery. I'm sick of these home gamer results I had been getting. The bread I have been making over the years has been acceptable but nowhere near when I could get from a nice bakery. Making bread is so much more than just following a recipe. There was a while where I was following one of the King Arthur recipes down to the gram but kept getting different results every time. The environment you're making bread in can massively effect how much liquid you need, how long you need to knead, and how long it takes to rise. Getting a feel for the dough and adjusting as conditions around you change is the difference between ok bread and really good bread.
I picked up a nifty trick from some semi pro Youtubers that really made a difference with my last loaf. A good bakery is going to have a high pressure steam injected oven. The steam causes that blistered look on the crust of really nice bread. No home gamer is going to spend thousands of dollars on one of those ovens but you can simulate the results somewhat. The trick is to load up a pan with ice to bake along with your bread. I used an oven safe frying pan on the lower rack off to the side for my ice. It actually worked. I neglected to take pictures but it was pleasantly surprised with the amount of blistering on the top crust.
I've used steam generation methods like wet towels and lava rock. My current cheap ass apartment oven vents the steam all out of the back left burner almost immediately so the Dutch oven method is the only real way.
I've heard people with nicer ovens get awesome results though. Ovens with convection settings seal more thoroughly apparently.
I've seen some suggestions from ... I think it was the King Arthur Flour people, to use a big bowl and put it on top of the bread for the start. What you want to do is trap the steam against the surface of the bread to promote more oven spring. And then you want it gone later.
I've seen some suggestions from ... I think it was the King Arthur Flour people, to use a big bowl and put it on top of the bread for the start. What you want to do is trap the steam against the surface of the bread to promote more oven spring. And then you want it gone later.
Yeah. Combo cookers which are like two frying pans that latch or dutch oven are great but you can cover on a stone with a big pot or bowl.
I'm looking to buy a set of new frying pans and will go for ceramic non-stick to avoid PFTE.
Has anyone any experience with Greenpans? They seem quite popular around here.
I have a set that I like. If you can find them in stainless you can even toss them in the dishwasher. The ceramic coating is not impervious though and metal utensils can still scratch it, no matter what the marketing wants you to believe. If you take good care of them they would probably last a long time. Buy one and see if you like it before committing to a full set.
Our Greenpan skillet chipped so we stopped using it. We have a set of 2 white-coated pans from Costco but I rarely use them. About 4 years ago a dropped some cash on Calphalon tri-ply uncoated pans and skillets that I've thoroughly loved.
A bit of oil or cooking spray works just as well as the coating. If something sticks, you can use techniques from caring for cast iron (boil soap and water in it for 5-10 mins) and they'll stay like new and you won't have to fight the sticking.
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ChanusHarbinger of the Spicy Rooster ApocalypseThe Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered Userregular
i had a greenpan skillet for a few years and it held up really well
We made sausage and peppers last night, with red sauce. I plopped 2 in a skillet to get a good brown and the sauce burnt in the pan (as expected). This morning, I filled the pan with water and turned on the burner while I got ready in the kitchen.
I ran a brush through the water and all the scorched sauce came right up.
I followed the the Serious Eats Gyudon recipe the other night on @Jeix's recommendation.
It turned out great for a first time and I have a good idea what I could do better. The whole family seemed to really like it. The hardest part was actually finding all the ingredients but it turns out there is a pretty good little Asian market kind of on my way home. I'm definitely going to try this one again.
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
What's the best cut of beef for roast beef / pot roast low and slow style applications? Was going to try an eye round but I hear it's dry as all get out.
What's the best cut of beef for roast beef / pot roast low and slow style applications? Was going to try an eye round but I hear it's dry as all get out.
Eye round is uniquely tough among beef cuts. There just isn't the kind of fat and connective tissue to turn into tenderness.
Beef chuck is a general go to for low and slow cooking methods. Other options are short rib and ox tail though the latter is more for stewing.
What's the best cut of beef for roast beef / pot roast low and slow style applications? Was going to try an eye round but I hear it's dry as all get out.
Eye round is uniquely tough among beef cuts. There just isn't the kind of fat and connective tissue to turn into tenderness.
Beef chuck is a general go to for low and slow cooking methods. Other options are short rib and ox tail though the latter is more for stewing.
Short rib is my personal favorite for low/slow but typically more expensive these days than chuck. Another possible option if you can find it affordably is shank for some osso bucco.
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
Anything with lot of fat and a bone in it will be great for slow cooking.
It's become what I prefer to use when I do beef stews. I think a trick is to get a little more than you think you need because some pieces will be more bone than meat.
Ok, so I got a Sous-Vide question for y'all and google is completely failing to provide decent answers to it.
My sous-vide cooking is just taking WAY too fucking long. Like, yeah, sous-vide cooking takes awhile but I'm working off sous-vide recipes from Anova and Serious Eats and such and I'm nowhere close to done when they say I should be. They are giving me cooking times or like 1-4 hours and I'm having to do 4+ just to get even close to the target temperature.
I've double-checked the water temp using my two other instant-read thermometers and it all checks out as accurate all across the container I'm using, so it doesn't seem to be a calibration issue. I'm using ziploc bags and the water-displacement method but everyone seems to say that should be just fine for the stuff I'm doing.
But I'll put meat in at like 150F and 4 hours later it's barely hitting the 140s and I have no idea why this isn't working as quickly as all the recipes say it should.
Ok, so I got a Sous-Vide question for y'all and google is completely failing to provide decent answers to it.
My sous-vide cooking is just taking WAY too fucking long. Like, yeah, sous-vide cooking takes awhile but I'm working off sous-vide recipes from Anova and Serious Eats and such and I'm nowhere close to done when they say I should be. They are giving me cooking times or like 1-4 hours and I'm having to do 4+ just to get even close to the target temperature.
I've double-checked the water temp using my two other instant-read thermometers and it all checks out as accurate all across the container I'm using, so it doesn't seem to be a calibration issue. I'm using ziploc bags and the water-displacement method but everyone seems to say that should be just fine for the stuff I'm doing.
But I'll put meat in at like 150F and 4 hours later it's barely hitting the 140s and I have no idea why this isn't working as quickly as all the recipes say it should.
That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
There's probably a lot of air between the food and your bags. Air is an insulator and will make cooking take a lot longer. You might want to invest in a vacuum bag system.
Make sure your food isn't floating on the surface, it needs to be completely submerged. I often throw a spoon or other stainless utensil in with the bag to weigh it down. Also if your cut is super thick (like >1.5") it may take significantly longer to get to the middle of the meat.
Ok, so I got a Sous-Vide question for y'all and google is completely failing to provide decent answers to it.
My sous-vide cooking is just taking WAY too fucking long. Like, yeah, sous-vide cooking takes awhile but I'm working off sous-vide recipes from Anova and Serious Eats and such and I'm nowhere close to done when they say I should be. They are giving me cooking times or like 1-4 hours and I'm having to do 4+ just to get even close to the target temperature.
I've double-checked the water temp using my two other instant-read thermometers and it all checks out as accurate all across the container I'm using, so it doesn't seem to be a calibration issue. I'm using ziploc bags and the water-displacement method but everyone seems to say that should be just fine for the stuff I'm doing.
But I'll put meat in at like 150F and 4 hours later it's barely hitting the 140s and I have no idea why this isn't working as quickly as all the recipes say it should.
Any ideas?
are you stirring/recirculating?
I'm using an immersion cooker (Anova Precision Cooker specifically) so it does that for you afaik. The times I've tested the water at various points it was registering the same no matter where I stuck the probe.
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easy mode bread. It works perfectly every time (including the first), requires no equipment, no talent, and no effort.
Seriously, by volume measurements are bullshit.
There is surprisingly little need for eyeballing ingredients if you go by weight. And also it's faster.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/our-favorite-sandwich-bread-recipe
It's worked pretty well this week, although I was too impatient to wait for the 2nd rise so my bread is still a bit shorter than I thought it would be.
But it's very good and is making yum breakfast toast and sandwiches
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
Bread machines are the best! I use it for making pizza dough all the time. Dump a bunch of ingredients in, get dough like an hour and a half later, line a pan with it, poke some holes in it, put it in the oven for like 5min to raise and solidify a bit, put your sauce and toppings on, put it back in for 15min, and bam, you've got a deep dish pizza. Honestly, I'd probably make them way more often if I didn't think it'd be absolutely terrible for me.
but I have never gotten a loaf that I've been happy with, other than like a cinnamon raisin loaf.
It's good for pizza dough though.
But I'm just a softy for kneading my own bread. It's been fun with the 3.5 year old too. Having her watch the bread happen.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
My quest is to produce a good loaf of bread you might find in a nice bakery. I'm sick of these home gamer results I had been getting. The bread I have been making over the years has been acceptable but nowhere near when I could get from a nice bakery. Making bread is so much more than just following a recipe. There was a while where I was following one of the King Arthur recipes down to the gram but kept getting different results every time. The environment you're making bread in can massively effect how much liquid you need, how long you need to knead, and how long it takes to rise. Getting a feel for the dough and adjusting as conditions around you change is the difference between ok bread and really good bread.
I picked up a nifty trick from some semi pro Youtubers that really made a difference with my last loaf. A good bakery is going to have a high pressure steam injected oven. The steam causes that blistered look on the crust of really nice bread. No home gamer is going to spend thousands of dollars on one of those ovens but you can simulate the results somewhat. The trick is to load up a pan with ice to bake along with your bread. I used an oven safe frying pan on the lower rack off to the side for my ice. It actually worked. I neglected to take pictures but it was pleasantly surprised with the amount of blistering on the top crust.
Have you tried baking it in a pot? I have had great results with the large city loaf recipe from here: https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/michael-smiths-no-knead-bread/9530/
The pot seems to trap some of the moisture in the oven gives a great crust.
SteamID: edgruberman GOG Galaxy: EdGruberman
I made bread in my dutch oven a couple of times. It was OK but I think the ice method worked better. IDK if I could easily combine the 2 either.
I've heard people with nicer ovens get awesome results though. Ovens with convection settings seal more thoroughly apparently.
Yeah. Combo cookers which are like two frying pans that latch or dutch oven are great but you can cover on a stone with a big pot or bowl.
Has anyone any experience with Greenpans? They seem quite popular around here.
I have a set that I like. If you can find them in stainless you can even toss them in the dishwasher. The ceramic coating is not impervious though and metal utensils can still scratch it, no matter what the marketing wants you to believe. If you take good care of them they would probably last a long time. Buy one and see if you like it before committing to a full set.
A bit of oil or cooking spray works just as well as the coating. If something sticks, you can use techniques from caring for cast iron (boil soap and water in it for 5-10 mins) and they'll stay like new and you won't have to fight the sticking.
definitely use bamboo utensils with it though
I ended up buying a Greenpan for veggies et al. and a De Buyer carbon steel pan for searing protein lumps.
I mean, I could have watched porn, or anything else, really, but no... I watched that.
I don't know how to feel right now...
Watching cooking shows on Youtube while you eat is the gastric equivalent to watching porn while jacking it.
I ran a brush through the water and all the scorched sauce came right up.
Not sure if that makes me feel vindicated or sadder, somehow...
It turned out great for a first time and I have a good idea what I could do better. The whole family seemed to really like it. The hardest part was actually finding all the ingredients but it turns out there is a pretty good little Asian market kind of on my way home. I'm definitely going to try this one again.
SteamID: edgruberman GOG Galaxy: EdGruberman
Eye round is uniquely tough among beef cuts. There just isn't the kind of fat and connective tissue to turn into tenderness.
Beef chuck is a general go to for low and slow cooking methods. Other options are short rib and ox tail though the latter is more for stewing.
Steam Profile
3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
There's always brisket, too.
Short rib is my personal favorite for low/slow but typically more expensive these days than chuck. Another possible option if you can find it affordably is shank for some osso bucco.
It's become what I prefer to use when I do beef stews. I think a trick is to get a little more than you think you need because some pieces will be more bone than meat.
Steam Profile
3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
My sous-vide cooking is just taking WAY too fucking long. Like, yeah, sous-vide cooking takes awhile but I'm working off sous-vide recipes from Anova and Serious Eats and such and I'm nowhere close to done when they say I should be. They are giving me cooking times or like 1-4 hours and I'm having to do 4+ just to get even close to the target temperature.
I've double-checked the water temp using my two other instant-read thermometers and it all checks out as accurate all across the container I'm using, so it doesn't seem to be a calibration issue. I'm using ziploc bags and the water-displacement method but everyone seems to say that should be just fine for the stuff I'm doing.
But I'll put meat in at like 150F and 4 hours later it's barely hitting the 140s and I have no idea why this isn't working as quickly as all the recipes say it should.
Any ideas?
are you stirring/recirculating?
I'm using an immersion cooker (Anova Precision Cooker specifically) so it does that for you afaik. The times I've tested the water at various points it was registering the same no matter where I stuck the probe.
Various different things. Sausages, pork chops, various steaks, etc. Nothing unreasonably thick or out of line with what I've seen.
I considered this but afaik it's the standard ziploc-brand freezer bag I see used everywhere.