The Cooking Thread

[Neighborhood Creep]

Thanks, Tom & Playa

[disgustipated]

So my risotto went over pretty well. I had a great time working next to some amazingly talented young chefs from all over the U.S. The night was almost a disaster because I found out when I arrived that they only had one pan for me to work with. After making a call, a good friend brought his large paella pan for me to use. The crowd liked the food but LOVED the wine. I ended up selling almost half of the rose' I had produced (only 20 cases made). Anyway, here's the risotto recipe.


Caprese Risotto (should feed 4)


2 cups arborio rice
1 medium shallot-finely diced
2 medium garlic cloves-finely diced
1 cup white wine- room temp
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cups veg stock
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
about 10 large basil leaves-chiffonade
8oz mozzarella pearls (in brine)
1 medium tub sweet cherry tomatoes. cut in half
salt/pepper to taste

(Optional-balsamic reduction)

In a sauce pan, heat veg stock over med-high heat (warm broth is the key to a creamy risotto). In a skillet (cast iron if available), melt butter with olive oil over med-high heat. Once melted, sweat shallots and garlic. Add rice and stir to coat. Add wine and stir until absorbed. Add crushed tomatoes and stir. At this point start adding the broth a few ladles at a time and continue stirring until absorbed. Repeat this step until rice is fully cooked (about 25-30 minutes). I like my risotto to be a little runny but not soupy. Once you are happy with the texture, fold in the Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with balsamic reduction.

enjoy.

[Propellerpete]

I've brewing a GIANT pot of chilli all day while i waited for the lineup to drop, and i still wait, so im making a some cornbread too.

New to the thread,
but Im making my Chilli with roasted chicken, anchos, cinnamon stick, a ton of cumin, onions, garlic, oregano, tomatoes, beans, and my favorite...hominy. This baby's been cookin all day (instead of H2O i made chicken stock from my roasted chickens) and should be amazing. Cornbread..with pepperjack cheese, salsa, honey, white cornmeal.

Tryin to get involved in the thread vs that damn lineup thread.

Hi im Pete, im a trained chef, 2 year Culinary degree, 10 years in the restaurant world, now im a butcher.

[miscorrections]

Do you have any photos of your butchery? I looooooove looking at delicious butcher photos, the possibilities make me drool.

[Propellerpete]

I work in a retail store so its more volume of sub-primals vs whole animals if you know what i mean. I have pics on my old phone of mass lobster executions. the meat butchery isnt so photogenic. I highly recommend Whole Beast Butchery by Ryan Farr. Excellent photos and guidance if you run into a whole beast yourself. no pun intended

[miscorrections]

Oh, I'm totally a Ryan Farr fan. I bought my dad a beef hindquarter butchery class last Father's Day, and I've been around his butcher shop in Hayes Valley. I ordered some junk for him for my parents a few years ago (before they knew about 4505) - they live in SF, so it was supposed to be easy - and the delivery got fucked up, so Ryan actually went in person to my parents' place and dropped off the order with a bunch of extra goodies. I have soooo much goodwill for him and the brand he's managed to build.

[Propellerpete]

For sure!!! Great story! I loved seeing their setup at osl this year.

[miscorrections]

Yeah. The fact that he was a chef before a butcher is really apparent when you taste the food!

[Shaxspear]

I'm down in Costa Rica right now and spent the day fishing. About to throw the fruits of my labor on the grill. I also made some sesame tuna tartare with a small yellow fin I caught.

[Propellerpete]

Beautiful!!! Limes and what else? What do they call those little fishes?

[Shaxspear]

Butter, garlic, pepper and basil flakes. Supplies/condiments/spices are rather limited where I'm at right now. They're small red snappers.

[lehorne]

Discovered this A+ Mediterranean salad and have made it twice. Do prefer only using a quarter of the called for garbanzos though. Really fresh, tasty.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound rotini pasta, one large green bell pepper, one large red bell pepper, one can 19-oz chick peas rinsed and well drained, one medium tomato diced, sixteen oil cured black olives, two tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 1/2 cup slivered red onion

Dressing: 1/3 cup olive oil, 2tbps red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, three garlic cloves pressed, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, fresh ground pepper to taster

1) roast, peel, seed, and chop the peppers (broil peppers in oven for ten minutes, put in sealed plastic bag for hot air to loosen skin, rinse over cold water removing skin, and cut in one inch pieces)
2) cook the rotini al dente. Drain well removing all water. Place in large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Shake dressing vigorously in tight fitting jar and pour over pasta mixture tossing well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[TomAz]

The crowd liked the food but LOVED the wine. I ended up selling almost half of the rose' I had produced (only 20 cases made).

Outstanding! Congratulations!

[TomAz]

I've brewing a GIANT pot of chilli all day while i waited for the lineup to drop, and i still wait, so im making a some cornbread too.

New to the thread,
but Im making my Chilli with roasted chicken, anchos, cinnamon stick, a ton of cumin, onions, garlic, oregano, tomatoes, beans, and my favorite...hominy. This baby's been cookin all day (instead of H2O i made chicken stock from my roasted chickens) and should be amazing. Cornbread..with pepperjack cheese, salsa, honey, white cornmeal.

Tryin to get involved in the thread vs that damn lineup thread.

Hi im Pete, im a trained chef, 2 year Culinary degree, 10 years in the restaurant world, now im a butcher.

hey pete welcome to the thread. I'm not nearly the dick in here I am out there.

hominy in chili? fuck yes. outstanding.

[insbordnat]

hey pete welcome to the thread. I'm not nearly the dick in here I am out there.

Debatable.

[TomAz]

go fu

uuu



see i can't do it in here

[ThatGirl]

Debatable.

No I can vouch. Tom has been a way bigger dick to me in other threads than he has been in here.

[frozen pilgrim]

some of youze saw this on fb but whatever, classic steak night!

grass fed tenderloin filet from west grey farms (about 120 km from my house)
roasted pepper squash
foraged brown mushrooms in garlic butter with a blueberry port reduction

[PlayaDelWes]

How do you cook your steaks to make sure they turn out just right?

[Propellerpete]

How do you cook your steaks to make sure they turn out just right?

My trick, besides years of experience is...
You touch your thumb to your pinky and feel your thumb muscle..that equals well done. Ring finger equals mid well. Middle equals medium. Pointer is mid rare and open/relaxed is rare. All steaks cook differently based on fat content but that is s good gague.

[Propellerpete]

hey pete welcome to the thread. I'm not nearly the dick in here I am out there.

hominy in chili? fuck yes. outstanding.

Thanks Tom! Yes, hominy. The texture is like a pasta, which my dad did but has the flavor
of corn which I love.

[frozen pilgrim]

for filet, about 3 1/2 minutes per side in a nuclear hot cast iron pan to sear, and then rest to desired internal temperature (probably about 10-12 minutes at 285-300 degrees for medium rare, I'd go for less)
short of using a meat thermometer, you just have to practice and figure out how to tell the doneness by poking the outside. basically, the more is feels like muscle as opposed to fat, the more done it is. for a nicely done steak (on the rarer side), you're looking for roughly the same poking-feeleyness as the meaty part of your thumb/palm.

[bmack86]

My trick, besides years of experience is...
You touch your thumb to your pinky and feel your thumb muscle..that equals well done. Ring finger equals mid well. Middle equals medium. Pointer is mid rare and open/relaxed is rare. All steaks cook differently based on fat content but that is s good gague.

Could you clarify this some? Do you touch your thumb muscle with each finger or do you use a finger on the other hand? Sorry if this is dense, but I'm pretty confused.

[bmack86]

Nevermind, FP's subsequent post clarified that for me. Thanks guys!

[frozen pilgrim]

this thread is like some tiny oasis of good questions and sensible answers in a vast infested pangea of destruction.

[Propellerpete]

Could you clarify this some? Do you touch your thumb muscle with each finger or do you use a finger on the other hand? Sorry if this is dense, but I'm pretty confused.

On one hand you do the thumbtip to fingertip, with the other , you feel your thumb muscles tension. I agree with fp on the nuke hot skillet but I roast/finish in a hotter oven, for me its what o know from the restaurant world.

[bmack86]

That's interesting. I usually just pan cook my steaks and then let them sit 5-10 minutes and I can pretty much always achieve a good medium rare, but I've never even though to incorporate the oven. Pete, what would your setting be as opposed to FP's approach?

[Propellerpete]

A flaming hot skillet(cast iron) on one side then flip it AMD throw it in the hot oven. This is for a nice thick steak buy also b/s chicken breast. Both an inch thick or more. Then rest for 05-10 of course. Many ways to cook a steak...

[TomAz]

A flaming hot skillet(cast iron) on one side then flip it AMD throw it in the hot oven. This is for a nice thick steak buy also b/s chicken breast. Both an inch thick or more. Then rest for 05-10 of course. Many ways to cook a steak...

this is my approach for any thick cut of meat (if i'm not grilling) -- you get a quick sear which seals in the juices, and then baking it cooks it throughout. results in a much less dry & more flavorable chop. I don't eat much steak, but this works great on chicken breasts (not cutlets) and thick cut pork chops too.

[PlayaDelWes]

Great tips all. Does anyone use broil for their steaks once in the oven? And are you cooking on the cast iron skillet once in the oven?