OT - Anyone here enjoy cooking?

[8893]

I have a pool and a pond , Deep. The pond might be better for you.

 

[80shusky]

I try and expand my culinary skills as often and as much as possible. I'm no chef but I very much enjoy making tasty things and I'm always looking for new dishes and dinner ideas. Anybody else out there try and be a kitchen wiz?

Tomorrow's menu will be chicken saltimbocca with a quick roasted veggie risotto.

I do actually. I make a "real" dinner almost every night of the week. I do almost all the cooking. My wife is good at baking and makes a mean lasagna but I do most of the day to day. We have a three year old and don't get home until between 5:30 and 6 pm weeknights so I'm usually trying to whip up something fast, relatively healthy and that isn't the same every night. Kind of a challenge. On Sundays sometimes I'll make a big batch of marinara or meat sauce to use during the week for fast meals. Or a big batch of chili or soup. Soup in the winter is especially awesome. I have come to love a version of an escarole soup with sausage and white beans I stole from somewhere and adapted to my tastes.
Usually during the week I'll try something I can do on the stovetop fast like pan seared pork chops marsala with baby bella mushrooms or quick sauteed chicken breasts (pounded thin) with a white wine and caper sauce or pan seared salmon really simple with salt and pepper. Match these with fresh steamed broccoli or asparagus or wilted spinach and you are getting it done. If I actually have a little time or can prep the night before I'll try to add potatoes or rice or something but that is kind of a luxury on weeknights given time constraints. A fast stir fry over minute rice is always a winner too. You won't win any culinary competitions but it gets you fed with tasty, healthy ingredients if you do it right.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I actually went to school for it over 30 years ago. Do you know how to make the 5 mother sauces? That is an excellent start and so many things come out of that. Also... proteins... what needs to be understood about these is TEMPERATURE. The average joe will cook the living out of beef, pork or fowl. My son now knows how to cook a decent steak (sirloin or rib eye for example) or even a chicken breast or pork loin without destroying it... successfully... is... he now understands that he needs to season it (after rubbing w/ olive oil) and sear it quickly (both sides) with high heat in pan that can be placed in the oven... then 'finish it' in the oven for a short time with a pat of butter on top in the vicinity of 300 degrees. This is how restaurants do it.. it ain't magic.

I would recommend getting a kitchen thermometer as you get further into it - you will need it. Trust me on this. The reason my turkey is perfectly cooked every year is not because I am awesome... it's because of a thermometer.

I have all sorts of meat thermomters, mainly for smoking though since you dont want to be opening the door all the time checking the meat. With Steaks I tend to be able to tell from the look and feel how done it is. I like a meduim rare steak, and i'll cook it to medium to medium done for my Wife. If you cant see a little pink in there, you waaay overcooked it! Even pork should be slightly pink. When I cook my pork tenderlions its got a slight pink hue in the middle when it reaches temp.

The other thing alot of people forget to do is to let their meat rest so that the juices redistribute. Makes a huge difference to me. Still working on Cooking steaks in the pan (i usually cook them on the grill). Last night I did just as we said though. I'm thinking a gas stove instead of my electric one, and a cast iron skillet would make a big difference though.

 

[WillB4]

Ya, got me a good thermometer. Never messed with a hollandaise, just seems like more trouble then its worth, but the others I've all used and do use. I've got a decent cast iron, but I'm in the market this holiday season for a new cookware set. Would love to get me some tri-ply All-Clad, but man are they expensive. Apparently the Tramontina brand that they sell at (bear with me) Walmart is of comparable build, use and quality. And its an 1/8th of the price.

Are you in CT? Get down to Chef's Emporium in Wallingford on Rt5 near Vinny's. Got a set of Emeril pots not pricey. Lot of good stuff.

 

[intlzncster]

Those movies never age. Chevy and Randy at their peak.

 

[intlzncster]

.The other thing alot of people forget to do is to let their meat rest so that the juices redistribute. Makes a huge difference to me. Still working on Cooking steaks in the pan (i usually cook them on the grill). Last night I did just as we said though. I'm thinking a gas stove instead of my electric one, and a cast iron skillet would make a big difference though.

Especially pork. That stuff continues to cook after you take it off like no other meat. I leave it more pink than most people would like for that reason. Also, pork these days is so lean, it dries out like crazy, another reason to under cook. Always get chops (imo) because they tend to have more fat.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Especially pork. That stuff continues to cook after you take it off like no other meat. I leave it more pink than most people would like for that reason. Also, pork these days is so lean, it dries out like crazy, another reason to under cook. Always get chops (imo) because they tend to have more fat.

Yup it dries out SUPER quick! I let me Tenderlion get up to 145 and then i pull it from the oven, put it on a cutting board and tent some foil over it and let it sit for a good 10 - 20 minutes before cutting into it. Comes out nice and juicy every time.

Now if you are smoking a pork butt, those things are super forgiving, almost impossible to dry one of them out with all the fat in it!

 

[Citrusdog]

I see all of the home chefs are starting to chime in.... nice

 

[intlzncster]

Yup it dries out SUPER quick! I let me Tenderlion get up to 145 and then i pull it from the oven, put it on a cutting board and tent some foil over it and let it sit for a good 10 - 20 minutes before cutting into it. Comes out nice and juicy every time.

Now if you are smoking a pork butt, those things are super forgiving, almost impossible to dry one of them out with all the fat in it!

Had me at smoking pork butt. I cut my teeth on old school Texas BBQ; my college roommate's father grew up on a ranch and had been doing it for 40 years. His grill consisted of a homemade oil drum cut in half (hinged), with a hacked off piece of industrial metal grating as the grill plate. His smoker was an old 1960s refrigerator he converted into a multi stage monstrosity. All that looked funny sitting in the back yard.

The downside is that it has ruined nearly all barbecue for me. I haven't been able to smoke since because it just doesn't measure up.

 

[methodology]

I have all sorts of meat thermomters, mainly for smoking though since you dont want to be opening the door all the time checking the meat. With Steaks I tend to be able to tell from the look and feel how done it is. I like a meduim rare steak, and i'll cook it to medium to medium done for my Wife. If you cant see a little pink in there, you waaay overcooked it! Even pork should be slightly pink. When I cook my pork tenderlions its got a slight pink hue in the middle when it reaches temp.

The other thing alot of people forget to do is to let their meat rest so that the juices redistribute. Makes a huge difference to me. Still working on Cooking steaks in the pan (i usually cook them on the grill). Last night I did just as we said though. I'm thinking a gas stove instead of my electric one, and a cast iron skillet would make a big difference though.

If you are doing a steak in a pan you want the pan very hot to get a good sear. Preheat your oven to 500 and put your cast iron pan in the oven until it gets up to temp. While ou are preheating the ovenwith the pan start preparing your steak by drizzling and rubbing olive oil on the steaks followed by salt and pepper or however you season your steaks. Let the steaks sit to get to room temp.

When the oven reaches temp take the pan out and put on the range on high and let it sit on the range for about 5 minutes or so (the pan should start to smoke a little from the heat). Take the steak and put in in the center of the pan for 30 seconds then flip it and another 30 seconds.

Take the pan with the steak in it and throw it in the oven for about 3 minutes then flip and another 3 minutes (medium rare add minute each side for medium). Take the steak out of the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy

 

[UconnFanNVa]

If you are doing a steak in a pan you want the pan very hot to get a good sear. Preheat your oven to 500 and put your cast iron pan in the oven until it gets up to temp. While ou are preheating the ovenwith the pan start preparing your steak by drizzling and rubbing olive oil on the steaks followed by salt and pepper or however you season your steaks. Let the steaks sit to get to room temp.

When the oven reaches temp take the pan out and put on the range on high and let it sit on the range for about 5 minutes or so (the pan should start to smoke a little from the heat). Take the steak and put in in the center of the pan for 30 seconds then flip it and another 30 seconds.

Take the pan with the steak in it and throw it in the oven for about 3 minutes then flip and another 3 minutes (medium rare add minute each side for medium). Take the steak out of the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy

I always just put the pan on the stove and got it nice an hot, but you are right, heating it in the oven first is a good idea. I need a new cast iron skillet though lol. When in the oven it on the top rack as close to the broiler as possible right?

 

[80shusky]

If you are doing a steak in a pan you want the pan very hot to get a good sear. Preheat your oven to 500 and put your cast iron pan in the oven until it gets up to temp. While ou are preheating the ovenwith the pan start preparing your steak by drizzling and rubbing olive oil on the steaks followed by salt and pepper or however you season your steaks. Let the steaks sit to get to room temp.

When the oven reaches temp take the pan out and put on the range on high and let it sit on the range for about 5 minutes or so (the pan should start to smoke a little from the heat). Take the steak and put in in the center of the pan for 30 seconds then flip it and another 30 seconds.

Take the pan with the steak in it and throw it in the oven for about 3 minutes then flip and another 3 minutes (medium rare add minute each side for medium). Take the steak out of the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy

Yup, this is the way to do it. You get a great sear. I do use a basic Lodge 12" cast iron for this. It comes out nice and juicy on the inside, cooked perfectly. Warning, it does smoke up your kitchen pretty good.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Yup, this is the way to do it. You get a great sear. I do use a basic Lodge 12" cast iron for this. It comes out nice and juicy on the inside, cooked perfectly. Warning, it does smoke up your kitchen pretty good.

Yea this is a problem for me. My smoke alarm goes off easily. Which is why i could have snow outside and I'll still go fire up the grill lol.

 

[August_West]

If you are doing a steak in a pan you want the pan very hot to get a good sear. Preheat your oven to 500 and put your cast iron pan in the oven until it gets up to temp. While ou are preheating the ovenwith the pan start preparing your steak by drizzling and rubbing olive oil on the steaks followed by salt and pepper or however you season your steaks. Let the steaks sit to get to room temp.

When the oven reaches temp take the pan out and put on the range on high and let it sit on the range for about 5 minutes or so (the pan should start to smoke a little from the heat). Take the steak and put in in the center of the pan for 30 seconds then flip it and another 30 seconds.

Take the pan with the steak in it and throw it in the oven for about 3 minutes then flip and another 3 minutes (medium rare add minute each side for medium). Take the steak out of the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy

pretty much step by step how I do it. I actually prefer certain cuts this way, (Rib Eye and NY Strip) to grilling. It works great.