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Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

steamykitchen.com

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Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#131

Post by glhaynes »

Groxx wrote: post #102
glhaynes wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Osmosis vs diffusion is not difficult to understand. It just seems people use it to sound smarter, and thus fail miserably 99% of the time." They fail 99% of the time with you , but if the vast majority of the people don't know the difference (as you said they don't), then the misusers aren't failing with the vast majority of listeners. :)

Incorrect statements are incorrect, whether or not anyone's around to hear the tree fall in the forest. I'll accept ramchip's explanation through simile, but quite literally that's the first time I've heard it (I may live under a rock in that, though). Are you then implying that anything that the majority believes - heck, lets make it 99% - is true, and should be accepted? Lets put it in geek-friendly terms, dating i…

I was replying to your statement: "It just seems people use it to sound smarter, and thus fail miserably 99% of the time."

I'm saying they fail to sound smarter with you but perhaps succeed in sounding smarter [not at being right] with the vast majority.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#132

Post by kingkongreveng_ »

Groxx wrote: post #52

Water dissolves salt, and some of it gets sucked back into meat via osmosis WTF is wrong with people and osmosis? This is diffusion. Osmosis is diffusion of water and nothing else. Also, "table salt tastes like shit" is quite true. I've been buying an unrefined sea salt for a while now, the difference is incredible . Flavor in foods, where before was mere saltiness.

> table salt tastes like shit

What's the chemical difference? Doesn't the mined salt just come from old dried out seas?

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#133

Post by kingkongreveng_ »

jff wrote: post #50
dzlobin wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Locally sourced meat tends to be grass-fed or at least grass finished. It also tends to have WAY better living conditions than any commercial plant. A happy animal is a tasty animal. I highly suggest you watch Food inc. :-)

I grew up on a cattle farm. Is 3,000 head a "plant"? Was it evil because there was an "Inc" on the end of the name? A happy animal is indeed a tasty animal. That's why we raise cattle in dry pens (away from predators) with abundant fresh water and feed them carefully formulated food twice a day. Our cattle get better dietary planning than I do; they don't eat pure corn (as the term "corn-fed" might lead you to believ…

> Corn-fed beef is more extensively marbled and more tender.

I don't think there's much debate that corn fed is fattier and more appealing to the average palate. The issue is health and omega-6 to omega-3 ratios. Even a small amount of corn or other seeds in the feed put omega-6 way up.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#134

Post by camccann »

joezydeco wrote: post #123
evgen wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For anyone trying this at home, please note the "take the pan off heat" part of the instructions... Being able to make a good pan-sauce is a skill that provides one of the best returns on the time investment for a home cook (second only to making your own stocks and glaces.)

Another tip: WRAP THE PAN HANDLE IN SOMETHING HEAT PROOF In the frenzy of mixing things and moving ingredients around you tend to forget the pan is still at ~500F. This tip has been brought to you by the scar on my left palm.

It is the eternal bane of the hasty cook that, alas, hot metal looks exactly like room-temperature metal.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#135

Post by joshwa »

dzlobin wrote: post #126
joshwa wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

arazorashinyknife, eh? We run in similar circles (friends with cathy erway?). Is your project food-related?

She's a friend of a friend I believe..we've never met. Yeah we do dinners around the city/country/world. We're doing a series of dinners in late march, sign up for the mailing list on arazorashinyknife.com for a heads up, you should come! You mean the project I mention in my HN profile?

I am actually a little burned out on the supper club scene... I'm just not that kind of social.

Curious to know what your HN-related project is, yeah.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#136

Post by dzlobin »

joshwa wrote: post #135
dzlobin wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She's a friend of a friend I believe..we've never met. Yeah we do dinners around the city/country/world. We're doing a series of dinners in late march, sign up for the mailing list on arazorashinyknife.com for a heads up, you should come! You mean the project I mention in my HN profile?

I am actually a little burned out on the supper club scene... I'm just not that kind of social. Curious to know what your HN-related project is, yeah.

We're working on making local classifieds not suck.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#137

Post by joshu »

tptacek wrote: post #116
elblanco wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the reply, found the book. > As far as aromatics go, cooking sous vide works on the same principal as cooking in a pouch. Ahh, now it suddenly clicks for me. Too bad about the garlic.

You use garlic powder to make up for it, and I tend to roast garlic on the side when I really need it. Also, you're saving all the liquid for pan sauces anyways, and you throw garlic into that. I don't find myself missing it.

Seriously, can you just please start a sous vide blog or something? I'm fascinated.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#138

Post by Edaname »

I don't know why you guys keep pushing Auber controllers, most professionals use SousVideMagic controllers and now the people at Fresh Meals Solutions have the latest 1500D with better accuracy and many safety features. Free shipping too!

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#139

Post by Edaname »

tptacek wrote: post #74
whimsy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought of this exact page whilst reading; I'm glad I wasn't the only one. It would be pretty awesome if you documented how you made it work (especially if you do it in such a way that is cheap and easily reproducible).

1. Buy Auber Instruments SV controller @ ~$120. 2. Buy mechanically-switched Black & Decker rice cooker @ $40. 3. Buy Seal-a-Meal vacuum sealer @ $40. 4. Buy two aged rib-eye steaks. 5. Pat steaks dry, salt liberally, pepper. 6. Seal steaks in a single vacuum-sealed bag with 1 tbsp of butter for each steak. 7. Set Auber PID controller for 131f. 8. Put sealed steaks in the bottom of the rice cooker. Fill with water. 9…

Don't forget to include SousVideMagic controller. The new model 1500D has better precision (0.1)over the old model.

Re: Turn $5 steak to $50 steak with salt

#140

Post by Edaname »

gcv wrote: post #101

You can also break down collagen (the tough protein) by braising, or a couple of other simple slow-cooking methods. The meat will have different taste and texture from grilled steak, but in no way inferior. Braising can easily turn a $5/pound cut into something that tastes better than 95% of the dry-aged porterhouse steaks out there.

Sous vide is great for braising at the exact temperature that you want. Braising is still high heat cooking and you don't have precise control over it. Sous vide allows one to braise with moisture intact and preferred "doneness".
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