Alright Chefs/Cooks - Let's Step Up

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
21

The differences between salts, or why cooks never use table salt for anything because it is really really gross.

This is taken from a column written by J. Scott Williams at the Hawaiian Times.

Kosher salt: Kosher salt is “pure” salt. It has no additives and thus gives the cleanest, truest flavor. Its large flakes make it ideal for coating meats and any topical application, but it is harder to dissolve in liquids than table salt. If you (and I strongly recommend doing so) substitute kosher for table salt in a recipe, use slightly more, as the flake form makes it measure a bit lighter by volume. A tablespoon of kosher salt is roughly equivalent to two teaspoons of table salt. This is a great example of why weight measurement is always best!

Table salt: Iodized or not, table salt contains additives which can alter the taste of cooked materials. It also dissolves very quickly, so using it as part of a dry rub or on a steak before broiling is wasted effort. Keep this stuff on the table, where it belongs. (Although I prefer kosher salt for the table, too.)

Sea salt: On my last trip to Central Market, the official Houston grocery temple, I encountered a French sea salt for which I could have paid almost $80 a pound. I demurred in favor of five pounds of dry-aged standing rib roast. Now, for high-line gourmet recipes, especially seafood, sea salt can be a must. However, due to its high content of minerals other than good old sodium chloride, it is most definitely not recommended for everyday cooking.

22

How you cut your meat definitely makes a difference, especially with the tougher cuts.

Those of you still using table salt, throw that shit out. Once you use kosher you will not go back. Table salt is only good for killing slugs (or your asshole neighbors lawn).

I use sea salt when I want that briny, ocean flavor. I have some “Fleur de sel” at home. The color is grey because of all the minerals in it. Great stuff, but not cheap.

23

Ko - haha, I’ve been nursing a bottle of gray sea salt for 4 years now, only letting it out for pot au feu and sea bass. wicked expensive. one time i caught my roomate putting it on mac and cheese. i had to have a “talk” with him.

24

Rumbach: if ya never coming by one of our strongman training, then we should at least plan a night at our place for some cooking.

How about some sushi or even steak and beer?

25

Fleur de sel is the bomb…a little bit on some fois gras…booya.

Regarding busboy earnings: If I worked full time I would earn more in less hours than every member of the kitchen staff, excluding the sous chef (we’re a new resturant and the chef is an owner, so he ain’t exactly rolling in it right now). Funny thing is I’m actually thinking of picking up a shift or two as a garde mange (salad guy) for the summer…won’t be that tough considering I make half the salads anyway.

26

Cutting against the grain “makes” the meat more tender much in the same way that slicing a length of rope length-wise would only give you a long, skinny and tough skinnier piece of rope. Whereas if you cut the rope against the direction of the fibers, you would have an extremely short piece of rope that would “unravel” at a touch (or chew!).

This is a fantastic thread guys…keep it going!

“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly”

~ M. F. K. Fisher

27

Patricia - haha, touche - last week I did leg day on friday, fully planning on coming to strongman training, then went home from work and got reeeal lazy.

we should all definately get together for steak and beer, or sushi - i’m not picky. maybe Ike can come up, i’d like to meet him as well.

thanks for the info on the meat grain and cutting on the bias - the rope analogy is perfect.

28

Here’s something I just threw together from the scant amount of food I have lying around the house:

SPICED SWEET POTATO AND CHICKEN MASH

1 sweet potato, peeled
2 cloves garlic
2 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup apple juice

Slice the sweet potato into 1/2 inch disk and halve.

Heat the olive oil in skillet on medium high heat until hot. Add the sweet potatos and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown (but not brown!) and fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cover.

After a few minutes, take off cover and stir once more. Check for tenderness. If potatos slices are still hard (fork should slide through easily), add another 1/2 cup water and repeat covering.

In a separate pan, sear chicken breasts (seasoned with the kosher salt or brined) on both sides for two minutes. Take out of pan, slice into 1/2 strips, and add to potato-garlic mixture.

Reduce heat to medium. Add apple juice and spices to this mix, and saute until apple juice is absorbed or evaporated and chicken is completely cooked, about 5 minutes.

By this point, sweet potatos should be in chunks, kinda mashy, with all spiced absorbed and blended in.

For a better spice taste, SWEAT the spices in a separate dry pan over medium heat for two minutes - don’t let them burn! This releases the flavors (especially the curry).

I added fresh mint leaves to the final product.

Its nothing fantastic, but tasty and good carb source.

29

I worship those who give me knowledge on The Altar of Power™.

King, Staley, Poliquin, Alessi, Thibaudeau and Waterbury had better make room, I’ve gotta fit little voodoo maniquins of Rumbach and Ko on there now.

30

I nominate Rumbach official T-Chef.

Keep this thread going. I may never eat plain tuna out of the can ever again!

31

Appreciate the reply, ko. I understand about not letting meat brine too long due to the saltiness. But what about marinading for a couple of days? Anyone have any info on how long you can go if you’re taking that route?

(I’d just experiment for myself, but I’d hate to get food poisoning. I know, I know, char-dawg’s wimping out… :wink: )

32

One of my problems with staying fit and especially with losing fat is that I have to cut out the junk foods, and eat lots of the same foods. The majority of my diet is chicken and steak. I just accepted the fact that I would have to eat the same, boring, not-so-tasty meats over and over again. But this thread is teaching me how I can enjoy my food while getting into shape! I think Rumbach should have an article in T-Mag!

One question: What does it mean to “rub”?

Rumbach, I’d love to hear some low-carb/no carb marinades!

33

I hear you, I cannot stand the blandness of low carb dieting - but I actually eat just as well I think, forcing myself to utilize other ingredients, especially fresh herbs and spices to replace the carbs and fats.

I’ll work on some low-carb marinades, as well as maybe a guide to using herbs and spices? It is amazing what a little curry or taragon can do when used correctly to spice up almost any chunk of protein…

Thanks for the positive comments - don’t think I qualify for “T-Chef” - you should look at Ko, he’s actually working right now cooking, I’m just blabbering about it!

34

Char: Leaving meat in a marinade for a few days is perfectly fine, “food safety” wise. But you may run into the same problem as leaving the meat in a brine,. Too much flavor. If your marinade has any type of acid, you will begin to cook the meat. In some cases, I can see leaving it overnight, but any more than that is overkill in my book…

35

Pesto Crusted Salmon with Onion Relish

Onion relish:

1 red onion, smal dice
2 TB capers
1 tspn fish sauce
1/4 cup red wine
!/4 cup olive oil
1 TB cilantro chopped

Saute your onions in olive oil till soft and translucent. Add the capers, then deglaze with red wine. Add fish sauce and allow the red wine to reduce till it is a nice syurpy consistency. Add cilantro and adjust seasoning with salt. Place in fridge to cool.

Pesto Crust:
2 cloves garlic
3 TB pine nuts
1/4 tspn salt
3 cups basil leaves, gently packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parnigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (you can use regular bread crumbs)

In food processor or blender, process garlic, pine nuts and salt until finely ground. Add basil leaves and process in spurts until no whole leaves remain. With machine running add oil in a steady stream. Add cheese and pulse till incorporated. Tranfer pesto to a mixing bowl, and then with a spatula mix in your bread crumbs. It should be a very thick paste ( almost like a dough), if not add more bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Take a piece of salmon, salt and pepper it. Spread the pesto crust over the top, about an 1/8" thick. In a saute pan (non-stick pans are great for this) over medium-high heat, put a little oil or butter (butter is best for browing the crust). When it is hot, place you salmon, crust side down. Brown the crust, flip, then place in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until you reach desired level of doneness.

Serve with sauteed spinach and onion relish.

36

Excellent recipe Ko, looks very very tasty.

Here’s one for all you folks eating steaks and not wanting to combine with carbs (like veggies or starch)

AVOCADO SALAD

A real simple avocado salad will give you the proper protein/fat combination when eating red meat like tasty steaks.

2 avocados, pitted and diced (cut into cubes)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, minced (really small cubes)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup basil (loosely packed), chopped

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup crushed walnuts (or toasted almonds)

Instructions - throw it all together. Toss. Eat.

37

Ike - I am terribly afraid of what a voodoo doll of me would look like. Especially when crafted by someone living in Corvallis, bunch of ruffians. :wink:

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Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

39

'Preciate it!

40

I’m not going to let this thread die, it kicks too much ass.

Brined some more chicken today, cooked it up as per Rumbach’s instructions. Seasoned with what I had available: fresh ground pepper, garlic powder (sorry guys!), chili powder and ground mustard. Threw on a little parsley, cooked up real nice.

Needless to say, this chicken is far tastier than that which I normally eat!

I’m really getting into this cooking business. Saturday is the showdown between me and Cobb Salad, and perhaps even the Sweet Potato Mash as well.