Hints for fish...
Freeze 'em in water. Minimizes freezer burn. Doesn't work as well on oily fish, but they freeze best if flash-frozen, which most folks don't have.
If you're heading, scaling, and gutting a fish, clean out the dark red line inside the body cavity that runs along the backbone. That's the kidney. Can give a strong or muddy flavor.
Also, if the fish has a strong red line of muscle, cut it out. That can also give you a muddy flavor.
Ok so I have heard this a few times before, but was unsure of one thing. Are you putting the fish in bags, THEN putting them in water to freeze? Or are you straight up putting fillets in water to freeze?
Ok so I have heard this a few times before, but was unsure of one thing. Are you putting the fish in bags, THEN putting them in water to freeze? Or are you straight up putting fillets in water to freeze?
Put the fillets in the bag. Put in water. Squeeze out the air. Freeze a bag of water and fish. Problem with using just a bag is that unless you use a vacuum sealer... it's impossible to get all the air out. Letting the fish contact air is what causes them to freeze "poorly." It won't be as good as fresh, but it'll be better than just freezing them uncovered.
I've heard of folks doing that. Even putting them back into the freezer, freezing the water, then doing it a few times to make a layer of water around them. I'd be willing to try it................ IF I had enough room in my freezer for a cookie sheet to fit on. Right now we just use meal-sized bags of fish.
Might I recommend an upright freezer. I had a chest freezer for over 20 years before I got smart enough to switch to an upright. The upright of the same size takes up half the floorspace and I can get to my stuff easier. Whatever you're looking for in a chest freezer will always be at the bottom and when you're moving all the hard frozen stuff around, you're scratching and bumping pinholes in the wrapping and letting air in to start a freezer burn.
Now that we have a wholesale club card, my wife's seeing value in getting a freezer. But our house is kinda small, so there's not really a good place to put a freezer. Well, we could put it on the screened in back porch, but that was improperly poured by someone before me, and tends to have water pool. Not the best for a freezer. We plan on moving in a while, so we'll probably get the freezer after that.
We had a chest freezer at a place near the coast. We had a divider in the center to separate bait from actual food. Also learned to write on the bags what it was and the date of freezing.
A vac sealer is worth it's weight in gold, and the no-name bags online are just as good as the name brand ones.
Our local grocer has a meat sale 2 times a year; yes, we load up on ground beef, chicken, steaks, etc. and re-portion it and vac seal it. Never have had to deal with freezer burn.
I have the same one for my jerky, and buy rolls of bagging material; cheaper than pre made bags, and I can control the size/waste.
Bringing this up the the front for Thanksgiving. If you want crispy skin on your turkey, chicken, or other fowl...
separate the skin from the meat of the bird. You can work your hand and fingers between the muscles and the skin, carefully, and separate them. This allows air to flow between the skin and muscles. Also: dry the bird. Dry skin and the air allows the skin to get nice and crisp. You can rub down the bird with oil or butter to promote crispiness. Then, when you rust if, start at 450 for 45 or an hour, then drop the temp to 350 and cook until done. Cover the bird in foil if the skin gets too brown.
A vac sealer is worth it's weight in gold, and the no-name bags online are just as good as the name brand ones.
Our local grocer has a meat sale 2 times a year; yes, we load up on ground beef, chicken, steaks, etc. and re-portion it and vac seal it. Never have had to deal with freezer burn.
I have the same one for my jerky, and buy rolls of bagging material; cheaper than pre made bags, and I can control the size/waste.
:agree:
If you buy/grow fresh vegetables like cabbage cauliflower, beans etc vacuum pack them before placing in the fridge ( in parcels big enough to use). They will last 2-3 times as long, will stay fresh and most importantly, will not take on other flavours from the fridge........................The only exception is DO NOT VACUUM PACK FRESH BROCCOLI!!!!
When you cut the bag it will smell like pond scum mixed with cat crap and fried in rancid cooking oil............Dont ask me how I know this. You will only do it once.
Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....
Get a vacuum chamber sealer. I got this one and it has done paid for itself already. The bags cost considerably less than the others and you can seal stuff with liquids in it.
Get a vacuum chamber sealer. I got this one and it has done paid for itself already. The bags cost considerably less than the others and you can seal stuff with liquids in it.
It is quite an upfront investment, but it is a small commercial unit and should last decades.
That could come in handy for sealing Port in plastic bags so I can bring it to the SE.
One thing that always worries me is that I have to put the Port in my suitcase........................................and if it leaks I will end up with clothes that smell like a 'wino's'.............not a cheap wino btw..
Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....
Some good advice here. Buy GOOD knives and keep them sharp. A set of good knives will set you back some, but will stay sharp longer than the cheap ones.
Rice? Nothing goes in rice except water, 2:1. Cook it uncovered until the standing water boils down and then reduce heat and cover for ten more minutes. If you need to flavor it, do so after the rice is done. Heaven forbid.
I've got some old cast iron pots my mother had. They cook very well after I seasoned them and are easily cleaned up. I don't like crockpots because I don't know how to use them and stuff I cook in them don't turn out well and is overcooked. So for me it's iron. No soap to clean.
Parboil squirrel for about an hour, take them out, flour them and then brown them in hot fat. Here bacon grease would probably add to the taste. After they're brown and seasoned, add enough chicken stock to barely cover, put the lid on the pot and cook until tender. The flour will make a gravy. Adjust seasoning, salt and pepper and anything else you feel. Just before you serve them pour in a cup of bourbon and give it a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol, serve over rice.
I'm a very good cook. I love to cook, but don't get a chance to do so often.
Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
OK, here it is about 2:00AM and I'm sitting here in front of this dang computer wasting my time while I should be racked out sleeping! Actually, I'm smoking our Thanksgiving ham, and just got up to tend to putting a little more wood in the smoker.......
I use a big-15 pounds+ pre-cooked ham from the supermarket so I can keep the temperature down low but not worry about having the ham properly cooked. Actually, all that I'm doing is truly smoking it, and it takes 24+ hours to do it the way I do. No one else is going to spend this much time at it, I know, but IF you do, you'll do it over and over again.....its that good!
My smoker is a big one, custom made, and set me back just about a thousand bucks! It would hold a whole hog if I wanted to really get serious smoking meat! I can control the temperature pretty well if I pay attention to it. I'll keep it between 175 and 200 degrees smoking the ham, which seems about right. The secret of the perfect, delicious ham that I'll get is, I think, in the low temperature and for sure----the wood that I use in the smoker!
Hickory (Carya spp) is good, but IMO imparts too sweet a flavor in the meat. I use a variety of Red Oak we call "Turkey Oak" (Quercus laevis) which is a "scrub" species not worth a darn in the lumber industry. (Excellent acorn producer for wildlife, however, and wood ducks forage heavily on it.) The secret of getting an excellent flavor is to strip the dead bark off with a hatchet. Take all of it off, right down to the inner living red streaks. Dead bark is full of fungus, mosses and insects that you won't see too well, and this imparts an undesirable taste IMO. The Turkey Oak has just the right flavor....neither sweet nor sour....
That's the way I do it! Kind of a hold-over from way back in the "smoke-house" days!
That's WAY too much trouble. Especially when you find anything other than FRIED chicken skin disgusting. It needs to stay on for cooking mind you, but toss that nasty slimy crap!
I've never had a need to flour a turkey for frying. But that's just me.
Oh, and if you think separating the skin is too much work, I guess you don't want to hear about how I made a compound herb butter and rubbed that on the inside of the skin....
I'd like to fry or smoke a turkey, but the spouse and in-laws don't like 'em done that way.
That brings me to another hint: instead of running an oven for 3-4 hours, if you have a gas grill you can use that as an oven. It's about the only good use for a gas grill, in my mind. You can also use charcoal, but it will probably give you a somewhat smokey flavor.
The butter is more for flavor than for skin. But if you keep the skin on.... fat = flavor. And since fat's been downgraded for being "something to watch" I don't worry about it.
Want better pork? Get a heritage breed. No fat on the stuff you buy at the store, but plenty on the heritage breeds smaller, boutique farmers raise. Buffco can tell you a LOT about that.
Replies
Ok so I have heard this a few times before, but was unsure of one thing. Are you putting the fish in bags, THEN putting them in water to freeze? Or are you straight up putting fillets in water to freeze?
Normal?
No, wasn't us, mate.
When I was growing up, it was staple food stuff.
Along with pigs feet, liver, kidneys, faggots (Savoury Ducks).
It was either that or "Blind Scouse".
What do you think was in "Umble pie"?
And of course The Black Pudding, had breakfast out Saturday morning just, couple of slices with the bacon, sausages, eggs.
Very nice.
Yeah, we need a chest or upright freezer.
Might I recommend an upright freezer. I had a chest freezer for over 20 years before I got smart enough to switch to an upright. The upright of the same size takes up half the floorspace and I can get to my stuff easier. Whatever you're looking for in a chest freezer will always be at the bottom and when you're moving all the hard frozen stuff around, you're scratching and bumping pinholes in the wrapping and letting air in to start a freezer burn.
Our local grocer has a meat sale 2 times a year; yes, we load up on ground beef, chicken, steaks, etc. and re-portion it and vac seal it. Never have had to deal with freezer burn.
I have the same one for my jerky, and buy rolls of bagging material; cheaper than pre made bags, and I can control the size/waste.
separate the skin from the meat of the bird. You can work your hand and fingers between the muscles and the skin, carefully, and separate them. This allows air to flow between the skin and muscles. Also: dry the bird. Dry skin and the air allows the skin to get nice and crisp. You can rub down the bird with oil or butter to promote crispiness. Then, when you rust if, start at 450 for 45 or an hour, then drop the temp to 350 and cook until done. Cover the bird in foil if the skin gets too brown.
:agree:
If you buy/grow fresh vegetables like cabbage cauliflower, beans etc vacuum pack them before placing in the fridge ( in parcels big enough to use). They will last 2-3 times as long, will stay fresh and most importantly, will not take on other flavours from the fridge........................The only exception is DO NOT VACUUM PACK FRESH BROCCOLI!!!!
When you cut the bag it will smell like pond scum mixed with cat crap and fried in rancid cooking oil............Dont ask me how I know this. You will only do it once.
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/ary-vacmaster-vp215-chamber-vacuum-packaging-machine-with-10-1-4-seal-bar/120VMASVP215.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CMffhcWqwNACFQMDaQodxNQIeA
It is quite an upfront investment, but it is a small commercial unit and should last decades.
That could come in handy for sealing Port in plastic bags so I can bring it to the SE.
One thing that always worries me is that I have to put the Port in my suitcase........................................and if it leaks I will end up with clothes that smell like a 'wino's'.............not a cheap wino btw..
Rice? Nothing goes in rice except water, 2:1. Cook it uncovered until the standing water boils down and then reduce heat and cover for ten more minutes. If you need to flavor it, do so after the rice is done. Heaven forbid.
I've got some old cast iron pots my mother had. They cook very well after I seasoned them and are easily cleaned up. I don't like crockpots because I don't know how to use them and stuff I cook in them don't turn out well and is overcooked. So for me it's iron. No soap to clean.
Parboil squirrel for about an hour, take them out, flour them and then brown them in hot fat. Here bacon grease would probably add to the taste. After they're brown and seasoned, add enough chicken stock to barely cover, put the lid on the pot and cook until tender. The flour will make a gravy. Adjust seasoning, salt and pepper and anything else you feel. Just before you serve them pour in a cup of bourbon and give it a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol, serve over rice.
I'm a very good cook. I love to cook, but don't get a chance to do so often.
I use a big-15 pounds+ pre-cooked ham from the supermarket so I can keep the temperature down low but not worry about having the ham properly cooked. Actually, all that I'm doing is truly smoking it, and it takes 24+ hours to do it the way I do. No one else is going to spend this much time at it, I know, but IF you do, you'll do it over and over again.....its that good!
My smoker is a big one, custom made, and set me back just about a thousand bucks! It would hold a whole hog if I wanted to really get serious smoking meat! I can control the temperature pretty well if I pay attention to it. I'll keep it between 175 and 200 degrees smoking the ham, which seems about right. The secret of the perfect, delicious ham that I'll get is, I think, in the low temperature and for sure----the wood that I use in the smoker!
Hickory (Carya spp) is good, but IMO imparts too sweet a flavor in the meat. I use a variety of Red Oak we call "Turkey Oak" (Quercus laevis) which is a "scrub" species not worth a darn in the lumber industry. (Excellent acorn producer for wildlife, however, and wood ducks forage heavily on it.) The secret of getting an excellent flavor is to strip the dead bark off with a hatchet. Take all of it off, right down to the inner living red streaks. Dead bark is full of fungus, mosses and insects that you won't see too well, and this imparts an undesirable taste IMO. The Turkey Oak has just the right flavor....neither sweet nor sour....
That's the way I do it! Kind of a hold-over from way back in the "smoke-house" days!
Oh, and if you think separating the skin is too much work, I guess you don't want to hear about how I made a compound herb butter and rubbed that on the inside of the skin....
I'd like to fry or smoke a turkey, but the spouse and in-laws don't like 'em done that way.
That brings me to another hint: instead of running an oven for 3-4 hours, if you have a gas grill you can use that as an oven. It's about the only good use for a gas grill, in my mind. You can also use charcoal, but it will probably give you a somewhat smokey flavor.
Want better pork? Get a heritage breed. No fat on the stuff you buy at the store, but plenty on the heritage breeds smaller, boutique farmers raise. Buffco can tell you a LOT about that.