What did you cook today?

For questions/topics that don't fit into the other, more specific forums.
User avatar
Altadan
Posts: 1837
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 286 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Altadan »

"Canada Day" burgers?

Oh I do t know, just burgers really.
Finely minced onion/garlic+fried in evoo+ground beef+Szechuan sauce (I didn't have BBQ)+plus 1egg yolk. Turn to balls - turn to patties, and fry, flip, serve with veg and wife's keto-friendly (purple?) psyllium husk buns (super fluffy, light, and perfect).

I may have over thought it with the egg yolk... What do y'all do to make your best burgers?

Anyway, the kids liked it. We liked it.
My Canadian friend like the photos 🇨🇦
IMG_20200701_174521921 (1).jpg
IMG_20200701_175720933 (1).jpg
LRM_20200701_180438.jpg
You know what we miss? We miss "Triple Crown BBQ" sauce. Ugh!
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
bruin
Posts: 271
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:12 pm
Has thanked: 250 times
Been thanked: 98 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by bruin »

Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:11 amI may have over thought it with the egg yolk... What do y'all do to make your best burgers?
My preferred method is to not mix anything into the patties, just season heavily with S&P right before cooking. I think burgers with stuff mixed in can start to feel a bit like meatballs or meatloaf, and the sandwich is best when the patty tastes like just beef and the rest of the flavors comes from the condiments, veg and cheese you add later. I also prefer the texture of a loose grind, so that’s another reason to avoid mixing in a bunch of other ingredients. Yours look really good! That’s just my 2c
User avatar
Altadan
Posts: 1837
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 286 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Altadan »

bruin wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:52 am
Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:11 amI may have over thought it with the egg yolk... What do y'all do to make your best burgers?
My preferred method is to not mix anything into the patties, just season heavily with S&P right before cooking. I think burgers with stuff mixed in can start to feel a bit like meatballs or meatloaf, and the sandwich is best when the patty tastes like just beef and the rest of the flavors comes from the condiments, veg and cheese you add later. I also prefer the texture of a loose grind, so that’s another reason to avoid mixing in a bunch of other ingredients. Yours look really good! That’s just my 2c
Thanks, Bruin. The 2c are worth considering!
When I eat a burger out in a restaurant, I know I'm getting just the meat, and I love it for just the reasons you mentioned.
That being said, back in Dallas I produced patties (similar to what I described above, but with that BBQ sauce, and sans the egg, I think :roll: ) that were hands down the best I had in all my time there
In any case, the boys are 4.5yo, 3yo, and 10mo... so the "meatballish" patties help get them down when the buns are too much for them to handle.
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:11 am "Canada Day" burgers?

Oh I do t know, just burgers really.
Finely minced onion/garlic+fried in evoo+ground beef+Szechuan sauce (I didn't have BBQ)+plus 1egg yolk. Turn to balls - turn to patties, and fry, flip, serve with veg and wife's keto-friendly (purple?) psyllium husk buns (super fluffy, light, and perfect).

I may have over thought it with the egg yolk... What do y'all do to make your best burgers?
Damn, those burgers look great. When it comes to seasoning, I tend to be more of a patty minimalist but I rarely meet a burger I don't like. And I see you're still finding uses for your 14.5 inch pan. Very nice.:)
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
User avatar
Jeff B
Posts: 14741
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Has thanked: 1954 times
Been thanked: 2324 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Jeff B »

I'm one of those just salt and pepper when cooking then well dressed on the bun burger guys. But like Ronnie, I've rarely met a burger I didn't like.
I was at my brothers and he had grilled some burgers that had Lipton Onion Soup Mix in the patties and they were excellent.
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
User avatar
Altadan
Posts: 1837
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 286 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Altadan »

Ronnie, those were flipped over the 12.5 DeBuyer carbon skillet ;)

Also, I think I can subscribe to the sentiment here - I too like most burgers I meet, so long as they're not over-done 8-)
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:53 am Ronnie, those were flipped over the 12.5 DeBuyer carbon skillet ;)
So, wait. You own multiple pieces of similar cookware?! That's pretty unusual for folks around here. :lol:
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
User avatar
Altadan
Posts: 1837
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 286 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Altadan »

ronnie_suburban wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:01 am
Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:53 am Ronnie, those were flipped over the 12.5 DeBuyer carbon skillet ;)
So, wait. You own multiple pieces of similar cookware?! That's pretty unusual for folks around here. :lol:
No no no, you have it all mixed up, Ronnie!

One is 12.5" family-favoeite carbon steel that pleases the wife with much Teflon is NOT in there 🤓😋
[Notice the blackened rim]
DeBuyer Mineral-B 12.5"
DeBuyer Mineral-B 12.5"
The other is a 14.5 stainless steel squash-racket I mostly use for large tomato based projects, like what we had earlier today:
beefsteak+yellow/red cherub tomatoes from the Arava valley (so sweet!)+yellow bell pepper+zucchini+beef-sausage+paprika+thyme+oregano+s&p SHASHUKA
[Notice the brushed stainless steel rims]
Shashuka up close and personal
Shashuka up close and personal
All-Clad 14.5 tri-ply fry pan
All-Clad 14.5 tri-ply fry pan
It really helps when friends come over.
Usually shashuka is served between piquant or downright spicy. With the kids involved we like to serve the heat on the side. I find these days that like my shashuka served on a toast that is buttered, honeyed, and slathered with the hot stuff. Don't judge! 🤗😋😅😚
Last edited by Altadan on Thu Jul 02, 2020 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
Bob Z
Posts: 1341
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 8:49 pm
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 887 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Bob Z »

I watched a Bobby Flay show one day where he heavily salted and peppered burgers (loose grind is the best so it doesn't get tough) and thought that was crazy, but for 15% fat on a hot grill, most of the seasoning comes off however the burgers tasted great and we have done it ever since. BUT I used to add chutney and some bbq sauce and made "mush burgers" for the kids. the sauce carmelized a bit and they were tasty.

Nowadays i add a few shots of A-1 and loosely mix em. For buns i like light brioche buns the best.
Bob Z
Posts: 1341
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 8:49 pm
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 887 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Bob Z »

That looks great Dan, I never heard of Shashuka before but i can see how easy and tasty it will be. Have lots of fresh tomatoes now I might have to try out with that.
User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:49 amNo no no, you have it all mixed up, Ronnie!
Ok, got it now. Thanks, for reposting the pics. I missed the long handle on the All-Clad stainless in your previous post.
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
User avatar
Drewski
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 2:01 am
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Has thanked: 429 times
Been thanked: 46 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Drewski »

bruin wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:52 am
Altadan wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:11 amI may have over thought it with the egg yolk... What do y'all do to make your best burgers?
My preferred method is to not mix anything into the patties, just season heavily with S&P right before cooking. I think burgers with stuff mixed in can start to feel a bit like meatballs or meatloaf, and the sandwich is best when the patty tastes like just beef and the rest of the flavors comes from the condiments, veg and cheese you add later. I also prefer the texture of a loose grind, so that’s another reason to avoid mixing in a bunch of other ingredients. Yours look really good! That’s just my 2c
I agree. Being from Canada, we can't get anything under a well done burger unless you hit a great restaurant that grinds their own meat (there's only a handful in Winnipeg). The solution: buy a meat grinder and grind your own. I started doing this. It's shockingly easy and the grinder was only around $100 on sale at Cabela's. I buy a chuck roast from the local butcher, put it through the coarse setting twice on the grinder (I found that only once left them too loose), shape em, cool em, season with salt and pepper right before the grill, and monitor with your Thermapen for medium rare. The burgers like this dont taste much different than steak. It's a major game changer for us Canadians.
turko
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:31 pm
Location: DR
Has thanked: 33 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by turko »

Some butter-garlic-thyme basted striploins

User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

Got some Japanese eggplant as an add-on to my weekly CSA box because I really wanted to try Fuchsia Dunlop's take on Fish Fragrant Sichuan Eggplant, which has popped up on my radar a few times recently . . .

Image
Japanese Eggplant
About 3 pounds, washed and trimmed. This is approximately double what the recipe calls for but I made it all because, well, I knew my family would likely snarf it all down.

Image
Baton'd and Salted
Recipe says to let this sit for at least 30 minutes. I left it for a few hours, occasionally stopping by to drain the moisture that the salt drew out.

Image
Drying
After the salting, I rinsed the batons and let them dry while I prepped the rest of the mise en place.

Image
Ginger
Normally, when I try a recipe for the first time, I follow it exactly. But based on my previous experiences with Dunlop recipes, I decided to follow my instincts and up the amounts of certain key ingredients like the garlic, the chili bean paste and the ginger (even beyond what the doubling would call for). Needless to say, the Sukenari ZDP 189 Damascus Gyuto (210 mm) made quick work of the ginger.

Image
Mise En Place
Clockwise from the bottom: garlic, chili bean paste, vinegar, scallions, soy sauce, corn starch (I did not have any potato starch (water to be added later)) and ginger. Not shown here are granulated sugar and stock.

Image
Eggplant Frying
I fried these in peanut oil, about 1/3 at a time. Recipe calls for 390°F oil but adding a pound of eggplant all at once dropped that temperature by about 150° almost immediately. The cooking may have benefited from more, smaller batches. In the end, I achieved a fairly light and crispy end result but it took longer and required more oil than it otherwise might have.

Once the all eggplant was fried and removed to drain, 3 T of the frying oil is retained and the mise goes into the wok in fairly rapid succession . . . so rapid that I really couldn't stop to take any pictures. Once it comes together in a boil, the eggplant gets added back, followed by the cornstarch slurry (or potato starch, if you have it), the vinegar and most of the scallions. The remaining scallions are used for garnish, as you can see below.

Image
Plated Up
Not a bad first attempt. I really liked the dish. Next time, I'd do a few things differently, mainly make a smaller batch so that frying it would need no more than 2 rounds. I'm also going to buy some potato starch, since I'm finding more and more recipes that call for it over corn starch. Lastly, even though I did not up the amount vinegar this time, I plan on using less next time. Flavorwise, it's a very dominant ingredient and a little goes a long way.
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
Mike9
Posts: 606
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:31 am
Has thanked: 19 times
Been thanked: 132 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Mike9 »

Bigoli en Salsa - a whole grain "long" pasta with finely minced onion and anchovies. Simple, but oh so delicious . . .

Image
User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

When life (or your CSA) gives you squash blossoms, stuff 'em!

Image
Squash Blossoms
Very nice product, in excellent condition, even after sitting in our fridge for 2 days.

Image
Filling The Blossoms
A mixture of cream cheese, herbs, heavy cream and an egg. I used a disposable bag (love these!) and a small, round tip.

Image
Filled Blossoms
Ready for the Tempura Spa. I trimmed the stems before the next steps.

Image
Tempura Station
Filled blossoms, seasoned flour, tempura batter (with some ice cubes)

Image
Floured Blossom
Once dredged, I dusted them off as best I could and then swished them through the batter before putting them in the oil.

Image
Blossoms Frying
Peanut oil, 350 F. Just a few at a time.

Image
Fried, Salted & Plated
After what seemed like forever, probably( in reality), about an hour from start to finish, they were ready to eat.

Image
Money Shot
Really glad we got these and that we put them to good use. This was a fun and delicious project. They disappeared very quickly, even though I should have probably made a sauce, too. If I get them again in next week's box . . .
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
d_rap
Posts: 662
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:47 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 369 times
Been thanked: 444 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by d_rap »

Those look fantastic every step of the way.
David
User avatar
Altadan
Posts: 1837
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 pm
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 286 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Altadan »

Oh man!
We had them in our garden and for a mysterious reason missed our chance!
Everything was growing so well, but even my green-thumbed wife is at a loss for explanation.
Hats off on the photos, steps, and final result! The bar is really high, I've been holding off posting for days, hahaha :lol:
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
User avatar
Renvers
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 10:09 pm
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by Renvers »

ronnie_suburban wrote: Sun Jul 05, 2020 8:39 pm Money Shot
Beautiful.
User avatar
ronnie_suburban
Posts: 2921
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:43 am
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 2061 times
Been thanked: 3402 times
Contact:

Re: What did you cook today?

Post by ronnie_suburban »

Tonight it was a back-to-basics meal, with a couple of sides and the old standby, grilled chicken thighs . . .

Image
Cremini Mushrooms & Kato VG-10 Suminagashi Nakiri 165mm
Three pounds of 'shrooms. The nakiri handled them well but not as effortlessly as I expected. I think the sponginess of the mushrooms, combined with the knife's finish, created a bit of drag. Even though I've had it a while -- the first knife I ever bought from CKTG -- I'm not too experienced using this kind of knife, so it may have just come down to user error. :?

Image
Yellow Summer Squash
I think this was about 2.5 pounds. On this, the nakiri excelled, gliding through the squash, allowing me to make very accurate cuts.

Image
Sauteed Mushrooms
In evoo, with garlic, red wine and demiglace. More than enough here for tonight's dinner, plus plenty leftover for use in other dishes later in the week.

Image
Sauteed Yellow Summer Squash
In evoo with garlic. I like these squash more than zucchini because they're less sweet. Additionally, I cooked these hot and fast in an effort to mitigate their sweetness even further, and that went pretty well. The took on some nice color and became just tender enough before they would have sweetened up.

Image
Bone-In, Skin-On Thighs
A Suburban family mainstay. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & oregano.

Image
Grilled Chicken Thighs
A hot fire, a still night and smaller pieces of chicken, these thighs only needed about 20 minutes cooked on the indirect side.

Image
Plated Up
A very nice summery meal, with a relatively easy clean-up. Happy Monday! :wink:
=R=
Half of cooking is thinking about cooking.
Post Reply