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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC) Vol. 2

JEKKI

Member
Katsu curry with Korean veggies:

image_27.jpeg
ayyyyyy! making a katsu is the next thing I wanna teach myself!

youtube makes it looks easy; I hope it is!
 

snacknuts

we all knew her
Made some Chinese-style pork belly last night. Instead of roasting the pork in the oven, though, I pressure cooked it in my Instant Pot. For the cooking liquid I used ½ C of water and a splash each of soy sauce and Chinese cooking wine, and just some salt and pepper on the meat. It was pretty outstanding.

iKra8pv.jpg
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
UPDATE!
left to right:
Basil is coming along nicely
Parsley started sprouting on the weekend
Something just started sprouting in the peppermint pot,
Same in the thyme pot
Coriander just shot
Oregano is either slow or dead.
 
Made the Serious Eats Sous Vide Carnitas over the weekend...

rhSLrt6.jpg

PW2KIML.jpg


I liked it, but I don't know if the extra cooking time got me a much better result than Chef John's recipe that takes maybe 3-3 1/2 hours tops.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
So I haven't been able to cook some proper food lately (barring the holidays), but these past days I made a king cake, which came out great.


Notice the totally accidental, little ⚈▿⚈ face. It was such a pity we had to eat it, said no one ever.

I also bit the bullet and bought a cheap cast iron cocotte. At 6 litres, it's one huge bastard of a pot. It also weights like 5 kg or so empty. Owners of ceramic glass tops beware; drop it by accident and you may need a new appliance. The quality of the enamel is not nearly as high as a proper Le Creuset and the cast iron is also nowhere as smooth around the edges (the bottom and the sides are fine, though), but being fully made of iron it works really well with my induction cooktop. I think it may even heat up faster than my induction-ready steel and alluminium pots, which is quite something. That means that I have to heat it up gently at first so the iron doesn't expand faster than the enamel, which would create cracks on its surface. Still, a great purchase at €50.


For my first test I made Serious Eats' Guinness beef stew. It came out just fine (sorry, no pictures of the actual food once served), but the flavour turned out amazing the day after. The gravy in particular was incredible. I know that stews taste better after they rest of a while, but this one truly needs to be made 24 hours before serving. Add some garlic parpadelle and you have a killer meal.


I'd like to note that while the gravy is very runny at first (and there are lots of it, as it barely reduces in the oven due to the low temperatures and the fact that the lid stays on for most of the cooking), it aquires a more pleasant gel-like consistency after a good while.

While the recipe turned out incredible (honestly, it may be the best beef stew I've ever made), electricity is rather expensive over here and using the oven for three hours or so is such a terrible waste that I may use induction instead. The pot gets crazy hot crazy fast also around the sides (fucking magnets, how do they work), so I'm going to guess it'll work out just fine.

Next up: bread that doesn't suck and wine-braised short ribs pasta. Anybody has any other interesting recipes for a Dutch oven/cocotte owner?
 
While the recipe turned out incredible (honestly, it may be the best beef stew I've ever made), electricity is rather expensive over here and using the oven for three hours or so is such a terrible waste that I may use induction instead. The pot gets crazy hot crazy fast also around the sides (fucking magnets, how do they work), so I'm going to guess it'll work out just fine.

I leave my pots on the stove all the time. I have a crock pot, but if I'm browning a meat first like chili or beef stew, then I use my stock pot and cook it on the stove. My aunt used to do the same thing with her chili. She'd prep it at night and let it simmer overnight on low. Now I just leave mine on the smallest burner on low and let it simmer away.

I don't think you'll have many issues with it but for something like a 350 F cook, then you'll want it a little higher than the lowest setting. Or you can low cook it for longer.

During the summer I do everything possible to not turn on the oven. I just can't combat the heat it creates. That also means way more cooking on the grill.
 

zbarron

Member
Yeah induction is incredibly energy efficient since it directly heats the pot/pan instead of the burner or flame in gas's case.

Our oven's lower heat element broke. Instead of it all heating up only about an inch of it did and it became white hot and started shooting sparks everywhere. We just got it fixed today so I'm looking forward to being able to cook again.
 

zbarron

Member
With our working oven I threw together a classic American meal.
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Meatloaf with black eyed peas and green beans. I added Hoisin sauce to the glaze and it really gave it a fantastic flavor. The black eyed peas were honestly a little flavorless on their own but were fine with the rest.

For dessert I made banana bread served with vanilla ice cream.
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I don't have a loaf pan, so I baked it in my cake pan. It came out great and it's time to stop collectively fooling ourselves. Banana bread IS cake.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
I had some British bangers, eggs and free time, so I made Scotch Eggs in the air fryer to see how they'd turn out.

I used a tempura/panko batter to save time (and eggs!) and I was worried that the eggs would keep cooking in the (relatively) slow air fryer. But they turned out perfectly.

Color is paler than I'd like because of a) Tempura batter and b) Oil free cooking.

I'm from Scotland originally, so these are technically authentic. However I'm going to make some with Chorizo instead of British sausage for breakfast this weekend.




 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Re: Induction.

I think that I've said it before, but getting an induction top was one of the best decisions I made when I moved out to my own place. It's super efficient, FAST (I think I can boil a pot of water in less than three minutes, pasta goes from zero to dente in 15 minutes tops) and it's also damn easy to clean since the glass surface doesn't heat up. I used to have a resistance glass ceramic stove and milk spills were catastrophic events. With indution I just move the pot away and clean them with a rag. Done.

I'm never going back to old school stoves.

With our working oven I threw together a classic American meal.
32225265332_c6fc8728b5_b.jpg

Meatloaf with black eyed peas and green beans. I added Hoisin sauce to the glaze and it really gave it a fantastic flavor. The black eyed peas were honestly a little flavorless on their own but were fine with the rest.
Hoisin sauce is cheating. It makes everything taste better.

I've tried to make meatloaf a number of times (I have a lean recipe that suits my diet), but there's always this grey goop oozing from the minced beef that looks rather off putting :( I don't know if there's a way to prevent that. It doesn't bother me on a steak, but it forms small pockets in the meatloaf that are just plain nasty.

I'm from Scotland originally, so these are technically authentic. However I'm going to make some with Chorizo instead of British sausage for breakfast this weekend.

Those look great. I've been wanting to make some at home, but I can't really find the excuse, tbh. Just be advised that Spanish chorizo may be a bit too overpowering (I believe Mexican is milder in flavour).
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
I've tried to make meatloaf a number of times (I have a lean recipe that suits my diet), but there's always this grey goop oozing from the minced beef that looks rather off putting :( I don't know if there's a way to prevent that. It doesn't bother me on a steak, but it forms small pockets in the meatloaf that are just plain nasty.

That sounds like it is undercooked. You have to braise the shit out of it and best let it sit over night before serving.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Those look great. I've been wanting to make some at home, but I can't really find the excuse, tbh. Just be advised that Spanish chorizo may be a bit too overpowering (I believe Mexican is milder in flavour).

The Spanish (and Portuguese) chorizo is a "real" sausage - with lots of flavor and a springy texture - relative to Mexican chorizo which has a simpler but vinegary and spicy flavor. Texture is the big change though - and there's three types of texture - a gross grainy ground beef in sauce texture that collapses in the pan and creates ASTONISHING amounts of bright red oil, but once cooked down is amazingly tasty. my favorite! There are normal sausage type chorizo, but they'd be too firm to swrap around and egg even out of their casing. And the third is a "fake" chorizo that's a more normal sausage meat texture, made by US manufacturers, but tastes the same - that's the one I'll use - the brands are Hemplers, etc - but the colors and flavor of chili, paprika and vinegar are what tie them all together.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
Sooo, I'm getting married today to fellow gaffer Lilith. 4hours and 5 minutes left.

We'll have food and will celebrate at a wine-yard owned by a japanese woman in Rhineland Palatinate
thanks dad :D
. I'll post pictures of said food. Let's see how it goes >.>"..I'm more nervous about my families meeting than our wedding.

Also looking for: recipe ideas for sunday. We'll come back home saturday evening, I don't want to be in the kitchen for to long on sunday but want to cook. So if anyone has a nice recipe for a noodle casserole or something like that. :D you know, something I throw into a casserole and forget it until the timer notifies me it is done.

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaats

In between the China threads on GAF and the mention of Japanese woman made me think you were getting married in China.

no, but we met studying japanese studies/chinese studies :D and thank you^_^
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaats

In between the China threads on GAF and the mention of Japanese woman made me think you were getting married in China.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Sooo, I'm getting married today to fellow gaffer Lilith. 4hours and 5 minutes left.

We'll have food and will celebrate at a wine-yard owned by a japanese woman in Rhineland Palatinate
thanks dad :D
. I'll post pictures of said food. Let's see how it goes >.>"..I'm more nervous about my families meeting than our wedding.

Also looking for: recipe ideas for sunday. We'll come back home saturday evening, I don't want to be in the kitchen for to long on sunday but want to cook. So if anyone has a nice recipe for a noodle casserole or something like that. :D you know, something I throw into a casserole and forget it until the timer notifies me it is done.



no, but we met studying japanese studies/chinese studies :D and thank you^_^

Congratulations and the best for your future! :)

Casserole idea:

cook a bag of short Maccaroni two minutes before al dente, drain, put back in pot, add cubed cooked ham and a can of pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper, a few basil leaves, grated Emmental or Edamer cheese, pour in casserole, top off with grated parmesan and a few breadcrumbs/panko crumbs. maybe a few flakes of butter on the top as well
 

Nikodemos

Member
My previous experiences with peelers were horrible (I had only used my mother's terrible, terrible straight one, which was more trouble than it was worth), so it was kind of an impulse purchase.
Strange, I've always prefered the parallel, knife-like one instead of the perpendicular. Then again I did have a lot of straight peelers that were utterly shit. The thing which ruins most cheaper straight peelers is weak steel, both in the handles, spine, and blade. Also, many have too much 'play' in the blade and the blade's angle is bad.

On another note: konjac. Do people really eat this stuff? Willingly? It's like the most non-food food item ever invented. It's a gel that doesn't dissolve when chewed, meaning you end up swallowing a bunch of jelly fragments. It smells vaguely appetizing (I love that umami fishy smell) but when eaten the smell disappears completely and ends up tasting like solid water. And has a minuscule nutritional value (mostly from the seaweed it's seasoned with). It's such a pointless thing to eat. Can't believe I finished an entire slab.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Konjac is "good" because it has no carbs. It's basically a calorie-free vehicle for meat and sauce if you are dieting. Its only purpose is to absorb broth and provide something to chew on.
 
Never even seen konjac in Australia. I've tried shirataki noodles though, was not a fan of those. It's like chewing plastic, or silicon.

Edit: I see shirataki are made from konjac! That settles that, then. I knew they were made from a yam, just not which one. Never seen a konjac for sale here, though, only as the noodles.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Never even seen konjac in Australia. I've tried shirataki noodles though, was not a fan of those. It's like chewing plastic, or silicon.

Edit: I see shirataki are made from konjac! That settles that, then. I knew they were made from a yam, just not which one. Never seen a konjac for sale here, though, only as the noodles.
They are the same thing over here. Konjac and shirataki are used interchangeably.

I'd rather gorge on udon noodles instead and hit the gym harder.
 

Nikodemos

Member
Konjac here is sold (in specialty Japanese cuisine stores) as a ~250 g grey slab with blackish flecks (the seaweed seasoning). Smells enticing (if you like fish) but it's painfully disappointing as an actual food item. It also makes you nearly literally shit bricks. 2/10, would not buy again.

Now, natto, that's some tasty stuff. I love that slightly bitter earthy flavour. Pity those styrofoam packs are so small.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
Congratulations and the best for your future! :)

Casserole idea:

cook a bag of short Maccaroni two minutes before al dente, drain, put back in pot, add cubed cooked ham and a can of pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper, a few basil leaves, grated Emmental or Edamer cheese, pour in casserole, top off with grated parmesan and a few breadcrumbs/panko crumbs. maybe a few flakes of butter on the top as well

Danke!
Konjac here is sold (in specialty Japanese cuisine stores) as a ~250 g grey slab with blackish flecks (the seaweed seasoning). Smells enticing (if you like fish) but it's painfully disappointing as an actual food item. It also makes you nearly literally shit bricks. 2/10, would not buy again.

Now, natto, that's some tasty stuff. I love that slightly bitter earthy flavour. Pity those styrofoam packs are so small.

we've a cheese in germany that tastes like natto. Everytime I tell a japanese friend/new acquaintance about it they're in disbelieve >>
do you use mustard on your natto?

Lilith and I just ordered our first Cutlery Set. It'll take some time to arrive, amazon delivers in two weeks..but we're looking forward to it :D
It's the Villeroy & Boch: Mademoiselle set.
 

Nikodemos

Member
we've a cheese in germany that tastes like natto. Everytime I tell a japanese friend/new acquaintance about it they're in disbelieve >>
do you use mustard on your natto?
Through some dark kitchen alchemy I've managed to obtain some homemade goat yoghurt rinds which roughly taste like natto; I guess the same lactobacili are involved.

And yes, I use mustard, since every pack comes with the cutest little mustard pouch, and it tastes really good. Like English mustard but less vinegary.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
My love affair with my Dutch oven continued this weekend with Serious Eat's easy oven-cooked pork recipe. With a twist, as I used induction for about four hours instead and only finished it in the oven with some extra 60 minutes of heat. It came out heavenly, and I tend to hate pork.

Picture taken prior saucing. It may look dry, but it certainly wasn't.

Now I have about 1,5 kg of meat in the freezer for future porking/mixing with rice. I really like this recipe since most of the park is rendered away and you can pull whatever is left with your fingers, which means it's great for those keeping an eye on their macros. Other than the sugar (which is not a lot for the amount of meat/if you ignore the sauce) is a relatively lean recipe.

Also, and since I'm starting today my new diet, I decided to finish all the chocolate and heavy cream I still had in my pantry with some pressure cooker pots the crème.


They were fine, I guess, but I think the original recipe is a bit too lengthy. I'd recommend to cook them for 4 minutes instead unless you want the top half of the pot cooked to a moist browny-like consistency.
 
Been busy working through the season the past few weeks so forgive me for not posting more ;___;

Here are a few recent work shots !


Chocolate buttermilk cake with layers of flourless chocolate cake and piped Tcho mousse + chocolate buttercream between each layer.

16174872_10209931452296879_6296589040964219665_n.jpg


Coworkers awesome Valentine's day experiment with marshmallows

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Orange blossom baklava, cheesecake mousse, port wine reduction, pistachio granola, port wine poached pears, orange marmalade, and clementine vanilla sorbet

4g64e2v.jpg
 

thespot84

Member
deboned my first chicken today, what a mess that was. It was for a chicken ballotine, it's tasty and satisfying to cut through the meat without dealing with a bone. I'm sure it'll be easier with practice
 
Made Kenji's 5 Ingredient Fried Chicken...omitted thighs for tenders since my GF loathes dark meat.

cepuQk6.jpg


Came out pretty damn good. Super crispy and great flavor all around.

I think next time I would let them sit in the breading a bit longer before frying. It came out crispy but some pieces would just completely pull off from it's shell.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
deboned my first chicken today, what a mess that was. It was for a chicken ballotine, it's tasty and satisfying to cut through the meat without dealing with a bone. I'm sure it'll be easier with practice

I started doing that too, especially the legs. For most japanese dishes with chicken you need thigh meat without bone and not breat, in germany we only get sold chicken legs with bone, not without it...suuuuper annoying. So I buy 1-2kg, debone them myself, and freeze 'em.
 

thespot84

Member
I started doing that too, especially the legs. For most japanese dishes with chicken you need thigh meat without bone and not breat, in germany we only get sold chicken legs with bone, not without it...suuuuper annoying. So I buy 1-2kg, debone them myself, and freeze 'em.

I did a second chicken Thursday, took 1/4 the time. I expect the third to be pretty easy.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Update:

Basil, Parsley and Coriander going strong, Peppermint at least started to show, Thyme is at three sprouts and still no sign of life from the Oregano.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
It's official: I can't bake bread for shit.

I tried to follow H.Protagonist's no knead bread recipe here and I fucked it up. The taste was fine and the crust was nice enough, but it didn't rise at all and the taste was somewhat off. I've tried all manners of recipes, knead and no knead ones, and I never get those bastards to rise.
 

zbarron

Member
Active, fresh one in blocks.
I hope you didn't use the same amount as it called for.

According to this you need 2-3 times as much fresh yeast.

I always use instant and have never had problems. Active dry works as well but I don't want to deal with another step if I can avoid it.
 
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