Tips, tricks and tools

Chicken Stock

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Lots o' stock
Lots o’ stock

Chicken stock is a culinary pocket knife, you should always have it on hand and you will use it more than you expect.  Making stock is ridiculously easy (seriously almost as easy as boiling water) and homemade stock is infinitely superior to store bought stock in flavor, color and viscosity.  You will immediately notice the difference in foods that have the addition of homemade chicken stock compared to water or store bought broth or stock.

Stock is made from bones rather than meat like broth is and adds complexity to whatever you use it for.  This recipe utilizes two chicken carcasses that were obtained from the butchering whole chickens.

The aromatics that add the background flavors only take a bit of prep before adding them to the stock pot.  I used the second largest pot I have, it’s a 3 gallon pot.

Parsley, celery, carrots, whole peppercorns, bay leaves and leeks.
Parsley, celery, carrots, whole peppercorns, bay leaves and leeks.

For the carrots and celery just rinse

Clean of debris
Clean of debris

Snap in half by hand

half a carrot
half a carrot

and toss into the pot along with the whole peppercorns and bay leaf.

I like to bruise the parsley to allow for the aroma and flavor to escape into the water more easily.  To accomplish this, simply bunch the parsley up in your hand and give it a firm twist.  The parsley then goes into the pot.

Bruising the parsley
Bruising the parsley

The only thing that should need real attention is the leeks, because of how they grow the leeks tend to have a lot of soil throughout its layers, you’ll want that gone.

Look what I found
Look what I found

Cut the leek lengthwise then cut it again into a few segments.  You end up with long(ish) semi circular leaves.

Ready to be washed
Ready to be washed

Place the cut leek into a bowl of cold water and swish the pieces around to dislodge the soil. If there is clingy soil go ahead and gently rub it off.  The soil will sink and the leek will float.

If you need to rub the soil off.
Separate the layers to be sure the soil has no place to hide.

Lift the leek out of the water to a strainer, it is important that you lift the leeks out rather than dump the water and leeks out into a strainer as you will dump the soil back onto the leeks.

Lift the leeks out of the dirty water
Lift the leeks out of the dirty water

The water will be pretty dirty the first go round.

Dirt, sand and some bugs
Dirt, sand and some bugs

Repeat this process until the water is clean, it took about three washes before the leeks were clean.   Clean leeks go into the pot.

Now you have done most of the prep work and have a pot or aromatics, if you added some fresh or dried mushrooms and a couple of tomatoes you can make a veggie stock.

The hard part is done.
The hard part is done.

At this point you add the bones to the pot, raw or roasted.  Roasted bones can add a much richer flavor to the stock and all you need to do is brown them in the oven, this time I’m only doing raw bones for a basic stock.  For this much stock I used two carcasses that have the meat taken off for other applications.

The gang's all here
The gang’s all here

Add cold water, enough to cover everything in the pot with a little extra for evaporation.

So easy, a child can do it.
So easy, a child can do it.

Put your pot over a low to medium/low heat, the slower you bring your pot to a simmer the better it is for the clarity of the stock.  As the pot comes to temperature you will see a foamy grey substance, this is the “scum” and should be carefully spooned off.  Scum, from what I understand, is impurities from the protein and fat that is separating from the meat and bones, it’s surprisingly solid and easy to remove.  The scum won’t hurt you or affect the taste but will produce a cloudy stock.

You scum!
You scum!

Once the pot comes to a low simmer you just let it go for 4-8 hours, but I’ve been known to allow this to go overnight too.  The long simmer allows time for the collagen in the bones to dissolve into the water along with the flavor from both the aromatics and bones, so the longer the better.  The main concern here is DO NOT BOIL the stock, boiling will break up the solids and scum in the pot and make the stock cloudy.

As it simmers there will be less scum
As it simmers there will be less scum

After about 8 hours the liquid should be fairly clear and your house filled will the savory smell of a well developed chicken stock.

Oh the smell or simmering stock
Oh the smell of simmering stock

Take care in the straining process, if done hastily and with little care you will make your stock cloudy and since you’ve worked so hard to have a beautiful golden, clear stock that would be a shame.

I start by carefully taking the solids that are floating near the surface off with tongs allowing them to drain into the pot from a sieve.

Next, using a ladle spoon the rest of the stock through a fine strainer into a clean container.  Use care not to move the solids at the bottom of the pan too much.

Straining the stock
Straining the stock

If you have treated the stock with patience you will notice the beautiful color, aroma and clarity.

Clear
Clear

As the stock settles and cools the excess fat will rise to the top of the container, spoon that off and discard or use it for something else.

Fat cap
Fat cap
Skimmed just like the scum
Skimmed just like the scum

This produced about 6 quarts of good stock which I used for chicken soup and gravy amongst other things.

As the stock cools you will notice that it thickens just a bit, this is due to the collagen extracted from the bones, if your bones to water ratio is heavy on the bones side it will be more viscous.

If you are taking apart the chickens that you’re eating (which you should be) then you should definitely be making your own stock, your cuisine will show a depth of flavor like you can’t imagine with water or store bought stock.  It’s also so easy a child can do it, literally, my eight year old did most of the work here while I took the pictures!

Ingredients

  • The bones of two chickens, most of the meat and fat removed
  • 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 medium leeks
  • 1 bunch of parsley, stems and leaves
  • 4 large carrots
  • 5 ribs of celery or about as much as you have carrot
  • Water, enough to cover ingredients in the stock pot

 

 

 

 

 

Tips, tricks and tools

Butchering a Whole Chicken

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Bird is the word
Bird is the word

Breaking down a whole chicken is one of the best ways to save a little money in the kitchen, but besides that it’s a great skill to know because you have ingredients for stock and you have the chicken cut the way you want it.

There are typically eight pieces to a chicken; 2 each of breast, wing, thigh and leg or drumstick.  There are combinations of some of these parts but typically you see these cuts and I’m happy with them, so that’s what I’ll show you.

The legs, thighs and the wings are easy enough since we really only use them cut one way…off, but the breast has two popular ways we may want them; ribs attached and boneless, so I’ll show both.

Either way you slice it, I like to start with the leg and thigh portion first since it gets about half of the chicken out of my way.

I make the first cut between the thigh and the breast to expose the meat and socket.

Sharp knives make for short work
Sharp knives make for short work

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Even before you make the next cut, pop the thigh bone from the hip socket.

Exposing the joint
Exposing the joint

At this point you should flip the bird over to carve out the oyster meat on the backside.  The oyster is a pocket of dark meat that is super tender and juicy, so you’re not going to want to leave it.  You can find two of these meat jewels on each chicken just behind the hips, if you feel around the chickens lower back you will feel two meaty bits amongst the bone and fat.

The "oyster" of the chicken
The “oyster” of the chicken

Once the oyster is cut out you can cut the thigh off by going through the joint that you dislocated earlier.

054
That’s a thigh leg combo

I like this way of cutting the thigh off because you end up with only the femur through the meat rather than the femur and some hip attached.  You can either leave the thigh and leg attached or you may separate the two quite easily by finding the joint and slicing through it.

To find the joint just bring the bottom of the drumstick to the cut end of the thigh (like a knee bending) and hold in one hand.  You should be able feel the joint with your finger

Find the joint
Find the joint

and slice through it with a sharp knife.   For safety sake I only cut just through the joint.

Slice through the joint
Slice through the joint

I finish the cut on the board where it’s safest.  (I already have a long scar on the side of my hand.)

Finish on the board because I like my fingers
Finish on the board because I like my fingers
Ready to go
Ready to go

Next, I address the wings.

Start with the chicken on it’s breast find the joint where the wing connects to the shoulder blade, make the cut here.  If you have a hard time finding it you should dislocate the joint, this usually helps out making a clear target.  Are you noticing a pattern as to where most of these cuts are made?

Cut where the wing meets the shoulder
Cut where the wing meets the shoulder

Seeing that the breast is so large and the drumette has so little meat, I tend to take a little from the breast to add to the wing when making the cut through.

Through the joint
Through the joint

The wing tip is pretty much all cartilage and bone, so that can come off and go into the stock pot.

Just crunch through it
Just crunch through it

At this point you can leave the wing together or separate them like you might see in a bar slathered in butter and hot sauce.  If that’s what you want, you should separate the forearm section from the drumette.  Find the joint (again) and go through (again).

A couple hundred more of these and we have a party
A couple hundred more of these and we have a party

All that’s left is the breast…and here’s where we can go one of two ways; with the bone or without.  I personally like them without because the breast is so big already it takes longer to cook as it is, but the ribs do offer some protection to over cooking and make for a more impressive cut.

First, with bones.  Using poultry shears cut up the sides of the spine from where the thighs were, towards the shoulders.  This separates the spine from the ribs and breast meat.

Do this on both sides
Do this on both sides
The backbone goes to the stock pot
The backbone goes to the stock pot

What you have now is a “whole” breast with ribs attached, most of the time we want half breasts as it makes for a better portion or cut.

Leaving the breast meat side down cut a slit in the back of the keel bone, right in the center of the breast.

Down the center
Down the center (or off center, I’m not perfect)

You can now crack the breast bone with your hands.

Once slashed it breaks rather easily
Once slashed it breaks rather easily

There is still some cartilage through the breast, I use my chefs knife to get through that with little effort with downward pressure and little to no slicing motion.

Just crunch through once more
Just crunch through once more

Once through the breast bone the breast is easily separated by one or two drags of the knife.

A split breast
A split breast

If you’re like me then you want your breast off of the bone most of the time, here’s how you do it:

First you find the keel bone with your finger.

The bone is that hard thing
The bone is that hard thing

Make your cut along either side of that bone, running along it all the way through the cut.

Usually my knife decides which side comes off first
Usually my knife decides which side comes off first

Working along that keel bone and moving the flesh away with your fingers, keep moving along the curve of the bones in the breast and shoulders.

150

Continue to work through until there is no more to work through.

Now you have a boneless breast halve with skin
Now you have a boneless breast halve with skin

When I’m not occupied with children running around and whether or not the camera is focused, I can usually take apart a chicken in about 5 minutes give or take a minute, so it’s not a hard thing to do.  Practice makes perfect.

Breast, leg, thigh, drumette, wingette or flat
Breast, leg, thigh, drumette, wingette or flat

Now you’re ready to pan roast, fry, fricassee, stew or bake your poultry pieces and you’ll have an easier time eating it, knowing that there are no extra bones standing in your way.  You also saved a couple of bucks in the process, good for you.

The parts of the bird that aren’t the four main “pieces” are by no means trash.  You can use the bones and trimmings to make stock, just be sure to remove any large pieces of fat.

Do remember to wipe everything down with soap and hot water as to avoid salmonella.

Product Review

Work Sharp WSKTS Product Review

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003

As a follow up to my Knives post, I thought I would try a product review.  I saw this tool at a gun show about a year ago and thought that it was very interesting, especially if it did what it was expected to.  I read several reviews, watched some videos on it and finally decided that I should give it a chance.  The knife blog sort of sent me over the edge.

The Work Sharp model WSKTS basically claims to be a handheld belt sander, this is essentially what you will be paying for if you were to take your knife somewhere to have a new edge ground on, and one look at it will tell you that it is in fact a tiny grinder.  It has guards and guides to follow to get a uniform edge on your tool or knife and different grit levels to choose from depending on the level of grinding you want to do.  I got the package today and was excited to see what it could do for me.

unboxed with the kitchen knife guide on, the grey outdoor/scissor guide and extra belts
Un-boxed with the kitchen knife guide on, the grey outdoor/scissor guide and extra belts

I have had a few knives that have never seemed to have a great edge on them so those became my guinea pigs.  I grabbed my utility and boning knife, both from the culinary school kit, previously I couldn’t cut butter with these things and I didn’t have the skill to put a new edge on with a whetstone.

Dull as a spoon
Dull as a spoon

The users manual says that the green belt is for grinding tools and is the coarsest grit so I did not need that belt today, instead the red medium grit was the proper belt according to the manual.  The guide made the angle easy enough to dial in since there was no choice and the grip has the “on” switch built where your index finger goes, needless to say this machine seems fool proof.  That being said there is a bit of skill involved, I came to discover.  You need to pull straight back on the knife without elevating the handle at all or you will round the tip of your knife, which I did but only slightly and it can be fixed.  Also, steady speed is important especially with the coarser grit, otherwise you will put a bevel into your blade (I didn’t do this, but saw others do it online).

Easy peasy
Easy Peasy

The second belt the manual instructed me to use was the “honing belt,” this belt feels fairly smooth to the touch and basically acts like a strop to straighten the new edge.  You use this belt the same as the grinding belt only several more times.

Before I ran the knives through I tested it on a strawberry just to see how it cut, though I knew the result would be embarrassing.  It did go through, though I had to saw and it squished quite a bit.  Just to be sure I tried to go through a shallot, it wouldn’t even cut through the thick, papery skin.  After the machining, there is a marked difference, first you can actually see the edge as a thin strip of shinier metal at the bottom of the knife and second it cuts through things like a champ.  I did a couple of  knife edge tests, you know like slicing paper and running it against my fingernail both showed the knives were very sharp.

Now it's got bite
Now it’s got bite

Needless to say I took all of the knives off of the magnet and sharpened them all, in doing this I found that many of the cheaper knives had nicks in them and the Work Sharp was able to grind them out to a smooth sharp edge.  I also did my wife’s fabric scissors, which she says that we’ve dulled by cutting paper, and my kitchen shears, both performed very well after the sharpening.

With some practice you should be able to use the Work Sharp to sharpen blades you use in the home quite effectively.  So, if you work with bladed tools like I do or you use different blades in the garden like a hoe or ax you should give this tool a chance as it’s much cheaper then taking knives to someone to grind them for you at about $10 a blade.  If you don’t use bladed tools all that much just bring yours over and I’ll be glad to sharpen them up for you.  Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to find more to sharpen.

 

Vegetables

Zucchini Pasilla Succotash

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Zucchini pasilla succotash
Zucchini pasilla succotash

Succotash is a a dish primarily composed of fresh corn kernels with beans and sometimes an addition of peppers.  My succotash keeps the fresh corn but swaps the beans for zucchini and adds pasillas for a bit of heat.  I serve this with Mexican food as a change up to rice and beans, since both are starches I generally go with one or the other and sub a delicious fresh veggie in it’s the place.

Really all this dish is about is prep, the cooking is simple once the cutting is done.

Zucchini, pasilla, onion, corn
Zucchini, pasilla, onion, corn

Pasillas generally are a mild pepper that cause little or no pain, but a few weeks ago I ran into some that were insanely hot and even cause my fingers to burn.  So, always taste the peppers  to determine if you will be using all that the recipe calls for.  (Seriously, they were mutant fire peppers)

Start by taking the tops off of the peppers then removing the ribs and seeds.  Next cut into thin planks or “julienne.”

Planks
Planks

Turn the planks 90 degrees and dice the peppers.

dice
dice

Dice the onion.

onions

I like to cut my squash sort of big since they cook fairly quickly and will go soft then break apart.  So, first I cut the ends off and cut it in half.  The squash is then quartered lengthwise.

quarters squash

Next slice into a…rounded triangle, I don’t know what shape that is.

Rounded triangle
Rounded triangle

Next is the star of the show, the fresh corn.  I was surprised to find fresh corn this time of year, but I did and it was good and sweet.

Start by husking and making sure there is no silk on the corn, cut the bottom end off of the corn to make a flat surface.  Take two bowls, one small and one large, invert the small bowl inside the large bowl to make a corn kernel collection receptacle.  Stand the corn up on top of the bottom of the small bowl and slice down the cob to remove the kernels.

Plastic bowl to protect my blade
Plastic bowl to protect my blade

The cob may now look barren but there is a sugary liquid still tucked inside that I want to get out.  Turn your knife over and scrape the cob it to “milk” the cob.

This part is a bit messy
This part is a bit messy

Pre heat the pan over medium heat to saute the onions and pepper in about a teaspoon of canola oil.  Allow the onions and peppers to take on some color then you can salt them, if you salt immediately extra water will be drawn out and the veggies won’t take on the color you want.   The pan should be sizzling.  Saute means “jump” in french so if you should keep the pan moving so as not to burn your food.

Sizzle
Sizzle

Once the onions and peppers soften and have browned some, turn the heat up to medium high and add the zucchini, the pan should still be sizzling.  Cook the squash until it is about halfway done, 3-5 minutes, some color is good on the zucchini.

Squash is added
Squash is added

The corn is added and will cook quickly.  You want the corn to be crisp, and sweet when your done so this will only take a couple of more minutes (taste the food throughout the process to gauge seasoning and doneness).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

corn

At this point you’ve noticed a brown build up at the bottom of the pan, this is fond.   Fond is flavor and you want that flavor in the food not on the pan, this is why we deglaze.  I used a bit of tequila and scraped the pan with a spoon mixing the brown bits into the food. Taste to make sure the alcohol is burned off.

TEQUILA!
TEQUILA!

When all the vegetables are done to your liking, your done.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 pasillas
  • 2 ears of sweet corn
  • 1/4 cup of tequila
  • salt and pepper to taste
Main Dishes

Carnitas

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Pile o' meat
Pile o’ meat

Carnitas are a traditional Mexican dish that’s normally fried in seasoned pork fat until it’s tender, crispy and delicious.  Carnitas can be used in in tacos, taquitos, tortas and nachos just to name a few applications or just eaten with a fork.  It’s one of those foods that might disappear before it’s actually mealtime due to aggressive tasting.

This recipe is much less messy than having a couple of gallons of molten manteca in a huge copper pot but produces meat that is just as, if not more so, delicious and tender because I braise my pork.  Braising is a method where meat is cooked for hours partially submerged in liquid, it is generally applied to a tough muscle in order to breakdown the connective tissue in the muscle.  I used a picnic roast, the lower part of the shoulder, it has good fat content and bones that will impart great meaty flavor.

Pork, cilantro, onions, peppers, tomato and oregano
Pork, cilantro, onions, peppers, tomato and oregano

I tend to buy the untrimmed roasts just for the fact that they are cheaper, anytime a butcher puts a knife to meat you pay for it, though I do use the skin to make cracklins or chicharones.

Trimming is not hard, I start by cutting a slit all the way up the skin then pulling it back to expose the fat.  Just keep the knife up against the skin’s fat and continue to lift and swipe to separate the skin from the meat.

skin
Try to leave the meat and take the skin

Continue to go all the way around the roast until it’s completely skinned.  I slow roasted to the skin to render the fat and crisp the outside for a crunchy little snack while the carnitas finishes.

Ain't she pretty?

Ain’t she pretty?

The hard part is done (except the waiting).  The roast now goes into a heavy pot with all of the aromatics, herbs and spices, along with the braising liquid.  Top the roast with six whole garlic cloves, a rough chopped medium sized onion, 1 tsp of dried oregano (rubbed after you measured), two sprigs of stripped thyme and a tablespoon of kosher salt.  Fill the pot about a third the way up the meat.

Don't wash the spices off of the meat.
Don’t wash the spices off of the meat.

Cover your pot with the heavy lid or a double layer of heavy foil and place in a 325 degree oven.  The meat will go from 3-6 hours depending on the size of the roast, I flip the pork at about the two hour mark so it will cook evenly.

Time to flip
Time to flip

When you can begin to twist the the bone inside the roast it’s almost done.  Remove the liquid and the aromatics, blend them with a stick or traditional blender and set on the stove top to keep warm.

Put the meat back in the oven uncovered for about 30-45 minutes or until the roast has browned and the bone is completely loosened and comes out easily and clean.

All done
All done

Shred the meat with two forks, or if you have leathery hands of steel then you can use them.

The bone goes to the dog.
The bone goes to the dog.
Try not to eat to much.
Try not to eat too much.

Before serving add some of the blended braising liquid to the shredded pork, this adds tons of flavor and good moisture to the carnitas.  There is so much flavor in this sauce that I can’t help but to just dip the meat into it and eat just like that.

Now, eat it, however you like.  I like mine on fresh corn tortillas that have a bit of char on them with queso fresco and avocado or tomatillo salsa.

Right

Ingredients

  • 1 untrimmed bone in picnic roast
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 medium roughly chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, measured then rubbed
  • 2 sprigs of thyme stripped
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 16 fl oz chicken stock

 

 

 

Starches

Fresh Pasta

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When I was in culinary school my chef instructor told us that fresh pasta would change our lives, he was telling the truth.  Fresh pasta has a texture that can’t be touched by dried pasta; a toothsome quality that just isn’t achievable with dried.  What is a good dish can be made great with a little effort.

This recipe is a basic pasta recipe and serves as the start ravioli, linguini, pappardelle or lasagna.  It also has a super short list of ingredients, only flour, eggs and salt.

When measuring flour you will often see “sifted” in the description, but what does that mean?  Sifting should be done before measuring since the flour has been settling in whatever container it has been in and even though the bag may say “pre-sifted”, it needs another sifting.  Sifting is also important to separate the individual granules of flour before we introduce a wet ingredient to allow for more rapid ingredient incorporation.

Sift before measuring
Sift before measuring

Measure out 3 1/2 cups of flour, level them off with a butter knife.

Leveling with the back of a knife
Leveling with the back of a knife

As you measure each cup, mound the flour onto a wooden surface.  Wood is the best surface for kneading doughs, it’s warmth and grain help the dough work with you rather than sliding around like it might on a smoother surface.

Make a well in the mound for the eggs to go into, as you will see it is important to build the well wider with thick walls rather than tall with thinner walls.

Well, well, well.
Well, well, well

Place the eggs into the well and add the salt.

The gangs all here
The gangs all here

Once all the ingredients are together, start to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients by stabbing the yolks and swirling them, just touching the flour walls to bring everything together.

Mix gently
Mix gently

If you hit the walls too much or are an inferior flour wall architect, such as myself, you will break through and have a bit of a mess on your hands.

 

Blowout
Blowout

Not to worry, it’ll come together, you will just have a bit more to scrape off of your table and hands.

Try to keep it together
Try to keep it together

As soon as you have a soft mass of egg and flour that you can move as one, you can start to use your hands.  Move the loose flour away from the messy looking baby dough ball, the ingredients will really start to come together fast here and you don’t want to have too much flour to egg.  You can always add more flour but it’s hard to add moisture to dough.  Continue to gently move the dough around your floured surface, turning the lump into itself.  When the dough is solid and you can move it with one hand it’s time to knead.

Not pretty
Not pretty

If you’ve made bread then you should be familiar with the next step, kneading.  Kneading develops the gluten in the pasta through the stretching and rolling of the dough.

Begin by using the heel of your hand to make a dent in dough about in the middle, all the while pushing forward with steady pressure to stretch it.

Down and away from you.
Down and away from you.

Pull back the dough, rolling with you fingertips.

pull and roll
pull and roll

When your dough is rolled up push down and forward slightly, compressing the dough to seal it.

push forward slightly
push forward slightly

Once the dough is rolled up like a pudgy burrito turn it 90 degrees and repeat the process until you have a smooth, firm dough that will bounce back when you poke it.  It should be fairly dense.

Dough
Dough

Once your dough is finished, wrap it with plastic and refrigerate for about an hour.  You can now use the dough in any number of your favorite pasta dishes.

Fresh pasta cooks in a fraction of the time dried pasta cooks in.  I made fettuccine with this recipe buy rolling out to a thin sheet, rolling it up and slicing into strands.  The pasta only took about a minute to reach al dente.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups of sifted flour

4 eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Tips, tricks and tools

My Most Used Equipment

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“I have a thing for tools” -Tim Allen

Much like Mr. Allen, I too, have a thing for tools…just not the same type of tools he has a thing for.  My thing is kitchen tools, I love gadgets that help me to form food to my will or just plain make everyday food possible in the home.  This post won’t be a list of every gizmo or doodad that I have, but a top ten of the most used equipment in my kitchen.  My hope is to help you to become a more effective home cook.

I have not listed these in any particular order as on any given day I may say that a certain tool is my most needed.

#1  Knives

Knives on a magnet
Knives on a magnet

Most meals will start with a knife and may end with a knife.  The knife may be the most feared tool in the kitchen, but a sharp knife is worth it’s weight in gold.

I still remember my first knife set, it was a set of Farberware from JC Penny and immediately I found I had made a mistake.  This set was stamped steel with cheap plastic handles.  The blades didn’t really have an edge, they had teeth because that steel won’t hold an edge.  The majority of the set I currently use is from my culinary school set.  Most of my knives are forged steel with full tang, rivets in the handle and hold an edge very well.

A well equipped kitchen will have several knives, but the workhorse of any set is easily the “chef’s” knife, with practice the chef’s can do most anything you might need a knife to do in the kitchen.  If you only have the money for either a cheap set of stamped steel knives or one  good chef’s knife, go with the chef’s it will make your life so much easier.

While my 8 inch chef’s knife is the most used in my collection I have many that make my life easier when it comes to any knife necessary activity.  A good set should include a couple of pairing knives for small jobs, a filet for fish, a slicer for roasts and a bread knife for bread of course.

I keep my knifes on a magnetic bar mounted to the wall, this serves two purposes; 1. to protect the blades themselves and 2. to protect my family’s hands from knives in the drawers.  I steel my knives before every use so I know it is at it’s sharpest.

#2 Boards

3 sizes of boards
3 sizes of boards

If you have knives you should definitely have cutting boards, as you will need something to cut on.  Cutting directly on the counter is a serious offense against your knives as they will ruin the edge not to mention damage the counter surface.

If you take one thing away from this post it’s NEVER EVER use one of those cutting boards you may find hidden under your counter, they are typically made of some sort wood that will splinter when introduced to a sharp blade, which you will then eat and, even worse, harbor harmful bacteria that you will also eat.

My boards are all white plastic and carry the NSF seal.  NSF is the National Sanitation Foundation and products with the stamp show that according to the NSF, said product will not harbor microbial life within itself.  The white plastic also makes it easy for me to see any food particles I may have missed during a wash and allow me to bleach the boards periodically.

NSF seal
NSF seal

#3 Bowls

Bowls
Bowls

If there is one tool that I cannot get enough of, it’s bowls.  Small bowls, big bowls, ridiculously big bowls or itty bitty bowls, I want them.

Mise en place or putting in place is a term that is drilled into you in any good cooking course and you see it all the way up to the big boys on food network, it’s basically having all your prepped food in a bowl ready for application to the recipe.  Having your ingredients in their place will pretty much guarantee a smooth cooking session making it a more pleasurable experience for you.

Most of my ingredient bowls and all of the mixing bowls are either metal or glass, this is because plastic tends to bond to fats creating a greasy feeling bowl even after multiple washes. (think tupperware you store meat sauce or macaroni salad in)

#4 Towels

Towels of many colors
Towels of many colors

“Towels?” you say.  Yes, towels.  From saving you money to saving you skin, towels serve a vital role in my everyday cooking.

In my early days of cooking I went through many a roll of paper towels while drying off boards and counters, of course I didn’t buy them so I didn’t know that I was wasting money all the while.  My best friend’s mother  pointed out that I should be using a  cloth towel to wipe things since the could be washed.  Who would have thought about drying something with a towel?

Later in my schooling it took a hard lesson to drive into my muscle memory to handle all things with a dry towel.  I was serving some red potatoes from the stove top, little did I know that the metal serving spoon had been resting over an open burner set on high, I actually heard a sizzling sound.  From then on out I have a towel in one of my hands to handle anything from sheet pans from the oven to pan handles on the stove top.

#5 Pepper Mill

Fresh cracked pepper
Fresh cracked pepper

Little needs to be said about this tool, it cracks peppercorns so you can add them to your food.

Fresh pepper is better than not fresh pepper, it’s just a fact.  The oils in peppercorns start to dry up as soon as they’re cracked, dumbing down the flavor and forcing you to use more, even then you wont have the proper flavors that the pepper has to offer.

#6 Measuring Equipment

Measuring Tools
Measuring Tools

Dry, liquid, and weight are the types of measurement you will run into in the kitchen.  As you can see I have all those bases covered.  Any measuring equipment you have should be free of dings and dents as these will affect the actual measurement of ingredients.

Liquid measuring cups are meant for just that, liquid.  I prefer the glass, mine have both standard and metric units on either side of the cup.  Dry measuring cups are what you would use for things like flour, sugar and rice.  Dry is meant for dry solid ingredients and liquid for fluid, while similar in volume they do differ some and will affect a recipe’s outcome.

Measuring spoons are for measuring small amounts of ingredients into partial or full teaspoons (tsp) or tablespoons (Tbsp).

I also have a small counter top kitchen scale which I use to measure things by weight, which is actually a much more accurate way to measure dry ingredients.  An electric scale should go from standard to metric and zero out so you can use a bowl on top of it.  I usually cover mine in some plastic before weighing meat or other messy things.

#7 Spoons

Spoons
Spoons

Whether it’s metal or wooden you need spoons and not just for eating the end result of your cooking session.

Wooden may be my most used utensil while cooking a dish as far as how much time it spends in my hand, simply because I need it to stir things.  Wooden spoons are ideal for moving food around your pots and pans because they don’t conduct the heat to your hand and are generally too soft to scratch your non stick cookware.

The other type of spoon I’ve pictured here is just a plain old metal spoon from my silverware drawer.  This tool quite possibly is the most important for making sure your dish is seasoned properly, I use this spoon as a tasting spoon.  Throughout the cooking process you should taste every component of the dish and the dish as a whole after every step to make sure that the flavors you are trying to layer are there.  What is food if it doesn’t taste good?

#8 Stand Mixer

Shiny stand mixer
Shiny stand mixer

The stand mixer simply makes life easier.  I could whip a meringue or fresh cream by hand, I could slice then mince meat to resemble ground and I could make a dough with a spoon, but why?  I’ve done these things and I’m confident in my ability to do these things but modern technology gives me a machine that will do those tedious and tiring tasks in much less time than I ever could because my arm just doesn’t go that fast.

There are many  good mixers, but I really like the Kitchen Aid.  Besides the obvious job of combining ingredients together, this mixer has a list of attachments that allow the home cook more options in preparation methods that you might not be able to do without a specialized piece of equipment.  We use the grinder quite a bit for meat, vegetables and left over bread.

#9 Probe Thermometer

Only used on foods
Only used on foods

How do you know that your chicken has roasted to a safe internal temperature for human consumption? An instant read probe thermometer.

Using a probe thermometer in your meats is hands down the best way to yield a juicy meal, not to mention avoiding food poisoning.  Just remember that carry over cooking will take place and your meat will continue to rise in internal temperature during it’s resting period.

I also tend to use the probe on breads and chocolate, as well as determining the temperature of cooling foods before placing in the fridge, since a container of hot food will bring your refrigerator’s temperature up.

#10 Cast Iron Pans

Cast Iron
Cast Iron

If you follow my blog and look at my pictures you will notice that I use my cast iron pans more than any other cooking vessel in my cupboards.  Cast iron is also my gift of choice to new cooks and as a housewarming present.  My cast irons will go from the stove to the oven to the grill then to a camp fire.  I have used my cast irons as  weights to go on top of paninis and as a pizza stone, I have even baked fine crusty breads in them.  I have a cast iron crush.

Only one of my cast irons was bought new, all of the rest were either given to me or I found in a second hand store.  These pans will last for a VERY long time when shown the proper respect and care.  Once the pan is seasoned all you need to do to clean it is wipe it with a soft cloth and maybe some plain water, dry it (I set mine over low heat to make sure there is no water) and smear a little oil on it. NEVER use soap.  The patina that builds up on the seasoned pan will make a non stick surface that will blow any manufactured product away in my mind.

These are the tools that make it into my culinary quiver on a regular basis, hopefully this will help to shape the way you approach a recipe and make your cooking or baking session that much more pleasant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Dishes

Carbomb Shepherd’s Pie

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Hot comfort food family style

It’s winter, well in most of the country not so much here in Southern California, and your family wants something warm and filling in their bellies.  This recipe uses Guiness and whisky to create a rich sauce for that lip smacking, stick to your ribs meal that’s perfect for the cold months of the year.

This recipe is for a full house, we’re a family of 5 and only ate about a third of the pan and we all got our fill.

Shepherds ingredients
Gather your ingredients

Shepherd’s pie really is just a thick stew covered with mashed potatoes and baked to a delicious, bubbly, caramelized dish of goodness.

Instead of ground meat I opt for chuck roast, it’s flavorful and will cook down to a tender beefy bite.  Along with the usual carrots and celery I add turnips and baby portobello mushrooms to make this particular pie extra filling.

Butterfly the chuck roast
Butterfly the chuck roast
Cut into strips
Cut into strips

The chuck needs to be broken down into bite sized pieces.  I butterfly the roast first, then cut into strips and finally into cubes of about 1 inch by 1 inch, all the while cutting out any silver skin or big pieces of fat that will just be chewy when cooked.

Once the meat is cubed we can start to build flavors by searing the meat in batches.  If you overcrowd the pan you will boil the meat rather than sear it and it won’t develop flavors correctly.  The pan should sound likes it’s applauding you, most likely because you’re searing correctly.  Set the browned meat aside.

Brown in batches
Brown in batches (…and the crowd goes wild.)
Sweat the onions and garlic
Sweat the onions and garlic

Sweating should have little noise and the food should have no color developing.  Salt at this point to draw water out to assist the sweat.

Deglaze pan with beer
Deglaze pan with beer

Add the beef back to the pan and deglaze with the Guiness then add the beef stock and bay leaves and thyme.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Roasted bite size root veg
Roasted bite size root veg

Roasting vegetables helps for the vegetables to retain their natural flavor and texture.

Cut your carrots, celery and turnips to be the same size or a bit smaller and roast in the over at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until they just start to brown, turn halfway through.  The vegetables should not be done just yet.

I used a roux to thicken the sauce.  This roux is made with about equal parts butter and flour.  It’s best to heat the butter until the sizzling calms down, this means much of the water is cooked out and the flour won’t clump so easily.  Cook the roux for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste but we’re going for a blonde roux so don’t brown it.

Heat the butter until sizzling subsides
Heat the butter until sizzling subsides
Add the flour to the butter and whisk
Add the flour to the butter and whisk

You will add the roux to the stewing meat followed by the roasted veggies.

Mushrooms go with beef like peas go with carrots, so I added mushrooms to this recipe…boozy mushrooms.

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth, remove the woody part of the stem, quarter them and saute them in a bit of butter.

You can do this with practice
You can do this with practice

Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of whisky.  (You don’t need to flambe, but why not?)

Whisky fire
Whisky fire

Add the mushrooms and whisky to the meat and veggie pot.

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You could eat this but good things come to those who wait

So, the stew is done, now we need the potato topping.  I use a plain russet potato because it’s plentiful, easy to get and just tastes good.  Wash, then peel your spuds and slice them to promote quick even cooking.  Place in a pot along with 4 garlic cloves and fill with cold water just to cover.  Simmer the potatoes until they are fork tender.

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Cold water just enough to cover

Use a hand mixer to mash and fluff the potatoes add butter, milk, salt and pepper.  You have mashed potatoes.  You want these slightly thicker than your normal mashed potatoes so the gravy doesn’t run too much into them.

Family style dish
Dollop the mashed onto the stew

Now to put the pie in this dish by layering the potato over the stew, I like to use a cast iron for many casserole type dishes because it has the handle and the pan will stay hot for the whole meal.

Smooth but not too smooth
Smooth but not too smooth

You don’t want the topping to be too smooth, the peaks and valleys will create a wonderful crusty potato layer.

Individual size
Individual size

You can also put the pies in single serve crocks.  Actually, I like this a little better since you don’t have to put the hot bubbling pie onto flat plate where the gravy has a tendency to run.

However you decide to package your shepherd’s pie, dot the top with butter and bake it in the oven at 450 until it’s a hot, bubbly, browned dish of belly filling happiness.

With a Guiness of course
With a Guiness of course

Ingredients

-Stew

  1. 3lbs of boneless chuck cubed to 1×1
  2. 1 large onion roughly chopped
  3. 3 garlic cloves
  4. 2 cups each of carrot, celery and turnip cubed smaller than the meat
  5. 4 cups of baby portobellas cleaned and quartered
  6. 2 bottles of guiness
  7. 1 quart of beef stock
  8. 1/4 cup of whisky
  9. 2 thyme sprigs
  10. 2 bay leaves
  11. Salt and pepper to taste
  12. 1/4 cup each of butter and flour for roux

Sear the meat in batches in a large pot with a little canola oil, remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Sweat the onions and garlic until translucent.  Deglaze with beer taking care to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the beef stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Add the, beef, bay leaf and stripped thyme.  Simmer until the meat is tender.  Season and taste.

Cube the carrot, turnip and celery.  Toss the veggies in about 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes turning at 15 minutes.

Make the roux by heating the butter in a pan until it foams and the sizzling has reduced, at this point add the flour to the butter stirring all the while with a whisk.  Cook the roux for about 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the roux to simmering liquid with the whisk until you reach your desired thickness then add the root vegetables to the stew to finish cooking.  Season and taste.

-Mashed potato

  1. 10 small-medium russet potatoes
  2. 1/4 cup of butter softened
  3. 1 1/2-2 cups of milk room temperature
  4. Salt and pepper to taste
  5. 4 garlic cloves

Wash, peel and slice the potatoes.  Place the potato and garlic in a boiling pot with enough cold water to cover them.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Strain and allow the potatoes to release the excess steam/moisture.

Mash the potatoes with a hand mixer, this will fluff the potatoes as well.  Once the potatoes are uniformly mashed add the butter and about a cup of the milk, you want the potatoes to be thick enough to stack, think Richard Dreyfus in “Close Encounters.”  Depending on the amount of moisture still in the potato the milk will vary.  Season and taste

Place the stew in a casserole, crock or cast iron skillet and top with the mashed potatoes.  Top the pie with pats of butter and bake at 450 until the top has browned and the stew is bubbly.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, serve with a Guiness draught stout.