Trying Sous Vide

I've been curious about sous vide for sometime and took the plunge when I came across an Anova One for ~$160 on Amazon's Cyber Monday deal. Sous vide cooks by submerging vacuum sealed food in water at perfectly controlled temperature compared to traditional cooking methods where you heat up a pan or oven to few hundred degrees while trying to cook until desired doneness and try to pull the food from the heat source at the perfect time which becomes a quickly dwindling window. The problem with traditional methods is that it over cooks the outside with food like steak creating a grey band while aiming for between 130~139 fahrenheit in the center for medium rare where else sous vide doesn't run this risk because the water immersion is heated between 130~139 fahrenheit to cook the steak to a perfect medium rare from edge to edge. After sous vide traditional methods to cook a steak feels like the very definition of Schrodinger's cat. Another amazing benefit is not running the risk of overcooking your meat and can even leave it cooking longer to tenderize. The one shortfall with sous vide is that it doesn't create a Maillard reaction, which in laymen's terms is to brown your food. Specifically Maillard reaction is when proteins are super heated where sugars and amino acids breakdown to create that savory flavor, those lovely smells when steaks are cooked on a grill. With the Anova One delivered today I am in the midst of sous vide cooking a couple of blade cut steaks with carrots and asparagus to follow.

The Anova One is extremely straight forward to setup. The box contains device, power cord, and manual along with warranty and looking at the Anova One there is no mystery as to where the power cord goes and how it mounts on the side of a container. Initial power up has you pick either Celsius and Fahrenheit and then you're onto picking temp and time. Like I said, simple. So simple in fact I read the manual only to find out how to clean and maintain the device. Next comes food prep and that means a way to seal your food in an air tight bag. I didn't want to invest in a vacuum sealer quite yet so I used zip lock bags with the water displacement method, which like anything has its pros and cons. With the proteins I was able to get a better seal and the weight made up for any air in the bag to keep the food submerged, but with vegetables I couldn't get as much air out in comparison and would float which is slightly annoying having to binder clip a wooden spoon to pin the bags down in order to keep the veggies submersed. Another option with zip lock bags to to simply keep it open and clip it to the edge of the container, which I plan on trying out.

Cooking if you want to call it that is as simple as cooking with a crock pot. First I cooked the meat at 138 fahrenheit and the veggies followed at 190.

The meat pulled and veggies in, I realized an error in my methods. I'm so used to cooking various things at different timing on the range and to account for meat to rest that I now have to worry about the meat getting cold while the water comes to temp for the veggies which is slower than I imagined would be. I left the steaks in the zip lock bag to keep them as warm as possible while I busied myself preparing the next steps. I planned on searing the steaks in an iron skillet with fresh thyme and sage with oil and butter in the last few minutes of the veggies cooking. Once the water comes to 190 I drop the carrots in which have a fifteen minute cook time and the asparagus five minutes which mean they will be dropped the last five minutes of the carrot's cook time. I bring the skillet with oil to temp and as the asparagus are dropped I begin to sear the steaks basting with a spoon once I add the butter. Everything comes out at the same time, which is awesome and really easy to time things with sous vide compared to traditional cooking. To my joy the steaks aren't cold and the searing brought the steaks up to perfect serving temp. The vegetables are finished simply on the plate with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I pull the red herb potatoes from the oven and plate and couldn't be happier with the results. The steak was very tender and the medium rare just perfect and the vegetables maintained a vibrant color with perfect texture.

I left the Anova One running to hold temp at 140 and when I finished dinner I started cooking the tomorrow evening's dinner, country style pork ribs. The ribs were cooked at 140 for twenty two and a half hours and seared seared in the iron skillet with garlic and scallion infused olive oil. I cooked another round of carrots and asparagus sous vide and reheated left over potatoes. It was by far one of the most tender ribs I've ever made, and tasted amazing.

My first experience cooking sous vide is a positive one with lessons learned. Veggies should be cooked first and then the water temp dropped quickly with ice to cook proteins. While the proteins are cooking the veggies can be placed in the water to keep warm without cooking further. Furthermore this means that you can pre-cook veggies at portion size in a vacuum sealed bag in advance and bring to serving temp as the meat cooks as well. With sous vide I found it much easier to time everything coming out at the same time with that translating to being able to plan for exact dinner times next time I invite friends over. Clean up was really easy with the Anova One wiped and dried. I find that an immersion circulator is a worthwhile investment and if you've been thinking of trying sous vide, but aren't convinced yet you can try the stovetop method and see for yourself. The only thing to think of now is what to cook next.

Gumbo!

One of the things I miss about New Orleans is the food. I recently decided to try my hand at gumbo and I settled on a recipe that I liked so I thought to share it with you here. It starts with a 6.5 quart crock pot.

What you will need:

1 1/2 lbs. Bacon (preferably thick cut)
12 oz. Andouille Sausage
2 lbs. Crawfish or Shrimp tails peeled and deveined
1 & 1/4 white onion
1 small bunch of scallions (About 8 to a bundle)
3 Medium Potatoes
2 Large Jalapenos (fresh)
2 Habanero Peppers
1 lb. can of diced Tomatoes
1 lb. Chicken Broth (cartons come in 2 lbs packages, half of one of those)
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 lbs. ~ 3/4 lbs Okra
16 cloves of garlic (I buy them pre-peeled in a tub)
2 oz. Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 oz. Tabasco Sauce
1/8 cup Andy Roo's Creole Gumbo Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Slap Ya Mama Hot Blend
1/8 cup Cayenne Pepper
~1 cup Flour
1/8 cup Basil (dry)
1/8 cup Oregano (dry)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Cilantro (dry)
Water (Will get the amount later)

For the rice:

2 cups Rice
4 cups water
6 Cloves of Garlic
1 Vegetable Bullion or broth/soup base
Butter

Start by pouring half of the carton (1 lb.) of chicken broth in to the crock pot and add the rest of the wet ingredients except for the water (vinegar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and Tabasco sauce). The can of tomatoes will need to be drained than add the entire can to the mix. Add all of the dry ingredients except for the flour (cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, Slap ya Mama, Gumbo seasoning, and cilantro) and stir till mixed than set the crock pot on high while preparing the fresh ingredients. Keep the lid off as you will be adding the ingredients as you prepare them.

Potatoes should be cut to bite size, onion to be quartered than sliced ~2mm wide than rough chopped. Cut the ends off of the okra and dispose, than chop the okra 5~7mm wide rings. Scallion should be sliced to about 3mm wide wings, garlic should be crushed with the flat of chef's knife than roughly minced. Halve the sausage than cut 5~7mm wide. Crawfish or shrimp tail (whichever is available to you) will ideally already be peeled and deveined but if not, this is the time to do it. Jalapenos and Habaneros should be roughly minced and keep the seeds in. Place the lid on the crock pot and time to cook some bacon.

Cook the bacon only till it produces grease (cook but keep soft). Go through the entire 1 1/2 lbs. and you will be saving the bacon grease in to a pyrex measuring cup between each batch to minimize contaminants in the grease as well to take care not to burn it. Once you cook through it all, slice the bacon to 2~3mm wide pieces and add to the gumbo mix. Add hot water to the gumbo mix to fill up the crock pot until it is nearly full at this point and than replace the lid. The bacon should have produced a little bit over a cup's worth which you will need to strain in to a clean pan set to low heat. Once the bacon grease is warmed, slowly add the nearly cup's worth of flour by slowly stirring it in to create the roux which will be added to the gumbo later. The flour to oil ratio is nearly one to one, you will need to continue to stir in flour until you get a putty like texture. Add the roux to the gumbo once it is hot by stirring it in slowly.

With all the ingredients added, let it cook for three hours or until done. While this is going, prepare some rice. Melt the vegetable bullion in to 4 cups of water and combine with rice in a rice cooker and let cook. Once the rice finish, add butter and stir to your liking. When the gumbo finishes, heap some rice into a bowl and add gumbo and enjoy.

The bestest mac 'n cheese everz!

I have been cooking a mac 'n cheese recipe that is simply addicting; I make it once and everyone wants more.... I stared making double batches and that barely covers the demand. The recipe was never measured and I eyeballed everything for years, I finally had the time to measure it out so here goes the ingredients list.

1 lbs. Medium Shells (yes, I'm aware that it's not the 'mac' part)
1 lbs. Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup mixed shredded cheese (min. 3 cheese mix and must have cheddar in it)
1/2 medium white onion
1.5 Tblsp Brown sugar (Can be light brown, doesn't matter)
Butter (we'll get to the individual measuring in parts)
Milk (it's by sight and feel, a bit more on that later)
Basil (again, by sight and well, I'll show you later in the post)
Bread crumbs (I usually use the Italian style)

You will need the following gear;

Large sauce/fry pan (I use a 5qt Calphalon 5005)
Medium frying pan
3qt oblong Pyrex baking dish
Spatula
Strainer
Large pot for cooking pasta 1 Tblsp measuring spoon
1/2 cup measuring cup

Start boiling some water to cook the pasta and while that is going, mince the white onion. In a medium frying pan, melt 1 Tblsp of butter and saute the white onion over medium heat until they turn opaque. Add the 1.5 Tblsp of brown sugar as the onion's color transitions and continue to caramelize over medium heat and store in a bowl for later use. While the pasta cooks, slice up the 1 lbs. of Velveeta so that it will melt faster and put aside as the prepped Velveeta for later as well. With the pasta finished cooking, drain and replace pasta back into the pan.

Stir, stir, stir!

In a large sauce pan, melt 2 Tblsp of butter over medium heat than add a splash of milk and the Velveeta slices until it melts to a creamy cheese sauce (I have a huge sauce pan that I can fit all of this into, depending on your pan size it may take more than one go at it).

Add the pasta to the creamy cheese sauce and the very important thing is to keep stirring to prevent the cheese from clumping and burning, continue stirring until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the caramelized onions next than the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and you may want to add a splash of milk as you add the shredded cheese to maintain the creamy consistency, if it is really hard to stir than it is likely too dry. Once it's all mixed, shake on a layer of basil to evenly cover the top and mix that in as well. With all ingredients thoroughly mixed, take it off the heat and is now ready to be transferred to a Pyrex baking dish.

Just basiled

Pour the deliciousness in a 3qt oblong Pyrex baking dish and cover the top with breadcrumbs. Place the Pyrex in the oven at 350~400 degrees until the top layer browns slightly, careful not to dry it out!

Let cool before eating, or it will be like eating molten lava; albeit delicious molten lava.

Balsamic Vinaigrette glazed grilled Portobello mushroom

I was at the supermarket last night grabbing some last minute dinner supplies as I walk by fresh and whole Portobello mushrooms and I tried to remember the last time I had some and couldn't recall, so decided to pick some up. Along with it are some steaks and spuds, and its a little over ninety degrees outside with the first official heatwave in Massachusetts in 2012 and the humidity is an unforgiving eighty-five percent so what I want to do is to minimize my cook time, for that matter grill only in an attempt to keep the kitchen and interior as cool as possible.

Since it is hot as hell out, I need a method to stay cool while grilling and what better than some ice cold beers? Whenever it's this hot out, I think of my old hood in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and one of the things that always amused me was the advertisement by the various local packies, varieties, and grocers of having the 'Coldest beer in town' to 'Colder beer than the other guy' and so on, starting a flame war of the coldest beer in da hood via signage down Atlantic Ave and Bedford Ave. I decided to pick up Modelo at the local liquor store since I have never had it and also thought that being a product of Mexico, I figured that they (Mexico and their brewers) would have come up with a beer for hot weather and when the Modelo's are ice cold (but not colder than the other guy...), they are fantastic; especially in front of my grill which typically runs at around five-hundred degrees.

Oh Brooklyn, how you haven't changed

Back on topic, I unfortunately do not have any pictures of the during process as it has been hot as hell out as I mentioned, and really just wanted to get the cooking in hot weather done with as soon as possible. This said, I did take a picture of the end game, the dinner; and we will arrive to that soon enough. Lets start with the ingredients;

2x whole Portobello mushrooms
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Basil (dry, as a spice)
Black Pepper

The Balsamic Vinaigrette that I used I made a little while back and it's nothing special, you can look up recipes on the web and go with which ever one you feel appeals to you the most. I do not use any sugar or honey in my dressing as some recipes mention as I feel that the sweet of the sugar or honey defeats the vinaigrette.

Clean the mushrooms with water and leave them relatively wet, remove the stem with your hands by bending away at the junction of the mushroom cap and the stem, cut the part of stem that was in the dirt off and discard. Place the cap upside down on a piece of foil that will be big enough to envelope the mushrooms later, halve the stems that you have and place the halves in the hollow of the cap than cover mushrooms liberally with the Balsamic Vinaigrette, likely will need to get your hands dirty here and toss them about so that they are coated all around. Next shake the black pepper and basil across the mushrooms than wrap it all up with the foil.

I gather the grilling supplies before leaving the kitchen, the food, the tongs, and of course; that cold beer to beat this heat. Typically when I turn on the grill, I wait a few minutes to let the grill come to temp before putting anything on but it's different this time around, once the grill is lit, I put the mushrooms on the top rack as I want indirect heat to cook it to keep from overcooking the mushrooms. Before going on, let me say that I use a gas grill and the rate at which it heats up is relatively consistent and this method maybe a different result for those of you that use a charcoal grill. The idea is to gradually bring it all up to temp so that the mushrooms don't dry out. I keep it on the top rack for around 10 minutes, than I move it the bottom rack to get some direct heat for about 3~4 minutes, than back on the top rack for another 5 minutes or so. While it cooks, you should be able to hear some sizzling sounds as the oil in the vinaigrette will heat up.

The mushrooms once cooked, should be soft and cooked through but still have a little 'snap' when you bite into it, that would be how you know you got the cook time right for your particular grill, enjoy.

Top right of the dish, mushroom halved and yes, that is a Superman tablecloth.

Sweet Tangy Zesty Spicy (STZS) BBQ Sauce

I mentioned earlier that I was getting around to developing a BBQ sauce and I have one that I liked and I thought I would share with you all here. Taking the sage advice of EMT, I have decided to step up my sauce game.

Lets start with the ingredients list:

2 Red Delicious apples
1 Mango
Dash of Nutmeg & Paprika
2 Jalapeno peppers
3 Habanero Peppers
1/2 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Heaping Tblsp minced garlic
1 Cup Water
2 1/2 Cups Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1/8 cup Gulden's Mustard
1/8 cup Sriracha
1/3 cup Original Frank's Redhot
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 Tblsp sea salt
2 Tblsp Coarse ground black pepper
1/2 Tblsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 Tblsp White pepper
1/8 cup molasses
1/8 cup green Tabasco
1/2 Tblsp onion powder
1/2 Tblsp garlic powder
1/2 Tblsp Chili Powder

My initial issues I had to work out was excess char from various sugars and decided to cook the apples which helps break down the natural sugars. I leave the apple skin on, quarter them and put them on a plate, dashes of the Nutmeg and Paprika to cover the apples evenly than microwave for 6 minutes on high.

Next comes the food processor portion where I process together the cooked apples, mango (I leave the skin on and dice it), and the peppers together until it produces a chutney like consistency. Withe the chutney prepared, I add the olive oil and miced garlic to a pot large enough to hold around 2 liters of volume to infuse the oil with the garlic than pour in the chutney and the cup of water while stirring and drop the heat to medium. It is really key from this point forward to constantly stir the sauce!

I stir in the rest of the ingredients one by one until thoroughly mixed and once every ingredient is stirred in, drop the heat to a simmer and cook for the next 20 minutes and yes you guessed it, stirring the whole time. As for an order of ingredients, I do not really have one, typically I put in liquid, than Newtonian fluid, than dry ingredients. This recipe will create around 7.5 cups of sauce and this is the mild recipe. For the hot recipe, double up the hot sauces and add 1 more Habanero and for extra hot, I substitute Ghost peppers for Jalapeno peppers. If you try this, let me know your thoughts on it.

Developing some BBQ sauce, and other miscellaneous things

Warmer weather has just about arrived here in Massachusetts and it's time to resume some regular BBQ. I get to a point on any projects where I simply need to take a break before something I enjoy doing feels like a job or a chore and ardent transforms to arduous. Well, I hit that point recently with watches and don't worry; I am getting back to it but I simply need time away from it (I am super excited about an upcoming new dial design which I plan to use on a Molnija 3601). Well, about the BBQ sauce idea for something different to my everyday.

Spicy BBQ sauce that is purchased at a store typically ends up being spicy for the sake of spicy and without flavor, which I find pointless as spicy should be a complex flavor of its own and not just about the bite and kick that it can produce. I have been dialing in various methods of savory, sweet, and spicy to come up with a general purpose BBQ sauce that works on a broad range of things. Typically I have been mixing said sauce concoction cold but I am getting to a point where I know I will have to start heating up some of the ingredients to get them to behave as I want them within the sauce.

As for the ingredients for the sauce, keep in mind these are not final and will be altered;

Worcestershire sauce
Frank's Red Hot
Sriracha
Jalapeno pepper
Molasses
Mango
Apple
Bourbon
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onion
Paprika

As soon as I discover the ratio and method, I will be back to post the results and final ingredients.

I started working on the IWC and the Phenix movement (Circa 1902 and 1930 respectively) to switch up my watch work to keep it interesting for myself and also that they are not the typical SWC watches that I will be making out of them so it still feels like a break from the usual. The IWC was in an earlier post (http://iwanttomakeeverything.blogspot.com/2012/03/iwc-caliber-57-19-ligne.html) where I dropped it off to A. Cohen of Boston who helped me locate a replacement mainspring for the watch. The mainspring as it turns out was interchangeable between a a New York & Co. 18 size pocket watch mainspring.

Original Mainspring

With the mainspring replaced, the IWC ticks away strongly but still have some minor issues to work out with the the rest of the gear train and I suspect a good cleaning and oiling should take care of the issues.

As for the Phenix movement, I need to take it apart for a good cleaning. Looking at it it appears that it may have survived a fire or worse. The movement and dial is covered in soot which is suggestive of the fire I suspect and yes, the balance moves freely and I can add tension to the mainspring, it will not tick reliably. See the pictures below to see why;

I came across a French site (http://www.diju.ch/f/notices/detail/7052) that had some info regarding the Phenix watch company which I thought I would re-post here;

The genesis of the Phenix factory begins in 1873, the day Julius Dubail, Jean-Baptiste Joseph Monnin and Frossard Porrentruy founded the company "Dubail, Monnin, Frossard & Co.". On 6 May 1899, she was named "Company of Watchmaking Porrentruy" and also acquired buildings Bassecourt. Jules Dubail leaves the company this year and founded an industrial society to Delle. Six partners are then head of the company: Roussel Galle, Jean-Baptiste Monnin, Louis Dubail, Adolphe Dubail, Joseph and Joseph Frossard Dubail. In February 1902, the "Company Watch" is liquidated. However, it is reborn under a new name "Phenix Watch Co SA, headed by new partners: Edward Boivin, Director, Gaston Daucourt notary Charles Boivin, industrial, Victor Donzelot merchant; Constantine Senn, Director, residing in Delémont. Jean-Baptiste Monnin will in turn create its own society "Monnin Rebetez & Co." and "Monnin & Cie in 1917, removed in 1941.

The Phenix company received several awards at World Fairs and national; La Chaux-de-Fonds (1881), Amsterdam and Zurich (1883), London (1884), Antwerp (1885), Rome (1888), Paris (1889 and 1900), Geneva (1896), Thessaloniki (1931). The company exports to Romania (from 1899), France, Belgium, Austria and Hungary (since 1900), England, Mexico and Denmark (since 1901).

Since the early twentieth century, the operation focuses on making the shows anchor, wristwatch and pocket watch and watch for cars and meters for rockets. It also manufactures all of its supplies. In the 1930s, the company occupies a hundred worker (s) and produces one hundred thousand watches per year. In 1934, the company's management uses Henry Knecht, then aged 24, charged with overall responsibility. A few years later he was appointed director. Since 1939, the Phenix is ​​taken up by the Cantonal Bank of Berne, then transferred to ASUAG (General Federation of watches, created in 1931) and surrendered in 1949 to a group of closely related Barns at Factory clock Nivada . The new Board of Directors consists of Robert Lerch, chairman; Alois Casutt, vice president, Paul Aeschbacher, Secretary; Jakob Schneider, Emil Schneider and Charles Schneider.

By 1961, Phenix is ​​part of the MSR (Manufactures of Swiss watchmaking met SA), along with three other manufacturers: Revue Thommen in Waldenburg, Vulcan in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Buser Freres & Cie SA Niederdorf. In MSR, Vulcan handles the business side, Phenix reassembly Revue Thommen production of blanks and Buser embarks on the construction of measuring instruments for pressure. The group will diversify its production and in 1972 on a turnover of 24.2 million francs, the share rises to 13.4 million watch, diversification products (mainly mechanical and electronic) 10.8 million. In June 1973, the MSR Group, headquartered in Biel, enlisted Marvin House, La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Of the 600 people employed by the MSR Group, the Phenix employs 162. The diversification of the group's activities had resulted in the introduction to Phenix, in 1967, an electronics department who worked full time on behalf of Blanks SA. The factory knows, however, serious difficulties and in 1981 it closed its doors. It then employs fifty people under the leadership of Roland Voisin. Part of the plant is leased to a workshop of watch, another vocational school. The building will be demolished in 1984 to be replaced by a shopping center and apartments.

In 1983, two former workers, and Jacqueline Nicole Mamie Pryxsbor, with the help of the group ETA, founded the company "Prisma".

Well, I think it maybe time to swap out a trigger on my 1911 that I broke recently...

Ken's Burger Conundrum

There is a burger recipe that I have been slowly developing through trial and error and it is at a point where the burger comes out consistently super delicious so I thought that I would share here. My roommate TJC was helping with the BBQ last night and lent a helpful hand to the burgers as well as the name for when he asked what they are called, in my best Dr.Krieger voice pining over his human pig hybrid; 'oh burger conundrum', and that is how that name stuck.

Lets review the ingredients;



Aside from telling you that that was the closest piece of paper that I could find and you not believing me, lets move on. After the title and at the first lion, you see 6lbs of lean ground beef. Yes, 6lbs, you read that right. Next, the first sheep line, 4 medium eggs and the cup of cheese, self explanatory, at first monkey, you will need to mince those onions and fry them along with the 2 table spoons of minced garlic. It is key to cook the garlic and onion now so that it does not alter meat cooking time later. For some reason the most important ingredient was omitted from the list, you will need an entire package of bacon, oven cooked than minced. Once you have all of the ingredients ready, its time to knead all of this together. About the only order to maintain when mixing is add the whiskey second to last and the bacon last.


(hey....you're drooling)


The veggies in a little olive oil over heat


I am cooking after all...


Was this for the burger or me?


The ingredients


Bacon mince! (You're drooling again)



Now to go fire up the grill.