@douglasmorris99

Thank you! That sounds really good. Will definitely make it next week and post the results.

thanks, always appreciate the pics

I don't have the patience to do the whole pic thing
take the pic
send it to email
save to the computer
open pic host
upload pic
open arfcom
post pics....too much effort.

Hey chef.  Stupid question and feel free to make fun of me.

Question is, how do you reheat items like pasta dishes (alfredo) and meatloaf without a microwave?  It punked out on me about a month ago, and I was like "screw it, grandma never needed one". I finally got a new one, but still, what is the best way?  I have tried pan reheating, oven, ect.... it all turns out super dry.  

I am cooking for one, but have been trying to have leftovers for the next day as most recipes are for around 4 servings I have found. Can I somehow steam these dishes?  Thanks for this thread by the way.

Not stupid, m I'll post a few hints in the am.

Assuming you are posting from your phone,  just use the upload feature. No need to host it anymore.

Bottom left button,  choose pic, upload. If using a computer,  of course you have to get the pic on your computer.

Attached File

Cool, thanks!

low, slow and moisture are the core of reheating. pasta dishes/veggies, soups, sauces in the pan, start with some hot water, small amount
slowly add the contents you want reheated.
meats, whole meals think TV Dinners..but not from the frozen state. pie pans work great, place the whole meal in
a pan, sprinkle liberally with some water, cover with foil, place in oven around 325 and check in 20 min for temp of at
least 165 to 200 degrees and your're good to go.
hope that helps it's 4am and coffee's just kickin in..

...

...

Chef, I have a problem with burning things.

More specifically spices on my grilled meats.

I have a charcoal grill and the dome thermometer is usually reading 550* to 600*

I’ll reverse sear, letting the IT come up on the cool side before searing. I flip my meat in 30 second increments when I go to sear.

What do I need to change?

well, the spices have done their job during the reverse sear process,,you can use a pastry brush, and brush off the loose
spices before going for the final "burn" on the edges of your meats..

Why are you "flipping" your meat so often? Once each side is enough

Thank you sir. I’ll try to remember to take a brush out with me next time I grill.

I flip often because I’m trying to keep the spices from burning and I like the crisscross grill marks.

FOOD is art...

Chef, If you have answered this, I apologize and just tell me to read the entire thread. Does silicone have any pros over regular bakeware?  I am about to update mine (never messed with silicone), and just wanted to know if it was worth it.  It seems to be a big flux in price between brands and materials.  Any opinions on what to get?

Chef, how do you manage heat when cooking over a campfire? I just spent a week in Wyoming and had some different results.

Steaks turned out unbelievably good. Seared the shit out of them, basted in rosemary and thyme butter until perfect.

Baked potatoes were far less successful. A full hour in what I thought were the hot coals produced sadly undercooked spuds.

Spaghetti and meatballs: noodles were fine, it’s difficult to fuck up 11 minutes in boiling water. Meatballs were tougher. I blackened the exteriors and had to back off the heat severely, and still had to cut them in half and let them simmer in sauce way too long for good eats. Black exteriors and pink centers.

Pork chops turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Smothered in a cream of mushroom based gravy.

Sorry folks. Been busy.  Will respond tonight or tomorrow night..
Forgive me.

Take your time.

I have used silicon pans for baking, bread, muffins, and have a sheet i lay on sheet pans and LOVE IT..
can not speak for any brands, didn't pay much attention when i bought them and no marking visible.
sorry i don't have a better answer beyond, they work!

Chef..

love the pictures, thank you!!

your steaks and chops turned out well because you've grilled at home over coals or propane and have a general idea what you're doing
and seeming successful by your own exclamation!!!!

were you cooking your meatballs in a cast iron Dutch oven?
spuds, full natural skin on or in foil? wrapped in cloth/paper?


cooking over open fires as pictured, you have to take into your efforts, wind. the slightest breeze will effect where your heat is going to be, be aware of that
baking is usually done in Dutch ovens cover top and bottom with hot coals and takes far more practice than i have experienced.
potatoes, greased, wrapped in damp newspapers/paper towels/parchment/or clean rags, covered in coals will cook better as the steam helps (foil works too)
the cooking process. And usually do NOT plan on eating the skin as you may end up with it a bit crunchy but have soft potato centers.

again, i am not overly experienced in live fire cooking, done it, fairly successfully. it's different for certain and a learned process..

tell me more about how you did spuds and Meatballs.

The first two attempts at baked potatoes. I basically rinsed them, lightly oiled them, poked several holes in the skin, and wrapped them in foil. I nestled them down into some coals and left them alone for about 55 minutes while I prepped the steaks.

Second time I prepared them the same way, but put them directly under an ember log and pushed coals around them, and gave them 90 minutes. Better, but the centers were still a bit underdone. Third time I said screw it, went to a wal mart and bought a cheap pot, and just boiled them like I would at home to mash. I like a little bit of skin in my mashed potatoes, maybe a sixth of the surface area? They turned out pretty great.

The meatballs I did in a cast iron skillet. It was way, way too hot and blackened them almost instantly. I quickly raised the grate a bit and shoveled wood to the other side of the fire ring. I kept moving them around to prevent excess scorching on any one side, and when they were browned/blackened on all sides I poured in a can of tomato sauce and seasoned it how I like. From there I tried to keep the sauce at a simmer like I would on a stove, and checked them for done was by cutting into one first. Very pink in the center. By then a lot of the sauce had boiled off, so I added about half a can of water, and cut the meatballs in half with a wood spatula. I let it go a while longer. I again tested a half meatball, still pink in the center. Added another half can of water when it evaporated more. Eventually they were cooked through, and at that point the noodles had been sitting in the colander, and were cold. I mixed the whole mess together in the pot, tried to reheat just a bit, and served. Neither my boo nor I were impressed.

well,,,the spuds you're on the right path...thinking they need steam..try oil spud, wrap with a wet paper towel, wrap with foil. that steam will help and the towel should,,,SHOULD just try out
and be easy to remove..


you explained your own problem with the meat balls, too hot,,

in the future. get further back, make your meat balls a bit smaller they'll cook quicker and through with less heat. hot pans
will spatter oil, test your skillets with a few drops of oil, if the splatter quickly, your pans too hot. Low and slow .

again, outdoor live fire cooking is an art of it's own and "cookie" on the chuck wagon deserved far more credit than they got of decent tasteful
meals made it to the camp fire at supper time

Chef.

That oil spatter trick is exactly the kind of tip I was hoping for. Thank you. The meatballs were pre bought, though not frozen. I suspect they would have tasted great in a stovetop dish. Just too big to cook easily, and I’m very cautious with pork on the best of days. When sitting in a cooler for 2 days, I ain’t taking chances with even a hint of pink.  

I’ll buy a sack of potatoes, build a fire somewhere and run some experiments. I prefer my potatoes mashed, but baked is great too and it seemed like such an easy, low effort solution compared to another pot, peeling, and managing potable water.

I am definately not a chef, but I can make a mean potato.  Scrub, poke deep holes with fork all the way around(about 5 each per the 4 sides), coat in oil ( I use avacado oil), bunch of salt all over, then foil. That gives ya the crispy skin if you like to eat that.  I do all of that except the foil and put it in the toaster oven on a quarter sheet at 425 with a wire rack for 50min or until it reaches 205-210 on the inside.  Yes, I know it takes a while, but it is a set it and forget method.  Plus, if you toss them in the fire first, you have plenty of time to do the rest.

Thank ya, I may try a mat and a small muffin pan to start.  I have seen the muffin liners to put in the pan I own, but the actual full silicone one is not much more.

just had a 60 yr flash back..

my Father was a Scout..life time active including being a BSA paid rep at some point in the 60's

when camping he did potatoes..had 6" aluminum skewers he ran thru the potatoes before foil wrapping.
headed the potato from the inside while crisping the outside..

My idea of roughing it is a night at a Scot's Inn or Roadrunner hotel..or any hotel that reeks of curry when you open the door.

BEEN a very long while, work, covid, work, and keeping the ranch going has been a YUGE time suck

posting because i read that the olive crop has had a bad year..and olive oil may well double in price very soon..

Apologize in advance if this is a dupe request for info.....


Can you offer any good recipes for Pork Belly?  

And also Thanks in advance.  

@QUIJANOS

sorry, been VERY VERY Busy...work, ranch, summer chores, etc etc,, never ends..

here are a couple of recipes for pork belly, something i've only dealt with a few times. something in my era that went into the sausage grinder..like chicken wings and skirt meat


roasted pork belly.

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste (Optional)

4 pounds whole pork belly

2 tablespoons lemon juice


Combine paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; rub onto the non-fat side of pork belly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove plastic wrap from pork belly and place pork belly, fat-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Make shallow cuts into the fat of the pork belly in a checkered pattern. Rub lemon juice into the fat.

Roast in the preheated oven until fat begins to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking until fat is crispy, about 1 hour more. Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing




Chinese Pork Belly

1 pound raw pork belly

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup light soy sauce

¼ cup dark soy sauce

½ cup Chinese rice cooking wine

3 ½ ounces Chinese rock sugar(or brown sugar)

1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

8 spring onions, sliced


Slice pork belly into 2-inch wide strips. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and stir in pork slices; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the meat for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and blot dry with paper towels.

Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large wok. Brown pork strips well on all sides. Pork will splatter — use a splatter shield for this step.

While pork is browning, mix together light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar, ginger, and spring onions in a large soup pot or stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and lay the pork strips into the liquid. Cover, and simmer until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add water as needed to keep the liquid from going completely dry.


A dash of five-spice powder can be added,,not too much as it can over power the other flavors..




Caramelized pork belly

1  bunch green onions - white parts chopped, green parts cut into 3 1/2-inch lengths, divided

10 ounces whole pork belly

salt to taste

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon ginger juice

½ teaspoon soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, sliced

4 whole dried red chile peppers

½ cup water



Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).

Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on a flat work surface. Lay 1/2 of the green parts of the green onions down in the center of the foil. Place pork belly, fattiest-side down, on top of the green onions. Top with remaining green parts of the green onions and sprinkle with salt. Fold aluminum foil tightly around pork and green onions. Wrap pork belly again in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped pork, seam-side up, into a loaf pan.

Cook pork belly in the preheated oven for 5 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and let cool in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and chill in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.

Remove pork from the foil and discard green onions. Cut pork into eight pieces.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp all over, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Whisk brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, ginger juice, and soy sauce together in a bowl.

Remove most of the fat from the bacon skillet and discard. Add 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar glaze and increase the heat to medium-high. Add pork and cook until caramelized and glazed on all sides, about 10 minutes. Make a well in the center of the skillet and add white parts of the green onion, garlic, and peppers. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour water and remaining brown sugar glaze into the skillet; simmer until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.


hope that gets you started, thanks for stopping by!!

CHEF!

Chef,

Thank you for very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to provide these recipes!  

I, alike others in this thread, really appreciate your insight and willingness to enlighten us that are culinarily challenged.  

This is thread is tops and one of the best continual threads on the site.  

Thank you again and keep up the good work.

man, you're gonna make be blush...

you're welcome.
Chef