Chief's Tip of the Day:

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Beef Broth

Chief's Tip of the Day:

Next time you braise a beef roast, and don't need the resultant broth, freeze it. The next time you braise beef, use the frozen broth as the brazing liquid. The meat is still the same as it was with the first roast, but the broth becomes intense, almost like reducing it by half concentrates the flavor. This broth can then be used top make Espagnole, or as the start of a demi-glace, or just ordinary gravy, or soup. You just need to add the other aromatics, and whatever your recipe requires.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Zhizara]

That's like what I did today. I froze the braising liquid from the bone-in pork roast I made a few weeks ago and used it today in the 15 bean soup I'm making, using the bone from that roast.

It smells wonderful!

 

[buckytom]

i keep reading this thread as the sticky chief's tip of the day, or the chief's sticky tip of the day.

neither seem all that appealing.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

i keep reading this thread as the sticky chief's tip of the day, or the chief's sticky tip of the day.

neither seem all that appealing.

We could always call it - Bucky's Stinky Tip of the Day. Would that be better?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

Some of you may already know this. Most people I've met don't. When the weather gets very cold, an internal combustion engine turns over very slowly. I've heard that it's because the metal has contracted from the cold. I've heard that the oil gets thick and makes it hard for the engine to turn over. I've heard other theories as well.

People spend lots of money installing oil heaters, or block heaters on their engines to combat this. There is no need for these expensive solutions. Let me 'splain it to you.

When a lead-acid battery gets cold, it begins to lose its ability to deliver sufficient electrical current to turn over an engine. I worked for a battery distribution company for a while. We received an order for lead-acid batteries by the U.S. army that would fire up the tanks stationed in Alaska, during the winter. The owner had to explain the chemistry of the battery to the Army staff. At minus 50 degrees F., a lead acid battery will not deliver any energy. At 0 degrees, it will deliver a fraction of the energy that it pushes out at 70 degrees.

One night, during an especially cold spell, I failed to warm my car at midnight, and like most everyone in the neighborhood, the engine would not turn over at all. I removed the battery from the car and brought it into my warm house. After twenty minutes, the outside temperature had not changed at all. The battery, however, was warmed to room temperature, which is about 72 degrees in our home. I connected the battery cables and turned the key. The engine turned over like it was a warm August day. I spent most of the remainder of the morning jumping my neighbors cars.

A simple heating pad, placed over the battery on very cold days, or nights will insure that your car will start in the coldest weather. Just make sure that it will put out enough heat to combat the cold.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[ShannaLee83]

HA! I would have never thought of this! Thanks! I will be sharing with my FB friends. S/O and I do not have a car ATM but everyone I know does! And in Oklahoma it goes from HOT to FREEZING in a bat of an eye. It is like we have no Spring or Fall, just Summer and Winter.

 

[tinlizzie]

Chief's Tip of the Day:

Next time you braise a beef roast, and don't need the resultant broth, freeze it. The next time you braise beef, use the frozen broth as the brazing liquid. The meat is still the same as it was with the first roast, but the broth becomes intense, almost like reducing it by half concentrates the flavor. This broth can then be used top make Espagnole, or as the start of a demi-glace, or just ordinary gravy, or soup. You just need to add the other aromatics, and whatever your recipe requires.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

On a related note, Chief; would your delicious Umami Soup base/broth (in my freezer) be a good place to start a Thanksgiving gravy or should I stick to the turkey-flavored broth derived from simmering turkey parts? Use both, maybe? You wouldn't happen to have a recipe for really good gravy, would you? TIA.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

On a related note, Chief; would your delicious Umami Soup base/broth (in my freezer) be a good place to start a Thanksgiving gravy or should I stick to the turkey-flavored broth derived from simmering turkey parts? Use both, maybe? You wouldn't happen to have a recipe for really good gravy, would you? TIA.

I would go with both. Turkey gravy, when made right, is practically a national treasure. On the other hand, the Umami Soup base could be thickened with a cornstarch slurry to make a wonderful gravy, especially when served with smashed spuds, or roast beef.

Chief's Tip of the Day: When making turkey, or any poultry broth, purchase some extra drumsticks. Remove the meat and chop it. Crack the larger bones. Brown the meat and bones in the bottom of a pressure cooker, or stock pot. Add chopped onion, and a stalk of celery. Add water to immerse the contents and rise above by two inches above. If using a PC, cover, bring to pressure, and cook for 40 minutes. If using a stock pot, simmer in the water for 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove the celery, season with salt and a little sage, maybe some ground pepper. Let it simmer for five minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning. Thicken with a roux, or corn starch slurry.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[tinlizzie]

I would go with both. Turkey gravy, when made right, is practically a national treasure. On the other hand, the Umami Soup base could be thickened with a cornstarch slurry to make a wonderful gravy, especially when served with smashed spuds, or roast beef.

Chief's Tip of the Day: When making turkey, or any poultry broth, purchase some extra drumsticks. Remove the meat and chop it. Crack the larger bones. Brown the meat and bones in the bottom of a pressure cooker, or stock pot. Add chopped onion, and a stalk of celery. Add water to immerse the contents and rise above by two inches above. If using a PC, cover, bring to pressure, and cook for 40 minutes. If using a stock pot, simmer in the water for 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove the celery, season with salt and a little sage, maybe some ground pepper. Let it simmer for five minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning. Thicken with a roux, or corn starch slurry.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

And that's why you're the Chief! Thank you very much.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would go with both. Turkey gravy, when made right, is practically a national treasure. On the other hand, the Umami Soup base could be thickened with a cornstarch slurry to make a wonderful gravy, especially when served with smashed spuds, or roast beef.

Chief's Tip of the Day: When making turkey, or any poultry broth, purchase some extra drumsticks. Remove the meat and chop it. Crack the larger bones. Brown the meat and bones in the bottom of a pressure cooker, or stock pot. Add chopped onion, and a stalk of celery. Add water to immerse the contents and rise above by two inches above. If using a PC, cover, bring to pressure, and cook for 40 minutes. If using a stock pot, simmer in the water for 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove the celery, season with salt and a little sage, maybe some ground pepper. Let it simmer for five minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning. Thicken with a roux, or corn starch slurry.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Take your time and let that roux get nice and dark, a real "peanut butter" colored roux. It takes some time, but it will make you the gravy master of the universe. The roux can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen to save some last minute hassle.

Peanut butter roux, it's not just for gumbo anymore!

 

[GotGarlic]

I add onion, carrots, thyme, parsley and black peppercorns to my turkey and chicken stock. It's already made

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

After catching fresh fish of any kind, clean it as soon as possible. Cook it as soon as possible by whatever recipe and technique you like. If you can't cook it right away, or want to store some up for winter, purchase some liquid drink in 1 quart waxed paper cartons, the way you used to get milk in the 60's and 70's. Fill the carton with fish until it's nearly full. Fill with clean, fresh water, making sure that no fish is exposed to the air. Freeze upright into solid blocks. Lay the cartons down to stack.

Alternately, fill strong, zipper-freezer bags with fish and water. Remove all air when sealing. Freeze.

We ate great trout in the middle of January that had been frozen in water in July, and they tasted as good as the day they were caught.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Dawgluver]

Chief, that's the way my dad always froze our walleye, in milk cartons. Tasted fresh for months.

 

[CWS4322]

Chief, that's the way my dad always froze our walleye, in milk cartons. Tasted fresh for months.

That's how we froze walleye as well as duck and partridge.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Haven't given a daily tip in a while so I guess I need to put on my thinking cap and come up with something. Ah, I've got it.

If you ever overcook poultry so that it's dry and tasteless, save the pan juices, including the fat. Add a bit of liquid smoke, and broth from the same kind of bird. Cut up the bird into pieces and place into the liquid. Place all in the fridge and let sit overnight. The meat will re-hydrate and can be as tender and juicy as if the bird were cooked perfectly the first time. Reheat until just hot, and serve with sides.

I know this works as I saved a barbecued turkey that way, with juices from the drip pan. People told me it was some of the juciest, most tender turkey they'd ever had. I didn't tell them that the night before it was dry and tough, like cardboard.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Addie]

At least once a day, tell your children and spouse, along with others you love, that you love them. I close all my phone calls to my kids and other family members with an "I love you." When I am saying goodbye to them at the door, I also say it then. By saying these three simple words, you will never have to live with the "Ifonlies". If only I had told her/him I love you. And now I will never have the chance.

You don't have to be gushy about it. It could be said in return for something nice they did for you. Like pour you a cup of coffee. "Thank you. No wonder I love you. You always do nice things for me." A quick expression of love and appreciation. That is all it takes.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...If you ever overcook poultry so that it's dry and tasteless, save the pan juices, including the fat. Add a bit of liquid smoke, and broth from the same kind of bird. Cut up the bird into pieces and place into the liquid. Place all in the fridge and let sit overnight. The meat will re-hydrate and can be as tender and juicy as if the bird were cooked perfectly the first time. Reheat until just hot, and serve with sides...

You don't even need to ruin your meat to use this tip. My Mom used to work for a caterer. Tony's roast beef was the juiciest, most tender eye of round you could ever have. He would start three days before the event by marinating the meat overnight in a wine marinade. The next day he would roast it, chill it, slice it, and layer it in large baking pans with the pan juices. The next day (day 3) was the event. He would take those pans out of the walk-in, let them come up to room temp, and then replace the plastic wrap with foil and warm gently in a low oven. To. Die. For. We always were happy to see Mom come home with some of the leftovers, but we especially like his roast beef.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day:

When baking a cheesecake, check the cheesecake about seven or eight minutes before the recommended cooking time for your recipe. Slightly jiggle the pan and watch how the filling reacts. It should wiggle slightly, like geletin that has set. Then turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool with the oven, with the door slightly opened. This will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

For a more firm cheesecake, cook until the custard is firm, then allow to cool with the oven.

If you want to get fancy, line your springform pan with parchment paper, and omit the crust. Add the filling and bake for a firm custard. Remove the pan sides and let cool. slide a thin, plastic cutting sheet under the cooked custard and remove it in one piece by sliding the cutting sheet onto a flat surface. Now, put the side back on the pan and make a thin graham cracker crust on the bottom and sides. Chill for 15 minutes in your freezer. Fill the crust with s hidden layer fo something great. Finally, lift the custard and gently slide it back into the crust. you will find that it shrank just enough to fit into the crust perfectly as it cooked. your guests or family will wonder how you got that great filling underneath your fabulous cheescake. Take a bow and say thank you to them.

As with all of my tips, I know this works because I did it.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CWS4322]

I have been house sitting for a friend (who has satellite TV--you know I've been staying up way too late watching the food channel and another one, Gusto). I learned a cool trick re: how to seed tomatoes. Cut the top and bottom off (just like when doing a bell pepper), make a slit down the fleshy side (not the seed packet/pulp portion), open it up, and use a spoon to scope out the pulp and seed. It works like a charm, is not messy, and if only doing a few tomatoes, is a lot easier than squeezing the seeds and pulp out over a bowl. I just ate the pulp and seeds off the spoon, but you could do something else with them. I didn't want the bitterness the seeds can add or the liquid the pulp adds in the dish I was making. I didn't mind the skin (although, I don't like that in salsa or tomato sauce). I usually skin the tomatoes and then seed them when making either one of those. Now I have a faster way to seed them when I want to dice or chop them for sauce or salsa. The chickens love the pulp and seeds...and skins.

 

[taxlady]

I have been house sitting for a friend (who has satellite TV--you know I've been staying up way too late watching the food channel and another one, Gusto). I learned a cool trick re: how to seed tomatoes. Cut the top and bottom off (just like when doing a bell pepper), make a slit down the fleshy side (not the seed packet/pulp portion), open it up, and use a spoon to scope out the pulp and seed. It works like a charm, is not messy, and if only doing a few tomatoes, is a lot easier than squeezing the seeds and pulp out over a bowl. I just ate the pulp and seeds off the spoon, but you could do something else with them. I didn't want the bitterness the seeds can add or the liquid the pulp adds in the dish I was making. I didn't mind the skin (although, I don't like that in salsa or tomato sauce). I usually skin the tomatoes and then seed them when making either one of those. Now I have a faster way to seed them when I want to dice or chop them for sauce or salsa. The chickens love the pulp and seeds...and skins.

I can't quite visual the process. I understand the part about cutting the top and bottom off the tomato, but I'm lost after that.