Tips, hints and tricks to share with our members

[Jade Emperor]

I’m going to put it out there that everybody should have a good meat thermometer as a valuable tool in their kitchen. They can be very helpful in making sure you don’t undercook or overcook anything, they can help you be sure that your frying oil is up to the correct temperature and many other uses that make your food better and more professional.

 

[Andy M.]

I’m going to put it out there that everybody should have a good meat thermometer as a valuable tool in their kitchen. Whether you use a probe style or an infrared, they can be very helpful in making sure you don’t undercook or overcook anything, they can help you be sure that your frying oil is up to the correct temperature and many other uses that make your food better and more professional.

I'm not sure how an infrared thermometer would measure the internal temperature of a piece of meat.

 

[Jade Emperor]

I'm not sure how an infrared thermometer would measure the internal temperature of a piece of meat.

You are absolutely correct, and I have never used an infrared, so wasn’t sure. I have edited my post to better reflect what I am trying to say. Thanks

 

[Marlingardener]

Until I got a meat thermometer, it was a "guess or by golly" method. I love my meat thermometer, and got a second one for when I cook for a crowd or have a large piece of meat cooking.

 

[taxlady]

I love my instant read thermometers. Takes the guesswork out of a lot of stuff. I also have a probe thermometer that has an alarm for a high and low temperature that you set. That is great for the obvious roasts and reverse sear steak. But, it's also good if you want to cook sausages gently. I put the sausages in a pot with water and stick the probe in a sausage. Turn the heat on, not too high, and wait for it to beep. No busted sausages that way. We often do that and grill them afterwards.

 

[Aunt Bea]

A little time and imagination can make the ordinary extraordinary.

This could be done with flour, sesame seeds, cornmeal, poppy seeds, etc…

I remember doing something similar when we were kids by making paper snowflakes or doilies and using them to shake powdered sugar or cocoa on the tops of plain cakes and gingerbread.

 

[Andy M.]

I love my instant read thermometers. Takes the guesswork out of a lot of stuff. I also have a probe thermometer that has an alarm for a high and low temperature that you set. That is great for the obvious roasts and reverse sear steak. But, it's also good if you want to cook sausages gently. I put the sausages in a pot with water and stick the probe in a sausage. Turn the heat on, not too high, and wait for it to beep. No busted sausages that way. We often do that and grill them afterwards.

I always felt cooking the sausages in water before grilling resulted in leaving a lot of sausage flavor in the water. Back in the old days, lots of people boiled chicken before grilling too. You don't hear about that very much these days.

 

[taxlady]

I always felt cooking the sausages in water before grilling resulted in leaving a lot of sausage flavor in the water. Back in the old days, lots of people boiled chicken before grilling too. You don't hear about that very much these days.

Yes, it does leave flavour in the water. That's why I save it and use as substitute for stock, when it seems appropriate. But, I assure you, those sausages still have a lot of flavour.

 

[dragnlaw]

I usually use just a bit of water in the pan with the sausages. I don't find it drains the flavour as I boil the water away and the rendered fat then cooks the sausages. I do pierce them as well, not too much, just enough to keep them from splitting open.

On really big sausages, at the end of cooking, I split the sausages down the middle and brown that inner cut. Works for me! Plus if not too greasy I'll someimes make a little pan gravy but I'm usually too hungry to wait. Just dive right into my plate.

 

[msmofet]

When making chicken stock in the past I used to strain solids in a colander.
I started using a pasta pot with insert. Just lift and drain. Dump the solids, wash insert/strainer.
Then I moved on to Soup Socks which are cheese cloth type bags. Put everything in it, tie a knot. When done lift, squeeze or leave to drain. then throw it away no strainer to clean.
Now I have Cuisinart pots with strainer lids. I LOVE them! Easy peasey straining potatoes, pasta, etc. I love making stock with these pots just tip and drain. Chuck solids. A little more washing but worth not having to use a colander.

 

[GotGarlic]

☺

 

[msmofet]

☺

???

 

[GotGarlic]

???

I wrote something and changed my mind, but we can't delete posts, so that's an embarrassed smile ☺

 

[msmofet]

I wrote something and changed my mind, but we can't delete posts, so that's an embarrassed smile ☺

Yes, I hate that also. Other forums with this platform have “delete post” activated, but this forum doesn't. I HATE not being able to delete a post.

 

[dragnlaw]

didn't we used to have it? Before "the change?" I think it was also like the 'edit' option, you could only do it within a time frame.

 

[GotGarlic]

didn't we used to have it? Before "the change?" I think it was also like the 'edit' option, you could only do it within a time frame.

We did, but it's not available now. Maybe you could have a word with the admins

 

[dragnlaw]

I'll put it on the Agenda for the next meeting.

 

[msmofet]

We did, but it's not available now. Maybe you could have a word with the admins

I think it needs to be turned on.

 

[taxlady]

No edit function has annoyed me as well.

 

[Andy M.]

This is a test. this is a test