g-man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:30 pm
If you don't already have one, look into a sous vide cooker.(we recently bought a "Chefman Sous Vide Immersion Circulator" on Amazon). You can take CHEAP cuts of meat, slow cook them for hours/days, and then flash sear the exterior on a grill or in a cast iron pan. We did a bargain-bin chuck roast for 2 days, then seared it on cast iron. It's not prime rib, but it's pretty damn close, and WAY cheaper.
Buy the Annova 900 watt model, around 130 on Amazon. A polycarb bin is around 25 dollars, or you can get a coleman stacker cooler if you want to really squeeze the performance out of it. Add in a cheap foodsaver, and then all you need is something to brown the meat. Most simply use a cast iron pan, and a cranked hob. Stupid me bought a benzomatic and a searzall
HTRN, I would tell you that you are an evil fucker, but you probably get that a lot ~ Netpackrat
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
skb12172 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:12 pm
Do you do anything to tenderize the cheap meat or just let the slow cooking do it.
Best thing we’ve learned: Use salt-free seasonings (rubs, spice mixes, etc...). Salt the meat 12-24 hrs in advance of starting the cooking process. 1/2tsp/lb of meat, then wrap it up in something and let it sit in the fridge. Then season and cook.
Salting in advance helps no matter whether you’re using the grill, smoker, sous vide... everything. It does mean a bit more lead time and requires better planning, but it’s totally worth it.
We use a 3 gallon frosting bucket as the sous vide bath; actually two of them nested which provides a little insulation, and a lid with a hole cut out for the circulator. We had to trim a spot of the outside reinforcing ribs for the circulator's clamp. They came free from a doughnut store. Since the food is protected in the vacuum bag, the bucket's material is less important, though you wouldn't want one that was used for anything nasty.
We did a 36 hour 135 degree cheap chuck roast and it turned out nicely tender. The fat does not render out at such low temps, but you do get the connective tissue breakdown. Like g-man said, we presalted it and let it sit in the fridge for a day before cooking. I know people do ribs, pork roasts and chops, in sous vide also. We've used it for fish a couple times (OK), and I've read people use it for cooking eggs to exacting degrees of done-ness, though you don't put the eggs in a vacuum bag (you can use a ziplock with all the air out) so the bath had better be food safe.
For searing we use the gas grille or cast iron on the stove, but a flame-type like the Searzall or the searing burner on a gas grille does a better job on food with lots of uneven surfaces.
I've been trying the low carb, low sugar hot dogs. I've got to remember to pick up some Sauerkraut some brands have less than 1 gram of carb per serving. I've also picked up some shredded Parmesan cheese. It's expensive but a little goes a long way.
I use it in salads and on hot dogs. I'm losing weight but I can't change the color on a Ketone test strip. I suspect between having to catharize myself because of the prostate and sleep apnea I'm urinating to much and my urine is too dilute to trigger the test strip.
I found some roasted pecans at Wall World. They go great in a salad but they are a bit too expensive and I have a tendency to eat them straight from the can.
I found that eating low carb costs more, but that I eat much less once the carb cravings stop. Grocery bills kind of balanced out after a couple weeks.
I purchased some boneless skinless chicken thighs and had trouble cooking them just right. I tried the soaking them in salty water and that worked out nicely. I could soak them, then microwave them, and they'd come out juicy and tender.
toad wrote: ↑Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:09 am
I purchased some boneless skinless chicken thighs and had trouble cooking them just right. I tried the soaking them in salty water and that worked out nicely. I could soak them, then microwave them, and they'd come out juicy and tender.
Most of the brine recipes have sugar or honey in them. I wonder if the meat picks up enough sugar for it to be an issue in ketogenic diets. Nice to know salt brine will also help.
toad wrote: ↑Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:09 am
I purchased some boneless skinless chicken thighs and had trouble cooking them just right. I tried the soaking them in salty water and that worked out nicely. I could soak them, then microwave them, and they'd come out juicy and tender.
Brining is a pretty standard method for white meat. I use it every thanksgiving for turkey.
Microwaving isnt the best method it tends to dry everything out. Do you have a vac sealer, digital thermometer, cooler? Depending on what tools you have available, i can give you a better method.
HTRN, I would tell you that you are an evil fucker, but you probably get that a lot ~ Netpackrat
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
