Mike Nolan

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  • in reply to: New kneading technique, or have I just missed it #11269
    Mike Nolan
    Keymaster

      I've seen this technique a few times, too, I'm not sure it is better than other techniques.

      Some bakers get into specific routines because they work for them, that doesn't mean other routines won't work too.

      in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11266
      Mike Nolan
      Keymaster

        We had waffles with fruit and low-sodium bacon.

        in reply to: Ten Breads of the World #11261
        Mike Nolan
        Keymaster

          They're similar to cracked wheat, possibly a bit larger I usually soak them first, I don't always do that with cracked wheat.

          in reply to: Ten Breads of the World #11258
          Mike Nolan
          Keymaster

            Well, if I buy some rye berries, I can make a pretty coarse rye meal with my grain mill.

            But here's another possibility: rye meal

            in reply to: Ten Breads of the World #11255
            Mike Nolan
            Keymaster

              Yeah, a Westphalian rye sounds like it might be the right sort of recipe. I wonder what it uses for leavening? I assume it must be using some kind of rye starter.

              in reply to: Ten Breads of the World #11248
              Mike Nolan
              Keymaster

                I'm still looking for an AUTHENTIC recipe for German/Russian black bread, one that doesn't cheat by using coffee or cocoa to darken the interior. I think the way it is done is that the bread is baked for a very long time, like 18 hours, at a low temperature. Not sure I want to crank my oven up for that long very often, but I'd at least like to try doing it once.

                in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11240
                Mike Nolan
                Keymaster

                  Small cuts always give me problems but top round can be especially challenging, depending on the portion you have and the size. The one I did a few weeks ago had a big fat/connective tissue ridge down the middle.

                  Meat charts don't always break cuts down into specific muscle groups, I've bought a few books on meat cutting and they seem to do a better job identifying the individual muscles. I need to see what the study materials are for the FFA meat judging competitions, I get the impression that to win those competitions they need to know each muscle. I think there are 3 or 4 separate muscles that make up the top round.

                  Anyway, I roasted it as one piece, but as soon as I started trying to slice it I wound up dividing it into two pieces, trimmed off the connective tissue, and sliced them separately.

                  in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11237
                  Mike Nolan
                  Keymaster

                    The veggies might be better off at 300-350, simply because of how various temperatures affect the cooking process. (Baking has similar issues, you generally don't get the Maillard reaction below about 280 and you won't get much caramelization under about 350.)

                    There was a time when the food safety folks said that you couldn't cook ANYTHING in an oven set below 300, but with the advent of sous vide cooking and other low-temp techniques, I haven't heard that much lately.

                    in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11235
                    Mike Nolan
                    Keymaster

                      I did about a 2.5 pound top round roast a couple of weeks ago, using the same technique I use for eye of round, starting it at 500 degrees for 7 minutes/pound then dropping the temperature setting to about 150 and essentially letting it coast for a few hours. (The original instructions say to turn the oven OFF and let it coast for 3 hours, but I find it cools off too much that way.)

                      It got done in under 2 hours, which was a good hour before I had dinner planned. I kept it at 150 until we were ready for dinner, but that dried the surface out a bit too much. I think if I was doing it again, I'd skip the time at 500, do the first hour at 250, and allow about 2 hours start to finish.

                      in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11233
                      Mike Nolan
                      Keymaster

                        I usually roast it in the oven. Some recipes will tell you to do it at 350, others at 400. I prefer the lower temperature, I think it dries out less. You want it to reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees.

                        in reply to: What, NO Buttermilk?! #11230
                        Mike Nolan
                        Keymaster

                          I used about 2/3 of what I had when I made banana muffins the other day, so I replenished it. Seems like this time it got a bit thicker, but I left the container sitting by the stove while I was making the muffins, so it was in a somewhat warmer place than the first time.

                          Followup: I checked my buttermilk today (Monday) and it's nice and thick.

                          in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 18, 2018? #11225
                          Mike Nolan
                          Keymaster

                            I will be making pot roast with a 7 bone chuck roast this afternoon.

                            in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 11, 2018? #11209
                            Mike Nolan
                            Keymaster

                              I'm making roasted bone-in skinless chicken breasts with rosemary, basil, sage and thyme tonight.

                              in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of February 11, 2018? #11202
                              Mike Nolan
                              Keymaster

                                What size Kitchen-Aid do you have? That'd probably be more than a 4 1/2 quart mixer could handle, but probably OK in the larger models.

                                I like the Hot Cross Buns recipe in the KAF Whole Wheat book, I make the rolls smaller than the recipe calls for and put them in four 6" round pans.

                                in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of February 11, 2018? #11199
                                Mike Nolan
                                Keymaster

                                  I have one small bottle of olive oil, I don't remember the last time I used it. (It's in the fridge so the oil is solid.)

                                  A close friend of ours is allergic to olives (as is my brother-in-law) so we just don't use it much, and I don't really care for the taste of it. I'm currently using corn oil instead of canola oil, corn oil has almost no flavor.

                                Viewing 15 posts - 6,286 through 6,300 (of 7,560 total)