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USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

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Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

If it was sold as leaf lard isn't it already rendered? Throw it in a container with a lid in the fridge same as you would would any other fat you wanted to save for future use. It's no different than bacon drippings save for the part of the hog it came from. What do you plan on using this for?
General cooking purposes. I especially want to try my hand at pie dough.

And no, it does not come rendered. It comes from the farm as a big blob of fat.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

I've been trying to find uses for my starter, so I made <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-pretzels-recipe">sourdough pretzels</a> yesterday. They don't have the chewy outside texture a lot of pretzels do, but they were very good anyway. The first pretzels I've made that didn't turn out flat. I also want to try Grant Achatz' <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/german-soft-pretzel-sticks">German soft pretzel sticks</a>

Hosting a family brunch next week - menu so far:
<a href="http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/112298839_In_Your_Kitchen__Baked_French_Toast_and_Nutella_Scones_from__Baked_Explorations_.html">Baked French toast</a>
<a href="http://soltergirls.blogspot.com/2008/11/lemon-herb-chicken-ring.html">Lemon Herb Chicken Ring</a>
<sa href="http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=80&S=0">Maple roasted bacon</a>
<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/over-the-top-mushroom-quiche">Mushroom quiche</a> from Thomas Keller
<a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/02/baked-strawberry-doughnuts/">Baked Strawberry (mini) donuts</a>
<a href="http://getcrocked.com/2013/01/08/crock-pot-cheesy-hash-brown-casserole/">Cheesy Crock Pot Hash Browns</a>
(mini) <a href="http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.com/2013/07/bouchon-bakery-blueberry-muffins.html">blueberry muffins</a> from Bouchon Bakery
some type of caprese salad
fruit salad
pineapple strawberry punch
popovers (regular and sourdough)
broccoli with gouda sauce
some type of coffee cake thing.. maybe with cream cheese.
and for dessert: chocolate lasagna and lemon-tiramisu trifle

mmm, carbs. :p
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

General cooking purposes. I especially want to try my hand at pie dough.

And no, it does not come rendered. It comes from the farm as a big blob of fat.
Don't you have to render it to make pie crust? Simmer it until all the water comes out and the temp hits ? on a candy thermometer
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

can anyone come up with a reason I can't substitute hazelnut flour for almond flour in the streusel in this <a href="http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.com/2013/07/bouchon-bakery-blueberry-muffins.html">blueberry muffin</a> recipe? I have a crap ton of hazelnut flour, and it was expensive, and I don't have almond flour. I figure it's streusel, it'd be just a slight difference in taste.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

can anyone come up with a reason I can't substitute hazelnut flour for almond flour in the streusel in this <a href="http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.com/2013/07/bouchon-bakery-blueberry-muffins.html">blueberry muffin</a> recipe? I have a crap ton of hazelnut flour, and it was expensive, and I don't have almond flour. I figure it's streusel, it'd be just a slight difference in taste.
No, it should work but will have different flavor. How long have you had the flour and how have you stored it? I keep both almond flour and coconut flour in freezer otherwise it spoils in a few weeks at room temps
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

No, it should work but will have different flavor. How long have you had the flour and how have you stored it? I keep both almond flour and coconut flour in freezer otherwise it spoils in a few weeks at room temps

hmmm, mine is probably old. I kept it at room temperature. I think I'll get the hazelnut again, though, instead of almond, since my Russanzopf recipe calls for it. :)
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Brought out the smoker for the first time this year. 5.5lb pulled pork and then three varieties of ribs, baby back, st. louis, and country style. First time doing ribs and they seemed to go over well. The pulled pork was on there for 10.5 solid hours and came off in pieces. So delicious. Was finally able to regulate the heat throughout the whole smoking process, and it seemed to make a difference.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Made Lasagna with zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Used a mandolin set at 1/8in, layered it up like a normal lasagna except no ricotta and used provolone for cheese. Its watery as the zucchini is full of water but its really good. I' might try it again, put the slices of zucchini in dehydrator first to rid it of some liquid
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Made Lasagna with zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Used a mandolin set at 1/8in, layered it up like a normal lasagna except no ricotta and used provolone for cheese. Its watery as the zucchini is full of water but its really good. I' might try it again, put the slices of zucchini in dehydrator first to rid it of some liquid

My wife has done that several times and we never thought of the dehydrator, great idea. She also uses ground turkey as she doesn't eat red meat and that contributes to the watery nature of the dish.

Did a quick smoker recipe for chicken breasts yesterday as the local store had a special on family packs. Just EVOO and a rub of paprika, salt, sugar, fresh ground pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper and a little garlic powder. Smoked 11 breasts with alder for the week.
 
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Made Lasagna with zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Used a mandolin set at 1/8in, layered it up like a normal lasagna except no ricotta and used provolone for cheese. Its watery as the zucchini is full of water but its really good. I' might try it again, put the slices of zucchini in dehydrator first to rid it of some liquid

Purge the zucchini before making the lasagna
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Brought out the smoker for the first time this year. 5.5lb pulled pork and then three varieties of ribs, baby back, st. louis, and country style. First time doing ribs and they seemed to go over well. The pulled pork was on there for 10.5 solid hours and came off in pieces. So delicious. Was finally able to regulate the heat throughout the whole smoking process, and it seemed to make a difference.
When are you inviting all of us over?

/obligatory
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Made this on Sunday, and it was fantastic. <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/over-the-top-mushroom-quiche">Over the Top Mushroom quiche</a> from Thomas Keller.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

Finally made the ice cream bread, but didn't cook it quite long enough--but still good. Toasted a couple of slices for breakfast--a little cream cheese, YUM.

Jen, wish I lived close enough to crash your brunch.:rolleyes:

Walrus, why no ricotta just provolone?
(Watery zucchini--Knew what to do, but didn't know it was "purge".)
 
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Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

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Walrus, why no ricotta just provolone?
(Watery zucchini--Knew what to do, but didn't know it was "purge".)
No lactose in my diet, aged cheeses consume the lactose, ricotta is not aged
Never heard of purging Zucchini, I will try it if I think of it next time. Seeing as we have Zucchini by the bucket load in garden right now there will be a next time :).. Once Zucchini hits baseball bat size, the chickens get them
 
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Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

No lactose in my diet, aged cheeses consume the lactose, ricotta is not aged
Never heard of purging Zucchini, I will try it if I think of it next time. Seeing as we have Zucchini by the bucket load in garden right now there will be a next time :).. Once Zucchini hits baseball bat size, the chickens get them

I like to slice those thick and grill them with EVOO, salt and pepper.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

I did the "purge" trick once, years ago, with eggplant slices for Mario Batali's Eggplant Parm recipe. You just sprinkle coarse Kosher salt on the slices and leave them in a colander in the sink for 30-60 minutes to drain off the purged water. Then take paper towels and sponge the excess water & salt off each slice.

My mom would cut the baseball bat-sized zukes in half, scoop out the middle, and stuff them with a seasoned ground beef mixture. The skin was a bit tough (OK, a lot tough :p), but it was a decent way to get rid of the oversized ones without wasting them. But I guess if you're feeding them to livestock, it's not really waste either.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

I don't even know how this is possible, but I managed to screw up an all-day smoke of baby back ribs. The flavor is amazing but they were tough on the outside and some parts were underdone on the thicker portions. I held 225 and I have no idea where I screwed up.

Ugh.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.

I don't even know how this is possible, but I managed to screw up an all-day smoke of baby back ribs. The flavor is amazing but they were tough on the outside and some parts were underdone on the thicker portions. I held 225 and I have no idea where I screwed up.

Ugh.

I am sure it was a cut you've smoked before, but is it possible that not every cut you buy is going to work out exactly the same as all others? Since I've only truly smoked a few times myself (low heat, several hours, lots of smoke) I don't have enough personal history to know if that is a real possibility or not.
 
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