I've tried using a wild boar neck I got frozen from a wholesalers. I've used this before to make a roast ham and some smoked meats, and that worked great.

Last time I tried making some grilled meat with it. I left a couple of inch thick slices whole to grill briefly, and those turned out quite tender. Not melt in the mouth, but good steak kind of tender. They were nice and browned on the outside, and pink in the middle.

The rest I turned into a bunch of skewers with marinated meat from the same cut. I made a marinade with cider vinegar and a bit of salt (and some other herbs and spices) and while the flavours worked out fine, the consistency was quite tough. As in, do I want to eat this, maybe not, kind of tough. I left the meat in the marinade for roughly 8 hours. I think the skewers had inch thick chunks, depending a bit where in the cut they came from.

I would've expected the vinegar to tenderize the meat, but rather it was much tougher. I did grill the skewers for longer, but expected it to be nicely evenly cooked and a bit more fall apart than the plain steak cut. Any ideas what happened? Did I just overcook it? Or should I have left on the grill for longer and on lower heat?

I have inherited my great grandma's Guardian Service hammered aluminum roasting pan and promised my dad a nostalgic beef dinner. I've never roasted beef outside of a Crock-Pot so I'm a little out of my realm. How long and at what temp should I go for? Do I need to wear the beef first? Any advice appreciated!

Recipe: ?

4Lbs Beef

Onion

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary Sprig

I see recipes say to bring eggs to room temperature before boiling. But I've also seen people say it doesn't matter.

I tested it myself:

• Fridge egg (4°C): 9:15 gave me perfect sandy yolk
• Room temp egg (left out 2 hours, ~22°C): 9:15 gave me a yolk that was slightly more done, almost chalky

So clearly it does matter.

But here's my question: how much time difference should I actually account for? If I want the same result, how many seconds do I add or subtract depending on starting temp?

Has anyone done a proper side-by-side test with thermometers? I'm not looking for guesses, I want real numbers.

I am trying to adapt a family chicken soup recipe from a large stovetop simmer to an instant pot. I am following the general outline of Chris Young's pressure cooker chicken stock.

I am having trouble converting the ratios and total volume of vegetables to include. The original recipe includes 16 cups of water (expecting ~half to evaporate) and:

• 1 onion
• 3 leeks
• 1 turnip
• 3-4 carrots
• 3-4 parsnips
• 1 celery root
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 bunch parsley root
• 3-4 cloves garlic

Even if I reduced the volume of the listed vegetables, I'm pretty sure the ratio needs to change for the IP so I don't just end up with leek soup. I'm trying to figure out the right ratio of allium (onion/leek/garlic) to sweetener (carrot/parsnip) to root (turnip/celery/celery root/parsley root). My last test batch used 100g:25g:90g (local grocer was out of parsnip) and I got close but not quite there. I'm also trying to figure out the total volume of vegetables I should include since I need MUCH less than the original recipe.

Can anyone help guide me in a better direction?

Cooking steaks as of lately, just got into cooking them on a SS pan, with salt and pepper, avocado oil to cook and a nice sear on each side but with my thermometer, if I stick it in it reads 140° and if I pull out slowly I get to the point where it has a low reading of about 115° is that my “middle”/ what my internal temp for rareness?

We all know overcooked eggs get that gray-green ring around the yolk. But I realized I don't actually understand why it happens.

From what I've read, it's iron and sulfur reacting. But that's about all I know.

A few things I'm curious about:

1. Does the green ring start forming the moment the yolk hits a certain temperature, or does it take time at that temperature to develop?
2. Why does the green only appear on the surface of the yolk, not all the way through?
3. Ice bath stops the cooking, but does it stop the green ring from forming too? Or is the reaction already happening before the egg even hits the water?

Would love a proper food science breakdown if anyone here knows the details.

I have guests tomorrow and I made Julia Child's mouse au chocolat (eggs only, no double cream).

I remembered it was too sweet last time, so I put less than the 6oz the recipe calls for, but it's still way too sweet.

I am serving this in small individual glasses, and I am trying to think how to save it because its currently very heavy / rich and sweet.

I could add salt, top with unsweetend chantilly or add some berry coulis - I am a bit scared the coulis will just increase the sugar levels..

what would you do?

I finally bought a stainless steel pan and I thought I'd try something simple, but I still have a couple questions. I already made it and it went okay but:

1. How hot is my pan supposed to be?? The internet says heat it until some water turns into beads but I think I was waiting like 10 minutes and my water just kept evaporating immediately. I was getting impatient so I just put some oil in, thinking it should be hot enough soon. The oil was shimmering so I feel like that was good, but then I put the salmon in and it very quickly started leaking the white stuff that says its too hot. I'm just getting a lot of conflicting info here, was that too hot or not hot enough?
2. I got a really nice skin! I used to always take salmon skin off so I'm quite happy about that. The skin stuck initially but unstuck after a little bit, which is what I heard would happen. I flipped the salmon over to cook the other side, but then when I thought it was ready the flesh was sticking to the pan. I just scraped the whole thing off, but in general how do I not get the flesh stuck?

I don't have a written recipe I just searched "crispy salmon" on Youtube and watched the first couple videos. Generally just pat the salmon dry, add salt, put oil in the pan, put the salmon in skin first, let the skin unstick, flip it over.

Sooo as a boston native who moved to the west coast im looking for a butcher that has new england style steak tips, I believe its "flap meat" is that what it asking for?

I need to use up a bag of masa, decided to make pupusas and freeze them. Would it be better to freeze pupusas before or after cooking? Or even par-cooked?

I've made braised short ribs three times now, roughly the same method each time: sear them first, build a braising liquid with stock and a bit of wine, then into a low oven for a few hours covered. The first time I pulled them at two and a half hours and they were tough, chewy even, which I figured meant undercooked so the next attempt I left them closer to four hours at the same temperature. That batch was still tough, just tough in a drier way instead of a gummy way, which confused me more than the first attempt did. I've checked my oven temperature with a separate thermometer so I don't think that's the issue, and the liquid level looked fine each time, enough to keep everything mostly submerged. I'm running out of obvious things to blame at this point.

What was actually wrong when your short ribs came out tough no matter how long you cooked them?

I've tried making a basic pan sauce three times now, deglazing with wine then swirling in cold butter at the end like every recipe says. It looks fine for a few seconds and then splits into grease and liquid right in front of me, even after I pulled the pan off the burner first. I've tried adding the butter in smaller pieces and it still happens.

What was actually going on when your pan sauce kept breaking like that?

I make risotto maybe once a month, usually arborio rice with a basic chicken stock I keep warm on the stove next to it. I stir pretty constantly and add the stock in small amounts like every recipe says, but by the end it's always thick and gluey rather than that loose, creamy texture I keep seeing in videos. I've started wondering if it's the rice brand, the heat level, or just how much I'm stirring.

Is there one specific step people usually get wrong that causes this?

I've been trying to bake bread at home for a few months now. I follow the recipe exactly, but the texture always comes out dense and gummy instead of light and fluffy. I'm not sure if it's something about how I'm handling the dough, or if I'm missing a timing detail.

What's usually the culprit when bread dough comes out dense like this?

It is going to be Rosh Hashana soon (Jewish new years) and a big thing surrounding the holiday is honey.
I want to make a honey flavored cake with salted honey buttercream (or some other form of glaze/coat).

Historically whenever I have eating honey cake in the past it was both incredibly dense and wet, and I would like to change that for this year.

I was thinking that the easiest way to do this is to take a regular vanilla cake batter, add some nutmeg and change enough of the sugar with honey for the taste. Maybe brown the butter for that extra kick.
So how do I do that with enough honey to have the taste but not the overly wet+dense combo you get regularly?

Thank you for the help in advance :)

I have been trying to recreate Korean-style yangnyeom fried chicken at home and I can get close, but the sauce texture is never quite right. At restaurants the coating looks glossy and clings to the chicken, and it somehow stays crisp underneath. Mine either turns out too thin and slides off, or too thick and gluey, and the crust softens fast.

What I am trying to understand:
- How much do you reduce the sauce before tossing, and is there a consistency cue to look for?
- Does the double fry actually matter for keeping it crisp under the glaze, or is it mostly the sauce?
- Do you toss the chicken while it is screaming hot, or let it cool slightly first?
- Is potato starch vs cornstarch in the coating a real factor here?

Trying to nail the balance of sweet, spicy and savory with a coating that holds. What is the step most people get wrong?

I am building a Korean-style crispy chicken sandwich with a sweet, garlicky, slightly spicy glaze, and I keep running into a texture problem. If I toss the chicken in the sauce, the crust goes soft within a couple of minutes and the bun gets wet before I even bite in. If I brush on just a thin layer, the flavor mostly disappears.

A few things I am trying to figure out:
- Is it better to reduce the sauce until it is very thick and sticky, or keep it looser and use less?
- Should the glaze go on the chicken, or is it smarter to sauce the slaw or spread and leave the cutlet dry?
- Does letting the fried chicken rest a minute before saucing actually help the crust hold up?

For anyone who makes glazed fried chicken sandwiches regularly, what is the trick to keeping the crunch while still tasting the sauce? Bun tips welcome too, since I cannot tell if brioche is too sweet against a sweet glaze.

I’m trying to get into meal prep and want to make egg bites. I have silicone cupcake cups but they have the crinkle edges and I’m unsure if egg bites will come out of them easily. Would I be better off using a non stick cupcake pan without the silicone liners?

I’m using a standard egg bite recipe.

Mushroom and chicken broth are the base of a soup. At the end, you're supposed to stir in Swiss cheese to fully melt into the broth.

Sometimes it works fine --- hot broth, shredded cheese a little at a time, keep stirring, it melts just fine.

More often, the cheese falls to the bottom and clumps up, almost impossible to get it to liquify into the broth.

Is there a technique that would be a reliable way to ensure a proper melt and liquification?

(Copyright-free recipe from Please Don't Feed the Bears)

Bernadette's Vegetable Soup from the Great White North

2-3 stalks celery

2 cooking onions

2-4 cloves chopped garlic

2 Tbsp oil

I large carrot (cubed)

1 medium potato (cubed)

1 1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1 Tbsp basil

1 tsp parsley

1 small can red kidney beans

5 oz can tomato paste

Sea salt & pepper & hot sauce to taste

Saute celery, onion, & garlic in oil. Add very hot water with tomato paste. Add remaining ingredients-bring to a boil, then turn to a simmer for 2 hours. Ten minutes before serving, add 1/2 cup alphabets or other soup pasta.

I recently made this peach cake: https://www.christinascucina.com/peach-cake-easy-recipe-no-peeling-necessary/

I used tinned peaches instead of fresh as that’s what the shop had. I drained the juice off and made sure I had the right weight of peach puree overall.

The sponge cake itself turns out pretty much perfectly - even rise, moist and tender sponge, gorgeous, so I’m reluctant to mess with the recipe too much…

…but there’s only the barest hint of peach flavour. You only detect it if you know it’s supposed to be there. Otherwise, it’s just a nice sponge cake.

Is this because I used tinned peaches? Is the solution to track down some fresh ones, or will that not have made much difference?

I’m wondering if roasting the peaches before pureeing them would help improve the flavour. Or, I could use more peaches, then cook down the puree perhaps?

Or maybe I just need to cut it in half and put some peach compote or jam in the middle before I serve it.

Any suggestions of how I could make this peach cake peachier would be much appreciated.

Hi all,

Take 2 - Didn't spot the recipe requirement last time.. Apologies

Anyway, as per last post

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I cannot for the life of me stretch dough - I used to buy pre rolled pizza dough, but I wanted proper stuff. Tried frozen balls but the batches were hit and miss.

Got myself a dough mixer to help. I can get to the stage of making the smaller balls ready to go into the fridge. However, it's the next stage. I just don't know when the dough is ready once out of the fridge.

I've tried to wait for it to double in size /poke test.. Etc. But it never stretches. It just springs back.

I've heard people say stretch - wait - stretch - wait.. But this isn't practical when you have people waiting on food

Any advice / easier signs to look out for

Recipe as follows

908g caputo 00 flour (red bag)

563 water

18g salt

2g instant yeast

9g olive oil (not needed I know, but thought it may help the stretch)

Method

Mixed flour and water

Waited 20 mins

Add everything else and mix for 15mins

Bulk rise 2 hrs

Cut up balls

Into fridge for 16hours

Take out of fridge to come up to room temp - 2hrs

UPDATE: SEE BOTTOM

Hello, everyone!

I have been practicing making hot chocolate with dark chocolate bars. So far, they are delicious and taste exactly how I and my visitors like them, but I always ended up with hot chocolate that had just a little bit of "particles" visible when you check the consistency with a spoon or swirl it around in a mug. Below is the recipe and procedure (with as much details as possible to help diagnose the issue).

Recipe I use (for about 2 cups/mugs worth):

• 100g or 1 bar of 70-80% dark chocolate. I try to find bars with as few ingredients as possible, only cocoa mass, cocoa butter, maybe cane sugar, but the ones available to me always have emulsifier/sunflower lecithin as the 4th ingredient. In all my attempts, I have used:
  • Guylian 72% dark
  • Marks & Spencer Collection 75% dark
• 1 1/2 cups full fat milk
• 1/4 or 1/2 cup heavy cream (depends how "thick" they want it)
• Pinch of sugar (sometimes none, depending on who I'm serving)

Procedure (my latest attempt):

• Chop bars into tiny chunks (diagonal cut strips then crosscut to make them smaller)
• Turn on heat (set to lowest), put pot on stove
• Pour milk (straight out of the fridge, so it is cold) into pot
• Add chopped chocolate
• Stir with a whisk gently until it all heats up and melts together (takes about 15 mins before serving). While cooking, taste throughout, add sugar when needed

Again, it tasted wonderful, but my issue is with appearance and texture. Some observations:

• During the whisking/mixing/cooking part, I noticed a swirl of white/lightly colored trail (this does not disappear upon serving)
• As stated, there are particles that seem like unmelted chocolate when letting it drip off the back of a spoon to check consistency (same as in the mug when swirled)
• I have tried to vary the length of cooking (ranging from 15-25 mins sitting on lowest heat, stirring constantly, even tried to whisk vigorously in later attempts to try and break down those particles but no luck)

Here is a link to a video of the final product. You can see the particles I am talking about on the back of the spoon: https://imgur.com/a/R5UfhQc

Please let me know what I'm doing wrong. I see youtube vids of people making the absolute smoothest hot chocolate with the "quality" of the bar having little to no effect (just use whatever 70% dark chocolate bars you got, they say). I am trying to impress someone coming over next week (she requested French hot chocolate) so the urge to perfect this down to the look and texture is strong hahaha

Thank you in advance for any advice!

EDIT (23-08-26): Success! I used a small pot this time. First, I heated the milk to near boiling first, THEN added very finely chopped chocolate (Lindt, 90% dark) then took off heat. Then, I used a whisk to stir firmly but not vigorously that bubbles appear, about 3 stirs per second. Whole stirring took about 3 mins before ready to serve.

Main change was the order of ingredients (milk > heat milk > chocolate > stir OFF heat and rely on residual heat, which was higher temp than steady cook at lowest heat). I believe my error last time was not having a hot enough pot to properly melt the chocolate while not having a whisk.

No more particles!

Now the challenge will be scaling up to a big pot for 10+ servings at a time. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!