Food

[Raza]

I can't get my tuna seared enough, despite heating the pan enough, I thought. Oil, no oil?

This seems like a silly question, but do you have the right pans for your range? It makes a major difference.

[geoffbot]

Not a silly question. I don't know, is the answer. I have a heavy griddle that I've tried. Maybe not hot enough? Gas hob.

[Henry Krinkle]

Not a silly question. I don't know, is the answer. I have a heavy griddle that I've tried. Maybe not hot enough? Gas hob.

What do you use for fat?

I always do mine outside on the ceramic burner of my gas grille. That is really freakign hot, but I think for indoors a lower temperature is advised. I think medium hot is what is generally recommended. If you use olive oil then the temperature can't be too high anyway.

[Henry Krinkle]

I'm going to need details here - I've always wanted to case my own sausage (just started custom burger blends), but iy seems very intimidating to deal with casings and whatnot.

Not at all. Ask your butcher for casings. They'll be packed in salt, soak them in tepid water for about an hour beforehand. A hand-crank grinder like I pictured is about $25 and comes with sausage stuffing tubes. But a pork shoulder, cut it into rough 2-3" cubes, then put it in the freezer. You don't want to freeze it solid, but it should be 3/4 the way there: grinds much easier. Run it all through the grinder once, then gently fold in whatever you want to spice it with and run it through the grinder again. Work the casings onto a stuffing tube, and tie a knot in the end. It's easier as a 2-man job. Practice makes perfect, but there is a real short runway on learning. Sausages are poor people food for a reason: cheap and easy. But the possibilities are near endless on what you can do with them, and the accessibility of making them yourself does not have to spoil any luxuriousness or decadence in flavour. Mix in duck with some of that pork and the flavour is amazing. You can stuff whatever you want into those casings.

You're looking for somewhere between 15-20% fat content. It might look questionable but it is required for good flavour. 'Lean' sausages should be 10% fat minimum or they will be tough and flavourless. But you can also over-fat, and they will be hard to cook.

If you buy an untrimmed pork shoulder and grind it all up, the fat content should be perfect.

I have very little to add. KC writes wise words. Many recipes call for additional fat, but as kc says untrimmed shoulder is more than fatty enough. If you venture into cured and/or dried sausage only then will you need to add fat to the mix. Make sure you use a die that suits your tastes. If you hate coarse sausage you will not enjoy something run through a 1/4" die and the same goes for small dies and fine sausage.


I keep threatening to try hot dogs but haven't gotten around to it yet. I don't like them all that much, but I would like to master the process just because. "Meat" that can curdle is...

[geoffbot]

What do you use for fat?

I always do mine outside on the ceramic burner of my gas grille. That is really freakign hot, but I think for indoors a lower temperature is advised. I think medium hot is what is generally recommended. If you use olive oil then the temperature can't be too high anyway.

Rapeseed oil. The tuna doesn't go black. Maybe I should go hotter.

[Henry Krinkle]

Most canola does have a higher smoke point than olive oil, so you could definitely try hotter. Have you tried heating your pan dry and then adding the oil just before dropping the tuna? I don't know if that will make a significant difference or not.

I have lately been experimenting with adding fish to a smoking hot pan and then removing it from heat, but I am doing that when I am blackening.

[geoffbot]

Hmm. More experimentation required methinks. I'm off to cook chilli dogs (though I can't stand frankfurters so it's a proper sausage).. Pics soon.

[geoffbot]

[CanadianStraps]

I keep threatening to try hot dogs but haven't gotten around to it yet. I don't like them all that much, but I would like to master the process just because. "Meat" that can curdle is...

Where do you get the paper like casings for hotdogs? I would try it too. I can get a mince that fine and even anyway.

[Henry Krinkle]

Where do you get the paper like casings for hotdogs? I would try it too. I can get a mince that fine and even anyway.

I haven't specifically asked but I buy a lot of supplies from this wonderfully cranky old Ukrainian butcher and I am pretty sure he can hook me up.

The thing that gets me is the C. I. A.s (Culinary Institute of America) recipe has a huge amount of powdered milk and I have read elsewhere that curdling can be an issue.