Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Tim,

I only read the Post if I find a copy left behind on the subway. :raspberry

Amy

Paul, how do you not burn the butter? Maybe a peek back into eGullet is in my future.

That lobster sounds just decadent.

Plain ol' heat control. There is this idea that high heat is required for meat browning, but in my experience it just isn't true. When I started cooking out of Robuchon, I noticed lots of the dishes used lower heat then I was used to. I followed along. I now often cook fish and pork, especially, at lower heat; for example, I very often cook pork chops at relatively low heat in butter (typically clarified, I'll admit). They brown very nicely and are extremely delicious. I baste a little while doing it. Same for fish. Now, as always, there are lots of "if's" in there; this won't work for some thin cut of pork, and probably only for certain fish, but it definitely works. There is a time for high heat, but for lots of meat dishes you can get very wonderful (and somewhat different flavour) results using lower heat. I'll have to retry with beef . I pretty much never cook chicken in a pan, but it might work there.

I'm happy here for someone more experienced to chip in and tell me I'm wrong! It seems to be a murky area (meat cookery on the stove)

Paul,

I appreciated your comments on low heat. After having that butter poached meal, I began experimenting with fish. We have been poaching whole trout in clarified butter and lots of julienned sage. The flavor development brings a whole new character to the dish. We'll jack up the heat at the end to crisp the sage and brown the butter.

We had been cooking pork chops this way with excellent results; moist interiors at 140 degrees.

My recent favorite has been two pound pork tenderloins (We have a large Excel plant nearby and yes, we get them that size.) cut into 2" thick mignons as big as a beef filet mignon. These are seasoned like beef and slow roasted to 120 degrees. I finish on medium heat in butter. When finished they look like filet mignon. I'm thinking about open faced pork wellingtons.

You also realize that I am saddled with a Hotpoint stove and those incredibly responsive Jiffy Pop skillets!

Tim

Hey I have a Hotpoint. Should we start a club, or maybe a support group?

Hey,

I think the Jiffy Pot pans would assure entrance to the Club.

Tim

JesBelle and Tim,

I think a support group is most appropriate.

Yeah, most of my pans are cast iron, I'm afraid. Oh wait, I do have a Revereware "stock pot" that I use for pasta. Does that count?

[quote="TimYou also realize that I am saddled with a Hotpoint stove and those incredibly responsive Jiffy Pop skillets!

Tim[/quote]

the jiffy pop copper pots?