Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Has anybody ever used these when they make stock? You put everything inside and then pull it out of your stock when it is finished.

http://www.regencywraps.com/soup.htm

Talon,

My answer is no but I do have a few observations.

This may be an easy way to strain meat and bones from stock although I wonder if one layer really will hold back all the inmpurities. Actually, I find it much easier to strain using a circular cooling rack to hold the bones and setting a chinois/fine strainer in an empty pot in my sink. I also pour by tipping the stock pot rather than lifting for better control.

There are companies who make really fine large, fairly expensive, bags for this same purpose. Again, it may be easier to pour the contents from the pot than lifting the bag to strain the contents.

Her is a picture of the Superbag.

"Superbag is a revolutionary bag. It is a porous filter manufactured in an inert, flexible and heat-resistant material which is suitable for cooking and adapts perfectly to different containers. Superbag is ideal for preparing consommés, making stocks and, in general, cooking large quantities of ingredients; in these processes it reduces the amount of water the cook needs to use and saves a great deal of time, since there is no need to strain or clarify consommés. A Le Sanctuaire exclusive."

Tim

I bought the soup socks when I was in the States a couple years back. They are pretty easy to use, you just pull them out. You can restrain the soup if you want, I am a not too bothered impure stock. I also sometimes make stock in my pasta pot and use the strainer. I also bought some small sacks for herbs which also works well. I often forget to use them though. The hotel we stay in when we are in NYC is right down the street from Zabars... very dangerous.

Mary

Interesting idea. I tend to use cheesecloth lining a mesh strainer. All the icky stuff gets wrapped a multiple layers of newspaper.

There are also nylon mesh bags that you can get in the paint dept at hdwe stores, they work good for pliable disposable strainers too. Probably not food approved, but it just seems like plain old nylon mesh to me.

eb

Hi,

I posted the following on the CI website just to confuse everyone. They'll buy these and fill them with bouillon cubes to make their own stock. In any event, the new chinois from China and Taiwan are really cheap and nicely made.

Look at the following stainless chinois that is made for Royal Industries in Taiwan and sells for $25.



This Williams-Sonoma French chinois costs $70.




Tim

Are there any other ideas for multi-tasking a chinois?

And, what exactly is it that makes these good for stock (vs a regular fine mesh strainer)....the shape? the mesh?, what else and why exactly?

eb

Lynn,

The mesh is much finer than any regular strainer. There are a number of grades of chinois, usually they have two criss-cross layers of mesh.

Tim

I used to have one (keep meaning to get a new one). I liked it for seeding raspberry pulp. Mine came with a wooden -not sure how to describe it -- pointy-pestle-thing. It made quick work of things that were supposed to be run through a food mill. Now I have a food mill and wish I had my chinois back.

Should say that mine was of a fairly coarse mesh. I lined it with cheesecloth when I needed to do really fine straining.

Hi,

If you press material through a triple screen chinois, you have a real challenge in cleaning the mesh. This is better left for a china cap, tamis or regular strainer.

Tim

I think mine was closer to a rather fine china cap, really. I'd get both if I could afford it and I could store them nested. Considering that there are a gajillion restaurant supply stores in the area and I am getting quite the full bag of chicken necks in my freezer, it might be time for some shopping.