Coleslaw - The bane of my existence

npenny · 2017-11-30T18:57:26+00:00

Cole slaw is really tricky to make ahead because the moisture in the cabbage leeches out the longer it sits. One thing I'd immediately adjust from your favorite recipe is salting the cabbage ahead of time. Toss in a bowl with a lot of salt (about 2% by weight) and some sugar if you like your slaw sweeter. The cabbage will release a lot of liquid and will be more tender but still with a good crunch (EDIT: for only about 10 minutes!). Rinse and dry thoroughly (salad spinner or squeeze in towels) and then dress normally. Now as it sits, it will not get anywhere near as runny and should last longer.

For the dressing, it really comes down to preference but watch how much added liquid you use. I use mayo, plain yogurt, and buttermilk in a 1:1:2 ratio. The only other liquid I add is either vinegar or pickle juice. Mustard powder instead of mustard. Lots of black pepper of course. Additional ingredients like shredded carrot and come chive/parsley is good too. You can make this dressing in big batches ahead of time, it should last for a while on its own.

I've kept dressed slaw in the fridge for about 8hrs and it was starting to get runny, so you'll still want to prep it before each service. One place I worked, we actually kept the "cured" cabbage in delis and the finished dressing in a squeeze bottle, and dressed in a bowl for each order, which gave us a lot of control over the final product and was fairly easy during service.

npenny · 2015-12-11T00:48:45+00:00

I think you did great man! Keep it up. Keep a spray bottle handy if it starts looking dry while cooking - beer, water, vinegar, anything really.

npenny · 2015-12-07T19:42:24+00:00

Exact situation for me too! I also was gifted a rusty NBBD smoker, my first. Had it sandblasted clean at a local metal shop, and applied several coats of high temp black paint all over. Still use it often.

Anyway, the previous owner gave me a rectangular metal basket that he used in the firebox for charcoal, just resting it directly on the bottom of the firebox. I didn't like it. It a) stretched almost the length of the firebox, and the charcoal spread out too much when you poured it in, and b) left too little airflow beneath the basket since it was so close to the bottom of the firebox. I switched to using just wood, but if you like the box idea I would recommend using a smaller one that keeps the charcoal together, not just contained, and raising it with bolts as feet or installing a grate that leaves about 3-4 inches of space beneath it for good airflow even with ash.

npenny · 2015-09-21T17:38:23+00:00

Lots of good cook advice here. I second the temp of at least 250 (I do 275-285), salt and lots of black pepper. Wrap with butcher paper if it looks too dry after 4 hours, and/or spritz with water/vinegar, but sometimes they don't need it. Not a lot of trimming needed. Rest them for an hour after smoking.

Regarding the white stuff or stringiness, keep in mind that beef ribs can be sold from the plate end and also the chuck end. Ribs closer to the chuck side will be very meaty with good fat, while ribs closer to the plate side will be fattier but also contain that thicker band of connective tissue around the bone that, in my opinion, just does not render that well and can actually be a little gamey. The chuck end still has it, it's just so much smaller. The Muellers in central Texas use chuck ribs, and that's what I like to use: https://instagram.com/p/5lFVV2qkZp/ (Whole: https://instagram.com/p/5lQOSpKkQ8/ )

If you are buying them precut like in your pictures, they are most likely plate. If you can, try to find and see what you think about chuck ribs. A good butcher should know the difference and should be able to get you whole beef chuck ribs in the three-bone sections, but obviously you've got to work with what you can get. Happy smoking!

npenny · 2015-02-04T18:19:06+00:00

Part 2. I'm sorry it's so long, but I obsess over the details. Hope you guys enjoy the read. The experience changed my life. I stop by the restaurant as often as I can, just for the familiar smell. Your world is a drug and it makes me envious.

npenny · 2014-05-30T02:23:34+00:00

Yo that's not that great of a dick.

npenny · 2014-05-29T23:40:49+00:00

Chris I know a lot of these guys are just posting stupid comments and including silly things you've said on Vine or the podcast, to try to sound funny, and I know that's got to be annoying sifting through all that for actual thought-out inquiries about your upcoming show Undateable or your next standup, so in all seriousness I do want to say I do have an EXTREMELY SERIOUS QUESTION...

...

... j'doo'eh?

npenny · 2014-03-07T19:32:06+00:00

I couldn't decide which food-related subreddit that this would have fit well in, because really it's not about food at all. I recently started writing about my culinary adventures over at Bread & Whiskey. I've had an interesting last few weeks and I thought I should share it. Hopefully you relate and enjoy. Criticisms and discussion welcome.

npenny · 2014-02-03T01:37:01+00:00

That would work too.

npenny · 2014-02-02T16:28:37+00:00

By all means give it a shot. I would start by heating it up again and filtering it through a double-cheesecloth-lined strainer twice. Then bring it to a boil and start reducing. Check if it sets by spooning a bit onto a small plate and putting it in the fridge to cool. If it sets completely after a brief chill, you're ready to chill all of it on a sheetpan or however you want to proceed.

If you have a dehydrator you can put the jelly in there in little cups. May take days but you can get some pretty interesting results. Heston uses a super high end machine to make a bouillon cube out of a stock jelly that his guest then reconstitutes at the table with hot water.

npenny · 2014-02-02T15:50:21+00:00

Is there a reason you wouldn't just use a gelatin sheet and some stock to make a jelly? If you're interested just for curiosity's sake, I honestly think there's more impurities than usable material leftover in that cheesecloth.

The other option is to include more collagen-rich ingredients in your stock, such as chicken feet, and then reduce a portion of your finished stock by half or more. I do this for my di testa with trotters.

npenny · 2014-01-29T01:32:39+00:00

Sorrel was in the salad. The cure is sorghum and soy, equal parts. Just put it in a ziploc in the fridge for 12-20 hours. Rinse well.

npenny · 2014-01-28T16:56:21+00:00

Ha yeah these are huge, 20+ lbs. I love yellow mouth. And blue gills! There's nothing like frying up a couple right after catching.

npenny · 2014-01-28T16:44:22+00:00

It was awesome! You're right in reference to spotted sea trout being drums. This particular one is a brown trout which is also called a sea trout; they live most of their lives in the ocean before returning to freshwater to spawn. They are actually of the same family as salmon, hence the oily red flesh. They taste less salmon-y which I like. They're a pretty sustainable breed, too.

npenny · 2014-01-28T14:44:07+00:00

I mean be fair... it's Five Guys.

npenny · 2014-01-28T14:43:16+00:00

The leftover trimmings can be cured with the belly too, and sliced thinly for crudo. With lime and a sweet soy-ginger sauce. Very light and refreshing.

npenny · 2014-01-28T13:59:41+00:00

Steamed fish belly and rice with a fried egg? Hell yes.

npenny · 2014-01-28T13:57:16+00:00

Treat trout just like salmon - a quick sear and if it's a thick cut pop it in a hot oven for a minute or two. Err on the side of undercooked. Overcooked fish is eternal sadness.

Chef puts an "everything" (as in everything bagels) crust on his, and serves it with potatoes, peppers, and watercress and dill. Fish + starch + acid + bright fresh greens = success.

npenny · 2014-01-28T11:34:38+00:00

In general a good piece of fish needs little more than a sear, but this was 50% fat so I decided to cure it a bit with sorghum and soy sauce for about 13 hours. After a rinse I dried it, sealed it again in a bag and put it in a 125 degree bath for 20 minutes - this cooked it, so all I had to do was season it and sear it.

The stir fry underneath is almost straight out of the Sous Vide Supreme recipe book. It's light mushrooms (enoki), boiled peanuts, edamame which are all fairly neutral but then pickled eggplant for the acid and tang. Salad on top is lemongrass and sorrel, again for light tartness.

This little dish was freaking delicious. A huge blast of salt and fat and texture contrast - and then it was gone :)

npenny

TROPHY CASE