I'm Just Here For The Food Part 13

3:39 P.M.

On the way home I stopped by my favorite Mexican restaurant and ordered the cheapest beer they had, a tapped item called "Los . . . something." The beer came, along with a small basket of corn chips and a healthy bowl of hot salsa.

I poured the beer into my insulated coffee mug (hey, it was in the car) and the salsa into a zip-top bag that had previously housed an emergency supply of graham crackers for my daughter. Avoiding the suspicious gaze of the cantina keep, I made for home. Total spent: $1.00.

3:57 P.M.

Back at the house, I heavily seasoned the meaty cubes with kosher salt and placed my large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Two minutes later, I started adding the meat in small batches, turning the pieces every now and then with tongs to get as much surface browning as possible as quickly as possible.27 As the meat browned, I set it into a bowl so that I could capture all the meat's juices. As the meat browned, I set it into a bowl so that I could capture all the meat's juices.

When all of the meat had browned, I deglazed the bottom of the pan with cup of the beer. It immediately came to a boil and I sc.r.a.ped the pan with a wooden spatula for a few moments until all of the stuck-on bits had dissolved. Everything left in the pan was added to the bowl holding the meat.

4:15 P.M.

Less than three hours to go. Most chili recipes require that long just to chop the ingredients. The actual cooking could take days, what with all that connective tissue to break down. Clearly, the pressure was on-heck, working under pressure had been the plan all along.

I broke out my heavy-duty 8-quart pressure cooker and poured in the salsa (16 ounces-I measured) and the rest of the beer (1 cup-again, I measured). Then I added the meat, along with all the juices that had acc.u.mulated at the bottom of the bowl. I stirred in a fat tablespoon of the tomato paste and then added 15 corn chips (did I mention these were the triangular kind?), which I broke to bits by pus.h.i.+ng them down into the meaty melange with a wooden spoon.

4:18 P.M.

Lid on. I let the cooker come to full pressure over high heat, then backed off the heat until the steam dropped to a bare hiss and set the timer for 15 minutes.

4:33 P.M.

When the timer went off, I released the pressure valve and dumped the steam. (This always reminds of that scene at the end of Alien Alien when Sigourney Weaver flushes the alien from its hiding spot on the shuttle.) I then added 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground c.u.min, 2 of the canned chipotles (chopped) along with 2 tablespoons of the accompanying adobo sauce. I stirred the whole thing, decided to add another handful of chips (the first load had disintegrated), lidded up, and brought the cooker back up to pressure for another 10 minutes. I then removed the cooker from the heat and allowed the pressure to abate on its own. When I removed the lid, the meat was fork tender and the sauce pleasantly spicy and thick. when Sigourney Weaver flushes the alien from its hiding spot on the shuttle.) I then added 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground c.u.min, 2 of the canned chipotles (chopped) along with 2 tablespoons of the accompanying adobo sauce. I stirred the whole thing, decided to add another handful of chips (the first load had disintegrated), lidded up, and brought the cooker back up to pressure for another 10 minutes. I then removed the cooker from the heat and allowed the pressure to abate on its own. When I removed the lid, the meat was fork tender and the sauce pleasantly spicy and thick.

7:00 P.M.

Back on my friend's porch, I served the chili with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions and won the bet. Total bill (including the tomato paste I already had): $7.74.28

CHAPTER 7.

Brining

There are lots of ways to get flavor into food, but brining is the only way I know to season, enhance texture, and add weight to a piece of meat.

Have a Soak or Maybe a Rubdown

Like humans (or most of us), the words "marinade" and "brine" evolved from the sea: marinade's root is marine, and brine's-well, you know, briny deep and all that. Over time, marinade came to mean just about any flavorful liquid you soak a food in, and marinate came to mean the act of soaking a food in a flavorful liquid. Brine is both a noun and a verb: a salt solution and the act of soaking in said solution. It stands to reason, therefore, that while you can marinate a pork chop in a brine you can't necessarily brine a pork chop in a marinade-unless, of course, that marinade is a brine. Got it? If you haven't got time for a lengthy soak, try a quick rubdown-with spices, of course.

Marinades

Marinades have long been hailed as "tenderizers." They're not. Sure, acidic liquids (most if not all marinades contain an acid component such as vinegar, wine, or citrus juice) can dissolve proteins and even plant cellulose, but the effect is localized to the surface of the target food. Some food scientists even argue that the tenderizing effect doesn't kick in until the meat crosses 140 F, but that's not to say that marinating in the refrigerator is useless.

The reason that marinades seem seem to tenderize has more to do with flavor than any actual textural alterations. Most marinades contain salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy components. When these compounds are drawn into meat via capillary action, to tenderize has more to do with flavor than any actual textural alterations. Most marinades contain salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy components. When these compounds are drawn into meat via capillary action,29 they strongly season the meat. Then you cook it, slice it, and put it in your mouth. Immediately the salt and acid flavors divebomb your taste buds, which in turn tell your saliva glands to start pumping. By the time you're onto your third chew your food is thoroughly lubricated, and since saliva contains enzymes like amylase, the meat is already well on its way to becoming an easy-to-digest goo. Marinades may not actually do much in the way of tenderizing meat, but their use does help they strongly season the meat. Then you cook it, slice it, and put it in your mouth. Immediately the salt and acid flavors divebomb your taste buds, which in turn tell your saliva glands to start pumping. By the time you're onto your third chew your food is thoroughly lubricated, and since saliva contains enzymes like amylase, the meat is already well on its way to becoming an easy-to-digest goo. Marinades may not actually do much in the way of tenderizing meat, but their use does help us us to tenderize it. to tenderize it.

Brine

A brine is nothing more than a solution of salt and sugar dissolved in water. Although brines may contain other substances (alkaline phosphates are often added to commercial brines because pH is a factor in brine absorption), all that's really required is salt and water.

Brines supercharge meats with flavor and moisture, and also can be used as a pickling agent for fruits and vegetables. Sauerkraut, for example, begins as little more than shredded cabbage and a weak brine that acts as a microbial bouncer, allowing the bacteria necessary for fermentation in, while keeping those that would spoil the party out.

FLAVORING AGENTS.

Want to get more flavor into a piece of food before or during cooking? Choose your weapon: * * Powder: Can be as simple as a sprinkling of salt and pepper or as complex as a dredging in a spice rub (See Powder: Can be as simple as a sprinkling of salt and pepper or as complex as a dredging in a spice rub (See The Rub The Rub). * * Breading or crust: Could be a standard breading (flour, egg, bread crumbs), a coating of crushed potato chips, or a crust of toasted nuts. The flavor comes not only from the added food but from the caramelization that results from its cooking. Crusts and breadings can also protect foods from overcooking. (Read the section on Breading or crust: Could be a standard breading (flour, egg, bread crumbs), a coating of crushed potato chips, or a crust of toasted nuts. The flavor comes not only from the added food but from the caramelization that results from its cooking. Crusts and breadings can also protect foods from overcooking. (Read the section on breadings in Frying breadings in Frying.) * * Baste: Any time you apply a flavorful liquid to a piece of food during cooking, you're basting, and like the Force, basting can be used for good or evil. Grilling chicken thighs over an open fire: basting is good. Broiling your pork ribs after a long braise: basting is good. Roasting a turkey: basting is bad-very bad. My rule is that if you're trying to cook a piece of food (especially meat) and you must open a door or lift a lid to get to it, you shouldn't. Baste: Any time you apply a flavorful liquid to a piece of food during cooking, you're basting, and like the Force, basting can be used for good or evil. Grilling chicken thighs over an open fire: basting is good. Broiling your pork ribs after a long braise: basting is good. Roasting a turkey: basting is bad-very bad. My rule is that if you're trying to cook a piece of food (especially meat) and you must open a door or lift a lid to get to it, you shouldn't. The No-Backyard Baby-Back Ribs The No-Backyard Baby-Back Ribs ribs are an exception because they're already done. The broiling process is all about caramelizing the baste. ribs are an exception because they're already done. The broiling process is all about caramelizing the baste.

Had Shakespeare chosen to reach for a culinary metaphor in his love sonnets, brining would have been the one. Brining is a wonderful thing because it's invisible. You brine a piece of meat, cook it, cut it, serve it, and everybody tastes it and exclaims in disbelief, "Man, this is great meat. You're a genius!" Learn to brine pork and poultry and soon you'll be clearing room on your mantel for that n.o.bel Prize in cooking. How can a simple concoction of salt and water make such a difference? Like most things, it's a matter of chemistry.

Meat is made up of cells. Cells are surrounded by membranes, which function like borders between countries: they are discriminating. Any substance that wants in or out of the cell must present its papers and pa.s.s a rigid inspection. The substance that moves across this border most often and most freely is water.

The micromilieu of meat is all about balance. Inside the cell there are dissolved solids-salts, pota.s.sium, calcium, and the like-and outside there's . . . well, it depends. Drop a pork chop in a bucket of distilled water and there's nothing but H2O outside the border. In this case, the border officials are unhappy because there's a lot more salt inside the cell than outside, thus no balance. So the border temporarily opens, and the guards allow some water to move into the meat and some salt to move out into the water. Eventually the meat will lose a good bit of its native flavor to the water.

However, if there's salt in the water (even as little as a few hundred parts per million), the border guards-ever desirous of equilibrium-will throw open the borders and allow both salt and water to move across the membranes. Now this is where things get really interesting: after 8 to 24 hours there's more salt in the meat, and more water has to be retained to balance it-that's just the osmotic way. So now you've got cells that are perfectly seasoned with salt and nicely plump with water, which if you think about it is something of a paradox: salt pulls liquid out of meats, yet the right brine can pump water into meat.

But wait, there's more.

SALAD DRESSING'S SECRET When you whisk up a vinaigrette, make extra to use as a marinade. I like to use dressings containing either soy or Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce as marinades because their high sodium content acts like a brine.Extra-virgin olive oil and commercial emulsifiers like polysorbate 80 also can help meat tissues absorb flavors. I usually keep some commercial salad dressings around even if I don't use them on salads. The exception is French dressing, which I do keep around for salads. I can't make French dressing because I don't want to know what's in it . . . ever.

BRINING AND MARINATING: THE SHORT FORM.

* Heavy zip-top freezer bags are great for marinating and brining because they allow for the most surface-to-marinade /brine contact. You can suck out the air before you seal the bag, and the bag itself provides the meat with an occasional ma.s.sage, which helps the marinade or brine to be more quickly absorbed into the meat. Heavy zip-top freezer bags are great for marinating and brining because they allow for the most surface-to-marinade /brine contact. You can suck out the air before you seal the bag, and the bag itself provides the meat with an occasional ma.s.sage, which helps the marinade or brine to be more quickly absorbed into the meat. * * PH matters: the more acidic the brine, the longer the journey into the meat. So if your brine is heavy on wine or vinegar, consider adding some baking soda to neutralize the acid. PH matters: the more acidic the brine, the longer the journey into the meat. So if your brine is heavy on wine or vinegar, consider adding some baking soda to neutralize the acid. * * Temperature matters: meat proteins are more extractable around 34 F, meaning that the tissues in question will hold on to more water if brined at refrigerator temperatures. Temperature matters: meat proteins are more extractable around 34 F, meaning that the tissues in question will hold on to more water if brined at refrigerator temperatures. * * Never wash off marinades or brines; simply pat the food dry before cooking. Never wash off marinades or brines; simply pat the food dry before cooking. * * Although marinated foods can be fished from the drink and wrapped for several days prior to cooking, try to time your soak session so that the brined food can go straight from the liquid to the heat. All those cells are puffed up like blimps, and without the counterpressure of the brine, the sheer weight of the food will begin to squeeze the brine out within minutes of leaving the bath. Although marinated foods can be fished from the drink and wrapped for several days prior to cooking, try to time your soak session so that the brined food can go straight from the liquid to the heat. All those cells are puffed up like blimps, and without the counterpressure of the brine, the sheer weight of the food will begin to squeeze the brine out within minutes of leaving the bath. * * When brining large items like turkeys or multiple pork shoulders, I put them in a plastic cooler and replace about a third of the brine liquid with ice. When brining large items like turkeys or multiple pork shoulders, I put them in a plastic cooler and replace about a third of the brine liquid with ice. * * Another good reason for brining and marinating at refrigerator temperature is, of course, sanitation. Most micro bugs don't dig salty environs, but some don't mind a bit. Another good reason for brining and marinating at refrigerator temperature is, of course, sanitation. Most micro bugs don't dig salty environs, but some don't mind a bit. * * A cure is simply a brine without the water. Since it's pretty darned strong, it's usually only used as part of a curing process, such as corning beef (the word cure is a reference to the size of the salt crystals used in the process) and making gravlax. A cure is simply a brine without the water. Since it's pretty darned strong, it's usually only used as part of a curing process, such as corning beef (the word cure is a reference to the size of the salt crystals used in the process) and making gravlax.

Like a molecular Trojan horse, the water can harbor other substances, specifically water-soluble flavors like brown sugar or various herbaceous elements whose flavors have been extracted via brewing. This means you can sneak various and sundry flavorings and seasonings into the meat.

And yet there's more. When salt gets into meat cells it runs into certain water-soluble proteins. They look sort of like this:

That is, until they meet the salt. Then they look sort of like this:

This is what denatured proteins look like. Notice that they've gone from tight little separate springy things to big loose coils that have managed to get all tangled up with each other. During the cooking process, this tangled-up structure traps water almost like a gel, which means two things: 1. Brined meats are juicier when cooked.2. Since they hold more moisture, brined meats are more forgiving of overcooking.

For instance, a turkey cooked to 165 F will taste okay and will be relatively moist, but it dries out quickly with every degree over.

A brined turkey, on the other hand, can reach all the way to 180 F without losing its finger-lickin' status. This rule applies equally to all pork cuts, all poultry and fowl, and, oddly enough, shrimp.

Orange Brine This brine is equally good on all kinds of poultry and pork-and I like it best on pork loin or even pork chops. It's good for grilled pork tenderloin, too, but you might also consider basting the tenderloin on the grill with a combination of orange-juice concentrate mixed with the hot sauce of your choice.

Application: BriningIn a pot bring 2 cups of the stock, the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, and bay leaves just to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the remaining stock, the orange juice, and 2 quarts ice water, and pour into a 2-gallon bucket. When the mixture has cooled to below 40 F, add the meat in a cool place (to maintain a sub-40 temperature). Let it brine for at least 8 hours and up to 48. Remove the meat from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and cook as desired.Software: 1 quart vegetable stock, chilled 1 quart vegetable stock, chilled cup kosher salt cup dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 quart orange juice, chilled 2 quarts ice water Hardware: Medium stock pot Medium stock pot 2-gallon plastic bucket Thermometer Paper towels

A Dip For Mr. Dennis Mr. Dennis is an old New England euphemism for the family pig. This brine is excellent for pork, especially chops, which can soak for as little as hour to nice effect.

Application: BriningCombine spices in a tea ball or tie them securely into a paper coffee filter and place in pot with salt and mola.s.ses. Add water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove the tea ball and discard the spices; pour the liquid into the bucket and add the meat. Allow the meat to brine for at least 6 hours or as long as 12 hours. Remove the meat from the brine, pat dry, and immediately cook as desired.Software: 1 tablespoon juniper berries 1 tablespoon juniper berries 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 10 whole cloves 1 cups kosher salt cup mola.s.ses 2 quarts water Target cut of pork Hardware: Tea ball or paper coffee filter Tea ball or paper coffee filter and string Medium stock pot 2-gallon plastic bucket

Shrimp Soak Brining improves both the flavor and especially the texture of shrimp-after a soak, these crustaceans are completely plumped up with moisture. I recommend broiling them right in their sh.e.l.ls on a sheet pan.

Application: BriningBring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add the salt and sugar and stir until the crystals have dissolved.Pour the mixture into the plastic bucket and add the ice. When the ice has melted, add the shrimp and allow to soak- hour for 21/55s, or up to 1 hour for the really huge shrimp that some people erroneously call "jumbo."That's 21 to 25 shrimp per pound Remove the shrimp from the brine, pat dry, and cook immediately.Software: 1 cup water 1 cup water cup kosher salt cup sugar 1 pound ice 1 pound shrimp, unsh.e.l.led Hardware: Small sauce pan Small sauce pan 1-gallon plastic bucket

Grilled Mahi-Mahi, Ceviche-Style This mahi-mahi is a winner. It retains a super fresh-fish flavor and the sauce is tangy and spicy with a clean finish from the herbs.

Application: Marinating, Grilling, and a SauceRub the filets with kosher salt and set aside. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except cup of the cilantro and the olive oil. Mix to dissolve the sugar, and add the filets to the bowl. Marinate for 2 hours, turning the filets once after 1 hour. Remove the filets from the marinade and set it aside. Pat the filets dry with paper towels and lightly coat with the olive oil.Heat the charcoal and grill the filets over direct heat until they are just cooked through-opaque at the center but still moist. While the fish is grilling, add the reserved marinade to a saucepan and heat until it is reduced to about cup. Using tongs, remove the filets to serving plates and divide sauce equally among them. Top with remaining cilantro.Yield: 4 entree servingsSoftware: 4 pounds skinless mahi-mahi 4 pounds skinless mahi-mahi filets 1 teaspoon kosher salt cup diced red onion cup freshly-squeezed lime juice cup freshly-squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper cup chopped cilantro cup dark brown sugar, packed cup tequila 1 tablespoon olive oil Hardware: Non-reactive bowl Non-reactive bowl Charcoal Charcoal starter Long tongs Saucepan

Marinated Vegetable Salad Application: MarinatingCut each vegetable into uniform pieces: trim the ends of the beans; trim the bottoms off the asparagus; floret the broccoli and cauliflower; cut the carrots into rounds; and peel the beet and cut it into wide matchsticks. One kind of vegetable at a time, drop them into a large pot of salted boiling water and blanch until crisp-tender. Pull a piece out every few seconds and check it. The broccoli should only take about 45 seconds, but the cauliflower might take more than a minute. Do the carrots next to last as they'll discolor the water, and finish with the beets. Do not blanch the onion.As each vegetable is ready, remove them to an ice-water bath to stop them from cooking. This is very important; if you don't have an ice-water bath ready, the vegetables will continue cooking after you pull them out of the water and they'll get too soft.Thoroughly drain, then put all the vegetables-except the broccoli and the onion-in an airtight plastic container and lightly season with salt and pepper.In a mixing bowl, blend the tangerine, lemon, and lime juices. Add the vinegar, garlic, shallot, and mustard. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a thin stream to emulsify. Add the tarragon and pour over the vegetables in the container. They should not be drowning in the marinade. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning the container periodically.When ready to serve, add the broccoli and onions to the party. If you add them earlier, the onions will "bleed" pink on all the vegetables and the broccoli will turn gray from the acidity.Yield: 1 huge platter of vegetablesNote: If you can't find tangerines consider using grapefruit; oranges aren't acidic enough to fully marinate the vegetables. If you can't find tangerines consider using grapefruit; oranges aren't acidic enough to fully marinate the vegetables.

Software: pound wax beans or green beans pound wax beans or green beans 1 bunch thin asparagus 2 broccoli crowns 1 head cauliflower 3 large carrots 1 golden beet about the size of a baseball 1 medium red onion, sliced Lyonnaise-style Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Juice of 4 tangerines ( cup; see Note Note) Juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons) Juice of 2 limes (2 tablespoons) cup champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard cup good olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon Hardware : Paring knife Paring knife Large pot Spider or slotted spoon Large ice-water bath Large lidded airtight plastic container Mixing bowl Whisk