tony b

OK, so here's the koji rice steak aging experiment results. Here's the setup - a Trader Joe's strip steak (moderately tender cut) and the koji rice. Ground up some of the rice and rubbed all over the steak. Into the fridge on the rack. Here's what it looked like after one day. Things are starting to happen. Here's the result after 2 days. The grid marks are from turning the steak over after the first day. Rinsed, dried, and simple rub of Trader Joe's Steak rub (coffee based) and some Sucklebuster's SPG (salt, pepper, garlic). Onto the KK, direct @ 325F, bourbon barrel chunk, with some corn. 5 minutes on each side. (Note: corn had been on for 30 minutes already) Finished on the sear grate. 2 minutes on each side. Plated with some parsley potatoes w/black truffle oil, cooked SV @ 183F for 35 minutes. Some sauteed mushrooms on the side. And, don't forget that corn on the cob! So, what was the outcome? Will definitely try this again to see if first impressions hold. Steak was slightly more tender, but not dramatically so. I chose this rub combo, as I have used it on the same steak cut before, so I knew what it should taste like. There was a slightly noticeable taste difference this time - slightly sweet/malty, especially on the fatty outer layer. Not a bad thing, but different. Maybe next time, I'll keep it super simple and just use the SPG alone, to see if I still notice this sweetness. I might also go 3 days in the fridge, to see if that further improves the texture/aging. All in all, fun with food! My favorite hobby!

He is the Yoda of pizza here on the Forum.

Make sure that you order the maximum number of cocochar and/or coffee char boxes that will fit on the pallet. It's the cheapest shipping per box you will ever pay! Cover is a great accessory, depending on your climate. You will need to order a second charcoal basket to go with the basket splitter. Makes things sooooo much easier. Just swap out baskets. No assembly required.

I don't own a 32", but when I ordered my basket splitter, I ordered a second charcoal basket for it. It's a must do! When you order, send them an email with the order number and specify that you also want a second charcoal basket.

They look like stuffed crust pizzas? Or were they just that poofie?

Nice pics. Good luck in the Challenge!

YUMMY

@Geo - where in Iowa are you headed? I'm in Cedar Rapids.

Ceramic Chef, International Man of Mystery!

dstr8 is correct, extended time in the SV bath can lead to mushy texture as the meat fibers will eventually start to break down. If you look at the time/temp chart above, you'll see that there is a recommended max time in the bath. The best part is that the min/max window is usually hours, so you have a lot of flexibility in timing your cooks.

You'd better enter that!

Sounds like an excellent plan for the burn-in.

This might not be the best example, but I did a SV steak where I seared it on the KK first, then finished it in the SV bath (probably in the 125F - 130F bath temp).

That's the thing about SV cooking - the temperature is essentially the same throughout the meat. There is no gradient between the outside and inside, once you reach thermal equilibrium. There are charts for time versus temperature to make sure that the meat is safe to eat. So, yes, it is cooked at 124F, provided you do it long enough. One picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. Here's the time/temp chart. ChefSteps-SousVideReference - Time & Temp.pdf

I typically do my SV steaks at 125F for 3 - 4 hours, then a fast sear on the KK sear grate (typically 4 turns of 30 seconds each).

Just as miserable here, Ken. Today's a tad cooler, but back into the 90s over the weekend. Still planning to grill though. Cold beverages, indeed. Gin & Tonic weather, I call it!

@dstr8 Yeah, what he said!

Excellent. Love that color!

Looks cool, but I can't get any of the videos to play??

My Mom made killer fried chicken, but when Shake-n-Bake came out, we only saw real fried chicken on special occasions!

@Jon B. - +1

Pictures, my man, where are the pictures?? One of the "rules" on this Forum - no pictures, it didn't happen. I bought one of these pumps to do my Peking ducks. Only used it once, but worked like a charm. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FE9CGE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Don't have a fireplace, so there.

I've done a lot with mine, from the obvious steaks to perfectly poached eggs (scrambled too), seafood is the best (especially shrimp). Played with mashed potatoes some. Stuffed pork chops and chicken breasts are great - the stuffing doesn't run out. Makes awesome fried chicken - SV cook it first, then bread and fry (you don't burn the breading trying to get the chicken done.) I'm also a homebrewer and use it a lot in the brew room to heat my strike water. It also makes a great whirlpool circulator (set the temp as low as it will go, so it never heats the wort, just helps circulate it around my immersion chiller.) It's one of the most used appliances in the kitchen/brew room.

If you were interested in getting the Anova SV circulator, you have until June 19th to save $30 on one. http://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/?utm_source=01.+Primary+Marketing+List&utm_campaign=f71c6ac1a4-Anova_Father_Day_ROW6_14_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f33347b916-f71c6ac1a4-100134741&ct=t(Anova_Father_Day_ROW6_14_2016)&goal=0_f33347b916-f71c6ac1a4-100134741&mc_cid=f71c6ac1a4&mc_eid=f20b46fd4c