Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Burgers - Tips for Grilling the Perfect Burger
Burgers - Tips for Grilling the Perfect Burger: "Burgers"
If you've read much of my work you'll already know that among my many food obsessions the grill and the burger rank near the top. I love them both. They're just plain good - no matter what you make one out of. And the truth of the matter is that a good burger is super simple and very easy. Most people get off track with a burger by attempting too much.
The rule for grilling perfect burgers can pretty much be summed up in one phrase – “leave it alone ”. The good news is that this means that most of the things you thought you had to do to produce a juicy, succulent, beefy grilled little beauty can be tossed out. The even better news is that there really isn't any bad news. Perfect burgers are easy to produce and much of what I'm going to tell you will be about why NOT to do things. Which leaves you more time to enjoy whatever else you might want to do.
The first step is to choose the ground meat you wish to use. I can and do make burgers out of almost anything – but in this case we’re talking about beef. Go middle of the road here – different supermarkets label ground beef in different ways, so look for the fat content numbers. Burgers can be made out of any ground beef - from chuck to tenderloin, but you really just need to pay attention to fat content. Look for ground beef or chuck with a number on the label reading 85/15 - meaning a 15% fat content. This is enough fat to render through the burger and keep it moist – less fat and you’ll run the risk of having a dry burger. A higher fat content will probably taste good, and much of the fat will render out onto your coals. But it also means you’ll lose more volume – meaning your burgers will shrink, sometimes alarmingly so.
If you're choosing other types of protein, there are a few things to keep in mind, although much of it is the same principle as you use for beef. Fat content is king. Fat means flavor, but it also means the burgers will be less likely to fall apart on the grill. Lamb is naturally somewhat high in fat, so should be good to go as you find it. But most other things will be lean - seafood and poultry especially. You can look for dark meat for chicken or turkey burgers, which is much more moist for a burger than white meat. For any of them though, mix a couple of beaten egg whites into the meat as you season and shape the patties. This will help both maintain juiciness and help keep them together during cooking.
Your next step is to preheat the grill - you can do this before you start making the burger patties. Make sure you have a nice hot grill - this goes a long way to searing the outside of the burgers, as well as helping to prevent them from sticking. Burgers will stick much more quickly on a cooler grill. Whether you are using gas or charcoal is up to you - just make sure that you allow for a 'zone' either way - a place where the heat will be indirect, so that you can cook the burgers off direct heat if you wish. The easiest way to do this is make sure the charcoal is on one half of the grill and not the other, or simply turn the burners off on one side AFTER the grill has preheated. This also allows for developing grill marks, as they are done over direct heat, and it's those grill marks that are the pride of old-hand grillmasters.
When you make the burger patties, there are a couple of tihngs to keep in mind. You really don't need eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, oatmeal or any of the other additives that people tout as binders or extenders. Those are for making meatloaf. These are burgers – so skip all of that. You do however want plenty of salt and pepper, and maybe onion or garlic powder and a touch of Worcestershire. Anything else really can be overkill (not always but often). One of the glories of a great burger is the essential 'beefiness' - so allow it to shine.
Take the meat out of the package and loosely break it up into a very large bowl. Give yourself as much surface area as possible. You want to be able to season the meat thoroughly, while also handling it as much as possible. Handling ground meat too much will toughen and compact it - resulting in the dreaded 'hocky puck'. A large surface area allows you to season more of the meat - and you want to season liberally. Many think salt will dry meat - but that only happens if it's done too far ahead of time. Don't be afraid of salt or pepper either one - beef loves salt!
To make the burgers themselves, just divide the amount of beef you have by the number of servings you wish. Typically I use 1/4 lb portions of raw meat for each burger. Gently, but firmly form them into patties, pressing enough for them to hold their shape, but don’t worry too much about it. If you have a reasonable fat content and a nice hot grill, they won't fall apart. Especially since once they go on the grill you will be leaving them alone. Once you make each patty, gently make an indentation in the top of each one. This will prevent them from swelling in the center and trying to turn into meatballs.
When your grill has preheated, transfer the patties to the grill, then do not touch. Don’t you dare start the ‘squish and sizzle’ with your spatula – that’s the sign of an amateur griller. Yes, it sounds great, but what's happening is that all the juices are running out of your burger and on to the coals. The coals can’t taste it – so don’t do it. If you let the meat stay in contact with the hot grill for 2 minutes – several things can happen. The Maillard reaction will be the first – basically that’s when the natural sugars in the food caramelize. That’s what gives you flavor, but also where you get grill marks. Another thing is that burgers are less likely to stick - once that crust forms, they release themselves from the hot grill. After 2 minutes, rotate (not flip) the patties, and give it another two minutes. After the second 2 minutes you’ll flip and repeat. So you’ll have a total of four 2 minute increments. Otherwise – don’t mess with the burgers. Also, try to leave the grill lid shut between flips or turns, to keep the internal temperature up.
This 8 minutes of cooking time will give a 1/4 lb burger a doneness of rare to medium rare. If you want yours more done, then move the burgers to the cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and add two minutes for each additional stage of doneness. I almost always use a thermometer to take the internal temp of the burger itself, shooting for 145 for my own preferred medium – but under no circumstances should you cut a burger open to look. Again – you’ve just lost all the juices. If you want cheese, which was made to adorn a burger in my opinion, simply place it on top for the last two minutes of cooking time. It’ll melt and ooze like a dream.
When you've reached the doneness you desire, move the burgers to a platter, and again - leave them alone. You're after carryover cooking here - the internal temperature will continue to rise a little even after the meat is off the heat source. In addition, the juices that rushed to the surface of the burger during cooking will redistribute throughout the meat. Don't underestimate the importance of this step - this is what can most often insure a great burger. Let them rest for at least five minutes - although going a full ten minutes is even better. Put the rest time to good use - prep any topping you want to use, and grill off your buns.
That's all you have to do. Remember the basics - don't over mix the meat, season well but simply, and make sure you let the burgers rest. A great burger on the grill is simplicity itself - it really just means taking good ingredients and not messing them up. Nobody will know that the amazing burgers you can crank out are a result of what you didn’t do!
If you've read much of my work you'll already know that among my many food obsessions the grill and the burger rank near the top. I love them both. They're just plain good - no matter what you make one out of. And the truth of the matter is that a good burger is super simple and very easy. Most people get off track with a burger by attempting too much.
The rule for grilling perfect burgers can pretty much be summed up in one phrase – “leave it alone ”. The good news is that this means that most of the things you thought you had to do to produce a juicy, succulent, beefy grilled little beauty can be tossed out. The even better news is that there really isn't any bad news. Perfect burgers are easy to produce and much of what I'm going to tell you will be about why NOT to do things. Which leaves you more time to enjoy whatever else you might want to do.
The first step is to choose the ground meat you wish to use. I can and do make burgers out of almost anything – but in this case we’re talking about beef. Go middle of the road here – different supermarkets label ground beef in different ways, so look for the fat content numbers. Burgers can be made out of any ground beef - from chuck to tenderloin, but you really just need to pay attention to fat content. Look for ground beef or chuck with a number on the label reading 85/15 - meaning a 15% fat content. This is enough fat to render through the burger and keep it moist – less fat and you’ll run the risk of having a dry burger. A higher fat content will probably taste good, and much of the fat will render out onto your coals. But it also means you’ll lose more volume – meaning your burgers will shrink, sometimes alarmingly so.
If you're choosing other types of protein, there are a few things to keep in mind, although much of it is the same principle as you use for beef. Fat content is king. Fat means flavor, but it also means the burgers will be less likely to fall apart on the grill. Lamb is naturally somewhat high in fat, so should be good to go as you find it. But most other things will be lean - seafood and poultry especially. You can look for dark meat for chicken or turkey burgers, which is much more moist for a burger than white meat. For any of them though, mix a couple of beaten egg whites into the meat as you season and shape the patties. This will help both maintain juiciness and help keep them together during cooking.
Your next step is to preheat the grill - you can do this before you start making the burger patties. Make sure you have a nice hot grill - this goes a long way to searing the outside of the burgers, as well as helping to prevent them from sticking. Burgers will stick much more quickly on a cooler grill. Whether you are using gas or charcoal is up to you - just make sure that you allow for a 'zone' either way - a place where the heat will be indirect, so that you can cook the burgers off direct heat if you wish. The easiest way to do this is make sure the charcoal is on one half of the grill and not the other, or simply turn the burners off on one side AFTER the grill has preheated. This also allows for developing grill marks, as they are done over direct heat, and it's those grill marks that are the pride of old-hand grillmasters.
When you make the burger patties, there are a couple of tihngs to keep in mind. You really don't need eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, oatmeal or any of the other additives that people tout as binders or extenders. Those are for making meatloaf. These are burgers – so skip all of that. You do however want plenty of salt and pepper, and maybe onion or garlic powder and a touch of Worcestershire. Anything else really can be overkill (not always but often). One of the glories of a great burger is the essential 'beefiness' - so allow it to shine.
Take the meat out of the package and loosely break it up into a very large bowl. Give yourself as much surface area as possible. You want to be able to season the meat thoroughly, while also handling it as much as possible. Handling ground meat too much will toughen and compact it - resulting in the dreaded 'hocky puck'. A large surface area allows you to season more of the meat - and you want to season liberally. Many think salt will dry meat - but that only happens if it's done too far ahead of time. Don't be afraid of salt or pepper either one - beef loves salt!
To make the burgers themselves, just divide the amount of beef you have by the number of servings you wish. Typically I use 1/4 lb portions of raw meat for each burger. Gently, but firmly form them into patties, pressing enough for them to hold their shape, but don’t worry too much about it. If you have a reasonable fat content and a nice hot grill, they won't fall apart. Especially since once they go on the grill you will be leaving them alone. Once you make each patty, gently make an indentation in the top of each one. This will prevent them from swelling in the center and trying to turn into meatballs.
When your grill has preheated, transfer the patties to the grill, then do not touch. Don’t you dare start the ‘squish and sizzle’ with your spatula – that’s the sign of an amateur griller. Yes, it sounds great, but what's happening is that all the juices are running out of your burger and on to the coals. The coals can’t taste it – so don’t do it. If you let the meat stay in contact with the hot grill for 2 minutes – several things can happen. The Maillard reaction will be the first – basically that’s when the natural sugars in the food caramelize. That’s what gives you flavor, but also where you get grill marks. Another thing is that burgers are less likely to stick - once that crust forms, they release themselves from the hot grill. After 2 minutes, rotate (not flip) the patties, and give it another two minutes. After the second 2 minutes you’ll flip and repeat. So you’ll have a total of four 2 minute increments. Otherwise – don’t mess with the burgers. Also, try to leave the grill lid shut between flips or turns, to keep the internal temperature up.
This 8 minutes of cooking time will give a 1/4 lb burger a doneness of rare to medium rare. If you want yours more done, then move the burgers to the cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and add two minutes for each additional stage of doneness. I almost always use a thermometer to take the internal temp of the burger itself, shooting for 145 for my own preferred medium – but under no circumstances should you cut a burger open to look. Again – you’ve just lost all the juices. If you want cheese, which was made to adorn a burger in my opinion, simply place it on top for the last two minutes of cooking time. It’ll melt and ooze like a dream.
When you've reached the doneness you desire, move the burgers to a platter, and again - leave them alone. You're after carryover cooking here - the internal temperature will continue to rise a little even after the meat is off the heat source. In addition, the juices that rushed to the surface of the burger during cooking will redistribute throughout the meat. Don't underestimate the importance of this step - this is what can most often insure a great burger. Let them rest for at least five minutes - although going a full ten minutes is even better. Put the rest time to good use - prep any topping you want to use, and grill off your buns.
That's all you have to do. Remember the basics - don't over mix the meat, season well but simply, and make sure you let the burgers rest. A great burger on the grill is simplicity itself - it really just means taking good ingredients and not messing them up. Nobody will know that the amazing burgers you can crank out are a result of what you didn’t do!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Gumbo Glory - Or How to Really Rock a Pot
Gumbo! I don’t often approach a blank page with emotion other than eagerness, yet when it comes to describing the glory of gumbo and all it contains, I found myself momentarily wordless. What mere articles can do it justice? How can I capture the complexity of flavors, the textures, the intensity that is gumbo? That je ne sais quois that is alone in the culinary world?
Well, I can’t. Although I am about to describe it in excruciating detail, until you’ve had gumbo - of any variety - you just haven’t eaten. If you have a culinary Bucket List, (and you should) any and all gumbo should be in the top ten. If it’s good gumbo. Bad gumbo is just nasty. You just listen to me on that one. So I’ll tell you all about it, including how to make it, and you pay attention.
All righty then. Gumbo is stew.
Yes. I said it's stew. That's it. See? There's nothing funky or bizarre about that. Although I'll freely admit that it is a lovely little bit of magic!
It was developed in Louisiana, although it’s popular across the South, and whoever first made it should be granted Evil Culinary Genius status in perpetuity. The essentials of gumbo - the things that make it gumbo - good strong stock, the trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery), meats (including seafood) and a thickener. Those are the elements that must be there, and the thickener can be one of three things - roux, okra or file powder. The latter two are truly traditional, and some will claim without one of those there is no gumbo.
I personally don’t think Gumbo could have happened anywhere else in the world. The trinity is of Spanish origin, the method is French. The word gumbo is a derivation of the African word for okra - okingumbo. If ground sassafras is used (file powder), thank the Choctaw. If you have Creole roux, then the tomatoes were added by Italians. (Cajun cuisine on the other hand has no tomatoes in gumbo).
Breakdown!Ok - so we outlined the necessary components of a gumbo - those things that make it gumbo. Stock, trinity, proteins, thickener. Easy enough to this point. So let's go one step further. All you have to do is choose what you like out of each category.
Stock
This is the first of the four main flavor bases of this dish, so do yourself a favor and use good stock. If you want a great, simple basic stock that fast and easy, try this one. I have to say - if you want your gumbo elevated from good to great, then take the time to use homemade stock. If you need to prove it to yourself, make one batch with homemade, and one batch with canned. That's all that it'll take to show you how great the difference is. I'd almost rather use water than canned stock in gumbo.
Now - which stock you use depends on the flavor base you choose, and which proteins you're going to use. Generally speaking, the more delicate the flavors of your protein, the lighter the stock you'd use. But in this dish, you're also using some bold intensely flavored ingredients. I love to use Basic Chicken Stock, because I usually have it on hand, or can throw it together quickly. Good chicken stock is always a good choice, simply because it is neutral enough to not overwhelm your other ingredients, but instead enhancing them. Veal stock, if you're lucky enough to have the ingredients to make that is even better. Beef, pork, and fish or shellfish stocks can all work - depending on the flavor profile you want and the proteins you wish to use. A good pork broth with smoked sausage? Oh yeah.
If you just aren't sure, or if you're a novice, start with chicken broth. You won't go wrong.
My point is, you wouldn't use wilted veggies, or shrimp past it's due date. Take the same care in choosing the stock. It will show in spades in your finished gumbo - you'll love me and maybe send me fan mail.
The Trinity
Many cultures have a basic aromatic flavor base is used. In France and Western European cultures it's the mirepoix - carrots, onion and celery. In parts of China, it's garlic, ginger and soy. In Thai cuisine it's fish sauce.
In Louisiana - the Trinity rules. Celery, bell pepper and onion, which are sauteed together. The flavor profile is distinct and profound. You'll want to generally use about twice as much onion as celery or bell pepper, but honestly - that's a personal preference. All three of these vegetables caramelize beautifully, and when cooked develope a sweetness and complexity that's gorgeous.
Pick the best, freshest vegetables you can find. Onion often becomes difficult in late spring or early summer, whenm the previous season's produce had gotten somewhat tired, and the new crops aren't in. Bell pepper is hot house grown year round, except in the Deep South, and celery is available all over. If your lucky enough to get all three fresh at a farmer's market, you'll rule the universe. If not - then you're with me. Still - do the best you can. This is also a fundamental flavor base, so treat it with respect. It'll pay you back.
Add your trinity to your hot roux before adding the other ingredients.
Proteins
This is where a gumbo can really shine, and also how the cook can tailor a dish to what's best and most fresh and available in her own area. Anything goes. Typically a gumbo contains at least two types of meats or seafoods, such as chicken and pork, sausage and shirmp. In the Carolinas, it's often beef with another protein. Inland it's less often seafood, and of course the Coastal South can go nuts with shellfish. Use what's best in your own area.
I have seemed to notice that one of the most common ingredients is smoke pork, usually a sausage. Probably because it's so universally available, it seems to nearly be a common denominator. But you don't have to use it if you don't wish (although the liberal application of pig to any dish is nearly always a good idea in my opinion). Tasso, andouille, boudin, bacon, pancetta or chorizo - any of those is a good idea. All impart a rich flavor with either smokey highlights or complex profiles on thier own. Go for it - experiment.
Thickeners
There are three traditional thickeners to consider:
· Filé powder - ground sassafras, filé was used by the Choctaw already when European settlers arrived in the area. It was adopted immediately. Filé is not typically combined with the other thickeners, but that's tradition, and not even that is a hard and fast rule. It's often added at the table to individual bowls. Try using a roux as the primary thickener, then adding a touch of filé at the table. A traditional "File Gumbo" is often Chicken and Sausage.
· Okra - my personal favorite, once the whole mucilaginous issue has been dealt with. I combine this one with roux as well, although I tend to treat it as a vegetable instead of a thickener. I do this by pan frying the okra, which gets rid of the slime factor it has when boiled (there are childhood issues with boiled okra – and that’s a whole ‘nother ugly story). It also lessens the thickening affect of the okra, therefore I use the roux as well. If you wish to go traditional, simply throw the raw okra in with the broths.
· Roux – simple and delicious and my personal favorite. Roux is simply a thickener made by cooking together equal parts of oil and flour. The longer it cooks, the deeper the color (hence the various roux are known by their hues), and the richer and more intense the flavor. Roux has supplanted the use of okra and file somewhat in the past century or two. It’s considered a basic preparation in the Southern kitchen, and while not difficult, a good roux is one of the primary tricks many Southern cooks master. Roux is magic in the kitchen.
Although I’ve never personally had any (not yet – going to make it now I’ve learned of it!) there is another type of Gumbo known as Gumbo z'Herbes (an Americanization of the French gumbo aux herbes ). The dish came about in Catholic New Orleans and became associated with the Lenten season, especially Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Preparation is as for standard gumbos, with roux, stock and trinity, and then either seven or nine (traditional holy numbers) types of greens are added. Among these are cabbage, collard, mustard, turnip, lettuce, parsley, nasturtium, scallions or green onions, spinach and chard. In keeping with Lent, often local seafood is added.
You’ll probably come across recipes that call for Cajun seasoning as well. You can buy it at the grocery, or a better way is to make it yourself. It will consist of cayenne, black pepper, onion and garlic powders and salt. Try mixing it with tablespoon measures: 2 cayenne, 1 black pepper, 1 garlic powder, and ½ each onion powder and kosher salt. It’s dirt cheap this way, and you can throw it in a small mason jar and use it however you like. It keeps for several months if stored in a cool, dry cupboard. You can also tweak it to your preference (I double the cayenne usually).
However, in making gumbo, I’d rather have the elements separate, and simple adjust seasoning on the go. There’s far more control that way – not only for your individual diners (my Dad and youngest son hate spicy things, the rest of us like it hot enough to hurt), but for the different ingredients you might be using. If I have a really garlicky sausage and strong elements, I’ll pop up the intensity of the seasonings. If I have more delicate shellfish, I scale back on all but salt and black pepper, so I don’t cover up my precious seafood.
Ok. Enough backstory. Let’s get to the meat of the matter – or the sausage, crawfish, mussels….
How do I MAKE a gumbo?!?I love this, because it really does epitomize the core of my philosophy. Get your technique right, then apply it to what you can get that’s best and most wonderful where you are. In this case, the technique is the roux, and layering in the stock, then the proteins at the right time. Sausage will be browned before being added, shellfish or seafood added only in the last few minutes. Think of your ingredients and what they need, and handle each one appropriately and it’ll be not just fine – but fabulous.
I’ll give you a ‘recipe’ – gumbo that’s on my stove right this minute matter of fact – and you can certainly find hundreds of great ones out on the internet. I have to say, Emeril Lagasse does some truly spectacular things to gumbos, as does John Besh and Paul Prudhomme. They do tend rely on more expensive ingredients, however, read what they do to learn from the masters if nothing else. If you have the means to duplicate their work – do it!
Take the time to search out traditional or home cooking recipes though. Remember this dish has a long and beloved history for a reason – and home cooks can be trained by generations of good cooks, not just by a couple years in culinary school. So don’t discount them.
You’ll need:
Chocolate Roux – in this case I used 4 Tbl butter, 2 Tbl bacon grease, and six generous Tbl all purpose unbleached flour
1 – 2 quarts good chicken stock (did I mention it needs to be homemade?) – I took a lazy way – roasted off six thighs and legs with just salt and pepper, stripped the skin and the lighter thigh meat, dumped the rest (including the juices) into a stock pot, covered it with cold water and simmered it for an hour. Skimmed it and strained it right into my gumbo pot when I was ready
2 large Spanish onions (yellow), diced
2 large bell peppers, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 smoked Turkey legs
1 lb fresh shrimp, deveined and tails on
Fresh clams – however many you wish – about a lb or two
2 large bay leaves
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 ½ tsp onion powder
Cayenne pepper – again to taste – I’ll tell you 2 tsp as a baseline, but start with half that, then layer it in if the heat level isn’t enough. Add as much as you like, but remember, heat is about balance and flavor as well as pain
The rest is simple – if you’ve paid attention to your ingredients. Make the roux; add the trinity veggies and sauté for a few minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 quart of the warm stock, add the turkey legs, bay leaf, thyme, garlic and onion powder, and salt and peppers. If they aren’t covered, add a little more stock until they are.
Cover and allow to simmer until the turkey is fully cooked and falling off the bone. Reduce heat to medium low, and remove meat from the turkey legs if you wish – if not, don’t worry about it. Taste and season – adjust for salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne at this point. If you want a little more broth – add more stock.
Add shrimp stirring them in, then the clams on top. Cover again, and allow the pot to remain at a bare simmer just until the clams open and the shrimp is cooked through. Taste a final time for seasoning, and you’re good to go!
You can garnish with a touch of Filé if you wish, or a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley, but if you’ve tasted as you cooked, you shouldn’t need much adornment. Plating is however you wish, although usually accompanied by fluffy mounds of white rice. You can make this as elegant or rustic as you wish – all up to you.
Well, I can’t. Although I am about to describe it in excruciating detail, until you’ve had gumbo - of any variety - you just haven’t eaten. If you have a culinary Bucket List, (and you should) any and all gumbo should be in the top ten. If it’s good gumbo. Bad gumbo is just nasty. You just listen to me on that one. So I’ll tell you all about it, including how to make it, and you pay attention.
All righty then. Gumbo is stew.
Yes. I said it's stew. That's it. See? There's nothing funky or bizarre about that. Although I'll freely admit that it is a lovely little bit of magic!
It was developed in Louisiana, although it’s popular across the South, and whoever first made it should be granted Evil Culinary Genius status in perpetuity. The essentials of gumbo - the things that make it gumbo - good strong stock, the trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery), meats (including seafood) and a thickener. Those are the elements that must be there, and the thickener can be one of three things - roux, okra or file powder. The latter two are truly traditional, and some will claim without one of those there is no gumbo.
I personally don’t think Gumbo could have happened anywhere else in the world. The trinity is of Spanish origin, the method is French. The word gumbo is a derivation of the African word for okra - okingumbo. If ground sassafras is used (file powder), thank the Choctaw. If you have Creole roux, then the tomatoes were added by Italians. (Cajun cuisine on the other hand has no tomatoes in gumbo).
Breakdown!Ok - so we outlined the necessary components of a gumbo - those things that make it gumbo. Stock, trinity, proteins, thickener. Easy enough to this point. So let's go one step further. All you have to do is choose what you like out of each category.
Stock
This is the first of the four main flavor bases of this dish, so do yourself a favor and use good stock. If you want a great, simple basic stock that fast and easy, try this one. I have to say - if you want your gumbo elevated from good to great, then take the time to use homemade stock. If you need to prove it to yourself, make one batch with homemade, and one batch with canned. That's all that it'll take to show you how great the difference is. I'd almost rather use water than canned stock in gumbo.
Now - which stock you use depends on the flavor base you choose, and which proteins you're going to use. Generally speaking, the more delicate the flavors of your protein, the lighter the stock you'd use. But in this dish, you're also using some bold intensely flavored ingredients. I love to use Basic Chicken Stock, because I usually have it on hand, or can throw it together quickly. Good chicken stock is always a good choice, simply because it is neutral enough to not overwhelm your other ingredients, but instead enhancing them. Veal stock, if you're lucky enough to have the ingredients to make that is even better. Beef, pork, and fish or shellfish stocks can all work - depending on the flavor profile you want and the proteins you wish to use. A good pork broth with smoked sausage? Oh yeah.
If you just aren't sure, or if you're a novice, start with chicken broth. You won't go wrong.
My point is, you wouldn't use wilted veggies, or shrimp past it's due date. Take the same care in choosing the stock. It will show in spades in your finished gumbo - you'll love me and maybe send me fan mail.
The Trinity
Many cultures have a basic aromatic flavor base is used. In France and Western European cultures it's the mirepoix - carrots, onion and celery. In parts of China, it's garlic, ginger and soy. In Thai cuisine it's fish sauce.
In Louisiana - the Trinity rules. Celery, bell pepper and onion, which are sauteed together. The flavor profile is distinct and profound. You'll want to generally use about twice as much onion as celery or bell pepper, but honestly - that's a personal preference. All three of these vegetables caramelize beautifully, and when cooked develope a sweetness and complexity that's gorgeous.
Pick the best, freshest vegetables you can find. Onion often becomes difficult in late spring or early summer, whenm the previous season's produce had gotten somewhat tired, and the new crops aren't in. Bell pepper is hot house grown year round, except in the Deep South, and celery is available all over. If your lucky enough to get all three fresh at a farmer's market, you'll rule the universe. If not - then you're with me. Still - do the best you can. This is also a fundamental flavor base, so treat it with respect. It'll pay you back.
Add your trinity to your hot roux before adding the other ingredients.
Proteins
This is where a gumbo can really shine, and also how the cook can tailor a dish to what's best and most fresh and available in her own area. Anything goes. Typically a gumbo contains at least two types of meats or seafoods, such as chicken and pork, sausage and shirmp. In the Carolinas, it's often beef with another protein. Inland it's less often seafood, and of course the Coastal South can go nuts with shellfish. Use what's best in your own area.
I have seemed to notice that one of the most common ingredients is smoke pork, usually a sausage. Probably because it's so universally available, it seems to nearly be a common denominator. But you don't have to use it if you don't wish (although the liberal application of pig to any dish is nearly always a good idea in my opinion). Tasso, andouille, boudin, bacon, pancetta or chorizo - any of those is a good idea. All impart a rich flavor with either smokey highlights or complex profiles on thier own. Go for it - experiment.
Thickeners
There are three traditional thickeners to consider:
· Filé powder - ground sassafras, filé was used by the Choctaw already when European settlers arrived in the area. It was adopted immediately. Filé is not typically combined with the other thickeners, but that's tradition, and not even that is a hard and fast rule. It's often added at the table to individual bowls. Try using a roux as the primary thickener, then adding a touch of filé at the table. A traditional "File Gumbo" is often Chicken and Sausage.
· Okra - my personal favorite, once the whole mucilaginous issue has been dealt with. I combine this one with roux as well, although I tend to treat it as a vegetable instead of a thickener. I do this by pan frying the okra, which gets rid of the slime factor it has when boiled (there are childhood issues with boiled okra – and that’s a whole ‘nother ugly story). It also lessens the thickening affect of the okra, therefore I use the roux as well. If you wish to go traditional, simply throw the raw okra in with the broths.
· Roux – simple and delicious and my personal favorite. Roux is simply a thickener made by cooking together equal parts of oil and flour. The longer it cooks, the deeper the color (hence the various roux are known by their hues), and the richer and more intense the flavor. Roux has supplanted the use of okra and file somewhat in the past century or two. It’s considered a basic preparation in the Southern kitchen, and while not difficult, a good roux is one of the primary tricks many Southern cooks master. Roux is magic in the kitchen.
Although I’ve never personally had any (not yet – going to make it now I’ve learned of it!) there is another type of Gumbo known as Gumbo z'Herbes (an Americanization of the French gumbo aux herbes ). The dish came about in Catholic New Orleans and became associated with the Lenten season, especially Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Preparation is as for standard gumbos, with roux, stock and trinity, and then either seven or nine (traditional holy numbers) types of greens are added. Among these are cabbage, collard, mustard, turnip, lettuce, parsley, nasturtium, scallions or green onions, spinach and chard. In keeping with Lent, often local seafood is added.
You’ll probably come across recipes that call for Cajun seasoning as well. You can buy it at the grocery, or a better way is to make it yourself. It will consist of cayenne, black pepper, onion and garlic powders and salt. Try mixing it with tablespoon measures: 2 cayenne, 1 black pepper, 1 garlic powder, and ½ each onion powder and kosher salt. It’s dirt cheap this way, and you can throw it in a small mason jar and use it however you like. It keeps for several months if stored in a cool, dry cupboard. You can also tweak it to your preference (I double the cayenne usually).
However, in making gumbo, I’d rather have the elements separate, and simple adjust seasoning on the go. There’s far more control that way – not only for your individual diners (my Dad and youngest son hate spicy things, the rest of us like it hot enough to hurt), but for the different ingredients you might be using. If I have a really garlicky sausage and strong elements, I’ll pop up the intensity of the seasonings. If I have more delicate shellfish, I scale back on all but salt and black pepper, so I don’t cover up my precious seafood.
Ok. Enough backstory. Let’s get to the meat of the matter – or the sausage, crawfish, mussels….
How do I MAKE a gumbo?!?I love this, because it really does epitomize the core of my philosophy. Get your technique right, then apply it to what you can get that’s best and most wonderful where you are. In this case, the technique is the roux, and layering in the stock, then the proteins at the right time. Sausage will be browned before being added, shellfish or seafood added only in the last few minutes. Think of your ingredients and what they need, and handle each one appropriately and it’ll be not just fine – but fabulous.
I’ll give you a ‘recipe’ – gumbo that’s on my stove right this minute matter of fact – and you can certainly find hundreds of great ones out on the internet. I have to say, Emeril Lagasse does some truly spectacular things to gumbos, as does John Besh and Paul Prudhomme. They do tend rely on more expensive ingredients, however, read what they do to learn from the masters if nothing else. If you have the means to duplicate their work – do it!
Take the time to search out traditional or home cooking recipes though. Remember this dish has a long and beloved history for a reason – and home cooks can be trained by generations of good cooks, not just by a couple years in culinary school. So don’t discount them.
You’ll need:
Chocolate Roux – in this case I used 4 Tbl butter, 2 Tbl bacon grease, and six generous Tbl all purpose unbleached flour
1 – 2 quarts good chicken stock (did I mention it needs to be homemade?) – I took a lazy way – roasted off six thighs and legs with just salt and pepper, stripped the skin and the lighter thigh meat, dumped the rest (including the juices) into a stock pot, covered it with cold water and simmered it for an hour. Skimmed it and strained it right into my gumbo pot when I was ready
2 large Spanish onions (yellow), diced
2 large bell peppers, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 smoked Turkey legs
1 lb fresh shrimp, deveined and tails on
Fresh clams – however many you wish – about a lb or two
2 large bay leaves
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 ½ tsp onion powder
Cayenne pepper – again to taste – I’ll tell you 2 tsp as a baseline, but start with half that, then layer it in if the heat level isn’t enough. Add as much as you like, but remember, heat is about balance and flavor as well as pain
The rest is simple – if you’ve paid attention to your ingredients. Make the roux; add the trinity veggies and sauté for a few minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 quart of the warm stock, add the turkey legs, bay leaf, thyme, garlic and onion powder, and salt and peppers. If they aren’t covered, add a little more stock until they are.
Cover and allow to simmer until the turkey is fully cooked and falling off the bone. Reduce heat to medium low, and remove meat from the turkey legs if you wish – if not, don’t worry about it. Taste and season – adjust for salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne at this point. If you want a little more broth – add more stock.
Add shrimp stirring them in, then the clams on top. Cover again, and allow the pot to remain at a bare simmer just until the clams open and the shrimp is cooked through. Taste a final time for seasoning, and you’re good to go!
You can garnish with a touch of Filé if you wish, or a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley, but if you’ve tasted as you cooked, you shouldn’t need much adornment. Plating is however you wish, although usually accompanied by fluffy mounds of white rice. You can make this as elegant or rustic as you wish – all up to you.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Baking Techniques
Baking Techniques: "Techniques"
An article that really, truly explored baking techniques would probably land in at about 300,000 words. The realm of baking encompasses everything from the everyday biscuit to the most airy sponges, French breads to pizza crusts. The variety of stuff that can be produced with some type of flour, a little moisture and heat is nearly endless, and each particular type of baked good has its own little tips and tricks.
When I first started poking around for pictures to accompany this article, I came across hundreds that show creaming, leaveners at work, baking sheets and bread pans, cute kids icing cookies, and gorgeous cakes in every variety. What I ended up NOT finding was very much information on two of the very most basic techniques required for success - no matter what you're making. The picture search led to an info search - and there just isn't much out there. Really? REALLY?
For the most part, many of the successes and failures encountered come down to two things: temperature and moisture. Yes, you do need the correct fomula for your ingredients - the chemistry is critical. But the recipes (formulas) are available all over - thousands of cookbooks contain millions of great recipes for anything you might want to make. But where's the discussion of heat and water? Cakes rise and fall in response to them, doughs remain soft and pliable or crispy and golden because of them, cheesecakes crack or remain whole, and cookies become chewy and luscious, crispy and airy - or hockey pucks, all because of either heat, moisture or both.
For millenia people were perfectly all right with whatever they could bake at their own open hearths - which is a surprisingly diverse number of breads and sweets. Until 1490, when an enclosed oven was developed in Alsace, France - and what we think of as baking was begun. Separating the food from the fire, venting the smoke, and attempting to control the temperature were the first steps toward producing a perfect Angel food cake, Toll House cookies, or a great New York style cheesecake - none of which could have happened without the modern oven.
At the same time first came the problems that plague modern bakers - issues with temperature and problems with maintaining the right amount of water inside the oven. We can work with those - while a nice large commercial bakery and all the fancy equipment would be fun to play with, we don't have those. At least not in most kitchens. It's all right. We can work around it. We're going to play part Macgyver, part Mr. Wizard and part Dr. Phil. As a result everything is going to just taste better.
Temperature
This one seems like a given - almost every baked goods recipe starts with "preheat your oven to ..." whatever temperature. Usually 350F for most things, but not always. Breads can go much higher - more delicate cakes and custards lower. Each type of product has its own ideal baking temperature - and some require two different ones.
No big deal - that's what the dials on a modern oven are for - right?
You'd think so - but NO! Oh sure - they'll make you think they're going to come through for you, then turn around and quietly undermine you behind your back, and you'll never even realize exactly why you're heartbroken over a ruined Devil's food cake. Think of your oven as as trying to drag you into the ulimate self destructive co-dependant passive-aggressive relationship on the planet. Your oven is going to make you think it's going to come through for you by appearing to be doing everything correctly, while in reality it's not even close. Time for a relationship check.
Counseling for your oven comes in the form of calibration. Calibration simply means you are double checking to make sure the temperature your asking for is the one you actually get. Oven lose accuacy over time - so while you think you may have one temperature, you actually have something that differs as much as 50-100F hotter or cooler. My own oven was nearly new a year ago, and was already running 30F too cool, which meant I was underbaking everything.
The solution is simple - you can either call in an appliance guy and have them run over on occasion and calibrate your oven for you, which is preferred, or buy an oven themometer and do it yourself. Which is probably cheaper. An oven thermometer - just like in the picture - costs about five bucks, and they're available all over the place. Discount and drug stores - the utensils rack a grocery - and they're worth their weight in gold. They're also easy to use simply stick it in the bottom of your oven - or hang it or rack by the little hook. Set your oven to 350F, wait until it's nice and hot, then check the thermometer against the oven setting. When I did this, the oven said 350F, the thermometer said 320F. As a result I now add 30 degrees to whatever temperature my recipe calls for, and my results have been far better and far more consistent.
Now - on occasion you'll need to replace your oven thermomenter. Do it once a year when you check smoke detector batteries - after a while the little inexpensive thermomenter itself loses calibration, and is no longer accurate. So tell it thank you, let it go and get a new one. You'll probably be very surprised at the improved results you begin getting.
Baking Stones
Temperature not only needs to be accurate, it needs to be consistent as well. Many ovens cycle on and off during the baking process, resulting in a surprising range of temperatures. Overall the average temperature may be where you set it, but there can be a 25F-50F range in there, both above and below your set point. There are two main ways to help avoid this problem. The first is simply not to open the oven door - there's no real need most of the time. I know - it's tempting. I like to just stare at stuff when it's baking too, and I have a glass window in my oven door. But opening the door itself lets in a draft of cold air, and allows the heated air to escape. So avoid it whenever you can.
Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it though - for some reason you need to open the door, and anyway - there's not much you can do about the cyclical nature most ovens have of heating. Or is there?
Ah Ha! Enter the baking stone! Yes, baking stones are used to provide particular results when loaves or pizza crusts are baked on them, and that's great. They result in crispier, more even crusts. Lovely. But - they have a secret super power as well. They hold and radiate heat back into the oven . Think about that - not only have you now calibrated your oven, you now have a means by which to keep it consistently at the right temperature - no matter how the oven is heated, and to a degree, no matter if you have to open the door for some reason. A good example of this is if you spritz the crust of baking bread, French bread in particular.
What you've done so far, is to begin taking control of the baking process. If you manage the temperature that carefully, you've taken the first steps to mastery. Now let me put on my MacGyver hat for a minute. There are commercial baking stones available all over the place - and they work like a charm. Most upscale kitchen supply places have them, and you can find a great variety through retailers like Amazon. No problem getting one.
Except the expense - much of which is because of shipping costs. If you have a local place to get one, you'll do better but you're still paying a premium. If you have the means and want a quick solution - knock yourself out. Or, you could pull a maneuver and do something just as good for a lot less money. In my oven are paving stones - the same ones you'd use for a sidewalk. They're thin, they're masonry, and they work just as well as a baking stone. If you go this route just be careful of what you pick up - make sure that you get simple untreated bricks. Many sheets of masonry, especially the older ones, are made of asbestos. I don't know what that does to your bread, but I don't want to take responsibility for that. Don't do it. Think of what you're after - something that will trap and radiate heat. Bricks do that really well. The one drawback - I honestly have no idea what they'd do, mechanically or chemically, if you bake directly on one. I use a baking sheet scattered with cornmeal for bread, and usually grill pizza crusts, so it's not an issue for me.
Cast iron will work as a fill-in for that matter. If you don't mind keeping a careful eye on your cast iron cookware in order to preserve its seasoning, then go ahead and throw a few pieces on the bottom rack of your oven. That'll work in a pinch - or until you find your brick pavers or baking stone. All righty? So - know the temperature of your oven, and keep it consistent. Let's go on.
Bain Marie
Ok - now that you've got a handle on temperature - the next step is to take control of moisture. Unlike temperature moisture won't be an issue most of the time. Most cakes, cupcakes or cookies don't really need a big control of moisture - they contain their own in the form of butter or other liquids, and manager quite nicely if left alone. Other things don't - custards, cheescakes, flourless cakes, and most breads.
Commerical ovens have elaborate systems for keeping a particular mositure level in an oven for baking particular things. However, the simplest and easiest method is to use a bain marie .
Bain marie is French for water bath, and the term applies to anything in which water is used as an insulator. Large steam tables at cafeterias, double boilers, and casseroles of water in your oven are all bain marie . The one we're concerned with here is the last one. One mistake people often make is to think that the purpose of a water bath is to release steam. It is - to a degree. But more importantly it's to insulate. Take a look at the picture - those are little custards in those cups, and they'll probably go into a 350F oven. The tricky part is that the water cannot heat above 212F - the boiling point of water. Which means that the parts of the dessert most in contact with the water will cook at a lower, more gentle temperature. Sure - you need the additional steam that the water will generate as well - part of what keeps cheesecakes from cracking during baking. But the insulation is the more important aspect here.
A water bath is simplicity itself - simply use a container with deep sides large enough to hold your actual baking pan - just like the second picture. Add hot water deep enough to come halfway up the sides of your baking container, and you're good. Make sure the water is hot or boiling when you start the baking process, or you'll completley throw off the baking times. The oven will have to heat the water as well as the product if you use cold or cool water. If the water is hot, it acts almost like a baking stone itself, helping keep the heat inside the oven consistent, and consistently gentle.
Steam
Steam is the final element in what I consider the basics of baking. There are times when you need steam, but not a bain marie - most particularly during bread baking. It's just not that hard to generate - check out the videos on French bread and you'll see how I rigged it in my own minimally equipped kitchen.
You can use two methods - for simple steam, place a cast iron skillet in the bottom of your oven. After it preheats, and the skillet itself is hot, then fill it with ice water when you place your dough or bread in the oven. The skillet stays hot enough to do this because of the properties of cast iron itself. Easy as that - the water will gently steam, helping ensure soft exteriors on breads - plain white sandwich bread for example. Which is amazing homemade.
If you want a crispy crust, then the secret weapon is a spray bottle as well as the skillet of water. Gently misting the exterior of the bread at 3 minute intervals for the first few minutes of cooking will ensure the exterior stays flexible enough for the yeast to do its thing - expandind as the bread rises in the heat. Stopping this step will allow the crust to set, and subsequently turn golden and crispy - which will contrast beautifully with the chewy inside. In a nutshell y'all - that's the trick to great bread.
So there you are - I wanted to give you more than just a trick - I wanted to give you the 'whys' - which is the first step in taking control. Once you know how to prevent problems to begin with, you won't need all the stuff to correct them. Your relationship with your oven comes first - and subsequently what you develope with your baked goods will be far more smooth and successful. Think of the head of a dysfunctional family who says 'enough!' That's you - take charge. You'll love what you end up with.
For more information, check out the link above!
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