Gravy's Cooking Thread

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What's a good nonstick pan? Need something for eggs, since my youngest just decided he likes them.
 

Denaut

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What's a good nonstick pan? Need something for eggs, since my youngest just decided he likes them.

For eggs you probably want a small, 8 inch pan. Giving a specific recommendation is tough though, that is such a basic piece of equipment you can spend almost nothing or a shit ton of money.

America's Test Kitchen recommends the OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Dishwasher safe 8" Open Frypan (assuming no induction). It costs $30 and you can toss it in the dishwasher, so that is probably the route to go if you just want to make eggs.

I use an 8 inch carbon steel skillet that is generally more versatile and still works fantastically for eggs. It isn't as easy to maintain but it isn't exactly difficult either.
 
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Denaut

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i'm thinking about this grill table for it?
6f613b3ea6bf68a662a337ff1fadb96a.png


i have no outdoor furniture, and it's actually just sitting on my outdoor porch floor atm, any thoughts on this? looks like its one of those tables you get for a picnic bbq

From the picture that looks a bit rickety to put a dangerously hot piece of cooking equipment on, especially if you have kids running around. I don't know how much that costs but maybe a steel wheeled catering table would be better? Something like this? If it is wheeled then you can move it around even if it is hot and running which may come in handy. Though they do look like they are a bit pricey.
 

LiquidDeath

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What's a good nonstick pan? Need something for eggs, since my youngest just decided he likes them.

Do you have a Sam's Club or Costco membership?

If so, just go grab one of their non-stick pans. They are generic but very good. Restaurant quality.
 

BrutulTM

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So you don't understand that I have a carbon steel knife and do not like it, and the Misen is also carbon steel, so I don't want it?

Ok. I think you misunderstand what "carbon steel" means. Carbon steel just means it's not stainless. To be considered "stainless steel" it has to be at least 11% chromium. Stainless vs. carbon steel has nothing to do with how hard it is, only how likely it will be to stain or corrode. The Misono UX-10 is considered "stain resistant", whatever that means.

All steel has carbon in it. Only high carbon steel is hardenable so you will never see a knife that is not high carbon. The amount of carbon determines how much the steel will harden. Higher carbon means it will hold an edge longer, but also be harder to sharpen and more prone to chips or even breaking. There are other factors that affect the durability of a knife as well, including how well it was heat treated and what the blade geometry is. Obviously you can go down a huge rabbit hole with this stuff if you want to, but that's why your comment about not wanting carbon steel didn't make sense to me when talking about the Misen Knife which is made of stainless.

In general though, stainless is softer than carbon steel so I don't think going to a stainless blade will keep it sharp longer unless you're really abusing it to the point that you're taking little chips out of the edge. If you really want to beat on the thing, you might consider getting a German blade with a beefier edge on it since the Japanese knives tend to focus on maximum sharpness at the expense of durability.
 
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chaos

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How do you make your biltong?
Never made it before. I know that traditionally it's air-dried, I'm going to do it in the nesco though for now and see how I want to change it going forward. For spices I'm planning on using black pepper, salt, coriander, and vinegar. Going to marinate it for approx. 24 hours and then in the nesco it should take about 6 hours. Going to pre-slice it like I do my normal jerky, the biltong I buy looks like it was spiced/marinated whole and then air-dried and sliced after. I want to see if it works this way, if not I'll adjust.
 
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Khane

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Ok. I think you misunderstand what "carbon steel" means. Carbon steel just means it's not stainless. To be considered "stainless steel" it has to be at least 11% chromium. Stainless vs. carbon steel has nothing to do with how hard it is, only how likely it will be to stain or corrode. The Misono UX-10 is considered "stain resistant", whatever that means.

All steel has carbon in it. Only high carbon steel is hardenable so you will never see a knife that is not high carbon. The amount of carbon determines how much the steel will harden. Higher carbon means it will hold an edge longer, but also be harder to sharpen and more prone to chips or even breaking. There are other factors that affect the durability of a knife as well, including how well it was heat treated and what the blade geometry is. Obviously you can go down a huge rabbit hole with this stuff if you want to, but that's why your comment about not wanting carbon steel didn't make sense to me when talking about the Misen Knife which is made of stainless.

In general though, stainless is softer than carbon steel so I don't think going to a stainless blade will keep it sharp longer unless you're really abusing it to the point that you're taking little chips out of the edge. If you really want to beat on the thing, you might consider getting a German blade with a beefier edge on it since the Japanese knives tend to focus on maximum sharpness at the expense of durability.

I don't think this is true:


And it appears that the higher carbon content steel, while being harder, is also more brittle so you have to be careful doing things like chopping through bones.

The type of high carbon steel used in the Misen appears to be more durable than other high carbon steels though because of the other alloys in the steel:


I'm not going to pretend to be a steel expert but from my own experience with my carbon steel knife and based on what I've read about it what I've been reading seems to hold true. On top of having to make sure you wash it right after use and immediately dry it and always store it correctly.

As I understand it if you use it for chopping vegetables and doing a lot of prep work but not as much for say... breaking down a whole chicken, carbon steel is amazing. While traditional stainless steels are better for people like me who don't really, properly care for their knife and kind of beat up on it.
 
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Denaut

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How did you dry it?

Just in my oven with the convection setting.

I put the meat in at 160C laid out on wire racks and shut the door. I left it like that for about 8 minutes until all the pieces I measured at or above 71C (used a thermopop). This is a precaution to make sure any bacteria in the meat were dead, some people say this is overkill but my wife is pregnant so I am taking no chances.

As soon as the meat was safe I opened the door to let as much of the heat out as possible. I set the oven to where it will just click the heating element on, which according to the dial is about 40C, but likely very uneven at such a low temperature. I haven't actually measured it yet but it is something I should maybe do. Once I have my oven set to "drying temperature" I stick a wooden spoon in the door so that it is slightly ajar to let water escape. My oven runs the fan as long as the convection setting is on so no matter the temperature there is always air moving across the meat.

Like this it took about 3 1/2 hours to dry. You actually want to slightly over-dry the meat because after you put it back into a bag or jar it will reabsorb some moisture. I plan on trying to dry some without using any heat to see how long that takes and if it improves the texture.
 
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LiquidDeath

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Just in my oven with the convection setting.

I put the meat in at 160C laid out on wire racks and shut the door. I left it like that for about 8 minutes until all the pieces I measured at or above 71C (used a thermopop). This is a precaution to make sure any bacteria in the meat were dead, some people say this is overkill but my wife is pregnant so I am taking no chances.

As soon as the meat was safe I opened the door to let as much of the heat out as possible. I set the oven to where it will just click the heating element on, which according to the dial is about 40C, but likely very uneven at such a low temperature. I haven't actually measured it yet but it is something I should maybe do. Once I have my oven set to "drying temperature" I stick a wooden spoon in the door so that it is slightly ajar to let water escape. My oven runs the fan as long as the convection setting is on so no matter the temperature there is always air moving across the meat.

Like this it took about 3 1/2 hours to dry. You actually want to slightly over-dry the meat because after you put it back into a bag or jar it will reabsorb some moisture. I plan on trying to dry some without using any heat to see how long that takes and if it improves the texture.

If you're worried about bacteria hit it with some Tenderquick or pink salt. Just be very careful you measure correctly.
 
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Lanx

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From the picture that looks a bit rickety to put a dangerously hot piece of cooking equipment on, especially if you have kids running around. I don't know how much that costs but maybe a steel wheeled catering table would be better? Something like this? If it is wheeled then you can move it around even if it is hot and running which may come in handy. Though they do look like they are a bit pricey.
even tho the pizza oven is just a bunch of folded metal, it's surprisingly heavy-ish, probably from just metall mass and the pizza stone.

i'm gonna try to find a neopolitan recipe i guess, anyone got any? i know some recipes call for double 00, i can't find it besides amazon and i'll just try a recipe w/o it if i can.
 

Alex

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Wasn't it in this thread that the one dude was apparently all about Neapolitan pizza? He really liked using the word "cornicione".
 
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Denaut

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even tho the pizza oven is just a bunch of folded metal, it's surprisingly heavy-ish, probably from just metall mass and the pizza stone.

i'm gonna try to find a neopolitan recipe i guess, anyone got any? i know some recipes call for double 00, i can't find it besides amazon and i'll just try a recipe w/o it if i can.

There are lots of variations, but a simple one would be something like this:
Caputo Cuoco
Water for a 60% Hydration (filtered or bottled if you have shitty water)
Instant Yeast - (about a teaspoon (4 grams) for every ~280 grams of flour
Salt - 2% (this is how much I use)
  1. Mix water and yeast (reserve a little water)
  2. Add to flour and mix until hydrated
  3. Add the salt to the reserved water
  4. Mix until everything is incorporated and the dough starts becoming smooth
  5. Let it rise for an hour or 2 at 26C
  6. Form the dough balls, I like to make them 250 grams, but it really depends on what size pizzas you want
  7. Cover and fridge them for 1 to 4 days, more time is more flavor
  8. Take them out and let them warm up before shaping and cooking
There are tons of variations on this recipe. Some use olive oil, some use starters instead of yeast (or a combination). Really it is about customizing it to your taste.

If you don't do a retard then you should use a lower protein flour like the Classica and you have to knead it a good bit to form gluten properly. 20 minutes of kneading before the first bulk ferment should do the trick, but you are really supposed to go by feel. I like using the slap and fold method, I use it to make sourdough but it works well for pizza dough as well.
 

Lanx

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There are lots of variations, but a simple one would be something like this:
Caputo Cuoco
Water for a 60% Hydration (filtered or bottled if you have shitty water)
Instant Yeast - (about a teaspoon (4 grams) for every ~280 grams of flour
Salt - 2% (this is how much I use)
  1. Mix water and yeast (reserve a little water)
  2. Add to flour and mix until hydrated
  3. Add the salt to the reserved water
  4. Mix until everything is incorporated and the dough starts becoming smooth
  5. Let it rise for an hour or 2 at 26C
  6. Form the dough balls, I like to make them 250 grams, but it really depends on what size pizzas you want
  7. Cover and fridge them for 1 to 4 days, more time is more flavor
  8. Take them out and let them warm up before shaping and cooking
There are tons of variations on this recipe. Some use olive oil, some use starters instead of yeast (or a combination). Really it is about customizing it to your taste.

If you don't do a retard then you should use a lower protein flour like the Classica and you have to knead it a good bit to form gluten properly. 20 minutes of kneading before the first bulk ferment should do the trick, but you are really supposed to go by feel. I like using the slap and fold method, I use it to make sourdough but it works well for pizza dough as well.
thoughts on getting away with king arthurs instead of finding 00?
 

Denaut

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thoughts on getting away with king arthurs instead of finding 00?

Perfectly fine, I use normal bread flour with 13% protein, just up the hydration percentage a little. Try 65% at first and adjust if the bread is dry or if it is flat (too much water). I use a home oven so my hydration is super high (near 80%), I am not entirely sure how it will work with a proper pizza oven.
 

Khane

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To add to Denaut's instructions. Make sure to leave it in the oven too long and burn the shit out of all the toppings.

Sorry... I meant to say "char all the toppings"
 
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Lanx

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To add to Denaut's instructions. Make sure to leave it in the oven too long and burn the shit out of all the toppings.

Sorry... I meant to say "char all the toppings"
i only do plain pizzas anyway

also i tested out cheeses, since i now have a literal firedragon in my backyard, wholemilk full moz cheese will not burn

but low moisture wholemilk moz cheese will burn
taste is also non existent
0aa15a8c320fbe365bc036ad7ca26be2.png
 

Denaut

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To add to Denaut's instructions. Make sure to leave it in the oven too long and burn the shit out of all the toppings.

Sorry... I meant to say "char all the toppings"

I know you don't understand words, so maybe a picture will help. These are aroma champignon mushrooms:
Artboard1.png


Notice the darker pigment. While inside they are lighter, they are still quite dark, and when you cook them they become much darker due to those pigments. I've explained this to you several times already, but words may not be your strong suite, so a visual aid may help.
 

Denaut

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i only do plain pizzas anyway

also i tested out cheeses, since i now have a literal firedragon in my backyard, wholemilk full moz cheese will not burn

but low moisture wholemilk moz cheese will burn
taste is also non existent

I never use low moisture mozzarella, like you said it tastes like nothing. For a normal oven the regular stuff works just fine as long as you press the excess moisture out first. I think I picked this tip up from Alton Brown.