John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Making beef fajitas? Well you can use just about any cut of steak—but if you want to make real-deal really really good fajitas, you’re going to have to use either flank or skirt steaks.

Both cuts hide on the bottom belly of the cow, well away from the more glamorous top side cuts like tenderloins and T-bones and what have you—and if prepared incorrectly, both cuts will turn tough and mean and make you wish you’d paid a bit more for those more forgiving tender steak options.

But, if cooked correctly, if seared hard and fast on both sides and cooked to medium rare, if allowed to rest properly and then sliced across the grain, the pay-off is in big beefy taste and a perfect fajita.

Note: While the flank steak takes very well to marination, For fajitas I like it best cooked simply, with just a little salt and pepper. In the fajita what I want to taste is beef—the salsas, guacamole, veggies etc provide the extra flavors necessary to complete the package.

Here Are 5 Easy Steps to a Perfect Flank Steak Fajita

1. Heat a grill or cast iron pan (or other heavy frying pan) over high heat (if using a cast iron pan, make sure to give your pan a few minutes to truly preheat before you start frying.
2. Season the flank steak all over with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and then use some paper towels to dry the meat off well. The drier the meat when it comes in contact with the hot pan or grill, the better the brown crust that will form. Wet meat creates steam—and steamed meat isn’t what we’re after here!
3. Add the meat to the lightly oiled pan or to the grill and cook for 3 or 4 minute on each side. What you’re probably going for here is between medium and medium rare. Flank cooked beyond medium gets a little dried out and flavorless, and flank cooked less than medium rare can be pretty slippery-chewy (Even if you like a very rare rib-eye steak, you probably only want a medium rare flank.)
4. Take off the heat and let it rest, covered, for between 5 and ten minutes. This step is crucial. If you slice the meat before allowing it to rest, much of the meat juices will run out onto the plate, leaving you a dry and bland hunk of used-to-be-tasty meat! Let the meat rest for a few minutes so the juices which run to the hot exterior have a chance to re-penetrate to the interior.
5. After 5 or 10 minutes of resting, slice the meat thinly across the grain. Flank steak is a wide grained steak and so it’s easy to see which way the grains run—make sure to cut perpendicular to the grains, or you’ll wind up with pretty chewy fajitas! (For the nicest presentation, slice into very thin slices across the grain on a 45% diagonal bias)

Comments

Tessa on December 22, 2018:

Just cooked (grilled)mine exactly the way you said. It was not cooked, basically raw. The fire was very hot. I had to scape some of the scorch off one side.

It was pretty thick for a flank steak so I cooked for 4 mins per side. Just so you know:)

Vespa Woolf from Peru, South America on July 11, 2012:

This really is the best method for fajitas. Before reading your hub, I insisted on marinating the meat. Now you've won me over. With this method, the beef takes center stage and the guac, salsa, etc. add extra flavor. Awesome! Thanks so much.

Spencer Camus from United Kingdom on September 26, 2011:

I've been a chicken fajita fan for a few years. Never really thought of trying beef. I will now though. Another useful Hub, John. Cheers.

Wil C from United States of America on May 16, 2011:

Thanks for the tips. I am new to this cut of meat so this article helped a lot. I pretty much cooked it the way you said before reading this, but the drying of the meat was a step I had left out. I look forward to trying again with that adjustment.

kafsoa on March 31, 2011:

Really useful tips, thank you john.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Need an easy appetizer or snack and not sure what to make? Got some extra veggies in the garden or in the fridge? Well, then the answer is an easy one—crunchy and delicious fritters!

Corn fritters, zucchini fritters, pea fritters, onion fritters—once you’ve got a good basic fritter batter recipe up your sleeves, you’ll be enjoying crispy, fried savory fritters all the time, taking whatever good, fresh produce that happens to grace your kitchen counter and transforming that, through only a few minutes of work, into an indulgent treat that the whole family will love!

How to Make a Basic Fritter Batter

First, though, you need a good, basic fritter batter. Here is one I’ve adapted slightly from one of Michael Rhulamn’s recipes from his book Ratios (which is a worthwhile book to have). You can use this fritter batter for any number of different types of vegetables, altering the seasoning as needed to suit the tastes of the veggie in question.

Yield: About 20 good-sized fritters

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 to 5 cups chopped vegetables (good choices are corn or zucchini)
• Neutral-tasting vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and in another bowl, beat the eggs and then pour in the milk.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and then whisk to combine until lump free.
3. This makes enough batter to fritter up 4 or 5 cups of vegetables.
4. To proceed finely chop your vegetables and transfer to a bowl. Add in any additional seasonings as desired (chili powder is good for corn, mint is good for zucchini, etc.) and then pour on enough fritter batter to just coat the vegetables.
5. To fry, heat a heavy skillet over medium and add in about an inch of oil. When the oil is hot, spoon in a few spoonfuls of fritter batter with vegetables and fry until golden brown and cooked through, turning once—this should take 2 or 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd* the pan, fry in batches until done.

*You will have to do this in batches, so do not overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the oil will result in a drop in oil temperature and heavy/greasy fritters instead of crisp and light ones. You can keep the finished fritters warm in an oven set on low heat, if desired.

Comments

Lori on August 11, 2020:

Do you recommend adding some grated Parmesan cheese? If so how much?

Becky from Oklahoma on May 09, 2013:

I can't wait to try this fritter recipe. I love experimenting with recipes that are new to me. Thanks

Karen Robiscoe from California on April 26, 2013:

at last!! an all inclusive fritter recipe. I was just thinking the other day--that if one had a good recipe for such, one could "fritter-i-fy" anything. And now I can...and will! Voting with my thumbs here...lots of things...:)

Susan from India on January 22, 2013:

Wow.. This looks very delicious and yuumy. Wil try them soon.

stessily on October 23, 2011:

John D Lee: Your adaptation of Michael Ruhlman's recipe is almost a carbon copy of mine, which features sunflower or safflower oil. They're my favorite oils for cooking because they are exceptional flavor enhancers.

Thank you for sharing!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

You are lucky indeed if you find yourself with leftover chicken after your next roast chicken dinner, because with that, you are well on your way to one of Spain’s tastiest appetizers: chicken croquetas (chicken croquettes).

Croquettes are generally made either from a base of mashed potato or from a thick béchamel sauce that’s allowed to harden in the fridge. Spanish ones normally take the béchamel sauce road, which is the tastier path, in my opinion.

To make Spanish croquetas, you start with some leftover meat, make up a thick béchamel sauce, mix in the chicken, allow it to cool and harden in the fridge, make little balls of it, coat these balls in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, and then finally fry them crisp and golden brown—easy!

Here the full recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of leftover chicken meat, preferably from a roast chicken
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• A little nutmeg (a scant pinch—to taste)
• A little olive oil for sautéing (actually, you could use vegetable oil, but olive oil is so much more Spanish!)
• A little flour on a plate for dredging
• A beaten egg in a bowl
• A couple of cups of breadcrumbs, on a plate
• A neutral vegetable oil for frying (You’ll need enough to get at least a couple of inches of hot oil in your oil frying pot or deep fryer.)

Instructions

1. Shred or chop the leftover chicken into small pieces.
2. In a pot or in a microwave, heat the milk just to the boiling point, and reserve.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, start to make your béchamel sauce—heat to medium and melt the butter. Once melted, add in the flour and let it all cook and bubble for a couple of minutes, as you stir it around constantly to incorporate and to keep it moving.
4. Add a little of the hot milk and stir it vigorously in the butter and flour, until well blended, and then add in the remaining milk, a little at a time, keeping it thick as you go. Stir constantly as you add in the milk to prevent lumps from forming. Once you’ve added all the milk, let it simmer slowly for about ten minutes on the stovetop and then turn off the heat and reserve.
5. Heat the olive oil over medium in a frying pan, and when hot, add in the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned—about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic at this point and let it cook for a further minute or so, stirring. Turn off the heat.
6. Add the chicken and the onion/garlic mixture to the béchamel sauce. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
7. Now you have to cool this down in the fridge to harden for shaping and frying. (If you are in a hurry, pour the mixture into a thin layer in a large casserole or baking tray for faster cooling.)
8. Once the mixture has hardened completely, use a spoon to form and shape each croqueta (about 2 tablespoons per croqueta is about right.) Roll each one in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, turning to make sure it gets completely coated with egg, and then finely roll this egg-coated croqueta in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining croquetas. (You’ll get about 20.)
9. Heat the oil for frying to 350°F. You can do this either in a deep fryer or on the stovetop in a heavy, high-sided pot that won’t likely tip over—filled with at least 2 inches of oil.
10. Cook the croquetas in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the oil and drop the temperature down. Fry each croqueta for roughly 4 or 5 minuts, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with a marinara-like sauce—being wary of the molten-lava-like filling as you bite into each one!

Delicious!

Comments

Angeles from Spain on July 10, 2020:

I love croquetas! Good recipe! It's quite similar to mine, except for the butter!

Adan on February 08, 2020:

How many does this serve

Lena Durante from San Francisco Bay Area on April 05, 2017:

Croquetas can be really hard to get right. Frying them to perfection is an art, as steveamy commented below. I usually leave it to the paid professionals.

John Reeder from Reedley, CA on November 16, 2013:

Looks good, I will ask my wife to cook it for me. She is a very good cook, lived in Mexico City for 23 years and actually learned to cook there. I wrote a Hub article about one of her, what I call eclectic, meals at: https://hubpages.com/food/Lunch-Mexican-Spring-Rol...

And, I consider her to be the best Chile Relleno cook in the world and have several knowledgeable friends who agree. Anyway, I would appreciate your comment on my page. I am forwarding the list of your articles to her for future great meals. Thanks, John

steveamy from Florida on December 29, 2011:

Croquetas are an art -- a delicious one -- my favorite ox tail or Iberico Ham

leann2800 on August 18, 2011:

The picture does look like cornmeal but it doesn't say that. The recipe sounds really good. I am surprised i have never heard of it. Thank you for sharing.

John D Lee (author) on August 17, 2011:

I wouldn't really recommend the cornmeal, for flavor reasons. It would work but the breadcrumbs are a better match.

Amy Goldstein from Chesterfield on August 16, 2011:

Hello:

Just out of curiosity - Based upon the picture it looks like cornmeal was used instead of breadcrumbs. Could there be cornmeal mixed in with the breadcrumbs?

Susan Hazelton from Sunny Florida on March 31, 2011:

You Spanish Chicken Corquetas look and sound delicious. Rated up, useful and bookmarked.

katrinasui on March 31, 2011:

Great recipe. Thanks friend for sharing it.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Pork tenderloin is a great cut of meat. Its size makes it quick-cooking enough for an after-work meal, and yet it’s tasty and tender enough for a special-occasions sort of dinner.

But when cooked without care, "tender" and "tasty" can too easily become "dry" and "bland." And it’s unfortunately all too easy to overcook a tenderloin when cooking it directly over hot heat!

Here’s the foolproof method for making perfect, tender, and juicy pork tenderloin every time—in only about 20 minutes or so of active cooking. This method is perfect because it combines the high-heat sear needed to flavor and crust the meat and finishes with a slow roast in the oven, which lets it all cook without overcooking the exterior.

Because this method produces such consistent results, it is a restaurant chef’s go-to method for larger cuts of protein.

How to Cook a Perfect Pork Tenderloin

This is a very simple set of instructions for a pork tenderloin with a sauce—one that goes well with chutney or mustard. This method, however, will work well with any number of different recipes, especially ones that call for a pan sauce.

Ingredients

• Pork loin
• Salt and pepper to taste (or the seasonings of your choice)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400*.
2. Season the meat with some salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or whatever seasonings you desire).
3. Once the oven reaches 400*, take out a heavy frying pan (preferably one that’s oven-safe), and preheat it to medium-high. Note: If you don’t have an oven-safe frying pan (such as a cast-iron one), you can fry the meat, and then transfer it to a baking dish.
4. Use some paper towels to dry off the tenderloin (drier meat creates a better browning because less steam is created).
5. Add in a splash of vegetable or olive oil, and then add the meat. Cook it until it is very nicely browned all over (not greyish-brown, brown-brown!). This should take about five minutes total.
6. Transfer the pan to the oven, uncovered, and let it roast for 10 or 15 more minutes. Before you pull it out, you want to make sure that the meat has an internal temperature of 145-150*. Note: One of those instant-read thermometers is really helpful here. If you don’t have one, you should spend the $5 or so to get one because they will make a world of difference in your cooking!
7. Remove the meat from the oven, and let it rest—covered—for 10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Easy, foolproof, and delicious!

Comments

VeryHungry on August 03, 2015:

This didn't even start to cook the pork. After brazing, it took almost an hour in the oven before it cooked. I think you have the wrong time/temperature posted here

Susan Deppner from Arkansas USA on October 15, 2014:

Sounds like a perfect method. I'm not always careful about drying the meat first, but now I will be. Thanks for sharing!

Sarah on February 05, 2014:

Can this recipe be used if the pork has a thick rub on it?

tara on November 04, 2013:

I cooked it exactly how you said. I was raw. what did I do wrong,???:(

Aaron on November 20, 2012:

I followed this recipe and made an awesome pork tenderloin. Thanks for posting!

Susan Hazelton from Sunny Florida on March 28, 2011:

I love a good pork tenderloin. As you stated pork can come out dry and tasteless. Your way sounds as though it would be nice and moist, not overcooked.

Sinea Pies from Northeastern United States on March 28, 2011:

Properly prepared Pork Tenderloin is a delight. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Mitch Bolen from Midwest USA on March 28, 2011:

Sounds like good stuff. Looking at my grocery circulars right now to see if any of them have pork loins on sale.

Steph Harris from Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom on March 28, 2011:

Thanks John for a wonderful recipe, pork is so easy to overcook so that it becomes dry and bland. I will have to try this recipe.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Sure, you can head to the supermarket to pick up one of those yellow packages of pre-made ‘taco mix’—but since making your own is better, cheaper, and hardly more difficult—why pay more for second best?! (And second best is a stretch, actually, cause’ homemade seasoning is miles tastier than anything you can buy pre-made).

Here’s a recipe for a very tasty seasoning that goes perfectly with ground pork. It can be whipped up in a couple of minutes, mixed with some ground pork, and sautéed straight into a waiting taco shell—and since the recipe calls for stuff you’ve more than likely already got in your spice rack at home, it even saves you the trip to the store to buy that inferior ready-made mix.

This recipe is based loosely on a chorizo sausage recipe from BBQ guru, Steven Raichlen. I find that with a few minor adjustments, this makes a perfect taco filling.

Taco Seasoning Recipe

Makes enough to fill tacos for about 4 people. The recipe can easily be multiplied as needed.

• 1 lb of ground pork
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 and ½ tsps of salt
• 1 tsp of oregano
• 1 and ¼ tsps of ground cumin
• 2 Tbls of red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper (If you’ve only got ground pepper, and aren’t going to freshly crack your own, I’d reduce this by about half)
• 1 Tbls of sweet paprika
• 1-2 Tbls of chili flakes (the heat of different chili flakes can vary pretty dramatically, as can individual preferences for heat – so you might want to start on the low end, and then taste when you do a test fry, adding more if wanted at that time.)

1. Mix together the pork and all other ingredients.
2. You can either just go ahead and fry this up for your tacos, or you can do a tset fry, and adjust seasonings if needed. To do a test fry, just grab a couple of Tbls of the meat mixture and sauté it in a little oil until done, and then taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
3. Sautee it up in a heavy fry pan with a scant splash of oil and then spoon it into hard shell corn taco shells that you have at the ready.

*(note, while this is very good if used right away, mixing it up and then letting it come together in the fridge for an hour or so does improve the flavors.)

Comments

ticked off guy on May 06, 2013:

recipe sucked!!! way too salty and way too much seasoning!! YUK!!!!!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Making your own sausage is a cinch. So, next time you’re in the mood for some Bangers, or Italian sausage, or for this Irish sausage—forget that trip out to the supermarket, and make your own!

Why make your own sausage?

4 Reasons to Make Your Own Sausage

1. Why pay double the price when homemade sausage is as easy as making meatloaf or meatballs/Buy your own ground pork for half the price of a deli counter fresh sausage
2. Season the sausage exactly to your tastes
3. Make sure that nothing goes into that sausage that you don’t want to eat
4. Have any kind of fresh sausage, any time you want, without having to search out specialty retailers (I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but Irish sausages aren’t super common around mine)

A lot of people are intimidated by the thought of making homemade sausage. But if you buy ground pork, all you have to do is mix that pork up with a few spices, taste for seasoning and than stuff it into a sausage casing—hardly rocket science.

And you don’t need any specialty equipment either. Since I generally only make sausages for home consumption, I don’t have a lot of expensive gear—I buy ground pork, so I don’t need a grinder, and I just use a funnel and a wooden spoon to stuff the meat into sausage casings—pretty easy—pretty cheap.

So if you’ve never made sausage before, here’s your chance, with this very easy recipe for Irish sausage, to give it a try.

Irish Sausage Recipe

• 2 lbs of ground pork (if you can get a butcher to grind it for you fresh, ask for pork ground from the shoulder butt, otherwise, just use regular ground pork)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• ¾ cup of cold water
• 1 and ¼ tsps of salt
• 1 and ½ tsps of dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp or dried rosemary
• 4 cloves of garlic, flattened and finely minced

• Sausage casings (these are generally sold salted and refrigerated. To use, for small batches, just take off a couple of strands, rinse out well with cold water two or three times and then stuff, twisting as you go to form links.

1. Mix together all ingredients (except for the casings!).
2. Take a small amount and fry or microwave it up and then taste for seasoning, and adjust seasoning if necessary
3. Once seasoned to your liking, use a wide mouthed funnel (I often cut a water bottle and use that as a funnel) stuck into the end of a sausage casing, and then press the meat through the funnel into the casing.
4. Divide the casing into links by twisting at intervals, and then refrigerate for a day or two (Ideally) before cooking.

Comments

Ian Harvey on June 20, 2020:

I am concerned... Will I end up with an Irish accent after eating these sausages

Ian Harvey on June 20, 2020:

Hello there

I also live in Chiang Mai and am enjoying the sausage making experience.... I will make a batch of these thru the week and let you know how I go

Cheers....

Brian on March 20, 2020:

Excellent. We substituted oregano for marjoram.

Shaad Kagzi on September 26, 2019:

Hi I am Muslim we don't eat pork plz can u give me a chicken recipe

sam on September 03, 2015:

and how do you make them taste nice? I tried this recipe and it was awful

sameerk from India on January 14, 2011:

wow , good hub

daravuthz from Cambodia on January 02, 2011:

You had a good hub about Irish Sausage. I learn some new things from your hub. Thanks for sharing.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Salads are too often the afterthought to an otherwise well thought out meal. We put all our effort into that great cut of meat and the side dishes, and by the time we get to the salad, all we do is toss together a little lettuce and tomato and serve with bottled salad dressing on the side.

It’s OK, I guess, but it's hardly something to get excited about.

Break out of your salad rut and expand your horizons beyond the usual salad bowl suspects. Here are 73 items to toss into your next salad that’ll be sure to perk up the taste buds of everyone at your supper table.

73 Salad Additions

1. Dried cranberries
2. Raisins
3. Sultanas
4. Chopped dates
5. Sun dried tomatoes
6. Pecans
7. Walnuts
8. Cashews
9. Pine nuts
10. Almonds
11. Macadamia nuts
12. Pistachios (shelled)
13. Sunflower seeds
14. Pumpkin seeds
15. Candied nuts
16. Sesame seeds
17. Poppy seeds
18. Flax seeds
19. Sliced jicama
20. Fried wontons skins
21. Bean sprouts
22. Fresh pear slices
23. Roasted pear slices (see how to roast pears for instructions on getting the most out of unripe hard pears in a salad!)
24. Blueberries
25. Raspberries
26. Apple slices
27. Orange segments
28. Grapefruit segments
29. Pomelo segments
30. Mango chunks
31. Papaya chunks
32. Grapes
33. Peaches
34. Watermelon chuks
35. Avocado
36. Olives
37. Capers
38. Pickles peppers, like jalapenos
39. Tuna
40. Chicken
41. Leftover meats…whatever you’ve got going
42. Bacon
43. Fried pancetta
44. Prosciutto
45. Dry cured salamis, mortadela or other charcuterie items
46. Sautéed shrimp
47. Tofu
48. Croutons
49. Fresh herbs, like basil, mint or cilantro
50. Pasta
51. Cooked beans
52. Fresh fennel root, thinly sliced
53. Leftover roasted vegetables
54. Grilled vegetables (grilled asparagus is great in a salad)
55. Feta cheese
56. Blue cheese
57. Old cheddar cheese
58. Shaved parmesan, asiagio, Grana Padano, Peccorino or other hard cheeses
59. Goat cheese
60. Swiss cheese (Ementhal)
61. Canned or cooked black beans, white beans, kidney beans, etc.
62. Cooked brown rice
63. Cooked orzo, quinoa, millet, wheat berries or other whole grains
64. Water chestnuts
65. Baby corn
66. Boiled egg
67. Poached egg
68. Duck confit
69. Boiled potatoes
70. Artichoke hearts
71. Roasted beets
72. Roasted winter squash or sweet potatoes
73. Bamboo shoots

So get inspired and get creative and add a little crunch, a little sweetness and a little interest to your next side of the plate dinner salad.

Comments

Lena Durante from San Francisco Bay Area on May 15, 2017:

The great thing about salad is you can throw in almost anything, from leftover roasted veggies to toasted nuts to fresh cheese! I dry my own plums and tomatoes every summer from the back yard harvest, so I often throw one or the other in for a pop of sweetness.

Joanna McKenna from Central Oklahoma on August 22, 2011:

I've always liked sunflower seeds and chick peas in a green salad. A friend **always** sprinkles shelled peanuts on hers. Have tried several of the others ingredients on your list over the years. Thanks for even more things to try! ;D

blossom on February 22, 2011:

not bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ign Andy from Green Home Office on December 31, 2010:

The only thing that seems pretty odd is bamboo shoot. I may try this one day, who knows it may suit my taste.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Breaking away from tradition, I decided to forego turkey for this year’s Christmas dinner and do a bone-in pork loin roast instead. Since the overwhelming majority of recipes I consulted in planning the meal called for boneless pork roasts, it took a little research to put together a winning plan for the meal.

Anyway, to save you the same trouble, here’s an easy (2 day) plan for making a fantastic, show-stopping bone-in loin roast.

How to Cook a Bone-In Pork Rib Roast

The Steps:

1. Procure one from your butcher. While Frenched bones (bones with meat cleaned away) can make an elegant presentation, this presentation comes at the cost of the tastiest meat on the whole roast. In my opinion, skip the clean French roast look and get a meaty roast with all that delicious, succulent, sparerib meat still on the bone.
2. Brine the meat for 10 hours.
3. Take the meat out of the brine and let it rest overnight.
4. Season the roast and let the meat come up to room temperature for an hour or so on the counter prior to cooking.
5. Roast the meat in a 350 degree oven until the interior is at 150f.
6. Let the roast rest for about 20 minutes before carving.
7. Enjoy a fantastic dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork roast—about 7 or 8 pounds or bigger
• A bunch of garlic
• Kosher salt
• Some honey
• Freshly cracked pepper and whole peppercorns
• A little dried thyme and a couple of bay leaves
• Some fresh rosemary
• A little extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. The morning of the day before you plan on eating the roast, make up your brine. You want to make a brine with a 5% salinity—so measure out 4 liters of water to a pot and add to this 200 grams of kosher salt (50 grams per liter). With the side of your knife, flatten about 20 cloves of garlic and add this to the pot with 2 Tbls of whole peppercorns, ¼ cup of honey, a couple of bay leaves and 1 tsp of dried thyme. Bring this just to a boil and then let it cool, first for a bit on the counter top and then in the fridge. Once cooled, add in the pork roast and keep in the refrigerator to salty percolate for ten hours. (Always remember that it’s infinitely better to under-brine than over-brine! A too long brining will make your meat unpleasantly salty)
2. After 10 hours, dump off all of the brine and then transfer the pork back the fridge to rest until almost time to cook. This resting period after brining, while not totally essential, helps to ensure that the seasoning from the brine is evenly distributed through the whole roast.
3. About 3 hours before dinner time, take the meat out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter. The idea here is to let the roast shake off some if its fridge chill before you start the cooking process. This is actually good practice for cooking any kind of meat, as the closer to room temperature you start cooking at, the the less likely you are to overcook the exterior of the meat before getting the interior up to a desired temperature.
4. Chop up about 6 cloves of garlic and mix this with 4 tsps of fresh rosemary, finely minced. Cut little slits with a paring knife at intervals into the meat and stuff these with the minced garlic and rosemary. Rub the whole roast with a little olive oil and then give it all a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper (no more salt is needed, since its already been brined).
5. Let this sit on the counter for an hour, and at some point during this hour, get your oven preheated up to 350f.
6. After an hour, pop your roast into a roasting dish and transfer it into the oven to cook. This will take between an hour and 2 hours—depending on the exact heat of your oven, and more importantly, on the diameter of the roast. After an hour or so, check the deepest interior of the roast with an instant read thermometer. Take the roast out of the oven once it reaches 150 and then cover it with foil to rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes before carving. (150 will give you a roast with almost no pink inside, as the temperature will continue to rise inside the meat during the resting period. If you like your roast a little pink, you can take the meat out at 145.)

Enjoy!

If you cook roasts you want this

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

How to Make Your Own Sausage

I am a big fan of making my own sausage. I always say that if you can make meatloaf or meatballs, then you’ve pretty much mastered the skills needed to make a fresh sausage. Why make sausage from scratch? So it will...

• be spiced and seasoned to your liking,
• not contain additives that you don’t want,
• be made of good-quality, fresh meat, and
• cost much less than store-bought.

There’s really no good reason why you shouldn’t whip up a batch of sausages the next time you feel the need for a good kielbasa or Italian link!

Here’s a very simple recipe for a 5 pound batch of Polish kielbasa sausage—which is enough for 2 or 3 good dinners—so make a up a batch, use what you need, and pop the rest into the freezer for a great meal at the ready some busy weeknight down the road.

Polish Kielbasa Sausage Ingredients

• 5 pounds of ground pork (you want about 20% fat here). If your butcher will grind for you, have her grind from the pork butt section, though I usually just make it with regular pre-ground pork and it works just fine.
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
• 1 cup of very cold water
• Natural sausage casings, rinsed. (I am hesitant to give you an exact measurement here, as mine always seem to need differing amounts. Nevertheless, salted sausage casings are generally sold in bundles that are large enough to make far more than this small recipe, so I just take out a strand as I need it, rinse it very well, inside and out, two times, and then stuff it as I go. I’ve bought mine at farmer’s markets and at a local Italian grocery store, though a good butcher should also sell them, or at least know where to get them.)

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the sausage casings) in a mixing bowl. Take out a small amount and fry it up to taste for seasoning, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. I don’t use a sausage stuffer device–I just use a wide funnel (or a homemade funnel made from a plastic water bottle cut short) and press the meat into the casings with a wooden spoon through the funnel.
3. Once you’ve filled a casing, tie the end off and then twist the tube into smaller links.

That’s it! fresh kielbasa sausage ready for the grill or frypan!

Comments

RCG on February 17, 2019:

My grandmother always said marjoram does not go into polish sausage. She was from poland... just saying

GrandpaCanCook on July 18, 2018:

John

I really like this post and especially not making a big deal about making sausage.

After all they have been made for a long time without fancy equipment. I love using pre-ground pork and a funnel or drink bottler for a stuffer. Always can buy some equipment if it is something you want to get into.

Kind of like camping. You can start with a tent and a cooler for a couple of days and see if you like that.

GulfSouthRich from Louisiana on April 25, 2012:

Made some Jambalaya with Polish Sausage and it was great with chicken. Sounds Great.

John D Lee (author) on December 28, 2010:

Hey Jessie - sounds like a plan!

Sherri from Southeastern Pennsylvania on December 15, 2010:

Super instructions for homemade kielbasa. I linked to this Hub from mine on making our family's kielbasa and cabbage dish.

Also, KitchenAid makes a sausage stuffer attachment that you might want to add to your list of sausage making machines available on Amazon.

TravelinAsia from Thailand/Southeast Asia on November 30, 2010:

Yeah .. I love this kind of sausage.

Please bring some over and we will put it on the BBQ..and have a few beers!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Bangers are mildly sweet, spiced, fresh pork sausages. They are great with breakfast and great for dinner, especially as a part of the classic duo bangers and mash.

You can pay a premium for supermarket bangers that may or may not taste good, that may or may not contain a lot of additives and preservatives that you don’t really want, and that may have less meat and more breadcrumbs than you'd like. Or…

You can make your own!

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: if you can make meatballs or meatloaf, then you can make a fresh sausage! Although it is not something that many people make at home, it is a very simple thing to do:

1. Mix up some meat and spices, adding a little breadcrumb and a little liquid.
2. Stuff the mixture into a casing.
3. Cook it!

Not exactly rocket science. Anyway, next time you’re in the mood for bangers, try making your own and be amazed at how easy and how delicious homemade sausages can be. Cleaned, ready-to-use sausage casings can often be found at butcher shops. I get mine from an Italian grocery shop (salted for long keeping), and so you may have luck with similar types of stores.

Here’s a very simple recipe that tastes great.

English Bangers Sausage Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of regular ground pork
• 2¾ teaspoons of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon of ground sage
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground mace (or nutmeg)
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup of cold water
• Sausage casings

Instructions

1. Mix together all ingredients (except for the sausage casings). It’s always a good idea to check your seasoning before stuffing the sausages, so take a spoonful of the meat and either sauté it up until cooked through or simply microwave it until it's cooked and then taste for salt and spices, adding more if necessary.
2. Select and rinse a few casings. Casings are usually sold in such large quantities they could feed a small army, so just save what you don’t use today for next time. Salted casings will last for years if kept refrigerated. Rinse them out well with water, running water over the exterior and through the sausage casing itself as well. The water will balloon through the sausage, making it easier to stuff.
3. Once your casings are cleaned, take a funnel with a wide opening and insert the opening into the sausage casing. Start filling your funnel with meat, pressing it down with a spoon or with your fingers to push it into the casing. If your funnel is too small (which makes it tough to squeeze the meat through), try cutting a small plastic water bottle in half, and then using that as a homemade funnel for stuffing.
4. Once you’ve filled a casing, tie off one end and then segment the casing into sausage links by twisting vigorously every few inches, making sausages of any length you desire.
5. Cook them by pan frying gently until an internal temperature of 165 is reached.

Delicious!

Comments

Philip Stock on March 12, 2019:

Are Herbs & Spices increased exponentially for more meat?

Becky on March 28, 2017:

I LOVE Bangers! I went to London in 2004, and tried the English Breakfast served by the hotel where I stayed: Bangers, eggs, mushrooms, etc. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately, where I live, we aren't able to get Bangers except to buy them online, and I hate being tied to a supplier like that.

This recipe just fulfilled a dream I've had for 13 years -- being able to eat Bangers again. Thanks so much!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

If you’re interested in curing meat, you are probably reading recipes that call for things like sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate, Prague powder 1 or 2, or Instacure 1 or 2.

Here is a brief explanation of what each of these ingredients is and what it's used for. I am not a scientist, so my explanations are in layman's terms, but this should be enough for most cooks who are trying to understand what they’re working with.

Some Basics

1. Instacure 1 and Prague powder 1 are the same, as are Instacure 2 and Prague powder 2.
2. Instacure 1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt.
3. Instacure 2 contains about 6.25% sodium nitrite, about 1% sodium nitrate, and about 92.75% salt.

What Are Both Cures Used For?

These cures are used in meat preservation, often in the making of things like bacon, ham, or sausages, or air-dried products like dried sausages.

Cures are used to:

• Prevent the possibility of botulism in the meat.
• Aid in preservation.
• Improve the flavor of the finished product.
• Render the finished cooked product pink in color (if you don’t use a cure, your bacon will be grey).

What Is Instacure 1 Used For?

Instacure 1 is used for any type of cured meat product that will require cooking, such as bacon, hams that are not air-dried, and smoked sausages.

• 2 tsps of Instacure 1 is enough to cure roughly 10 lbs of sausage or bacon.

What Is Instacure 2 Used For?

Instacure 2 is used for meat products that will be air-dried and not cooked, such as dried salamis, pepperonis, and some air-dried hams.

The reason for the addition of sodium nitrate in Instacure 2 is that over a long curing period, sodium nitrate breaks down very slowly into sodium nitrite.

In the words of the great sausage maker, Rytek Kutas, sodium nitrate works like an extended-release medication for meats that require very long curing times, like dry cured sausages.

Why Are the Cures Dyed Pink?

Cures are dyed pink so that you won’t confuse them with table salt and use them in quantities that might put people in danger.

Sodium nitrite, even in small quantities, is very dangerous and can kill. The lowest known lethal dose of sodium nitrite is 71mg per kg of body weight. At this level, about a tsp of pure sodium nitrite could be enough to kill an average-sized adult.

This is why it is mixed in small quantities with salt, dissolved into water, turned back into a uniform crystal, and then dyed pink.

Don’t be afraid to use curing salts, but do respect their potency. Keep them away from those who don't know how to use them. Make sure you understand how much you should be using in any given situation.

When using the Internet as a source, be sure to double- or triple-check on other sites any information given about nitrite quantities. Verify that what you are going to do is in fact safe for you and your family.

Comments

issaonthego on May 15, 2019:

Would like to make corned beef and pastrami...is this the type of cure I would use for the beef?

Pete on January 12, 2018:

If I cold smoke sausage with prague powder 2. How long do I have to hang them till they are safe to eat or is it safe right away

patrick on December 13, 2017:

Thanks for the concise info; makes sense. other answers were too vague.

Peter on September 30, 2017:

I forgot to add the Instacure #2 to my pepperoni sausage. Do I need to throw the links away?

ChunkyGravy on February 12, 2014:

This is semi-accurate. You can still use InstaCure #1 for fish and other products that won't be cooked. InstaCure#1 is for short curing periods while InstaCure#2 is for extended curing, particularly in fermented sausages and dried products.

ted on August 31, 2011:

what is the natural way to cure meat

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

People from tropical parts of the world seem to a have a much greater appreciation for a wide array roots and tubers than we do in more temperate countries—and if we were smart, we’d take notice and get more into these very tasty and always affordable vegetables ourselves!

Taro is a purplish mild tasting root that is used, in Thailand, in a number of very tasty desserts—and if you like coconut ice cream, you will love taro and coconut ice cream…it’s just better!

Here’s a very simple taro and coconut ice cream recipe that you can make with serious ease in your ice cream maker—but be warned, once you go down this road of Asian tuber appreciation…there’s no going back!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of coconut cream (not the Coco Lopez stuff, just plain old coconut milk as sold in the can or box in the supermarket or in any asian grocery store)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of taro, peeled and then diced into ¼ inch chunks
• ¾ cup of sugar
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Cook the taro as you would boil potatoes, until softened 20-30 minutes in boiling water, and then drain
2. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a sauce pot and bring slowly to a boil. Once the sugar has melted into the mixture, remove from the heat.
3. Let it cool for a bit on the counter and then transfer to the fridge to cool completely before processing in your ice cream maker—actually, as a good tip, after you let the mixture come to a fridge temperature, give it an additional 20 minutes or so in the freezer just before processing. This last minute cold shock helps to accelerate the processing into ice cream, which can result in a denser and tastier finished product.
4. Process as directed in your ice cream machine.

Comments

lemonkerdz from LIMA, PERU on November 18, 2012:

unlike meskarune i have never heard of taro, the color of the ice cream got my attention. what on earth does it taste like?.......and don't say chicken! like anything else different. thanks for the hub, it must be a real talking point.

Meskarune from Oberlin, OH on June 06, 2011:

This sounds sooooo good. I love taro ice cream and coconut, so combined sounds wonderful!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

I suffered through a lot of mediocre fish and chips at restaurants before learning how easy it was to make great, crispy-crunchy beer battered fish at home.

Here’s how you do it…

Make a simple batter—take some fresh fish fillets and dip em’ and then pop them into a pan of oil (I don’t even deep fry, just shallow fry) for 4 or 5 minutes or until golden browned and cooked to perfection.

So—first step—start with some good fresh fish. Types of fish that are great in a beer batter include

• Halibut
• Haddock
• Cod
• John Dory
• Tilapia

For ease, and because I’ve always had great results with this, I tend to buy skinned and boned frozen fillets (much of what you buy fresh at the seafood counter is just defrosted frozen stuff anyway).

Beer Battered Fish (for 4 Big Eaters)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of firm white fish fillets cut into strips about an inch wide and no thicker than about an inch in thickness. (I prefer to cut these about ½ an inch in thickness to speed the frying process—at a half inch, these cook through in 3 or 4 minutes, which is convenient since you’ll be frying in batches!)

• 1 can of beer (Ideally a dark ale or stout like Guinness but any type of beer will work here)
• 1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour, plus another ½ cup or so for dredging, laid on a plate
• ½ tsp of salt
• 2 tsps of baking powder
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Whisk together the 1 and ¼ cups of flour, the beer, the baking powder and the salt, working it until completely free from lumps. Ideally, let it sit for about 15 minutes to come together before using. Different brands of all purpose flour will absorb different amounts of beer, but you’re looking for a consistency like very thick heavy cream. You definitely want it thick enough to really get a good coating on, but if it’s too thick it won’t be as crisp.
2. Once ready to fry, preheat enough oil in a deep fryer for deep frying, or if shallow frying, (what I do) add about an inch of oil to a heavy, high sided skillet that’s sure not to slip around on the stove. If you’ve got a big cast iron skillet, then you are very much in business here!
3. Heat the oil to 350 degrees for frying (use a deep fry or candy thermometer to check). If you lack this instrumentation, check here to learn how to know when oil is ready for frying.
4. Once the oil has come to temperature, dredge a few pieces of fish in the flour you’ve got ready for this and then shake off any excess before transferring the floured pieces of fish to your batter.
5. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and then gently slide it into the waiting oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan here—if you have a large-sized pan, you’ll probably want to do this amount of fish in 3 batches.
6. Let the fish bubble and cook for a minute or so and then flip it over to finish cooking. It is done once the batter is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. ½ inch thick fillets (before frying) will take 3 or 4 minutes to cook through and 1 inch fillets will take about double that time.
7. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain and hold in a warm oven while you wait for the remainder of the fish to finish frying.

Beautiful, easy and ever so crunchy and good!

See a Great Beer Batter Video Demo

Comments

doandroidzdream on June 20, 2019:

Made it, came out perfect, thank you. Here is a pic of my dish: https://imgur.com/a/iCqpUe3

Ian on November 05, 2018:

Thank you for sharing! Got some ideas for a crispy battered fish!

Kristen Howe from Northeast Ohio on January 03, 2016:

This recipe is easy to do and looks yummy to do. I'll pencil it in to try next month, when I get the beer for the batter. Great hub!

The Doyle's on April 27, 2013:

We had this for dinner tonight...excellent!

Susan from India on April 14, 2013:

Wow it looks so delicious. thanks for sharing.

Peter from New York on September 05, 2012:

Looks easy and delicious! Always love experimenting with new batters for frying fish. Thanks!

brian on September 30, 2011:

great recipe - just right crispiness, light,... thumbs up

Wesman Todd Shaw from Kaufman, Texas on April 10, 2011:

I've always wanted to try beer battering. It's so sad for me to part with one of my lovely brews though. I think I'll have to get someone else to steal one, and then bring it by as I'm battering something.

carrie450 from Winnipeg, Canada on September 30, 2010:

Fish and chips are one of my favorite dishes and this recipe looks absolutely delicious. I am going to try it out soon, thanks

Tony McGregor from South Africa on September 29, 2010:

Man this looks sooooo good! Bookmarked, of course!

Love and peace

Tony

G L Strout from Ohio, USA on September 29, 2010:

Okay, you got my attention! I love fish and chips bit, I agree, most of itis mediocre. I had the best fish and chips ever in Bath, England. I will try this recipe. Thanks.

Donna Lichtenfels from California, USA on September 28, 2010:

You make it look easy! I love good fish and chips, yet it is so hard to find-don't have a problem making homemade fries or even tartar sauce, but the fish? another issue, entirely! I am going to try this an will let you know if my success rate becomes any better! Thank you!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

How Long Do Spices Keep?

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve got a spice and herb rack (or drawer or bag or whatever) filled with a great selection of things that were acquired a long time ago.

OK, time for some tough love here…

... You’d probably be better off throwing that collection straight into the trash!

Herbs and spices have limited a lifespan (not measured in years!). Over time, oxidization occurs and aromatics dissipate. After a while, instead of herby you get dry and bland. Instead of a spice-bang-pop, you get a musty whimper!

Spice and Herb Tips

• Buy very small amounts of spices and dried herbs.
• Toss anything older than a few months in age and replenish your stock with fresh additions often.
• Buy whole spices and grind them yourself.
• Toast your spices before grinding!

Fresh and freshly ground toasted spices make a world of difference and will add some pretty substantial excitement to your everyday dishes.

Although buying pre-ground spices is certainly convenient, ground spices oxidize and lose their flavors much quicker than whole spices. With the pre-ground stuff, there's a risk that what you purchase from the store is already well past it’s "best by" date by the time it reaches your kitchen.

Anyway, it’s easy to toast and buzz up your own as needed, and it will make you a much better cook. Here’s how to do it.

How to Toast Spices

1. Add whole spices to a cold, dry (no oil) frying pan. You can do this in any type of frying pan, but it’s easiest in a heavier pan which won’t get the hot/cold sections that can result in burning. You do not have to use a non-stick pan here, as these will not stick.
2. Heat the pan over medium and as the pan heats and the spices become fragrant, stir or shake the spices often. They may pop and jump a bit, this is OK.
3. Once the spices just start to brown, transfer them immediately out of the pan and into a waiting bowl—their residual heat will keep the cooking and toasting process going a little bit longer. If you wait until they are very toasted in the pan, they will become burnt and bitter once off the heat.
4. Process them in a blender or food processor until finely ground (or a mortar and pestle).

The total cooking time generally only takes 3 or 4 minutes in all.

Toast Spices Separately

Do not toast different spices in the same pan at the same time. The spices will toast and brown at different speeds, and so you’re either left with some that aren’t toasted or some that are burnt!

Spices That Benefit From Toasting

• Cumin seed
• Fennel seed
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Coriander seed
• Star anise
• Mustard seed
• And many more!

Video: How to Toast Spices

Comments

Michelle Dee from Charlotte, NC on August 22, 2013:

I have never tried toasting spices and nuts before but do have a few recipes that call for this and now I want to try it. Thanks for sharing, this is very useful information because it's not as difficult as it sounds.

John D Lee (author) on December 28, 2010:

Thanks for the tip, Chefmike, I'll have to try that method.

chefmike on December 16, 2010:

if you toast over lower heat, or toast in the oven, at say, around 275F or so, you can put all the different spices in that you want, all together. using the oven requires much more time (like an hour or more), but yields much more consistent results!

Don Pratt from United States on September 27, 2010:

Good Information! Thanks!

Georgina Crawford from Dartmoor on September 27, 2010:

Great hub. Rating up

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

While I often just bread fish with a simple flour and salt and pepper dusting for fish tacos, there are definitely times when you want the crunch and substance of a beer battered fish in your Baja style fish tacos.

Here’s a simple recipe for good beer battered Baja style fish tacos. One of the real pluses of the method to follow is that it doesn’t require you to heat a deep fryer to make your fried fish. As the fish will get sliced into manageable segments before going into the taco anyway, I find it a lot easier to slice it into thin strips (goujons) before battering and frying. By using thinner strips of fish, you can get away with shallow frying in less than an inch of oil and you also get a lot more crunch in every bite!

This is a really simple batter to remember—just use equal parts beer and flour, and for every cup of beer you add, add 1 tsp of salt.

Note: You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas for this recipe. If you can get very fresh corn tortillas then corn is the way to go, no question. If the only corn tortillas you can get your hands on are even a little bit stale, then even if you can heat them up, flour tortillas are better, and they are always very pliant.

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos (Serves Four)

• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• A little bit more flour for dusting the fish before you batter
• 1 lb of flaky white fish, cut into ¾ inch thick strips - I use John Dory, but cod, halibut etc. will all work fine
• 8 flour tortillas or 12 corn tortillas (figure 2 flour tortillas tacos per person or 3 if using the smaller corn tortillas)
• 1 cup of shredded cabbage
• 1 cup of torn lettuce
• About ¼ cup of chopped white onion
• About ¼ cup of spicy tomato salsa (not chuncky, preferably) and about ¼ cup of mayonnaise, mixed together to form a pinkish sauce
• A couple of limes

Fish Taco Recipe

1. To make your batter, mix the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl, whisking it all together until smooth.
2. Turn your oven on low (you’ll hold the fish in here as you fry it in batches to keep it warm). If you don’t care about keeping it warm, then you can skip this step.
3. On a large plate, working in batches, dust flour all over your pieces of fish. You want to make to make your fish flour-dried before adding it to the batter, so that the batter will adhere completely to the fish.
4. In large frying pan, heat about ¾ of an inch of vegetable oil over medium. Use the heaviest pan you have for this (cast iron is perfect) as you want something that will hold the heat as you start to add the fish in
5. If you have a frying thermometer, get the oil to about 360^o. If you don’t have a frying thermometer, try dipping in a corner of some battered fish to test for temperature. If the oil starts bubbling nicely as soon as you slide the corner of the fish in, then you are ready to go. If the oil is volcano bubbling and spattering, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool down. If you’re getting only very slow bubbling, then you need to preheat for another minute or so.
6. Once the oil is hot, toss the pieces of fish in the batter and then slide them one at a time into the oil. Make sure that each piece is completely covered in batter. If you have a largish frying pan, you can probably fit half the fish in at one time, if your frying pan is a bit smaller, you may need to do this in three batches. It’s important not to crowd the pan as this will drop the oil temperature quickly, resulting in greasy fish. Fry the fish pieces turning them occasionally, until they are golden brown all over and crispy—4 or 5 minutes. Once done, remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels as you repeat the process with the remaining fish.
7. Transfer the finished fish to a low oven to hold warm while you finish frying the rest of the fish
8. To assemble the tacos, divide the shredded cabbage, onion and lettuce evenly between the tortillas, and then top with the fish and the mayo/spicy salsa sauce. Before rolling each taco up, give the fish in each tortilla a squirt of fresh lime juice—figure a wedge of lime per taco.
9. Roll up and serve with your favorite Mexican sides.

Delicious!

A Good Video Demo of Beer-Battering Fish

Comments

Emma from Houston TX on March 19, 2011:

Thanks for sharing this wonderful hub in here.I so much love this article because i love fish a lot and anything that concerns fish concerns me a lot.

rkhyclak from Ohio on August 31, 2010:

Bookmarked this, I love fish tacos! Thanks :)

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Strawberry coulis—it’s a fancy-sounding name for strawberry sauce, and though the name may be fancy, the preparation techniques are simple. Since this sauce freezes perfectly well, make up a reasonable-sized batch a couple of times a year and know you’ve always got dessert covered!

Among the many ways this sauce is used in my household include:

• As a topping for ice cream
• On waffles, French toast or pancakes
• As a ready-made easy topping for cheesecake
• Eaten with freshly baked scones

This sauce can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. I typically enjoy fresh strawberries when they're in season and make coulis with any overabundance. Out of season, I find that frozen ones make an equally good coulis compared to fresh ones… so make it at any time of year.

Ingredients

The recipe can be multiplied as needed.

• 5 and 1/2 cups of strawberries, fresh or frozen
• ¾ of a cup of plain white sugar (granulated)
• ¼ cup of water

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, and bring the mix to a boil.
2. Once it is boiling and the sugar has been dissolved into the liquid, turn off the heat, and transfer the mixture to a blender.
3. Blend until it is very smooth, and then pass the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. (The straining step is not strictly necessary, and it won’t make things taste any better, but I think the sauce is more enjoyable when it doesn’t leave you with strawberry seeds to pick out of your teeth!)
4. Serve on top of some good vanilla ice cream or as a topping for cheesecake, and pop the rest into the freezer to be used as needed.

Store in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for months.

© 2010 John D Lee

Comments

Cassandra on May 07, 2015:

Thanks for posting this. Is this something I could also mix in with cake frosting to make it strawberry flavour?

Cheryl on August 09, 2014:

Thanks for this. I just made the sauce for our bar b q today. It's delicious!

Marshley on December 22, 2012:

Thank you so much for putting this up. This sauce was amazing on top of pancakes. YUM ^_^

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Although enjoying a nice pork roast after work might sound like something from a bygone era—very 1950s—roast meat dinners are actually some of the easiest and least labor-intensive meals out there.

A roast is actually a very sensible after-work dinner solution, especially when you’re talking about a smaller (2lbs or less) piece of meat. A meal like this allows you to take things slow because it doesn't require a lot of work. You just need to heat up the oven and let the meat cook for an hour or so, leaving you about a half hour to unwind after a hard day—and another leisurely half hour to make up a salad or a side for the great tasting dinner to come.

Here are some basic instructions for preparing a small pork loin roast. This size, about 2 pounds, is perfect for a family of four (or for one person to have a lot of leftovers), and it’s small enough to cook quickly when you don’t have all afternoon to wait in anticipation. Once you get the hang of the very basic steps involved, you can experiment with stuffings, gravies, sauces, and other embellishments.

Although the preparation for this is very simple, you do need to be attentive at the end and get it out of the oven at about 140 degrees. This is a simple and satisfying meal can be ruined if you overcook it. To make this dish properly, you really need an instant read thermometer—something every home cook should have anyway!

Ingredients for Your Perfect Pork Loin Roast

• 2 lbs pork loin
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• vegetable or olive oil

Instructions for Cooking the Perfect Pork Loin Roast

1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Sprinkle the entire roast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat a heavy skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, and add a tbls or 2 of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, place the roast in and sear it until it is well-browned. Once browned, flip the roast and repeat, turning until all sides are a rich brown color. This first step is very important, so take your time on it, and plan to spend about 10 minutes coloring up the meat.
4. Once the roast has been seared and the oven is preheated, transfer the meat to a small baking dish or roasting pan, and transfer it into the oven. Check the roast after about 40 minutes, and if the internal temperature at the thickest point has reached 140, remove from the oven (the meat will continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so once removed).
5. Let the meat rest, covered in foil for 15 minutes, and then enjoy!

To complete this very easy meal, open up a jar of applesauce or some good mustards to serve on the side.

Delicious and perfectly simple.

How'd You Like It?

Once You Get the Hang of It, You Can Get Fancier, Like This Stuffed Roast!

© 2010 John D Lee

Comments

DavidLivingston on December 05, 2010:

Makes me crave. Thanks!

suziecat7 from Asheville, NC on February 14, 2010:

Sounds great - your Hubs are all hunger producing. I'm a fan.

John D Lee (author) on February 11, 2010:

Thank you - and potatoes in the oven as you suggest really does make this as easy after work meal!

Jane@CM on February 11, 2010:

I love pork roast and you hit it on the spot, they are easier than many believe to cook up. Throw in potatoes to bake at the same time & steam fresh veggies in the microwave and you have a satisfying healthy meal! Great hub!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

This is a classic, easy-to-make Thai soup that goes very well as a part of a full Thai dinner.

The quality of the chicken is the most important thing for this dish. In Thailand, this would preferably be made with free-range chickens. Thai free-range chickens are scrawny little things that are constantly underfoot in just about any small village you’d pass through. They’ve very little meat and almost no fat at all, and they’re far from tender—but they taste great. They taste like chicken should taste like: chickeny.

If you can, use free-range chicken for this dish. If you use supermarket chicken, try to trim as much fat as you can from the chicken prior to cooking, to more closely replicate a Thai free-range chicken. Do not try to make this with chicken breast as the bones are essential to give the soup some body.

Thai Tom Yum Gai (Tom Yum Chicken)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound chicken thighs or other bone-in parts
• 4 cups of water
• 5 (1/2-inch) thin slices of galangal root
• 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch segments
• 4 shallots, cut in half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 5 to 15 small dried Thai bird chilies (the really small and spicy ones), depending on how spicy you like it
• 3 lime leaves
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice (or more to taste)

Instructions

1. Heat a little oil in a skillet or wok over medium. When hot, drop your chilies in and fry them, stirring constantly, until they have browned slightly but not blackened—about 1 minute.
2. Chop the chicken thighs up with a cleaver into segments.
3. In a pot, mix in the water, the lemongrass, the galangal, the chilies, the shallots, the lime leaves, the salt, the fish sauce and the MSG. Bring the soup to a boil.
4. Once boiling, add in the chicken parts and boil until the chicken has just cooked through, 5 minutes or so, depending on the size of your chicken pieces. (Thai cooks prefer to add the chicken after the water comes to a boil to reduce the strength of the broth, which is different from how Western cooks traditionally make soup.)
5. Once the chicken has cooked through, turn off the heat and add in your freshly squeezed lime juice. Taste, and add more fish or lime juice to taste—it should be sour/salty and spicy!

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and enjoy.

Another Thai Recipe

• Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage With Pork Recipe
  Stir-frying a bit of white cabbage and pork is so easy, but it tastes so good. Try this authentic Thai stir-fried meal. It's ready in 5 minutes, start to finish.

Comments

sunbun143 from Los Angeles, CA on February 10, 2012:

Hi this sounds good...I just wrote a hub on Cambodian sour soup, like my mom makes and that I just learned how to make for myself. I think it's similar to tom yum gai but not spicy. Check it out! I also linked to a hub of yours in the article.

John D Lee (author) on January 13, 2010:

Emievil, I think Tom Yum Koong (shrimp) is my favorite too - although this recipe with chicken is pretty good too!

Thanks for the comment.

emievil from Philippines on January 13, 2010:

Wow! I miss tom yum. My favorite is the seafoods tom yum (tom yum gun????). I first tasted tom yum back in college because in our university, there was a Thai couple who have a small restaurant featuring Thai food. Thanks for the recipe.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Have you ever used a recipe that called for oil to be heated to 350°F or 370°F and wondered how, short of using a deep-frying thermometer, to know when the oil is hot enough for frying?

Well, I certainly have.

Deep-frying is normally done at between 360°F and 375°F. Here are three ways to test frying oil temperature to see if it’s ready without using an oil-safe thermometer. These methods are designed to indicate when the oil reaches this temperature range.

Method One: Wood

Method Two: Bread

Method Three: Popcorn

Tip: Don't Overcrowd Frying Food!

No matter what temperature you start at, remember that overcrowding the pan will result in a dramatic temperature drop and oily food. Don’t spend a lot of effort ensuring the correct temperature only to waste your effort by dumping in a mountain of frozen French fries, for example! Fry in small batches for the best results.

Delicious Recipes for Fried Food

• Good Old Southern Country-Fried Chicken
  Col. Sanders, step aside!. Make your own country-fried chicken at home, and get a rich dark brown chicken with a shatteringly crisp crust and great taste.
• Thai Deep-Fried Garlic Ribs
  This is an easy recipe for Thai deep-fried garlic ribs.
• Cooking with Spring Roll Wrappers
  Buy a pack of inexpensive spring roll wrappers and add a bit of crunchy goodness to everyday meals!

Get Inspired and Deep-Fry a Turkey!

Comments

Jade on September 23, 2019:

Thank you so much for this! I decided to make orange chicken one night this week but don't have a thermometer as I never fry food.

D. on June 17, 2019:

So browned at 30s is to hot right. Using electric stove. So I turned it down some. Cooking Chicken legs. have meat/oven thermo but it doesn't work for this.

Dawn M on February 11, 2018:

Nice, I like the popcorn kernel idea. I hadn't heard of that method before.

Q on December 07, 2017:

The popcorn kernel tip was AMAZING! Thank you!

Lena Durante from San Francisco Bay Area on May 04, 2017:

I never use a thermometer to check my oil. My mother didn't even own a thermometer; we always used the bread method. I've heard of the popcorn trick, too, but haven't used it personally.

Shawn on March 29, 2017:

Wouldn't the popcorn popping create a potentially dangerous splash? When it, you know, pops?

EG on August 09, 2013:

Great info. Thanks

GG on December 11, 2012:

Wish I had read this before I made my fried chicken today, but I -am- getting better at this method of cooking, thanks for your help!

Gxhhdbhcvb on July 05, 2012:

Great tip

Deep fry chic on May 16, 2012:

LOVED THIS ARTICLE!!! so helpful! thank you :)

keep up the great work

JP on January 08, 2012:

Thank you so much! I used a combination of the three to make sure it was just high enough without being too high, and my chicken tenders came out great. Very useful post!

Joy on November 04, 2011:

SOOOO happy you posted these three tips. That exact situation happened to me where the recipe called for oil to be heated to 350 for frying and I was, of course, without a deep frying thermometer. The popcorn kernel test was the best {and funniest} method. Thanks!

Mary Hyatt from Florida on September 28, 2011:

Good ideas. I've deep fried turkey before, and it's wonderful!

John D Lee (author) on January 05, 2010:

Good luck with the wings Angie!

Angie on January 03, 2010:

I'm impressed...these guys are really organized: Time preparation, all the supplies handy & each person has a place. Fantastic. I am inspired. I'll add some hot wings to the menu :)

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

There is nothing wrong with a fresh ear of corn steamed or boiled and served with butter and salt—nothing at all. But here’s a recipe that takes corn in a completely different direction, and it’s something that you should definitely try at least once.

This is Mexican street food at its finest. It’s fun to eat and, although it’s not particularly healthy, it compensates for its dubious nutritional scores with explosions of sweet, tangy, rich, salty, and spicy tastes in every bite. This is not your boring everyday backyard corn!

As pretty much a national snack food, there is no single correct way of preparing Mexican corn on the cob, but the recipe as follows is pretty traditional and pretty good.

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1–2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or any chili powder you like/have on hand, although finely ground chili powder works best)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Use cotija Mexican cheese if you can, although Parmesan cheese is a good substitute)

Instructions

1. Ideally, you want your corn to have a bit of a smoky/charred flavor and look, without being overpoweringly blackened. I find the best way to accomplish this is by briefly roasting the corn in its husk or steaming/boiling it until just barely cooked through (use whatever method you know and are comfortable with). Once it’s cooked through, transfer the (husked) corn to a preheated grill and turn it around the grill for 2 or 3 minutes to blacken the kernels slightly.
2. Once finished on the grill, dip each ear of corn into the melted butter, turning to coat as completely as possible.
3. Once coated in the butter, spoon, smear, or brush on the mayonnaise all over the four ears of corn. (I know this sounds weird, but it tastes great!)
4. Once it's smeared with mayo, sprinkle your Parmesan cheese evenly between the four ears, sticking it into the mayo to adhere.
5. Dust each ear of corn with chili powder, and then give each ear of corn a generous squeeze from a quarter segment of lime.

That’s it—easy, different, but so good. Try walking around with a platter of these and a pitcher of margaritas at your next backyard party, and see how quickly they disappear!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Foolproof, Easy, and Delicious

Ready to make a pork roast unlike anything you’ve ever had before? Well, although it can hardly be considered quick cooking, this technique is certainly easy. And it delivers foolproof, ever-so-tender, ever-so-tasty pork—every time.

Although this will sit in your oven for a full day—that’s right, a full 24 hours—there is only a few minutes of active work involved.

This technique, which has been popularized by the British cookbook author Nigella Lawson, has you roast a full pork shoulder in an oven that is just barely hotter than the desired internal cooked temperature. This lengthy cooking, the exaggerated equivalent of low and slow as preached in the BBQ circuit, melts any last bit of collagen in the meat and delivers the falling-apart, tenderest (but still juicy) pork roast you’ve ever had in your life—guaranteed. Additionally, since you’re cooking at basically the temperature you want to serve at, and since this hunk of meat is so substantial, it’s nigh impossible to overcook this beast!

Also, your house will smell great all day.

Give this a try the next time you’re cooking for a crowd. Everyone will marvel at what you serve. (You don't need to tell anyone how effortless it all was, too!)

Ingredients

• 1 whole pork shoulder (15-20 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to as high as she’ll go.
2. Take the whole pork shoulder and rub it all over with a paste made from the olive oil and minced garlic.
3. Heave the pork onto a roasting pan, and pop it into your searing-hot oven for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, take the pork out of the oven. Let the oven cool down to 220 degrees Fahrenheit (leave the oven door open to accelerate the cooling process).
5. Once the oven has reached 220 degrees, return the pork to the oven and forget about it for the next 23 or so hours.
6. After about 23 hours, crank up the heat again, and give the pork a final 30 minutes to brown and crisp.
7. Remove the pork from the oven—and be amazed at what you’ve created!

Take five minutes to get this started as you prepare Saturday dinner, and you’ve got your Sunday feast covered! It takes the smallest amount of forethought and takes all of the strain out of preparing a giant family meal. Also, it really will taste amazing.

A pork shoulder is a must for this recipe. It’s got the fat and collagen needed for this lengthy cooking. Don’t try this with a loin roast! If you’ve never roasted a shoulder before, you are in for a real treat; it is in my opinion, the tastiest part of the pig (bacon not included, obviously).

Comments

Melinda on April 04, 2019:

Absolutely sounds heavenly. One question. .is the roast cooked in a cvrd pan, or left uncovered? Definitely want to Try adap. Thank you for ur Wonderful post.

John D Lee (author) on February 21, 2011:

Hey WillStarr,

Yeah - this definitely has some similarities to the school of BBQ! I am a proponent of brining, but would probably not brine this one. There is no need to do some from moist and tenderness perspective and there is plenty of flavor as is.

WillStarr from Phoenix, Arizona on February 13, 2011:

This is also how I like to smoke a pork shoulder for pulled pork...low and slow. Of course doing that, you can skip the hi-temp prortions.

But I never tried cooking a roast this way. Do you ever brine first?

Great Hub!

readyred on November 25, 2009:

this has to be the easiest way to cook a pork roast and the one that tastes the best. i don't cook it any other way.

Felix J Hernandez from All over the USA on November 24, 2009:

Bookmark, pork lover to the fullest.

coffeesnob on October 31, 2009:

bookmarking this one thanks

Hmrjmr1 from Georgia, USA on October 30, 2009:

Sounds great - Slow Cooking delivers the tastiest and jusiest products Thanks!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Growing up, I always wondered why the vegetables served at good restaurants always tasted better than the ones I boiled or steamed at home—how they could boil vegetables so much better than I could?!

Well, eventually, I figured out that it wasn’t the way they prepared the vegetables that made the difference; it was the way they finished them off by adding a quick vegetable glaze—a glaze sauce that truly makes a world of difference, especially when used on root vegetables like carrots.

Glazed vegetables are lustrous and appetizing, and each cut piece of vegetable is perfectly seasoned with a flavorful half-absorbed buttery sauce—lovely stuff. Since it only takes about 1 minute to glaze up a batch of carrots or other root vegetables, there no reason why you shouldn’t glaze them every time.

How to Glaze Carrots

This process works equally well for other root vegetables.

Ingredients

• carrots, cut into pieces
• about 1 tablespoon butter
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Boil your carrots (or other cut vegetables) in well-salted water until you have just barely reached the desired tenderness.
2. Drain off all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of liquid from the pot.
3. Add in 1 tablespoon or so of butter (more if you’re feeling decadent) and return the pot to the heat.
4. Cook the vegetables, stirring, until the water and butter have combined to form a sauce. Continue cooking until that sauce is almost completely absorbed into the carrots.
5. Salt, taste, and salt again.

It doesn’t sound like much, but taking the time to do this one extra step will transform an everyday side dish to something that will steal the limelight on any plate.

More Carrot Glaze Ideas

When you get used to making this very simple glaze, you can move on to more advanced combinations! A glaze is composed of a liquid and a fat that are simmered together to coat a vegetable. The simplest form of glaze is simply one like that described above, which uses butter and water, but you can bring more flavors to the party if desired.

• For carrots, a little sweetness works magic, and so to the above recipe, try sprinkling in a little brown sugar, maple syrup or honey
• Instead of just water for the liquid, try combining other flavorful variations, like vegetable or chicken stock, rum or bourbon, white wine or any number of juices (mmm . . . apple-juice-glazed butter carrots).
• You can also add in flavorings through the addition of herbs and spices. Flavors that go well with carrots include garlic, cumin, ginger, mint, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or most any of the ‘sweet’ spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander seed, etc.
• Remember that you can always add in more spice, so take it easy when adding flavorings to a glaze—you just want an accent, not an overpowering flavor!

Once you get the hang of making a glaze, you can mix and match between different liquids, fats, sugars and flavorings to create an infinite number of dinnertime variations.

Boiled carrots will never be boring again!

Comments

aarush on November 21, 2011:

thankssssssssssssss

RussellLHuey on July 12, 2011:

I love it.

Beatrice Jordan from North Yorkshire, United Kingdom on March 08, 2011:

I will certainly try this at the weekend it sounds yummy. My mother always added a little sugar to the water with the salt. She said it improved the flavour and colour. For many years I have added a good dollop of thick cut marmalade to the water - this leaves lovely pieces of orange peel and a tangy flavour with the carrots when drained.

craftybegonia from Southwestern, United States on March 05, 2011:

Looks delicious!

Alan Murray from Ipswich, United Kingdom on December 24, 2010:

This is a brilliant article. Very useful. Thank you very much.

veggiehater on January 20, 2010:

Thanks for the idea! It's so simple but I never would have thought of adding fat to cooking water. I've just started a hub on my adventures trying to find ways of cooking veg for people who don't like veg (ie me) so I'll have to have a go playing around with this.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on October 29, 2009:

Yum! I also like carmelizing some onions and cooking them with carrots. So many things one can do with this versatile vegetable.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

If I had to pick only one desert island Thai meal—this easy dish would probably win the honors, and it's one I eat with surprisingly regularity (always topped with a fried egg aside a bed of Jasmine rice) as a perfect midday meal.

Like most Thai dishes, this is quick and easy to make, and you can have this on the table about 10 minutes after getting started. This dish is often made with sweet basil in the west, although Krapow basil is the correct choice and is well worth searching out for an authentic taste.

Thai Stir Fried Shrimp With Basil (For 2)

• ½ lb of peeled and deveined medium shrimp. Use whatever size you have, although there is little advantage in paying a premium for very large shrimp for this recipe.
• 1 Tbls of vegetable oil
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 0 to 15 Thai bird chilies. Omit the chili if you don’t like spicy food, otherwise, choose a number of peppers based on your liking of mouth fire!
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 ½ Tbls of oyster sauce
• 1 Tbls of soy sauce
• Pinch of MSG (optional)
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• A full handful of Thai krapow basil, roughly chopped (not sweet basil, which is known as horepa—See picture below)

Instructions

1. Smash the garlic and chili peppers in a mortar and pestle. (You can alternately cut them up finely, should you lack a kitchen mortar and pestle)
2. Heat a wok of fry pan over high heat and when hot add in the vegetable oil and the garlic and chili. Stir fry for 20 seconds or so, or until it is all very fragrant.
3. Toss in your shrimp, and stir fry for a minute or so, or until just coloring all over.
4. Add in the sauces, the sugar and the MSG, if using, and continue to cook for another minute or two.
5. Once the shrimp have all but cooked through, toss in the krapow basil, and stir fry for another 30 seconds or so, or until the basil has just wilted and the shrimp are just cooked through.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. If you have chosen to omit the MSG, you may want to add an extra bit of fish sauce to compensate.

Serve with steamed rice and a fried egg each for an easy meal for 2. Alternatively, serve this easy dish as one of many as a part of a larger Thai style meal.

Comments

BGC2BKK on November 09, 2019:

Been living in Thailand for 2 decades. Never in my life have I encountered or cooked this dish with onions in it. Sweet Thai basil is NOT the same as Italian basil. Nobody chops up the krapao, just pick the leaves and put them in the dish whole. You add the sauces AFTER you put in the krapao, since this releases its best aroma when fried, NOT boiled in the oyster sauce. Sugar and MSG is the cheap street version and is not necessary when you use proper quality ingredients. 15 bird eye chillies for 1 plate??? Thai like their food spicy but I never seen that much in my life. Has this author ever been to Thailand????

David on April 02, 2019:

That second picture is of Thai Basil, not sweet basil (aka Italian Basil).

Anuj on January 08, 2013:

Hi - when do you put in the onion?

Thanks

Cassidella on February 13, 2010:

Hi John,

Glad I saw this wonderful hub! I love Thai food, but don't get it often. The best I've had was at a place called Siam Square in the Bronx, NY. Now I can try some of your recipes at home. Thanks!

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Can a Meatloaf Be Fluten-Free?

Absolutely! This unbelievably delicious meatloaf also happens to be gluten-free. This is my celiac-friendly version of a recipe I originally discovered on Alton Brown’s cooking show, Good Eats. This recipe has been modified to include pork as well as beef and has two breadcrumb substitution options.

It’s easy. It’s homey. It’s delicious. Let's make it!

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cups white mushrooms, finely chopped or 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp red chile pepper flakes/powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp honey
• dash of Tabasco and Worcestershire (Worcestershire may contain gluten. Check and omit if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Heat the butter on medium in a skillet and saute the mushrooms for 2–3 mins until they're softened. The mushrooms replace the breadcrumbs, making the loaf gluten-free and keeping it from getting too dense.
3. In a bowl, mix the two meats, herbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. If you're not using mushrooms, substitute 1 cup of gluten-free breadcrumbs.
4. Mix everything well then test the seasoning by taking a small amount of the meat mixture and microwaving it until it's cooked. Taste it and adjust the seasonings to your taste. This is an easy step that ensures you didn't forget an ingredient.
5. Pat the meat into a loaf pan. Place a little parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet. Invert the loaf pan onto the parchment paper. Tap the bottom of the loaf pan with a knife before you lift it away to ensure your loaf slides out cleanly onto the paper.
6. Place the meatloaf into the oven for 10–15 minutes.
7. Mix the ketchup, honey, hot sauce, and Worcestershire together.
8. After 10–15 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and glaze it with the mixture you just created. Put it back in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 150°F when inserted in the deepest interior of the loaf. This should take about 40 minutes.
9. You're done! This tastes so very good.

Comments

THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING on December 07, 2018:

Hands down best meatloaf ever. I use 1c mushrooms and 1c gf breadcrumbs. Love love love

Janice on September 23, 2018:

We loved the meatloaf! We are new to gluten-free meals and found this recipe to be pleasing to the whole family! Even our daughter who does not like mushrooms had seconds! Very helpful explanations! Thank you for sharing!

Iliana on November 02, 2014:

Second time making this recipe but used gf bread crumbs. My family loved it so much the first time, that I'm making two that's in the oven right now!

Thanks for sharing!

Kevin on November 25, 2013:

Another good substitute I've found for the binding agent, instead of bread crumbs, that can offer a nice texture and flavor is instant mashed potato flakes. Can even use the flavored ones (garlic and cheese are both nice options)

Kathymom on January 12, 2013:

Unless noted condiments made with "vinegar" use White Vinegar and white vinegar is made from wheat. So anyone with a gluten or wheat intolerance would be sensitive to these. You can find ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles, etc made with apple cider vinegar.

I am looking forward to trying this with these adjustments. Thanks.

Katie on January 05, 2013:

This is our favorite meatloaf recipe of all time! My boyfriend is allergic to dairy as well as gluten, so I substitute Earth Balance or olive oil when sautéing the mushrooms. Other than that, this recipe is perfect for us and is a regular favorite served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. The flavor of the mushrooms is not obviouse like I thought it might be the first time I made it, it give the loaf a nice, moist texture and is a clever substitute for breadcrumbs.

Thanks for sharing!!

Sandy Franklin on November 26, 2012:

Just made this for my neighbor. We all loved it. The best meatloaf we've had!

kate t on October 13, 2012:

I just made this ; yummy! The Worcestire sauce I used IS gluten free, Lea & perrins (or Perrons). Thank you!

Jayne on September 08, 2012:

Dammm! Excellent! I tweaked it to suit me -- more veggies and less meat. I used maybe 9/10 lb grass-fed ground beef and no pork. I cut the salt to maybe 1/2 tsp and upped the oregano and added parsley. I didn't bother sauteing the mushrooms first, just threw them in the bowl along with everything else. I also added about 1-1/2 c grated zucchini and 1 c (packed) carrot pulp. I omitted the butter, pepper flakes and glaze; simply served with organic ketchup. Awesome!

TaraMashell on June 26, 2012:

Oh wow, thanks so much for this receipe. I had just made a meatlof the other day by using Shar's gluten free bread crumbs, and I didn't like it very well. As a matter-of-fact, I only ate a couple of slices and wrapped the remainder amount & placed it in the freezer. I would have never thought to use white mushrooms as a binder. I'm also not suppose to have yeast either, so I really shouldn't have used the bread crumbs anyway. A couple of commenters' uptop had a few good ideas as well; adding cornbread & quinoa (which I have yet to try) sounds ideal, too. Thanks again! Will try this out this week. Oh yeah, finally a meatloaf receipe that doesn't call for worcestershire sauce. Man I can't stand that stuff, LOL.

kathy on May 08, 2012:

I had heard the Lee and Perrins is gluten free if u purchase the one made in USA and not Canada

AlldaveAllthetime on April 15, 2012:

Lee and Perins is gluten free.

John D Lee (author) on January 19, 2012:

Thanks Cynthia - I'll make a note of that in the text.

Alyssa Nebel on January 17, 2012:

worcestershire is not gluten free!!!

GinaBObeeena on January 14, 2012:

Thanks for the delicious recipe! I was craving meat loaf and this was so yummi, everyone LOVED it. I think the sauce is really delicious, and totally curbed my craving. I will be making this on a regular basis... thanks again!

Cynthia on December 09, 2011:

True Celiac's need to be careful of the Worchestershire sauce in this recipe as it has gluten in it - a trace amount, but that could be enough to affect a very sensitive Celiac.

Paula on October 30, 2011:

I just made this, and yes, it is GOOD. I formed it into a Mummy Meatloaf for Halloween! Thank you for the inspiration :)

http://welcomingspirit.blogspot.com/2011/10/hallow...

bettybarnesb from Bartlett, TN on December 16, 2010:

I love meatloaf. So does my family. Enjoyed your hub

Jenn, The Gluten Free Connoisseur on December 15, 2010:

Thanks for this awesome recipe! It is snowing again outside and I wanted a nice comfort food so I made this tonight and LOVED it! My husband is a huge meatloaf fan and I have made other gf recipes in the past but this one definitely is the BEST we have had. I did however change the ground pork to thinly sliced german sausage which added another bit of spice. I always make a big batch of gf breadcrumbs so I had that on hand tonight.

On the gf oats topic... I have been on a gf diet for almost 11 years now and could not tolerate any type of oats so I just never ate them until recently. I'm able to get Bob's Red Mill gf oats at our store here in Germany and eat them every morning with no problems! I truly believe that the gf oats are safe for a celiac.

Thanks again!! If you don't mind I would like to post your recipe on my blog as well.

infonolan on September 29, 2010:

Oats contain avenin, which indeed is under investigation at this point in time as to how much gluten is contained here. Laws differ from country to country and for a product to be legally labelled 'gluten free' here in Australia, it cannot legally contain oats or oat derivatives in any form. In other words, it is quite probable that there is no such thing as 'gluten free' oats.

My hub https://hubpages.com/hub/food-testing illustrates the limitations behind this process.

Angela on September 26, 2010:

I am on a gluten free diet and can't have oatmeal. I can have Buckwheat however. Also for those with inflamation problems avoid corn and dairy also.

Lolo on August 25, 2010:

Bob's Red Mill produces a certified gluten free oatmeal product, so it would be safe to use. I had heard that Quaker Oats oatmeal has gluten in it because it is produced in a factory with wheat products and as a result it may have quite a bit of cross contamination.

Ashley on August 24, 2010:

Some people who can't have gluten can't have oatmeal either.

candy on July 27, 2010:

cornbread crumbs taste better

John D Lee (author) on July 26, 2010:

Thanks Candy - I had this meatloaf for dinner earlier in the week myself - always a favorite with my family as well.

Candy on July 19, 2010:

LOVE this recipe! It has become a favorite at my house. Thanks for the idea. Wonderful treat! I hope posed it on my blog. Thanks!

John D Lee (author) on June 15, 2010:

Matt, thank you also for your tip!

Matt on June 11, 2010:

You can also use Oatmeal as a binding for meatloaf to make it Gluten-Free.

John D Lee (author) on May 31, 2010:

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks very much for the tip - sounds great!

Jennifer on May 31, 2010:

I made my last meatloaf with leftover quinoa rather than breadcrumbs and it was delicious. It is also gluten free.

askjanbrass from St. Louis, MO on March 10, 2010:

This looks like a great recipe for gluten free meatloaf. I have some friends who can't have gluten, so I'm always very conscious of that when I have them over for dinner. I think I will make this next time they come.

Thanks for sharing!

John D Lee (author) on March 01, 2010:

Hi JT,

Thanks for the warning about worcestershire.

jt on February 28, 2010:

For people that aren't used to cooking gluten-free, and might be making it for a celiac friend, it should be noted that the most popular brands of worcestershire sauce are *not* gluten free! (contains barley malt) Make sure you're buying a gluten free version of the sauce!

nikki1 on February 03, 2010:

LOve meat loaf/ great share : )

Leenie Pooh on January 19, 2010:

Thank you so much. I practice food combining (as much as possible) so meatloaf has been off my menu for awhile as I couldn't think of what to use in place of breadcrumbs. I suppose the mushrooms work because they tend to absorb water.

june688 on September 30, 2009:

This is good and I like it.

dohn121 from Hudson Valley, New York on September 29, 2009:

What a great idea, John! Thanks again.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Deep Fried Ribs

Thai style deep fried ribs, these are the best ribs you will ever have! (slow smoked BBQ ribs excluded, obviously…)

Before moving to Thailand, I wouldn't have considered cooking ribs any way other than low and slow—I had been brainwashed by a Western mentality that values soft meat over tasty meat. Well, no more will I succumb to the tyranny of bland food—I will take tough but tasty cuts of meat and cook them any way I please!

Rant over.

Anyway, marinating Asian flavors into these country ribs makes for a surprising change of pace from fall-off-the-bone ribs. These ribs do require that you use your chompers, but they taste so good that you'll find yourself gnawing the bones for every last scrap! These are perfect as a part of a larger Thai style dinner, served ideally with a stir fry or two and a spicy soup or Thai spicy salad (yam).

Thai Deep Fried Garlic Spare Ribs (Country Riblets)

• A generous pound of country style spare ribs (a short but very meaty cut)
• 2 Tbls of fish sauce
• 1 tsp of MSG (everyone gets scared by MSG, but it's used very widely over here…and it does make a difference. And anyway, as someone famous (sort o famous, can't remember who…) once said, if MSG gives people a headache; why doesn’t everyone in China have a headache?)
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• ½ tsp of salt
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Oil for frying

1. Rub all of the marinade ingredients over the ribs and let marinate in the fridge for one or two hours. You can actually get away with less that this if you’re in a hurry.
2. Heat up the old deep fryer to about 350–375f and fry until cooked through and deeply browned, about 10 minutes or so, depending on the size of your ribs. Take one out periodically and test it with a cut to the bone to evaluate for doneness. (The garlic will float to the top as you fry. Remove it from the oil after it has browned a bit, but before it burns, and reserve. This only takes a minute or so.
3. Serve, garnished with the reserved crunchy garlic and with steamed jasmine rice and, preferably, other Thai dishes as a part of a complete Thai dinner with friends and family. Delicious!

This tastes great, but is really pretty effortless.

Comments

TravelinAsia from Thailand/Southeast Asia on November 21, 2010:

See Krong Moo Tot .. Aroy Jung Loi !

Isabel_Belicia on August 29, 2009:

Wow this looks delicious. I like ribs and this recipe makes me hubgry

Hmrjmr1 from Georgia, USA on August 28, 2009:

Heating up the fryer was gonna BBQ but we'll give it a go...

dohn121 from Hudson Valley, New York on August 28, 2009:

Awesome. My mouth is watering and my car is warming up right now...Off to the store for ribs! Thank you, John.

Simon Cook from NJ, USA on August 28, 2009:

Sounds really good - never heard of deep frying ribs before - I've always oven cooked or Barbequed them!

Thanks for the recipe and method!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Stir-fried cabbage with pork. It’s a meal we have frequently at home, generally a meal that’s served after the cook of the moment looks in a very sparse needing-groceries-badly kind of fridge, rummages around a bit, and eventually gives up and grabs for a little cabbage to pull this easy dish off.

Now, this seems to happen to us often, so we end up lunching on stir-fried cabbage with pork pretty regularly, but as often as I eat it, and as easy as it is to whip up, I never get tired of this classic quick cooking Thai meal.

It really tastes good.

So here it is; our family rendition. I hope you enjoy it as we do and I hope that if you’re like us, and often have a head of white cabbage lurking in the depths of the crisper, that this meal will come in handy for you too, one of these days.

Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage With Pork

Ingredients

• 4 cups of white cabbage, cut into roughly one inch chunks
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed flat
• About ¼ pound of pork, cut into thin slices. Any kind of pork will do nicely in this recipe, whether it is loin, shoulder, tenderloin or what-have you, even ground pork will work here.
• 1 Tbls of oyster sauce
• ¾ tsp of fish sauce
• 1 and ½ tsps of soy sauce
• ½ tsp of sugar
• ½ tsp of MSG
• A little vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium high and add in a generous Tbls or so of vegetable oil. When preheated, toss in the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant and golden, about 20 seconds and then toss in the pork slices and cook, stirring, until just browned.
2. Toss in all of the cabbage leaves and continue stir-frying as you also add in the remaining sauces and seasoning.
3. Continue stirring until the cabbage has softened to your liking, about 3-5 minutes. If things start looking too dry, you can add in a couple of spoonfuls of water, no problemo.
4. Taste for salt/sweetness and add more soy sauce or sugar as necessary.
5. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a very quick and easy Thai style meal.

I find that having a little pork in the fridge or freezer at all times a must for days when I’m just too lazy to peddle over to the fresh market. When cooking Thai style, you often only need a small quantity of meat, so what I do is buy a couple of pounds of pork when it’s on sale, and then just carve off hunks of it as needed from the freezer. It saves my bacon when the kids are hungry and it’s a very cost effective and healthy way to eat.

Comments

Handicapped Chef from Radcliff Ky on January 11, 2012:

very well put together Im a lover of cabbage and with the added pork this just takes it up another level.....great job.

pebbles on October 10, 2011:

Mmm! This is a authentic recipe. I have been looking for this recipe for awhile! Thanks

judydianne from Palm Harbor, FL on August 26, 2009:

I like your idea of cutting off chunks of meat and using it for several meals. Usually I get a pork tenderloin, but we don't eat all of it for one dinner. Then I have to come up with another idea to use the leftovers. Thanks!

Amanda Davey from Canterbury, Kent, UK on August 26, 2009:

Sounds delicious and uses two ingredients I frequently have! Your fridge sounds like mine is right now - virtually empty with my boys threatening all sorts if I don't do some shopping.

I shall be sure to check your other hubs out.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

The food here in Thailand is pretty good. Actually, it's pretty incredible! That said, I still miss fried cheese (the bar-and-grill appetizer kind, with the golden-fried breadcrumb coating around the oozing, melted mozzarella center, served with a little marinara sauce or a simple salsa). Not exactly haute cuisine, but I have to confess an occasional longing.

Actually, it makes sense, cause fried cheese sticks are about as far removed from Thai fare as you can get—and you can only eat just so many healthy meals of stir-fried vegetables, right!?!

Luckily, they do sell some pretty fantastic breadcrumbs around these parts: the Panko-style Asian breadcrumbs (once you switch over to these crunchier breadcrumbs on steroids), you'll never go back. So, there is nothing stopping me from making up my own batch of good old American-style fried cheese every now and again!

Ingredients for Fried Mozzarella Sticks

A lot of people like to season the breadcrumb mixture. I happen to prefer keeping things pretty neutral and spicing up the sauce, but if you'd like, you can add a little dried oregano, basil, or parsley to the flour to up the seasoning.

• Mozzarella cheese, cut into any shape you'd like. I happen to like them about 1 inch long and 1/3 of an inch thick
• Flour
• Panko style breadcrumbs, spread out on a plate
• Beaten egg, in a small bowl
• Vegetable oil for frying

Easy Steps

I won't give quantity instructions here, because the recipe is so simple that you can just use as much as you need for as much as you're making!

1. Preheat your deep fryer to 350
2. Take each piece of cheese and cover it well with flour, shaking off any excess. The flour dries the surface which allows the beaten egg to adhere to it completely, in turn allowing for a complete coverage of breadcrumbs, so try to get it good and covered!
3. Take each piece of flour-covered cheese and dip it in your beaten eggs, again, making sure to cover the cheese completely with the egg.
4. Take your egg covered cheese, shake off the excess and drop it onto your plate, rolling it around to cover it completely in breadcrumbs.
5. Repeat with remaining cheese until all are well covered.
6. Fry the cheese sticks, in batches, in oil that has been preheated to 350. Watch carefully, taking the cheese sticks out after 30 seconds to 1 minute; or as soon as the breadcrumbs are golden brown –it doesn't take very long. Repeat with remaining cheese sticks.

Serve with a marinara dipping sauce, or any side sauce that catches your fancy.

It goes without saying that fried cheese is always a crowd pleaser!

Comments

mike on May 18, 2013:

not sure whats diffrent for me but the cheese just melted and the panko and turned into a huge blob in like 5 seconds and the pool wasnt crowded

Sunita-Sharma from Los Angeles,California,US on March 19, 2012:

Its great recipe and I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing this!

TheGmonn on May 24, 2011:

i just made some as i was reading this and they came out wonderful, i made some for my whole family. i added some garlic powder and oregano for tastes and look overall 10 and 5 star XD

Michael Shane from Gadsden, Alabama on March 21, 2010:

Love em' sounds great! Thanks!

Drew Breezzy from somewhere in my mind on July 20, 2009:

I am hungry now, mozzarella sticks sound delicious!

John D Lee (author) on June 25, 2009:

Girly-girl09,

Thanks for letting me know! I am glad you had success.

girly_girl09 on June 24, 2009:

Update - I just made some - VERY good! :D For those who don't have a deep fryer, I simply heated up about an inch of oil at medium heat and used a potato masher to quickly scoop them up. Yum!

girly_girl09 on June 24, 2009:

I am starving and thought I'd look for recipes. Yum! My mouth is watering, literally! :D I have some mozarella sticks that have been in the fridge for a few months that I need to eat up. I'm going to go make these. Thanks for the recipe!

Joilene Rasmussen from United States on June 15, 2009:

Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. My husband will be very pleased when I make this for him.

Nyesha Pagnou MPH from USA on June 13, 2009:

Yes, this is one thing I never made before but do enjoy eating sometimes in restaurants. Very user friendly recipe. Thanks John!

jim10 from ma on May 29, 2009:

My family loves fried mozzarella sticks. This sounds so easy yet I never bothered to try making it before. We had fried raviolis last night. We all love those too. I just wish I could get my fried zucchini to come out as good as a restaurant.

Susan Ng Yu on May 29, 2009:

So easy! I think I can pull this off. Hehe. :D Though I still remember my putting 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt into your flour tortilla recipe that called for 1 1/2 teaspoons of it. :P

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

At lunch recently, a good friend asked me how to roast vegetables. I looked at her to see if she was pulling my leg, and saw that she was in fact asking in all earnestness. Surprised, I asked her husband if he knew how to roast veggies, and he confessed ignorance on the matter as well.

Now, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, because an awful lot of people of my generation grew up with 2 working parents and thus ate a lot of takeout and microwaved dinners along the way—and since parents didn't cook, kids never really learned a lot of basic cooking techniques.

So with that in mind, I wanted to write out some basic instructions for roasting root vegetables. It’s such an easy technique to master, and the skills are transferable between just about any root vegetables. The actual work required to prepare roast vegetables in negligible, and best of all: roasted root vegetables taste incredible! Everyone likes roasted carrots or rosemary sprinkled brown-crisped roasted potatoes, even vegetable haters love these sides!

How to Roast Root Vegetables

1. Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit
2. Grab about 1 lb of root vegetables (this will make a moderate side dish serving for 4 people). You can use any root vegetable, or a combination of root vegetables that you like. Some common selections include:
   • Potatoes
   • Sweet potatoes
   • Parsnips
   • Carrots
   • Turnips
   • Rutabagas
   • Onions
3. Peel and cut the root vegetables into wedges or rectangular cubes about the size of your index finger, or maybe a little bit fatter. It doesn’t really matter what size you slice them, (bigger slices will just take a little longer) but it is important that all the vegetables are the same approximate size.
4. Take out a large oven-safe casserole dish or baking tray—something you'd put a turkey into is about the right size, and plop your cut up root vegetables into it.
5. Grab some olive oil (or vegetable oil is fine too) and glug on about ¼ cup of oil. You want to generously coat all of the veggies.
6. Sprinkle salt all over, and if you'd like to add additional flavors (thyme and rosemary are both very nice here) sprinkle a bit of dried thyme or cut fresh rosemary on top as well.
7. Whack it into the oven uncovered and cook for between 40 minutes and hour, or until the vegetables are cooked and softened through and browning nicely on the outside.

These just taste so good. The dry heat of the oven caramelizes the rich sugars of the root vegetables leaving you with very complex and delicious flavor notes. Everyone likes good roasted vegetables—and they only take about as long as it takes to peel and chop a few veggies—the rest is just waiting time.

Winter is the perfect time for oven-roasted vegetables. Enjoy, and if you've never made these before, prepare to impress yourself with your cooking prowess!

© 2009 John D Lee

Comments

Kelly Kline Burnett from Madison, Wisconsin on February 23, 2012:

OK, I too didn't know. Perhaps another simplistic question - can I add balsamic vinegar to the oil for added taste? What herbs work well in your opinion?

TKW from Great Falls, Montana on February 07, 2012:

Nice hub (I'm new to the whole thing and liking it).

D Baalding on September 26, 2011:

Fab thank you

Spencer Camus from United Kingdom on September 26, 2011:

My recent desire to roast things will see me give these beauties a try. Good work, I say!

Katelyn Weel from Ontario, Canada on August 12, 2011:

Thanks for the tips!

Sam Ps Pop Culture Page from Northern California on February 16, 2011:

Great hub!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

You have to love that CRUNCH!

Getting Started

Buy an inexpensive package of Asian spring roll wrappers and then start experimenting with adding fried crunchy goodness to any old meal!

After you've procured yourself a frozen package of spring roll wrappers, you will not believe how easy it is to make great spring rolls. But although these wafer thin squares of dough do roll up nicely into an Asian-style spring roll snack, why limit yourself to the tastes of the Orient? Spring roll wrappers can be incorporated into the flavors of any cuisine and add a surprising and very tasty bit of crunch to any meal idea.

What Kind of Spring Roll Wrappers to Buy?

In truth, there is only one kind of spring roll wrapper, but these are sometimes confused with egg roll wrappers or with rice paper wrappers (which are used to make fresh Vietnamese style rolls).

• Egg roll style wrappers are thicker and usually smaller—and they look like egg pasta. These are not what you want.
• Rice paper wrappers are dried and brittle and are an almost translucent white. Don't get these either.
• Spring roll wrappers are made from wheat flour and water and are generally sold frozen. They are very thin and resemble filo pastry in appearance. They are generally sold in about 4-5 inch square package sizes.

Keep these in the freezer indefinitely, removing wrappers as you need them.

How Do You Use Them?

You can roll your chosen filling up either by closing (folding over) the ends as you wrap, or by leaving the ends open. To seal off the rolls, mix together a small quantity of water and flour to form a paste-like glue. Add a dab of this flour to the end corner of your wrapper paper and this will hold your seal.

How Do You Flavor Them?

As an idea to get you started. Take a single spring roll wrapper out and lay it flat on your work surface. Add on about 2 Tbls of grated carrot and a small pinch of salt.

You are going to roll this up "open ended" style like a cigar to add crunch, visual interest and savory taste to your plate, but you should also add in a complimentary seasoning that matches with the flavor profile of your dinner.

• If you are cooking a Caribbean meal, you might add in a scant tough of ginger or cinnamon and, after frying, add another pinch of cinnamon outside.
• If you are cooking Italian, you might add in a pinch of fresh thyme with the carrots and serve with a tomato "salsa" in an olive oil and garlic dressing.

Add in any spice or flavoring that would compliment the carrot (or whatever other filling ingredient you choose) and the other main ingredients on the plate.

Alternatives to Rolling?

You can also cut the wrappers into halves and fry them in oil flat. When they are crispy, you can use them on your plate to create very professional looking napoleons! Try layering in flavored root vegetable purees between slices of fried spring roll pastry…delicious!

Or, fry them flat and toss them in flavored sugar for a crunchy garnish to your favorite dessert.

Or, proceed as above with the sugar, but layer in ice cream and fruit sauces for an impressive homemade ice cream sandwich!

Pick up a package the next time you find yourself in an Asian grocery store and start playing around with these very versatile and very tasty sheets of crunch!

Not These...They're Rice Paper Wrappers.

Comments

Anya on March 06, 2012:

Finally I found an explanation of which wrapper to use. It's amazing how hard it is to figure this out. You mentioned 3 different wrappers with only one working - I have at this point used both of the two wrong ones. (How frustrating) The rice paper for fresh rolls shown in the picture was a total mess. It doesn't fry, it barely bakes it it all took hours and was frustrating. Thank you so much for shedding some light on which wrapper to use! I'll look for the frozen ones. :)

Jeenyfer on February 24, 2011:

Can anyone tell me how to make spring roll sheets at home???

My email id is: shalu.agarwal9@gmail.com

Jennifer on January 25, 2010:

You can buy spring roll wrappers in any asian market...I believe you can also get them at walmart!

ugg online on November 26, 2009:

It's just a roll with dishes,you can make it by yourself,stuff what you like in it.

Carrie Burton on July 23, 2009:

Where can I buy spring roll wrappers in Santa Fe, NM?

amy on April 27, 2009:

where can i buy spring roll wrapppers? I live in irvine, ca.

christine almaraz from colorado springs on January 21, 2009:

I've found that you can basically put anything you want in a spring roll wrapper and it will taste good. I put chopped up broccoli and cheese in mine and their great as an appetizer, or mexican seasoned beef or chicken and cheese. Love 'em:)

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Is it Easy to Make Ravioli?

Homemade ravioli is a fantastic special occasion treat. It tastes great and is a lovely base for your fun filling ideas. Your homemade creation may not look professionally perfect, but I think that's all part of the charm. However they happen to look, ravioli rolled on your kitchen counter will always impress.

You can find a zillion recipes for fillings and sauces, so I won't go into any detail on that front. This article will cover the following:

• Basic instructions for a pasta dough
• How to roll out the ravioli sheets
• How to fill the dough pockets

You can make homemade ravioli in your kitchen tonight. You probably have the ingredients you need on hand, and if you have a rolling pin, you have all the fancy equipment you need. There is nothing very challenging technically, but it will require a little elbow grease and an hour or so at the kitchen counter.

Homemade Pasta Dough

The ingredient list is very flexible, and you should play with the proportions until you get a soft and supple dough. If the dough is very firm and hard to knead, add more egg yolks or water. If the dough is too soft and sticky to knead, add a little flour until you can work it. As long as you can knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, then you will be better than fine.

What You'll Need

• 3 cups flour
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Water, as needed

Instructions

1. Fill the mixing bowl with flour.
2. Add beaten egg yolks and salt to the bowl.
3. Use your hands and mix to form a dough. If you can’t get all the flour hydrated into a dough, add more water until you form a firm but sticky dough.
4. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and stretchy.
5. Although you can roll out the ravioli sheets immediately, letting the dough rest for 20 minutes or more allows the proteins in the dough to relax. This makes rolling much easier. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap when you rest the dough so it won't dry out too much.

Step 1. Roll out the Pasta Sheets

1. Once you have rested your dough, tear off a chunk that is bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a baseball.
2. Flatten it out with your rolling pin and start to roll. The dough will be sticky, so keep a bowl of flour on hand. Sprinkle a little flour on the table and on the dough and roll it firmly a few times.
3. After a few good rolls, lift the dough sheet off of the counter and flip it over, adding a little more flour onto the counter and onto the dough sheet as necessary. Use as little flour as you can, but always keep the dough sheet loose and sliding on the counter.
4. Keep rolling and flipping until you get a dough that is paper-thin. This will take a little while and effort, but it's worth it. You want to be able to see your hand through the dough when you lift it off of the counter. Don't worry if your dough sheet is irregularly shaped—it won’t matter.

Step 2. Cut the Dough

1. I like to use a water glass as a mold (About 3-4" in diameter). Invert the glass and press down on the dough with the top of the glass. Trace with the knifepoint around the dough until you cut out a circle of pasta (cookie-cutter style). Repeat, cutting as many pasta circles as you can from your sheet of dough.
2. Take the scraps and add them back into your (covered) dough ball for future rolling.

Step 3. Fill the Ravioli

1. In the center of each circle, place about a teaspoon of your filling. Use as much filling as you can get away with and still be able to close the ravioli well.
2. Beat an egg in a bowl. Then, use your finger to spread a little egg on the edges of the pasta circle. This beaten egg is the glue that will seal the folded pasta circle into a finished ravioli.
3. Fold the pasta circle over the filling and press the top down into the bottom, crimping with your fingers to fuse the dough and form a seal. Try to work from one side to the other, squeezing the air out as you go.
4. Once you have filled all your circles and crimped them into ravioli, place them on a floured baking sheet and start rolling your next ball of dough into a pasta sheet.

Step 4. Store/Cook the Ravioli

1. If you plan on making these in advance, place the baking sheet full of finished ravioli (in one layer only) in the freezer.
2. Once the ravioli have frozen solid, you can transfer them into a Tupperware-style container and freeze them until you're ready to use them.
3. When you're ready to eat, drop the frozen ravioli directly into boiling water for 4-5 minutes, and then toss it with sauce.

Now you have a perfect dish for a lazy weekend afternoon! These are more fun when made with friends. Enjoy!

Comments

Amelia on April 06, 2013:

How many does it serve? I need to feed 4 people

lydia on January 16, 2013:

Such good memories, as a little girl our great grandmother lived wih us and I remember her sitting at the table making homemade raviolis. The grandmother in this video reminded me of her.I going to make homemade raviolis today. Thank you!!!

non member on December 05, 2012:

I'm sure it's just my settings ...BUT...I see no option to print the recipe

Sue on May 10, 2012:

I must admit that is pretty amazing and inspirational recipy and video! Thank you very much for this! xxx

Suzie on May 08, 2012:

A great video... I miss so many of our deceased relatives & friends though even more now who used to LOVE to cook such great Italian food, etc....

Such a good job; Bella!

Bonoh1 on March 16, 2012:

Oh wow! I feel like I have been allowed to learn a precious family secret! I cannot wait to try this! Thank you thank you thank you!

Samantha on March 15, 2012:

Im kind of nervous about making this for the first time, but its been something that I have been wanting to do for a while now! Looks like I will be giving it a try tommorow, seems how a lot of people said it turned out great. Thanks for the tips and recipes!!

Audrey Howitt from California on March 04, 2012:

You have inspired me!

Tina Siuagan from Rizal, Philippines on March 04, 2012:

Ravioli is my ultimate favorite especially if it's made with a three-cheese feeling. Eating it sends me to some blissful place! Stumbling upon your hub makes me wonder if I can do my own version of three-cheese ravioli at home... And with your clear directions, I think I'd be able to manage.

Thank you very much for coming up with this hub. Voted up and shared this one! :)

T on January 29, 2012:

I tried to make them last night, but the dough just wouldn't roll out. I even had my husband 6 foot plus try it and he gave up to. Very sad.

TroubleJo on December 26, 2011:

I made ravioli for the first time. I wasn't happy with the dough. It was tough, not like my mom's, that used to melt in my mouth. I am thinking I didn't knead enough, I didn't know what the dough should look like. Any suggestions. I am thinking of buying a pasta machine, but money is low. I did enjoy them, but missed my mom's.

Sara in Washington on November 23, 2011:

My son requested homemade ravioli for his 11th birthday. It's late and tomorrow's Thanksgiving, but your instructions and video make it seem do-able. Thank you for your very sweet write up and video!

Pasta lover on November 18, 2011:

I always believe that homemade food is fresher, healthier and always be delicious.

katie on November 08, 2011:

This is really good! i made it with moose meat instead and used herb and garlic cream cheese as a sauce!

Patricia in Canada on August 09, 2011:

I have another tip to roll the dough to do the ravioli: roll a long rectangle large enough to include the filling and to be able to flip the empty part of the dough over it. Before flipping the dough, but water or beaten eggs between the filling. Cut between the ravioli one the other part of the dough is flipped. Press each side of the ravioli to seal (with your fingers or fork).

Vineaux's Mom on June 21, 2011:

Much appreciated several years after your post! I just bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill Semolina Flour and have been too timid to approach making ravioli - until now! I don't have a pasta machine so will use the rolling pin. I appreciate the idea of using the reserved semolina flour to dust the board, etc. Can't wait to make them tomorrow!

-Renee in Oregon

Emmanuela on May 31, 2011:

Thanks so much. And as a bonus from your video, I am now fluent in Italian.

fred the Obscure on May 07, 2011:

greetings All,

I have just been given an Atlas roller with ravioli attachment - and no instruction book! :(

I managed to roll dough out, yet the ravioli cutter thing was a nightmare, and abandoned fairly quickly.

Any body with any idea on how to use it?

Although, after watching the video it doesn't look difficult to do it by hand.

Thank you for any input. I'll keep an eye onnthis site for comments,

Ta,

Fred the Obscure,

Durban, South Africa.

Sun-Girl from Nigeria on May 04, 2011:

Wowooo, what an interesting article you shared in here. Thanks fro writing this, i enjoyed it a lot.

Kody on March 26, 2011:

Thanks for the great recipe!!! I love to cook so this turned out great!!!

Callum on March 10, 2011:

How many does it serve?

Kevin on February 19, 2011:

Not bad. Made a crab filling. The ravioli was firm and very good.

John D Lee (author) on February 15, 2011:

That's a great ravioli making tip, Tracy - thanks!

Tracy on January 29, 2011:

Great dough recipe. I roll the dough in to a large circle, spread filling , fold in half , then use a large wood yard stick to form raviolis. Just cut on the lines. Saves a lot of time and turns out great

Blair on January 06, 2011:

This looks like fun. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration.

patty on December 31, 2010:

No, do not use self-rising flour. I use 1 part semalina flour to 2 parts all purpose. Semalina can be bought at any ethnic store. It makes the pasta more firm. If you can't find semalina, all purpose will work fine. If your dough is pastey it's too wet...add four. The firmer the dough the better it is to work with. A pasta machine works best...I put my final thickness to 6.

Susan on December 16, 2010:

Fabulous! I have been making homemade ravioli for Christmas Eve dinner for quite a few years and I enjoy everything about it except making them on Christmas Eve day! Now I feel confident that I can make them ahead of time.

Thank you.

Ray on November 13, 2010:

should i use self-rising flour or all-purpose flour for the dough?

Maiaa on November 10, 2010:

My mom won't let me make some... How long does it take???

gordo's friend on October 11, 2010:

yep, im afraid to try mine....better looking than the other recipe i tried....sorry it tastes like elmers glue, hope mine isn't the same way :( :)

gordo on October 11, 2010:

worked but tasted like elmers glue

Jenny on July 09, 2010:

I didn't even have time to watch the video, but just following the instructions, my ravioli came out perfect!! Only needed to boil about 2 minutes. I don't have a pasta machine so had to roll by hand, and the entire process only took a couple of hours.

dantemom on April 02, 2010:

Great video. Makes me miss my grandmother and Aunt Nettie. I'm making raviolis for Easter and it was good to actually watch someone do it to get a "feel" for how it's done.

Great family document for future generations, too. Well done. Some of the smaller titles were difficult to read, btw, but well done nonetheless.

Andy C on January 19, 2010:

Worked like a charm thought I would highly recommend a pasta machine to roll - very time consuming. My first time and it was off the hook.

apricotmousse on January 11, 2010:

Informative hub. Thanks for sharing those simple tips to make ravioli.

John D Lee (author) on July 25, 2009:

HI Robyn,

If boiling fresh ravioli - all you need to do is heat the filling and cook the noodles, which only takes 2 or 3 minutes, depending on how thinly the pasta was rolled and how thickly the ravioli was stuffed. I find the best way is just to fish one ravioli out of the pot after a couple of minutes, to taste for doneness.

Robyn on July 25, 2009:

How do we cook it if we are not planning on making them ahead of time. If they are not frozen, do I still boil them for 4-5 minutes?

samanthagardner from Palm Beach Gardens, FL on July 23, 2009:

This hub makes me want to go cook. Thanks!

louise on June 01, 2009:

Watching the video brought back old memories to when my gandmom did the same with her ravioli. Thank you, and thank your grandmom for being so kind.

dorbledog from Spokane, WA on February 13, 2009:

I need to try that sometime. I have a great idea for a ravioli filling, and a sauce, but I just need to sit down and do it sometime.

christine almaraz from colorado springs on January 07, 2009:

I've always wanted to try to make homemade pasta but it always seemed a bit intimidating. Your hub makes it look pretty easy so I'm gonna give it try. I bought a pasta roller that I've never used...no time like the present! Thanks for the instructions.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Green Onion Pesto Recipe

Green onion pesto—some call it a poor man's pesto. But it's perfect for those days when pine nuts are a touch pricey or when fresh basil is just out of season and not available.

I actually like it better, but it's sort of a different beast, and although you could use it as a pasta sauce, I like it as a garnish, stirred into mayonnaise, or serve it at the restaurant as a topping for crispy, fried sweet potato fritters.

The itemized recipe as follows does give amounts, but please take the quantities as given with a grain of salt. This is a terrifically easy recipe that consists of a few good ingredients thrown haphazardly into a blender. It's a taste-as-you-go kind of process and one that should be started and finished within about 2 minutes! It goes (almost) without saying as well that this recipe is well open to modifications, interpretations and complete changes in direction!). Leftover pesto will last a few days covered in the fridge.

Ingredients

• One big bunch (about 1 pound) of green onions trimmed to remove the white bottoms (you only want the less assertive greens here)
• 1/4 cup of shelled sunflower seeds
• The juice of 1 to 2 limes
• 1 clove of garlic (don't even bother to peel it—just pop er' into the blender!
• 1/4 to 1 cup of vegetable oil (or any mild tasting oil) Using less will result in a thicker pesto, one that can be formed as a garnish. Using more oil will result in a more sauce-like pesto—a la traditional basil/pine nut pesto.
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the green onions roughly and toss into the blender along with the nuts, the garlic and the lime juice.
2. Turn on the motor and drizzle in the oil until the desired consistency is reached
3. Season to taste with salt
4. The end

Do this once, and you'll see how open to adaption this technique/recipe is.

Variations

• switch the green onions with cilantro
• try it with olive oil and lemon
• try it with different nuts
• mix it with sour cream for veggie dip
• toss it on hot pasta
• keep it thick and spread on toasted baguettes for sandwiches
• toss it with simply steamed new potatoes
• use it for a 10-minute dinner as a coating for simply broiled white fish fillets

There are endless variations. So good, so easy.

How to Make Italian Basil Pesto

Comments

michigan on April 21, 2012:

This sounds tastier than regular pesto! Thanks x 3!

Kavita Kapoor from London on September 26, 2010:

Ooh this sounds yummy!

I'm going to try this, thanks for sharing

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

In much of the world, Kahlua is sold as a very premium liqueur. Were I to walk to my local wine and liquor store for a bottle of Kahlua, I'd pay almost $40! Which, although I do like an occasional Mexican coffee, is a steep price.

Fortunately, a friend recently showed me the trick to making my own very Kahlua-like coffee liqueur, and it can be made for a fraction of the cost of the original—I figure it costs me about $6 a bottle.

It is very easy to do and only takes about 10 minutes of active work and the patience to wait a few weeks to let the flavors meld. Once made, your coffee liqueur will keep safely on the shelf for at least six months—and probably for much longer.

As with anything, the quality of the ingredients does impact on the eventual taste, but the recipe as follows is for a pretty quick, easy, and affordable concoction. After all, if you're going to spend a fortune on ingredients, why not just buy the original in the first place?

Homemade Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua-ish) Recipe

This won’t be an exact replica of the original, but it will be pretty close.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of instant coffee (caffeinated)
• 1 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (imitation is fine)
• 750 ml (26 oz . . . a "fifth") bottle of generic vodka

Instructions

1. Mix the coffee, the sugar, the water, and the vanilla together in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes before removing from the heat.
2. You want to have about 3 cups of coffee "syrup" at this point. Measure, and if you’re short, add a bit of water in to top it off.
3. Mix in the entire bottle of vodka (40% alcohol).
4. Store in clean bottles. (Old wine bottles or water bottles will work just fine—just make sure to sterilize them by rinsing them out in boiling water first.)

The liqueur is drinkable immediately, but will get far better after about a month of aging. Serve as a substitute for Kahlua in cocktails such as mudslides, Mexican coffees, or Monte Cristo coffees. Or you can just enjoy it straight up over ice cubes.

This does not need to be refrigerated and will keep for many months at room temperature. The alcohol content of the coffee liqueur is approximately 20%.

Comments

Ken on January 27, 2020:

Half vodka and half Brandy works great. I’ve made a lot of versions and that is my favorite.

Shobha i.c. on November 06, 2018:

Thank for sharing this recipe

Caroline on October 09, 2015:

I made mine with expresso coffee , sugar dark rum added mixed spice and zest of orange was really good .

katshells@gmail.com on October 26, 2013:

just whipped up a good batch and doubled everything,so it took a 1.75 L. of vodka,just a middle of the road priced store brand-so for about $20 i made this recipe fill 2 1/2 quart BIG jar-i happened to have an empty pickle one that was just right-it will be just right by christmas time

cat on September 08, 2013:

Would I dare use everclear instead of vodka.

Andrea on July 14, 2013:

I would love the recipe for Irish cream

wolfcub6969 on June 26, 2013:

WEll if you think or read what is in Kahlua it has rum in it so if you change the vodka with rum then you will have the exact same thing that is in kahlua

shin_rocka04 from Maryland on February 07, 2013:

Always great making your own liquors/liqueurs and even infusions when you really don't have the money or you can make your stuff a bit more authentic. Good hub. Sharing, Pinning, and voting up!

Lynn D on October 12, 2012:

Reading the comments, I thought I would add one or two myself. One person was saying it was the exact same recipe that was in some book and asking you to give credit. Considering people have been making some variation of this recipe for many years and a lot of people have come up with their own version of this without ever seeing it in a cookbook, I think that is hardly something to worry about.

I am thinking about trying to come up with a sugar free version using something like Torani or DaVinci sugar free vanilla syrup in place of the sugar and most of the water. I think mixing the instant coffee with just enough hot water to dissolve it, the syrup to get it up to the same proportions as the sugar water and then the alcohol might work.

Francoise McKay on July 27, 2012:

This very same recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens Treasurry of Christmas Crafts and Foods", p. 125 , Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, IA; ISBN 0-696-0025-3 It's almost verbatim with only the order of the ingredients having changed and your commentary . Attribution?

Jayme on July 27, 2012:

It's actually better to boil your water and sugar first and let it cool for 30 minutes and then add your coffee and vanilla (pure is best to enhance flavor) and boil again stirring occasionally. Let cool for another 30 minutes to one hour and then add your booze. Vodka is ok. We have a family recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation and that is the order that we "process" the liqueur. I can't give secret ingredients but trust me it will turn out better! :)

dale on June 08, 2012:

wow people Iam 71 years old been making it sence i was 20 real vanilla been is best but they have gotten to expensive The main thin people let it set 30 days or more the older it is the better it tast No splens no fresh coffee make and enjoy.

pat from newport, wa on March 25, 2012:

Find a store that sells supplies for home brewing and they usually sell the bottle and corks or caps. There are places online that sell brewing supplies also. Am going to try the Kahlua recipe but need to find an affordable vanilla bean first. I heard that really helps with the kahlua recipe.

Judy on February 25, 2012:

Can't really tell you used instant coffee. If you don't like instant, try this: Add 1/2 cup instant coffee to an 8oz cup of brewed coffee. Need strong heavy flavored coffee because this stuff is strong.

Judy on February 25, 2012:

Tried making this with rum instead of vodka and it came out a little better. Quick and easy

Arizona Diggs on January 28, 2012:

Going to try this today.

White Russians yea....

Hendrika from Pretoria, South Africa on January 08, 2012:

this I am going to try! I have many recipes calling for Kahlua, but I cannot make them because they are too expensive. Now I can.

Ty on December 24, 2011:

what are you thinking. instant coffee? people use real coffee or espresso. and not vodka. use clear springs.

adriana on November 24, 2011:

can you use ground coffee instead of instant? I hate instant. Going to try it

jules33 on November 23, 2011:

can u use splenda instead of sugar?! thanks!

cynthia on November 11, 2011:

i saw bottles (decanters) at both cost plus world market and at sur la table.

Heather on November 09, 2011:

Where would be a good place to buy glass bottles for this?

Heather on November 09, 2011:

Where would be a good place to buy glass bottles for this?

yafit on November 06, 2011:

Is that 1/2 cup pure coffee or 1/2 cup coffee blend with the water?

Judy C. on October 23, 2011:

Wow, what recipe did all these comments make? Not thinking it was this one. OMG this was horrible. The coffee taste was so stronge and overwhelming. I am now making extra 2 cups of simple syrup with 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 cups of vanilla vodka, to mix into this recipe, hope it helps. Otherwise I am out 4 cups of vodka plus every other ingredients. Don't know what y'all made but I think that coffee should be cut into 1/3 this was way to coffee taste stronge. Horrible is all I can say, sure hope I can salvage it. Ewwwww!!! Ewwwww!!! Ewwwww!!!

jessica_alias on July 08, 2011:

Kahlua is the best coffee liquor ever. My favourite kahlua drink is b52. Have you ever tried it? ( http://kahluadrinks.com/recipe/b52 )

Although I also like cafe kahlua, kiss recipe but b52 is simply exotic. Try it once!

DustinnB on June 03, 2011:

This is great, I made it with Pinnacle whipped and man it's good. I will always have this on hand.

David on May 13, 2011:

Could you remove the water and instant coffee and just add the same amount of real, fresh-brewed coffee?

William Condie on May 08, 2011:

Could you remove the water and instant coffee and just add the same amount of real, fresh-brewed coffee?

John D Lee (author) on February 15, 2011:

Hi Gertrude:

I think you could use splenda - although i don't know how it would age? But the texture would be compromised, as it is the sugar in the mixture that gives kahlua its rather syrupy finish.

Gertrude on February 14, 2011:

This sounds awesome, could one use Splenda instead of sugar - this if for the diabetics out there:) Also, would you have a peach snapps recipe?

John D Lee (author) on October 25, 2010:

I use a full bottle of vodka and I end up with about 2 full bottles of kahlua

question on October 20, 2010:

How many bottles did you use for the made kahlua approx?

John D Lee (author) on July 26, 2010:

Thanks everyone for the comments and compliments - Kayce, using brandy and real vanilla sounds like a great variation!

Mr. Shadow on July 20, 2010:

Just made this this afternoon.

So delicious and couldn't have been simpler.

Thank you tons for this.

Kayce on July 18, 2010:

Using brandy and a real vanilla bean, make this much tastier.

globalcoffeegrind on January 25, 2010:

That's a great recipe! Funny that it never occurred to me before to simply make coffee liqueur at home. Thanks for breaking it down.

John D Lee (author) on January 16, 2010:

Vi Brock, you are very welcome, and I know I was excited too when I first made this and found how closely it tasted like real Kahlua!

Vi Brock on January 16, 2010:

First time i ever made liquor. This tastes like the real thing. Thanks so much for sharing.

Zsuzsy Bee from Ontario/Canada on October 20, 2008:

I have never made coffee liquor. I have made most everything else, down to peppermint schnapps. This will be a great project for the party season soon to be coming up. Thanks for sharing.

regards Zsuzsy

Sherri from Southeastern Pennsylvania on October 18, 2008:

Brings back memories for me, too. I haven't made this in years, and have no idea what happened to my recipe. Thanks for publishing, and for the storage tips, too!

Katherine Baldwin from South Carolina on October 17, 2008:

Hi John, boy, this brings back memories. I haven't made this since the '70's, but I just thought about it the other day, lol. I'm trying to get back to making everything from scratch like bread, potato chips, mayonnaise (loved your hub on making mayonnaise). With potato chips at almost $4.00 per bag, which is only half full to begin with, I have decided to take a stand and fight! I'll have to look around for some glass bottles to sterilize and make a batch of this. I think I also had a recipe for Bailey's Irish Cream, but haven't looked for it yet. If you've got one, maybe you could do a hub on that also.

Katherine

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

There is nothing at all wrong with enjoying some home-cured ham unsmoked. After all, when you can cure your own at home for a fraction of the cost of deli ham, and since it only takes about 5 minutes of active work to make the stuff at home, you'd be crazy not to enjoy a some whenever the mood struck you without having to go through the trouble of a hot smoke.

If you don’t know how to cure meat at home, follow these very easy instructions on home curing or brining an American ham.

But to take that leg of pork that you have so satisfyingly transformed into ham to the next level, you can always take the time, do it right, and give that ham a few hours over hardwood. Here are instructions for hot smoking a ham on a home gas BBQ grill. If you have a BBQ smoker, use as you otherwise would for the ham.

How to Smoke a Brined Ham on a Grill

Step 1

Take your ham out of the brine, rinse it, and dry it off well with some paper towels. Put it on a plate (or better yet a rack) and let it dry (pellicule) overnight in the fridge. This drying step will help the smoke adhere to the meat.

Step 2

Prepare your wood chips. Woods that go well with ham include:

• Maple
• Cherry
• Apple
• Apricot
• Pear
• Pecan
• Crabapple
• Most any fruit tree wood

Soak your wood chips in a bucket of water for at least half an hour, preferably longer. (A single bag of BBQ wood chips will be plenty to smoke a whole ham.)

Step 3

Preheat your BBQ grill to medium. Wrap a heaping handful of soaked wood chips in a couple of sheets of tinfoil, and then poke some holes in the foil to allow the smoke to come out.

Step 4

• Add your foil-wrapped chips to the BBQ. Place the foil near enough to the heat to keep it smoking.
• If you have two burner heads, turn one side off completely. On the still lit side, place your foil under the grill (or if you can remove half of the grill this makes things even easier) but on top of the lava rocks.

Step 5

1. When the chips start smoking, put the ham on the BBQ grate, as far from the flame source as possible.
2. Cover the lid and turn the heat (only one burner) down to low. Keep the BBQ temperature at around 250.
3. Check the BBQ occasionally, and add new packets of foil-wrapped wood chips when you no longer see billowing smoke.

Step 6

The total cook time required depends on the precise heat of the BBQ and on the size of the ham. A large ham could take 5 or more hours, a small piece of ham only an hour. What you need is an instant-read thermometer. Take readings regularly, and take the ham off the heat once it has reached 155 degrees at its deepest internal point.

Step 7

The ham can at this point be eaten straight away or refrigerated for later slicing.

I love this ham. It's perfect for an autumn BBQ when the nights are just starting to get crisp and the idea of a big ole' ham on the table (scalloped potatoes, roasted beets and carrots) sounds like a real good transition from the BBQ of summer.

It's impressive flavor, a far cry from even the best supermarket product, and there is something very primal and satisfying about curing and smoking your own meat. The best part of all is that it's easy!

Enjoy!

Video Tutorial for Smoking a Ham

Comments

Lodis Dinwiddie on March 13, 2019:

My sis and I are going to try this. We both were reared on a farm, and our father used to cure hams, but we were not allowed to go near it. So, we both decided to try your method. Looks relatively easy.

Candy Farley on December 09, 2018:

Just about to begin my 1st ever smoke ham. Thanks for the info on the green ham. Have several to do.

Paul on March 23, 2018:

I am going to try this next week!

Donovan Dolph on December 10, 2017:

Your thoughts on using Morton Tender Quick to brine a ham????

SwardLynn on October 18, 2012:

Can you add liquid smoke to this for more flavor...or does the meat get enough flavor from the smoking? Plan on smoking a Russian boar hind this weekend, it's going in the brine soon. Wondering if liquid smoke will help.

al on September 17, 2012:

curing bear hind@ shoulder in salt brine first done los of fish @ fowl

osiris85 from Reno NV on February 28, 2012:

sure looks super! I love any type of smoked meat and will be trying this out soon. thank you for the easy to follow diretions.

Brian on November 06, 2011:

I shot three wild hogs yesterday, cleaned them up, vacuum packed the ribs, loin, and shoulders and now I am starting the cure of 6 hams. I will be smoking them next weekend. This will be my first of many batches if it turns out as good as I read here. Thanks for the information.

marimccants on May 19, 2011:

I love it.

bbqsmokersite from Winter Haven, Florida on April 14, 2011:

Man, this looks awesome. I've never tried to smoke a ham. Actually grew up on salt cured Virginia ham from the Shenandoah Valley. This hub has my creative smokin' juices going. May have to try it!

Pete on December 13, 2009:

Thanks John,It was the best ham tasted by many,now for a recipe on smoked brisket.

John D Lee (author) on December 10, 2009:

Hi Pete...I'd love to see it. Send me the pic of your ham if you want and I'll put it up on the page!

https://hubpages.com/email/user/John+D+Lee

Pete on December 10, 2009:

Well the ham is done and it was good.Alittle less salt next time.Now to try bacon.If I could I would put a pic up

John D Lee (author) on December 09, 2009:

Hi Pete, let us know how your ham turns out!

Pete on December 09, 2009:

Use this method on my pinic ham,it is smoken right now and looking good

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Put Your OWN Ham in That Sandwich!!!

Home-cured and smoked ham doesn't seem as though it should sneak into any sort of "easy cooking" recipe compilation. It's something that sounds hard to do, that few people know how to do, and that does take a long time, but home-cured ham is actually very easy to make! Home curing your own ham (wet cure) takes just a few minutes of active work, and about a week of waiting until you are left with a ham you have preserved yourself.

There are two kinds of American ham, of course, wet-cured and dry-cured. The famous hams of Virginia are dry-cured, and they cannot, unfortunately, be reproduced in a week inside your refrigerator. The hams that you buy pre-cooked at the supermarket can, and you can make them better at home.

Home curing a ham is quite safe, but you will need to get a hold of some insta cure #1 (also called pink salt or D.Q. curing salt, among other things). This ready to use curing salt is sold as a pre-mixed combination of 93.75% salt and 6.25% nitrite. It is the nitrite that guards against the slim possibility of botulism, and also what gives the ham its rosy pink finish. Nitrite in high concentrations is toxic, so measure carefully (but don't be scared either!!!). You can find this curing salt in better supermarkets and specialty food stores.

Step 1

Buy a fresh ham leg (uncured pork), a half fresh ham, or a piece of fresh ham in whatever size you're comfortable with. I am using the term "ham" here to refer to the hind leg section of a pig—you must buy fresh, not already cured pork. The size doesn't matter; buy it as big or small as you are comfortable with.

Step 2

Prepare the brine.

I use a brine recipe from Michael Rhulman's book, Charcuterie (which is excellent).

• 2 liters of water
• ¾ cup of kosher salt
• 1 cup of brown sugar (1 packed cup)
• 4 teaspoons of pink salt (insta cure #1) (4 teaspoons)

Stir all ingredients together until dissolved. This brine can be multiplied as needed, and if you are doing a whole ham, you will probably need to double it.

Step 3

Place your pork in a bowl or pot that is large enough to hold the meat completely submerged in the brine, but one small enough to fit in your fridge. Add the cold brine to the pork, and lay a heavy plate on top of the floating meat to keep it submerged.

Keep it in the fridge until done. It will cure at the rate of 2 pounds per day. A large ham will take about a week.

Step 4

Rinse it off and prepare it in any way you enjoy it. This ham is better if smoked (see here for instructions on hot smoking a fresh ham), but you can just as easily bake it or fry off slices unsmoked, and it will still be great. It has become ham—it is done!

Curing your own ham is pretty easy. I think it tastes better than commercial hams that tend to contain lengthy and questionable ingredient lists, and when fresh pork ham is on sale, it can be very economical. Plus it's kind of neat to make your own ham!

A last tip: If you find the ham too salty, you can soak it in clean water in the fridge for a couple of hours to leach out some of the salt. I don't tend to find that this is necessary.

© 2008 John D Lee

Comments

Tony Inzana ( ajitony09@gmail.com on December 22, 2019:

Would You cure bacon's with that same brine recipe?

Phillip from Houston, Texas on July 22, 2019:

I am going to use this recipe to brine a whole ham. Is it a good idea to inject the brine around the bone before submersing the ham in the brine for the required period of time?

Paul Bates on November 16, 2018:

It's that time of year again!! I bought an XL Big Green Egg a few years back. As I started to venture out I found your brine recipe online and love, love, love, it. It is my go to when brining ham. I am about to use it and brine 10 pork tenderloins to feed 300 people.

Thanks, Paul

Susie on December 16, 2017:

I inadvertently bought a ready cured piece of pork! I’d like to marinate it in cider. Will it work?

Wendy on December 05, 2017:

I recently learnt how to make a one viss ham. After keeping in the fridge for 3weeks, we soak the meat in water for one hour, then boil in water until it bubbles and then again we boiled the meat in beer until the skin comes off. Once ready and cool down, we design square shapes with a knife on the fat part. Then we rub honey and some shredded bread on the fat side and place cloves on each small square before baking. It smells like smoke ham even though we did not actually smoke it.

Paul Bates on October 26, 2017:

Used this recipe, and love it! I have brined fresh pork hams and gave them away for christmas gifts. Never a fail!

DavidH0166 on September 19, 2017:

Did the wet cure on a boneless pork leg. Worked a treat. Kept half for gammon steak and the other half I boiled up. Tasted absolutely great. Oh yes and the skin made for some very nice pork crackling.

mike habin on June 09, 2017:

can anybody give me any idea of how much liquid smoke you put in the curing liquid for 3kgs of ham??

J.W.Davis on May 21, 2017:

My buddy and I went hog hunting this weekend I shot a 450 pound hog I had one ham left whole and the other cut into ham steaks what can I do to perserve the whole ham until I am ready to smoke it

? I have it in the freezer now?

Billy1234 on March 20, 2017:

Thanks love it

Rex Ellzey on January 10, 2017:

I'm a devoted stick burnner, but I've been wanting to try my hand at curing my own pork.

Can't wait to get started.

Thanks for the information.

sherri on November 26, 2016:

Hi! I followed your recipe except for the curing salt. I used only 1 1/2 tsp because my meat was about 3 kg. Ive read that for every 2 kg of meat, 1 tsp of prague powder is needed. Do u need think this will taste as great? Give me ur thoughts. Thanks

Wuntun on November 11, 2016:

I use Sure Cure made by Excalibur for curing my bacons and hams. A one ounce package will do 25 lbs of meat. It costs me $1.00 a package at my butchers shop. I've used Morton Tenderquick a couple of times because I was out of sure cure and my butcher lives 40 miles away. Tender quick works very well but it takes 1 tablespoon per pound of meat because it has only 0.5% sodium nitrate and 0.5% sodium nitrate. There's nothing like home cured bacon, hams and sausages. Been doing it for years

mike on November 13, 2015:

Hi. I was wondering when curing do you have to inject cure around the bone?

aj on October 31, 2015:

What would be the proporTions be for curing gammon

hideho39 on June 10, 2014:

If I wet cure a ham can I slice a piece off and eat it without further cooking?

Dawn on January 31, 2014:

Just want to say thank you for this post. My husband and I have just made our first ham for Christmas. I generally dislike ham but this was so different and wonderful. I have just bought another green ham and we are going to make another.

geoff on January 07, 2014:

I don't like sweet taste, what is the effect other than taste by the sugar?

paulo - philippines on December 04, 2013:

I just bought 6.5lbs pork, followed the recipe, will inform you of the progress, by the way, i used a gallon size ziploc to keep the ham inside the fridge.

av on October 28, 2013:

Hi, I have started curing my ham, but I dont have an opportunity to smoke it. how would I bake it?? how much heat? how long??

your help would be greatly appreciated. thank you

lisa on November 14, 2012:

Do I have to use nitrates to cure my own ham I have two children who are sensitive to nitrates can I use extra salt to cure the ham instead. I would to try curing my own ham to buy a ham that is organic, perservative free, nitrate free is very expansive. I hope you can help

scjscj on April 30, 2012:

Comment to Lamb Lover.

Can't comment on lamb, but I cure ham hocks and beef regularly in exactly the manner you describe. I always have liquid. I turn the meat daily, leave the liquid until finished and have had no problems.

Cathy

Lamb Lover... on April 23, 2012:

I recent had my first taste of lamb ham...yes I know what you're thinking. Anyway, I did a made a dry curing rub without potassium nitrate and placed lamb in sealed plastic bag in drawer in frig in my creative attempt at making my own lamb ham. It's been 5 days and now there is liquid in the bag. Did I fail at my attempt? The lamb doesn't smell like it's spoiled. Is it okay to remove the liquid and continue the refrigerated curing processing? Help wanted...please

Red Keg Will on April 03, 2012:

I am a sufferer of CHF and Hypertension. As such I am limited to 1000mg Na/day. To this end I make Na free bread, sausages, dips, mayonassise, spice mixes, and the only item I haven't worked out is a taste alike ham. Since all my meat products are immediately frozen after production I'm not concerned about long term room temp or reefer temp storage. I have the nitrates and FD&C #3 (the pink color in the pink salts)available I'm wondering if I can delete the salt and use the sugar as carrier of the nitrate and pink colorant? I Know it won't taste salty but hopefully an appropriate spice mix will take its place

vkyr on February 18, 2012:

just want to be enlightened::4 tsp praque powder #1(7 lbs pork?);..in my case i put 10tsp praque powder#1 @ 7 lbs pork..have undergone rinsing the cured ham 3 times,soaked to warm water,boiled,and cooked in pineapple juice,etc..until now i haven't eaten yet the ham..it's just in the freezer, afraid of overdosing praque..pls advise...thanks

guest on February 05, 2012:

Great information.

I was reading about the dangers of nitrite and have to say that at the amounts your using you would have to eat 12lbs plus in your mouth at the same time to be dangerous. nitrite converts in your body so fast that it would have to be really high. As a carcinogen it only becomes dangerous in bacon because ppl tend to fry bacon at extreme temperatures. I believe it's around 700 degrees that it gets dangerous so most governments require by law that stores keep there bacon at under 100 parts per million. Which greatly reduces the risks of cancer...

I live in Canada and I know here as I work as a cure/smokehouse operator for a small butcher shop that this is the case here.

Also since these are legislated here the government has very useful information regarding this information.

And fyi smokies and ham in Canada are allow 200 parts per million nitrite

Jennifer Mondora (Australia) on January 29, 2012:

Hi Guys, I have bought my leg of pork but it is much smaller. I am about to start the brining and will follow the recipe to a T except for this pink salt. We do have pink salt naturally in Australia. Will that do or will I use a professional brining mix. I have a schmickey new electronic smoker and have done some beautiful smoked salmon and Barramundi to die for using rum and maple syrup with Alder wood for smoking. I can do shop marinated pork ribs in with this. Beautiful! I will report back on how this works out. Our outside temperature is 34.5 CELCIUS Bloody hot hence the electronics for control. Wish me luck-pork is expensive here!

sweetie of cebu city philippines on December 23, 2011:

is it still safe if the ham i am curing was cured for 3 weeks? help!!!!!im afraid of botulism and concentration of the nitrite in the meat...

A shot in the dark on December 21, 2011:

I decided to experiment with your recipe this Xmas, but I think I may have made a big mistake.

I put it in the fridge and the brine got around 38 degrees so I took it out for a bit to let the temperature raise. I forgot it and left it out for 7 hours.

I put it back in the fridge as soon as I foundit, is it ruined? Should I throw it out? Or will the curing salts/ nitrate make it ok? Please help!!!

robin h on December 08, 2011:

I just did the Wet Cure and then a dry cure from a defrosted pork, and then hung it up my chimney (old english house!) to smoke.

I've just cooked it but I'm wondering whether I can refreeze it, or whether it will keep in the fridge until Boxing Day (day after Christmas Day)

Many thanks,

Robin

Dave Covin on November 30, 2011:

Hi, John,

Great post. I am definitely going to try it. How did you arrive at your cure time of 2 # a day? The information I got from the University of Oklahoma says 3 1/2 to 4 days per pound. That is a huge range. Did you inject your ham, or just depend on immersion?

Li Kane on November 20, 2011:

My ham has a couple more hours in the smoker, but tried a piece about 3 hours into the smoking--a bit salty for me, hoping some of that will go away as the meat finishes smoking. But even with that, totally yummy. I'm very fortunate to have a friend with a small farm--chickens, cattle, and this year, for the first time, pigs. The chickens are free range, the cattle are pasture fed, as were the pigs, once they were big enough to not get through the fence. I bought a share in a cow earlier this year, and bought a whole pig, paid for the feed and butchering, and picked it up 2 weeks ago. I have another ham, plus side meat for bacon. I think I'll use apple in the smoker for those, and substitute maple syrup for part of the sugar in brining the bacon. And why I see no reason why white sugar can't be substituted for brown, as it's a lot cheaper, you can make brown sugar at home. Just put white sugar in a food processor, and put in enough unsulphured molasses to turn it to brown sugar. Don't know offhand the exact amount, I winged it for this ham. I'm sure the exact proportions can be searched on-line.

jimmy Jackson on November 02, 2011:

I am starting from scratch using Morton' Sugar Insta-Cure. How much of the Insta-cure do I add to how much water for the brine and injection mixture? I seem to find varied answers on the net to this question.

nanapong on September 23, 2011:

The time period to leave a loin , a leg or belly in brine seems a bit wishy washy and not uniform at all with the many receipes i've read. Does it matter if you leave it in longer. If so what would the effect be on the meat. Also the amounts of salt and insta cure for this ham receipe is not proportionate to what is recommended for the bacon receipe.

Lars on September 20, 2011:

Will be trying this next week!

Mark Newcombe on September 10, 2011:

Thankyou for this very simple and life changing information.

I've just finished curing & smoking my first Hams and Ham hocks to make what has been the tastiest ham of my life.

I'll never again venture to the supermarket for ham, I'll just open the fridge door and have some ham I've made myself. Brilliant!

I've just got hold of another leg and I"m going to give the shoulder cut a whirl as well, just to see the difference.

I'll let you know how the MKII hams go.

Canned Hamm on August 30, 2011:

Great info however I've read a lot about how dangerous nitrites are. Apparently when they enter the body they form one of the most toxic carcinagens known to science!! Yes I'm sure it is minute amounts each serving, however over time or if you eat a lot of hams, you are at risk of disease/cancer.... On the other hand I'm not the biggest fan of botulism either. Surely there's a safer option besides turning muslim or jewish... anyone got a nitrite alternative?

Bartley on August 28, 2011:

I want to find out how to cure meat in a smoke house like they did in the 40's and 50's. I understand you salt down the fresh meat first for about 5 or 6 weeks, then take the meat and wash the salt off of it, hang it and coat it with a mixture of brownsugar, red pepper and maybe syrup or molasses. I think they was something you could buy at the store to mix in with it. Then you start your fire for smoking, don't know what the temp would be and I think you smoked it for 6 or 8 days. then it will keep for 6 months before it gets strong. Can you let me know if this is right. I was a boy about 12y/o when my dad did this.

rd4man on June 13, 2011:

Try the Buckboard Bacon cure and make some of the best bacon you ever tasted, I have pictures. Also use fresh side/pork belly and follow the instructions to the "T" and you won't be sorry..

dot on June 12, 2011:

Can you leave the skin on the pork before you brine? I would like to have the crackling

GrantGMcgowan on May 23, 2011:

Looks like yummy, thanks for the recipe.

eatlikenoone from Saline, MI on April 19, 2011:

Thanks for writing this hub. My goal is a good writer to encouraging people to do for themselves, the things they think that can't and I am sure ham is high on that list.

matthew armstrong on March 07, 2011:

HI, i am curing 2 hams and have cured 10 pork bellies this year. i have used both mortons sugar cure, which is a dry rub for bacon and other cuts and used a barbecue injector. to inject them with #1 pink salt. directions are 3 oz. to 1 gallon of water for a 10% pump. pumping takes about 15 days off of brine time. i have a salinator to test the brine strength. and just make a stronger brine out of the pink salt cure. that way i can see for sure the strength of the brine. The Sausage maker has the salts you need on their web site. good luck

John D Lee (author) on January 31, 2011:

Hi Patty - I've never used Morton's Tender Quick - and I see that it has both Sodium nitrite and Sodium nitrate listed as ingredients - I think it would probably work, but am not sure about it...anyone know? You do definitely want to use sodium nitrite though, not potassium metabisulphite. I'm not a chemist so can't say what will happen if you do, but since the possible consequence of screwing this up is fatal botulism, I think it's a good idea to use what the health and safety experts say you should use!

Greg - unsmoked ham tastes pretty good, but smoked ham tastes better! I'd recommend planning on smoking it if you can, but before you pop it into the smoker, slice of a bit and fry it up so you'll know for next time whether you want to smoke - or not smoke.

Mark - dry cured hams are typically also aged until quite dry, and this dryness allows for long storage. Wet cured hams, due to their salt content keep better than fresh meat, but you should use fresh pork guidelines to give you a general idea of how long to keep this in the fridge uncooked.

Mark on January 28, 2011:

How long will the wet cure ham last. I know dry cured last a long time? Is it the same thing. Thanks

sleep1234drummer@yahoo.com

Greg on December 17, 2010:

Thanks for the great recipe John. I'm going to do a fresh ham for Christmas dinner. The curing part I get, I've smoked fish in the past. The question is... do I need to smoke it? I have no idea what a unsmoked cured ham would taste like comparitively. Thoughts? Thank you.

Greg

Patty on November 29, 2010:

Just read that Morton has a curing product that has the nitrite in it called 'Tender Quick', so if you can find that, it can save us from finding Pink Salt. I'm also wondering about salt peter....I think I read that it was used for preserving & curing(?). Thanks again... can't wait to smoke my 1st cured ham & fish!

Patty

Patty on November 29, 2010:

Hi, this is all very informative. I once bought a plain raw/uncured ham & gilled it on low heat with lots of smoke & it was very good.

I'd like to try your curing method but don't know about finding pink salt. How about potassium metabisulphite? It is used to sterilize (as wine bottles) & a little in @ bottle of wine as a preservative before corking them. Would that prevent bottulism? Thanks

Patty

Ldyaqua1@yahoo.com

John D Lee (author) on November 16, 2010:

Hi Ernesto,

The 2 liters listed above is good for 6 or 7 pounds of ham, bone in or out. The recipe can be multiplied as needed.

Yes, you want to get sodium nitrite, not potassium nitrate

I am in a similar situation here in Thailand as I am also unable to buy ready mixed pink salt. You can just mix together the sodium nitrite with salt, but the problem you may have is in knowing whether your distribution (dilution) is even, and you may inadvertently use too little at any one time, or worse - too much.

What I do to ensure even dilution is dissolve pure sodium nitrite in water, in a ratio by weight of 6.75% sodium nitrite and 93.25% water. I pack this in a water bottle that I label very very thoroughly with skulls and cross bones to prevent accidental ingestion. This will keep indefinitely.

To make a liter of this solution you use 67.5 grams of sodium nitrite and 933 grams of water. You can then use this interchangeable in recipes - so if a recipe calls for 10 grams of pink salt, you can use 10 grams of your nitrite water solution.

Best of luck!

andre on October 05, 2010:

I am butchering my pig this friday. i want to cure and smoke both hind legs and bacon, but I am having a hard time finding pink salt. As long as the meat is cooked after do i still have to worry about botulism ?

Ernesto on August 23, 2010:

Greetings from South America

Dear John,

I was looking for an easy-to-do recipe and yours is simply fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing it. I do hope to put it to test very soon, of course I will let you know the results! I am pretty sure it will be a tasteful treat, considering that getting a good cured ham where I live is, without a doubt, impossible. Also, I am looking forward to smoke it!

So I have a couple of questions:

1. You gave this proportions for the recipe:

* 2 liters of water

* ¾ cup of kosher salt

* 1 cup of brown sugar (1 packed cup)

* 4 teaspoons of pink salt (insta cure #1) (4 teaspoons)

Do you know how many pounds are advisable to cure with those ingredients proportions? [In other words, how many pounds of ham (the pig's leg) can be cured? (including the bone].

2. I was trying to get the "insta cure" which until now it seems it is impossible to get. So I am thinking in mixing 93.75 grams of salt and 6.25 grams of nitrite. Do you think this mix will work for the curing process?

3. What king of nitrite should I get? sodium, potassium nitrite or what?

I would really appreciate you advice on this, if u want, my email address is: ernesto_31905@yahoo.com

Best regards,

Ernesto

Claire on July 19, 2010:

Hi, I have a 1-3/4 lb uncured ham steak (less than an inch thick) and a 3/4 lb pkg of sliced uncured bacon. I have your brine mixture all mixed up and I started getting concerned about the length of time for keep those in the brine. They pieces of meat are so thin. Should I keep all the meat in the brine for a full 24 hours?

Rod on July 11, 2010:

I would also like to know if this cure would work ok for Poultry?...Like turkey breasts,or pheasant??

Rod on July 11, 2010:

is tender quick the same as Insta cure or pink salt? Or will it work in place of pink salt?

cheryl from GA on June 14, 2010:

I followed these instructions exactly using a 7.25 lb. picnic shoulder. The ham was really good, I smoked on my smoker until I got an internal temp of 158F. It probably should have cured for 5 days instead of four, but overall a great and super easy experience!

Mike Buel on June 09, 2010:

Ok so first time here I bought a curing kit from the sausage maker. In it it had insta cure and 3 cures. I thought I had to add the insta cure to the cure and found out that the insta cure was already in the cure. I used an injector Question did I ruin the meat?

dave shinnebarger on June 09, 2010:

i forgot to say i had 2 hams cut off the bone, and the meat doesn't float thanks anyone with an answer can e-maqil me at cptsxteen1@yahoo.com

dave shinnebarger on June 09, 2010:

what does it mean when the ham doesn't float, i followed the recipe to the line.

Dave

adorababy from Syracuse, NY on June 04, 2010:

Homemade hams are better because they are not commercialized in flavor. Plus, you can be sure that they are clean and well processed.

John D Lee (author) on April 15, 2010:

Hi Kath,

I am not sure how much photos will help, as the meat doesn't look that different from uncured meat while raw.

The meat will become noticeable firmer as it cures and if you cut a test slice and fry it about halfway through the curing time, you can see how far into the meat the cure has penetrated by how deeply in it is pink around a center ring of grey.

Kath on April 14, 2010:

hi im looking for images of the curing process. Different states of change, raw half ready to ready... can anybody help me?

John D Lee (author) on March 23, 2010:

Donna, I'm so glad to hear of your success- enjoy the hams!

Donna on March 23, 2010:

We killed several hogs the deer season and wanted to put some of those legs to good use. We just finnished curing two hams and put them in the smoker for several hours. This is the best ham I have ever had. I will never buy another ham again. Thanks.....

John D Lee (author) on February 16, 2010:

Hey that's great! You didn't happen to take any pics did you? I'd love to see it...

Tideroll 334 from Prattville Alabama on February 15, 2010:

john I tried my dry cure I talked with you about back in Nov 09. We smoked it in Jan and carved last week.Thanks for the tips.Rolltide

John D Lee (author) on February 08, 2010:

Ecogirl, you really should.

I just finished smoking a small ham this afternoon. It was only 3 pounds so I only started brining it a couple of days ago and today it's ready (hot smoked) for dinner and then for tasty sandwiches for a while!

Why wait for the bigger fridge?!?

ecogirl333 on February 08, 2010:

Cool, I was thinking of giving this a go in the spring when our new (and large enough) fridge arrives.

John D Lee (author) on December 26, 2009:

Hi Jim,

Provided the meat was stored appropriately prior to freezing, then you can safely cure it once defrosted.

Jim on December 26, 2009:

Can you safely cure a pork butt or belly that has been frozen?

John D Lee (author) on August 10, 2009:

Thank you for the comment Noel,

The shoulder “ham” makes a very nice cured piece of meat – almost more bacon like than ham like, in my opinion, but all the same, very tasty.

The cure does turn the meat pink – which makes it look nice and ham-like, but it serves a more important purpose, and that is eliminating the risk of botulism. In rare cases, without the use of nitrite, botulism toxin can grow in the anaerobic environment of a wet cure. So, you can cure ham with only salt, but when doing so, you expose yourself to a very small risk of botulism.

About the amount of cure – It’s tough for me to give you much advice. I follow a recipe adapted from one in Charcuterie, by Michael Rhulman and Brian Polcyn, which is a very respected book on the subject of curing meat – and I can confirm that the amount called for turns the meat pink throughout – and it hasn’t killed me yet!

I suspect that you could probably go either way with no real problems, using the lesser amount as called for by Rhulman, or using the larger amount as called for by the manufacturer. If it were me, I’d use the lesser amount, but I can’t guarantee that I’d be right!

It is difficult to find curing information on the web, I have in the past been frustrated by this. Charcuterie, is a very worthwhile book to pick up, by the way, if you are at all interested in preserving meat.

I hope that this offers you some assistance.

Let me know how it works out,

John

Noel on August 10, 2009:

I first want to say I really enjoyed your article on brining a ham. I found it very informative and interesting!

I am making a ham for the first time. I have done a lot of reading. I decided to start with a whole shoulder butt since it was purchased at $.57 per pound, and left me with a trimmed weight of 8-lb. Also, It will give me a start on a good mix of spices to try and see what adjustments I want to make before I take on "the real thing".

I needed about 2 gal. of water to cover the meat in my brining container. From yours and other recipes, I chose 2 cups of salt to make the brine ( a little heavy), and an assortment of spices. If it comes out too salty, I will leach out some of the salt in water. I upped the sugar with a little syrup and molasses.

Now the question is "how much "instacure" to add?

I actually have a mix equal to #2 which contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, and 3.63% sodium nitrate that I bought to make some sausage. I understand the difference between the to (#1 & #2) but didn't feel the less than 1% difference of the nitrite was significant, and the nitrate was so low that even if it didn't have enough time to all convert to nitrite, it wouldn't make much difference since in a brine I suspect much of it will stay in the brine anyway.

However, all the information I can find shows amounts to "meat" and little on how much to use in a brine. The manufacture states for there cure #1 to use 24-lb/100 gal. which converts to about 4 oz per gallon. That seems like w-a-y too much.

Your recipe is as follows:

2 liters of water

¾ cup of kosher salt

1 cup of brown sugar (1 packed cup)

4 teaspoons of pink salt (Instacure #1)

2 liters equals .53 gal., so for 2 gal. of water that would mean 12 tsp. or 4 Tlb., and that seems like too much also, but I just don't know; and other then the manufacturerer and your recipe, I haven't found anything else. to compare to.

Although the nitrites are suppose to give the meat it's color by reacting with the myoglobin in the meat, I have also found recipes that say it isn't necessary, and that the salt in the brine will do the same thing.

My main reason for wanting to use the nitrites/nitrates is to control any problems with bacteria and such that could result in spoilage until I get the meat through the process up to freezing or smoking.

Do you have any more input on this, or can you refer me to a source that might have more information?

Thank you in advance for your help and consideration!

Noel

Joanie Ruppel from Texas on January 29, 2009:

Wow, I never even considered doing this at home. I may give it a try after it gets warm enough to grill outside.

C. C. Riter on January 25, 2009:

Wonderful. I will try this, and I have a smoker. thanks

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

It's the little things that transform the merely good to great—and in the kitchen, it's those little things that make all the difference.

It's also the little things that cookbook authors sometimes assume that everyone already has a sure grasp of, and much to the frustration of novice cooks everywhere, it's the little things that they tend not to explain.

But toasty nuts are where it's at. Seriously.

The difference between a complex, golden roasted almond and a sorry-looking blanched specimen is no small thing, and it's that three-minute toasting step that can make your next nut recipe so much better.

So here are four very easy ways to toast nuts.

1. Stovetop (No Oil or Butter)

1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, spread your nuts out in an even layer and heat over medium, shaking often. Be sure not to overcrowd your nuts.
2. Keep stirring or shaking for about 5 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and browned.

Notes

• Nuts toasted using the stovetop method will not be uniformly browned; rather, they will be more mottled in appearance.
• Make sure to keep watching the nuts. Take your eyes off the progress at the wrong point for 30 seconds and you'll find yourself throwing out a pan full of burnt and bitter nuts.
• Do not try to toast different kinds of nuts at the same time. Different nuts will toast at different rates.

2. Stovetop (With Oil or Butter)

If you want to toast on the stovetop but also want that uniformly browned look, follow these instructions:

1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, spread your nuts out in an even layer and add a scant teaspoon of oil or butter.
2. Heat over medium, shaking often. Be sure not to overcrowd your nuts.

This will result in a more evenly toasted nut—but a slightly oilier final product.

3. Oven

You can also toast any kind of nut in a hot oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 350-425 degrees (honestly, the exact temperature doesn’t matter very much).
2. Place your nuts on a baking sheet and bake away for a few minutes, watching carefully and shaking occasionally.
3. They are done when golden and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes. Oven-toasted nuts are a bit slower than stovetop toasted nuts, but they will be more uniformly browned without needing the use of oil.

4. Microwave

1. Spread out your nuts on a plate and microwave on high.
2. A ½ cup of nuts will take 3-5 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.
3. Watch carefully, and take out when nuts are just slightly less browned than you want, as nuts will continue to brown for a moment after removal (from the heated oil inside the nut).

Using Toasted Nuts

Once your nuts are toasty and warm, salt them generously and enjoy. If you have any leftovers, the best way to store is always in the freezer. The oils in nuts spoils quickly and nuts stored in the cupboard will become rancid and unpleasant.

All of the above techniques will work to toast seeds or coconut, as well.

Comments

Brian on August 07, 2013:

I roast cashews in a cast iron skillet with just the oil that is already on the iron and on medium-low. I stir them occasionally for a while, then turn off the heat and let them finish as the pan cools. Uniformity offends me and this produces delicious, interesting looking roasted nuts. They are best hot, but delicious at all temperatures.

LetitiaFT from Paris via California on June 02, 2012:

This is really useful! I'm going to link to it in my next recipe, it's just what I needed. Thanks for sharing this.

Kris Heeter from Indiana on November 20, 2011:

While I love raw nuts too, there are some that are definitely better roasted (cashews for me!). I never actually considered roasting them myself - I'll have to give one of these methods a try!

cyrospan on September 17, 2011:

I enjoy roasted nuts very much, I like to roast a big portion to take with me while I travel, but when I roast a whole bunch they tend to burn in the middle, is there any type of mixer available that I can install in to my microwave to mix nuts evenly and avoid burning in the middle, thanks

John D Lee (author) on September 05, 2011:

Yeah, cast iron is great for pretty much everything!

Deb K on September 02, 2011:

Roasting nuts in a CAST IRON pan/skillet in the oven is best! So yummy as the seasoned pan adds more flavors - but of course you can never have too much garlic salt!

Rose Clearfield from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 04, 2011:

Great topic for a hub. Useful information!

Emma from Houston TX on March 19, 2011:

Informative and educative hub which has a colorful pics that actually look tasty.

md zahid malick on July 25, 2010:

i want to know more about the roasting process.my Email :zahid0631@gmail.com

ray bennett on June 24, 2010:

Beautiful page, I suggest that you tak much slower in the future productions. Ray

John D Lee (author) on October 24, 2009:

Glad to be of service - Hope your nuts toasted up nicely

Aimee on October 20, 2009:

Thank you so much! Exactly the information I needed!

Nicolette Goff from British Columbia on December 02, 2008:

We roast them for about 8 minutes in the oven, after tossing them with a bit of oil and sometimes a bit of hot pepper - really good with pecans!

fishskinfreak2008 from Fremont CA on July 30, 2008:

Tasty

Rob Jundt from Midwest USA on July 30, 2008:

Thanks for the tips. I haven't had the greatest luck roasting or toasting lately. I'm sure your tips will work.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Cook Time

Get Your Dessert Fix in Five Minutes!

I've certainly plumped up at home while visiting my folks, but I do it all in the name of research! I can proudly say that any of my mom's gluten-free recipes have been well and truly tested.

Cheesecake—I guess it's kind of hard to make a bad cheesecake, but there are plenty of mediocre recipes floating about, and plenty, to the chagrin of the gluten-intolerant among us, that manage to sneak a fair amount of flour into the mix.

Well, here's an everyday cheesecake recipe that takes no forethought, contains no wheat, and tastes very good.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Blend the eggs, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until everything's combined.
3. Scrape the mixture into a medium 8-inch pie pan.
4. Bake it for about 40 minutes, or until the top has set well.
5. While it's piping hot, spread the full-fat sour cream. Lower-fat sour creams do not spread well and don't get absorbed by the cooling cheese. The sour cream will stop the cake from cracking.

Enjoy Your Dessert

Yes, this dessert is decadent, but you shouldn't start counting the grams of fat when you make cheesecake. Let the entire thing cool and then slice it to eat. You can also refrigerate this and eat it for days and days. This cake actually tastes better the day after it's baked, making it perfect for an easy entertaining dessert.

I like it topped with fresh fruit or a good homemade jam—and just a little bit of whipped cream on top.

Enjoy.

Make a Gluten-Free Flour Mixture

Comments

suzannahwebb@hotmail.com on June 09, 2017:

Sign me up please

T. on February 07, 2017:

Is there a way to make it an easy pumpkin cheesecake?

Geri on February 02, 2017:

I put sour cream on the top after baked,hope it's correct

Audrey Hunt from Idyllwild Ca. on May 03, 2016:

I tried this recipe and am very pleased with the way it turned out. Just want you to know - thanks.

moss on May 02, 2016:

wow!! amazing !!!!!

Audrey Hunt from Idyllwild Ca. on November 30, 2015:

I will be trying your delicious recipe for cheesecake this week. Very excited to see how it turns out. (not the best baker in the woods.) Big thank you and will share and pin.

Hendrika from Pretoria, South Africa on June 19, 2015:

Thank you for this recipe. I want to make it for my friend and she does not like the unbaked cheese cakes and I do not like making pie crusts so this is ideal.

Chanda on April 04, 2015:

My sour cream did not absorb! is it suppose to or is it for a more of a topping?

Beverley on February 23, 2015:

Can I substitute the sour cream with good greek yoghurt?

sarah on January 16, 2015:

Quick question - I am thinking about making these into miniature cheese cakes in a muffin pan- do you think it will work out if I use baking cups??

MS. RANDY ALAMO on December 10, 2014:

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOU WONDERFUL WEB SITE.

Shawna on November 24, 2014:

I served this for a dinner party over the weekend. The best cheesecake anyone had eaten! So simple, yet so delicious! I used the almond crust Elizabeth gave the recipe for, here in the comments. Perfect!

At first I was concerned about the sour cream melting over the hot cheesecake, but it firmed up nicely and become one with the cheesecake.

lina on February 23, 2013:

my bff has been loooking for the perfect cheescake recipe - not to watery and not to dry, she LOVED this, and ofcourse i made this one of my top recipes - super delicious and super easy! thank you so much!

stargazer1682 from Ripon, Wisconsin on August 05, 2012:

I'm glad some of the comments bothered to offer a wheat/gluten free crust option, since that was what I was looking for. The main article is basically just a normal cheesecake recipe minus the crust; and that wasn't what I wanted.

Ashley Ell on July 03, 2012:

I made this cheesecake last week and my crust was:

1/2 package frozen Kinnikinnick cookie KToo's http://www.glutenfreeproductsusa.com/products/kinn... (GF)

processed in food processor until crumb like. Then I put them in a bowl with 6T butter then mixed and pressed into the bottom of an 8x8 glass pie pan.

Then I put the cheesecake mixture on top of the crust and baked as usual. DELICIOUS! Absolute perfection.

More cookie crusts http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cookie-crus... if you're going for GF, use GF foods of course.

freefoodbaby on April 30, 2012:

We used your cheesecake recipe last week http://wp.me/p1VzJI-4b it was decidedly the best cheesecake ever.

Elizabeth on April 21, 2012:

You can do an almond crust

2 cups whole unblanched almonds

5 tablespoons of sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, blend the almonds, sugar and almond extract until the almonds are coarsely chopped. Add unsalted butter and process until almonds are finely chopped. With your hands, press the almond mixture firmly onto the bottom and 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Fill a small glass (no handle) with coins and use it to gently press the crust onto the bottom and sides, allowing the weight from the coins to do the work for you.

Bake crust until light brown, about 15-20 minutes. Allow the crust to cool in the pan on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

janine hummel on April 07, 2012:

i've been meaning to thank you. this cheese cake has become a staple for me, a girl with celiac, for many holidays. we just gorge on it. the full fat sour cream makes it delectable. thank you

Margaret on March 07, 2012:

A little disappointed in consistency & taste. I would beat the cream cheese with sugar first, add eggs & vanilla last to get a creamy texture. I would double the ingredients & bake in a springform pan & cook longer until set. It definitely will taste better the next day. I put a scoop of cherry pie filling on each serving.

Elizabeth on February 01, 2012:

This recipe is AWESOME!!! I made it for my friend's birthday dinner and everyone LOVED it!! I increased the recipe by 1/2 and baked it in a greased springform pan. I also added one teaspoon of almond extract. When cooled topped with a can of cherry pie filling. SSSSSOOO delicious!!! Will be making it again for a Valentine's party I'll be going to.

Linda on November 07, 2011:

This sounds yummie. I'm going to make for my birthday. Thanks for sharing.

kayla on September 21, 2011:

this was soo easy i mixed the sour cream in with the rest of the ingredients i hope it doesn't turn out disgusting this was overall a good experience other then me not reading the directions as usual :((

kayla on September 21, 2011:

this was soo easy i mixed the sour cream in with the rest of the ingredients i hope it doesn't turn out disgusting this was overall a good experience other then me not reading the directions as usual :((

megan on April 15, 2011:

Its cooling now,can't wait to try it!!!

Vince on September 28, 2010:

A company called Lean on Me Baking makes an assortment of gluten-free cheesecakes. Plain, blueberry, chocolate covered. Their products (quiches, carrot cake, cheesecakes,brownies (coming soon) are sold at hundreds

of independent stores as well as Whole Foods NYC & Florida. For more information visit http://www.gluten-free.tv/cheesecake

Riviera Rose from South of France on April 20, 2010:

This looks delicious - I might just make it for my birthday!

fisherpj on April 03, 2010:

Does is make it's own crust? It looks wonderful!

Emma from Boston on February 25, 2010:

This cheesecake recipe looks delicious. Can't wait to try it!

jem060504 on September 17, 2009:

Thanks can not wait to try this one out!!

JEM

https://hubpages.com/family/My-Celiac-son...

RockBlossom from The Arkansas Ozarks on May 29, 2009:

It sounds wonderful! I'm going to bookmark this hub so I can try the recipe. I never thought about sour cream as a topping, but it sounds good.

gr8archer45 from Pakistan on April 29, 2009:

wow really quick recipe! i hope it tastes as good as it sounds :) I have a special cheese cake recipe too check it out here https://hubpages.com/food/Cheese-Cake

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

What cut of steak?

A lot of people have trouble with meat. They like the idea of a great steak, and they have a general notion that the more expensive the steak, the better it is, but more than that and who knows?!

I didn’t know either, at least, not until fairly recently when I decided to really get to know the different cuts of meat. I learned where they came from on the cow and what they each had to offer.

Where do the different cuts come from?

If you imagine a cow, the front section from about just behind the shoulders up to the neck and all the way down, is home to some very tasty and very ornery cuts of meat. From the shoulder area comes your beef chuck, and down south a bit your brisket. Cuts of meat full of connective tissue that melts into flavorful heaven when braised, but makes for an awfully chewy steak.

Most steaks come a bit further back on the cow, and the best known steaks start at the upper mid section, and proceed back to the hind quarters.

Where does your steak come from?

Rib

Just back from the shoulder is the rib section, and this is the home of the prime rib roast, and not surprisingly, the rib steak and the rib eye. Very well marbled and flavorful, the rib section is about the tastiest of all the steaks, and is tender and succulent enough for a quick treatment on the grill.

Some common cuts of the rib are:

Rib steak, which if you can imagine is just a slice with the bone of a prime rib,

Rib eye steak, which is just the boneless interior of the rib steak

Loin

Directly behind the rib section is the loin, and the loin meat is the tenderest section of beef. Although not as well flavored or marbled as the rib, the loin accounts for the most expensive and tender of all the cuts of steak. Some common cuts of the loin are:

The tenderloin, the tenderest cut, the most expensive, and some say less flavorful.

T-Bone, A bit of everything, the T bone has a T shaped bone which sub divides a small section of tenderloin, with a larger section of strip steak.

Porterhouse, similar to the T-bone, but with a larger section of tenderloin.

Strip loin (NY steak), a rectangular strip of very flavorful steak, like a T-bone without the bone or tenderloin!

Sirloin

Directly behind the loin is the sirloin. Less tender and cheaper than the loin, sirloin steaks are very tasty. Try to pick sirloin steaks as cut close to the loin if possible (if the bone is flat that means close to the loin, and round means farther back).

Round

The round section is the hind leg of the cow, and although some of these can be very flavorful, all are less tender than even the sirloin.

Some common cuts from the round are:

Top roundis an acceptable steak for the grill, inexpensive and flavorful.

Bottom round is OK for the grill, but you should probably marinate well as it can be a bit chewy.

Eye of round is too tough for quick cooking methods.

Buy the right steak.

If money is no object, go for the rib eye, the tenderloin, the Porterhouse/T-bone or the strip; but if you're looking for value for money tri a flat boned sirloin for a great beefy flavor, or even cheaper, a top round steak.

Cook it well (hot and fast) and enjoy!

Watch a butcher explain the different cuts of steak

More

• GourmetSleuth—Guide To Beef Cuts
  Guide to beef cuts. An illustrated guide to roast and steak names including the portion of the steer the meat was cut from.

Comments

Jerry on March 13, 2019:

Thank you, very useful and informative..!

marksman on March 05, 2019:

now i know what i can get. thanks so much

Sue on June 04, 2017:

When in Jamaica we were served fabulous "supine" steak from a skewer at a rodizio restaurant. What is supine steak?

MJ Martin aka Ruby H Rose from Washington State on September 01, 2014:

This is great for knowing about which steaks are best for broiling, or grilling. Very helpful, thanks.

carrazzee on June 17, 2012:

This was the only one I looked at about cuts of beef just enough for what I needed..Thanks

Don on May 04, 2012:

The store I shop at advertised Angus Grilling Steaks, What is a grilling steak and how does it compare to other cuts?

BertieMac on March 27, 2012:

Informative article but according to the picture, I think your 'cow' is a bull.

yes on February 27, 2012:

chuck chuck chuck!!!

brewer the beef man on November 28, 2011:

we raise our on beef nothing better than t-bone for me

Hatim Hijazi on September 02, 2011:

Its relly good explanation. Thanks

pankaj on May 01, 2011:

thanx for good information...

what on December 31, 2010:

honestly richi... what???

sheri on March 17, 2010:

This has been the most helpul, informative and interesting explanation of beef I have ever seen or heard. I love steak but have never taken the time to really understand different kinds of steak. Now I feel when I go to a restaurant or buy steak, I feel empowered to know exactly what I want and what I will get when I buy steak. Thank you so much! for this insightful and excellent video to watch.

Owen on February 20, 2010:

I have become a big fan of porterhouse and rib eye through my visits to most of the New York steak houses. I find the best preperation is the least preperation. Medium rare maintains the true taste of the meat and some of the dry aged taste. Nothing more the a salt and pepper rub and some butter. If you want to put cheese and such on your food get a hamburger, chicken, or pasta.

Patty on July 26, 2009:

Wow. Thank YOU!!! I watch the video and out of all the other reasearches..This was the best. A simple and easy video on the beef part to understand. I am suppose to call in my order on what I want out of a half of a cow tomorrow. This really help out. PS don't get any farmers sausage made out of the cow on a half it's cheaper just going through the meat market. Again THANK YOU so much!

lrohner from USA on June 20, 2009:

My favorite steaks are ribeye and, of course, filet mignon. I like my ribeyes topped with gorgonzola or bleu cheese and popped under the broiler until the cheese starts to melt. The ribeyes need nothing other than salt and pepper. YUM!

Apepperson from Texas on June 01, 2009:

Thanks for this Hub. It answers a lot of questions I've had about where different cuts of meat come from! I'm bookmarking it for future references!

denise mohan from California on December 07, 2008:

thnx for all the good info

Joanie Ruppel from Texas on September 06, 2008:

When I was a kid my folks used to buy a whole quarter or half of a cow from the slaughterhouse and put it in the freezer. So we would get some pretty nice cuts of meat, but as kids we wanted the whole thing ground up as hamburger!

I wish we had the freezer space to do that now.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Both my mom and my sister are gluten-intolerant, which, when combined with my sister's food allergies, can make family cooking a bit more challenging. My mom is a good cook, and she's learned a lot about the substitutions that make it possible to recreate favorite recipes without the gluten. For the most part, these recipes are good—some are even very good—but you generally wouldn't say that they were as good as the original.

This recipe is an exception. This is not "good for a gluten-free cake"; it's outstanding on its own merits. The recipe was kindly supplied by my mom, who transcribed it from the Gluten, Wheat, and Dairy-Free Cookbook by Antoinette Savill.

This cake is lemony, moist, and delicious and will keep well for several days. Even if you have no problem with gluten, you should try this fantastic recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour (I use 2 cups of rice flour)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 23 ounces bananas, (3 average-sized)
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons icing sugar, (I use regular sugar)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift flours with baking power and salt.
3. Beat the butter, sugar, and bananas together until smooth. Stir in eggs.
4. Add wet mixture to flours until blended.
5. Pour into a large loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and bread is just firm.
6. Cool bread for 10 minutes. Mix sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over top. (I like it lemony so I use more lemon juice.)

Rate This Recipe!

About Celiac and Gluten Intolerance

Celiac disease or gluten intolerance is a fairly common condition, and it's under-diagnosed. People with celiac disease have problems absorbing the nutrients and vitamins in all foods when they eat wheat in any form. This can lead to serious health conditions over time.

If you feel pain after eating gluten-rich foods (pasta, bread, and pastries) or have any form of abdominal discomfort on a regular basis, you may want to get checked for celiac disease. A simple blood test will tell you with certainty, or you can just avoid wheat for a few days and see if your symptoms get better.

Comments

sharon on March 24, 2016:

Thank you thank you for sharing. This is by far the best gluten free cake i have baked. It soft moist and not grainy like other rice flour cakes. I added 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest and 3 tbs poppy seed. Came out superb.

Sommer on January 24, 2016:

Made it this morning and it is fabulous! I substituted white sugar for coconut sugar. When I was creaming the butter, sugar and banana, I had a weird consistency that I thought might affect it. NOT. AT. ALL. In the future, I may grind the coconut sugar to a finer consistency before mixing (personal preference), but doesn't seem to be necessary. I like the rich flavor it gave the bread; although first time making it, so I don't have a reference to go by. Also substituted buckwheat/rice flour with King Arthur GF flour. It did come out darker than your pics, but I'm assuming due to the coconut sugar. I covered mine halfway through baking with aluminum foil so the top wouldn't get too crusty. Then topped it with lemon glaze and a little powdered sugar to cut the tartness. Will definitely be making this again and experimenting with different flavors, etc.

Stacey on January 02, 2016:

I have made this twice now and have found it absolutely delicious. The second time I made I only put 1/2 cup of butter and it turned out amazing. I can even do less. Delicious desert!

Jessica on December 03, 2015:

This recipe is so amazing. The cake is moist and smells delicious. Bananas really have an impact on the smell . I Would put less sugar , as for it the cake is yummy. :)

Tacocat on June 07, 2014:

there's no way 23 ounces of bananas is 3 medium size ones. I have 4 medium to large ones in the bowl now and the weight is only 17 ounces. Clarify please.

Sharice from Rhode Island on November 29, 2012:

Looks good and by the sound of these comments it is! I gotta bookmark this and try it! Great Hub

Tori Leumas on September 17, 2012:

I make a lemon loaf similar to this, but the banana added to it sound really good! I might give this a try.

Kirbykay on June 21, 2012:

Thank you - I tried this recipe tonight. I was a bit cynical as things I have made with rice flour in the past always tasted a bit grainy. However, this is fab! :-)

Lisa on June 07, 2012:

My little sister was diagnosed with Celiac a number of years ago. We see each other once a year at Thanksgiving, and since I do all of the baking I thought it was only fair that she should have something baked as well. I found this recipe and made it. She LOVED it. Apparently her boyfriend did too, because when she went to bed there was 3/4 of the loaf in the pan, when she came down the next morning her boyfriend had eaten half of what was left. When she called him on it his comment was, "but it tasted so good..I couldn't help it". I've made this many times since, and since I modify every recipe I ever touch here are my changes... Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour mix, 4 really ripe bananas, a couple of cap fulls of vanilla, a little more than 3/4 cup of butter flavored EVOO, the juice of one good sized lemon and then add enough of the icing sugar to cut down the tartness. The last loaf I made was for my husbands camping trip last weekend...no one on the trip was gluten intolerant...they all loved the cake. Thanks for posting it!!!

JH on February 13, 2012:

Really really great! I substituted half the amount of butter with about quarter cup light olive oil. Made this bread for all my wheat allergic friends with your suggestion of just rice flour. Great texture and used regular sugar with the lemon juice for the icing. Much more beautiful and sparkly than with icing sugar. Thank you again for this marvelous recipe. One of my friends has not eaten banana bread in 25 years!!!

Joan Myers on February 02, 2012:

I made this with Bob's Mills Gluten free flour. I added a bit of vanilla and some cinnamon .....so wonderful! I am happy and now have a cake I can feel like I can enjoy....YUMMMMMMM!!!

Hannah on January 04, 2012:

Best GF banana bread recipe I have tried! Whole family loved it. Thanks.

Jtlt04 on December 20, 2011:

I just wanted to say thank you for this delicious recipe, to find something this good and tasty is hard to find. I have been cooking for couple months to find something for my husband to eat.

Angelgirlpj on December 05, 2011:

My 3 sisters are gluten intolerant and also 2 brothers, they were all diagnosed in the last 2 years which has made baking for me more expensive and changed. I however found Bob Red Mills all-purpose flour to be great, so today when I try this yummy recipe I will use it. Even my husband and grand children like it after it's baked. Licking the beaters with GF flour is out of the question as it's grainy tasting.

http://seekyt.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread-recipe...

John D Lee (author) on August 22, 2011:

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I am glad to hear that people are liking it as much as i do. To those that have omitted the lemon juice...you don't know what you're missing - it's the best part!

mamaPonyo on August 18, 2011:

My little girl and I have been sampling ours straight out of the oven and we love it! I've made and eaten plenty of regular banana/butter cakes before and had some doubts about the recipe as I'm not a frequent (or very successful) user of rice flour, but this is really good. I've also made other gluten free cakes, mostly from the Babycakes book and although fair enough the recipes are gluten, egg and sugar free, the taste and texture always left a lot to be desired. Plus all that xanthan gum gave us scratchy mouths.

I made half quantity with the following variations - brown rice flour, 65g butter, 65g olive oil, 1/2cup Demerara type sugar (called cassonade), 2 small bananas, 1tsp vanilla extract, a handful of dried blueberries (the little one likes them). We baked it in a loaf tin at 170c for about 50 minutes. The batter poured like regular butter cake batter with a not very nice sandy texture on taste but the end result is so delicious, we forgot about the lemon. It is quite moist and light (I used an electric mixer for the butter/sugar/eggs) and the crust has a really nice crumbly crunch. My only adjustment for next time would be less sugar. We are also being careful with ingredients as our 16 month daughter has been previously tested with dairy, egg and gluten allergies, however as she gets older we are trying to introduce these foods gradually on advice from our paediatrician and dietician. We are so excited we had to write to tell you this recipe is definitely a keeper, thank you so much !!

saif113sb on July 22, 2011:

Thank you so much great recipe.

lypsyncr001 on March 14, 2011:

I have just made this loaf - very tasty. I followed the recipe exactly - with vegan margarine (lactose intolerant)and tastes v. good :) It may be a bit too sweet for me but will defintely satisfy all those with a sweet tooth. I chose not to add the lemon topping and its still good. I baked it for nearly 2 hours at gas mark 4.

Thank-you so much for the recipe - it was just what i needed! :)

dtmedley on January 24, 2011:

Can anyone please tell me how much banana to use in cups rather than ounces? This sounds amazing!

Ruth on January 12, 2011:

I had to change the recipe a bit to eliminate the eggs and the sugar to make it lower in fat. Instead of the eggs I used 4 tablespoons of flax seed (pulverize after measuring) and instead of the butter I used 1 cup of sunflower oil and finally instead of the sugar I substituted 1 cup of very ripe dates. I used a food processor to blend the dates properly with the bananas. I am sure the original recipe is fantastic but my daughter is unable to eat not only gluten but foods high is sugar and fat. These modifications have produced a fantastic banana bread (without the icing) and I am sure you would not be disappointed. It is fantastic.

Abby on January 08, 2011:

This loaf is fantastic, I took it on holiday to a batch with 4-5 familys staying there, my friends Mum is gluten intolerant, everyone was eating it and loved it unaware it was a gluten free recipe I was getting worried there wouldn't be any left for my friends Mum

Venus Love on December 28, 2010:

Good point above, this recipe looks tasty, but all that sugar and butter are just as bad if not worse then the gluten!

I am substituting organic cold pressed coconut oil in place of the butter, but I just went with 1/2 cup, I also added some liquid lecithin; and liquid stevia drops, brown rice syrup, pure maple syrup, and a little bit of organic honey for the sweetener. I used oat and rice flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (as I am ok as long as I use it in moderation), I also used a packaged gluten substitute which I have been experimenting with, because I ran out of eggs and I wanted to make sure it holds together.

Hopefully they come out ok, as I love to make healthy things taste good!!

Verena on December 14, 2010:

I want to try this recipe and sub sorghum flour (higher protien) and less sugar and add nuts (more protien).

Be aware new Celiacs, that you need to be super aware of what you eat and ensure you get proper nutrition. Just because it's gluten free doesn't mean healthy. Sweets are meant to be a treat, a bit a day, or once per week. Almost all store purchased GF stuff has little or no nutritional value.

I guess what I'm saying is you can go GF but keep your high sugar, white 'flour' diet and not get healthy anyway. I cook more than bake, lots of veggies, the San-J soy sauce is my saviour, with garlic, ginger and apple cider vinegar, cayenne, for stir frys. Quick and easy.

I did the same, went gluten free and then the test was negative, finally they did a DNA test and it came back positive. I knew anyway.... what a life change for me!

Check into bean and sorghum flours and purchase the high quality flours from www.authenticfoods.com

Happy eating!

Vicky on November 17, 2010:

Hi,

What a great recipe, I just want to let you know that I added 1 tsp of "xanthan gum", it just makes it a little

better in texture.

Michelle on October 04, 2010:

This bread is amazing!

Mandy E on October 03, 2010:

I've just had my bloods taken to be tested for Coeliacs & decided to try a recipe... I've never cooked gluten free before...I cooked this recipe...and OH MY GOODNESS!

YUM YUM YUM!!!

My children love it & even my fussiest eater went back for thirds (that being my husband :)...

fantastic. Thankyou. :)

mia on September 19, 2010:

thankyou for this great recipe, my daughter is gluten, dairy, soy and corn free diet. This is the first gluten free thing i have baked and loved! I varied it slightly I added 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract and I used raw sugar, 1 cup of nuttelex and 2 tblsp of olive oil. I did them in muffin patty pans and half i topped with organic shredded coconut on top. The lemon is delicious, I also tried a couple with a tea syrup in replacment of the lemon which was also nice. I think these would make nice cup cakes with cocnut icing (pure icing sugar 1 tblsp cocconut cream). Thakyou thankyou my 3 year old with autism just loves this recipe so do I mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Annabanana on September 08, 2010:

Hi! I just made this and it is fantastic, thanks so much!

I just wanted to point out that it isn't really a great idea to just stop eating gluten to see if you have an intolerance or celiac - that's what I did and it kind of resulted in my being screwed over. If you stop eating gluten before you are tested (and trust me, if you stop for a bit and feel way better you won't want to start up again!), then the tests will come back negative. I refuse to eat gluten again for the tests and go back to the pain/exhaustion/crazy moodiness/10 or so bathroom trips a day just for a formal diagnosis, so I don't have one - even though I know my own body and I know that I feel 15000x better since going gluten free two years ago. So if you suspect a gluten intolerance/celiac disease, don't stop eating wheat, go get tested first! Also, the article suggests just avoiding wheat to see if you have celiac, but gluten is in more than just wheat. So if you avoided wheat for awhile but had, for example, a beer or two or a chocolate flavoured popsicle or a rice crispy square (all made from barley) each day then your symptoms would persist, leading you to believe that a gluten intolerance is not the problem at all. So definitely get tested before trying any treatments/dietary restrictions yourself :)

Delicious recipe, though, thanks again!!

girly_girl09 on August 20, 2010:

thank you - I CANNOT wait to try this; I used to love lemon bread and have been looking for a GF version! My lovely mother likes to pamper me every once in a while and offered to bake me a few loaves of GF bread this weekend. (I love to cook but have never loved baking bread) I'll have to e-mail her this. :)

Laura uren on July 19, 2010:

thank you for a wonderful loaf that is guilt free and the kids enjoy this and hubby does too again i thank you

Rachel on July 17, 2010:

AMAZING!! thank you so much for such a simple and delicious recipe!! I only had a lime instead of lemon and it worked amazingly! I've baked gluten free for the last 4 yrs and have had so many disasters...not with this recipe! I also substituted 1 cup of plain yogurt for 1 cup of the butter and it still tastes so good! thanks so much!

Sandy on July 10, 2010:

Yummy, yummy! I just found this recipe today. I was told I needed to go gluten free about 2 months, and this is the first muffin/bread I've made that tastes good! :) Now I'm thinking of buying the cookbook you listed above.

Lucienne Newsom on July 04, 2010:

Two thumbs up and a WOOOOOOO! Excellent recipe :) ...

I played with it a bit, added vanilla & almond extracts, cinnamon & a little itty bit of nutmeg - used a combination of rice, soy & almond flours, then tossed in fresh blackberries & blueberries - made a crunchy topping out of butter, brown sugar, graham, cinnamon, oats, pralines, almonds & lemon juice ... nommy! All out of lemons so made my glaze with lime - oh, so very good :)) black & blue banana cake with a citrus kick :))

Irina on June 22, 2010:

i can't seem to find white rice flour. do you think using brown rice flour be ok?

DDavison on May 22, 2010:

Yum! I have been looking for a good gluten free banana loaf recipe and love the lemon twist on this! I only had cream cheese on hand and about a tablespoon of butter and this recipe was still fantastic! Really nice and moist! I also used less sugar, but I always cut sugar to about 2/3 of what recipes call for. Thank you soo much for sharing!!

Matt on May 12, 2010:

Follow up -- It tastes great! I cut it once lengthwise and about four times across, and with it being concave it made some nice triangular shaped pieces.

Matt on May 12, 2010:

I'm only a few days into going after gluten free, and this is the first time that I've baked using white rice flour. The cake has come out of the oven, after one hour baking, quite a bit concave. Total mind blow. I'll see how it tastes within the next fifteen minutes or so.

Alison Graham from UK on May 12, 2010:

A great recipe, thanks

John D Lee (author) on April 26, 2010:

Thanks very much for the kind words!

OldCrohnie on April 26, 2010:

I came here looking for great gluten free banana bread. I found it, the kids - who are not gluten free won't stay out of it! I also found many more recipes I love. I actually made 3 of yours today!!! Thanks for posting!

Kim on April 11, 2010:

Was very curious to try this recipe ! I followed your recipe exactly but used 1 large loaf pan and 1 mini to share. So far the smaller one is out and it looks, smells, and yes, tastes fantastic ! I am wondering though if the extra 2 Tbsp of butter is really necessary...I had butter "foaming" and cooking around the edges...thanks for the recipe ! I never knew rice flour could taste this good.

Caitlin on March 10, 2010:

I just tried this today it's gd I just added some walnuts and nutmeg an cinamin. Which was just great thanks for the great recipe

JennLee on March 01, 2010:

Mmmmm!! I added chopped walnuts, pecans & mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to this and my BF loved it. I am loving being G-Free!

John D Lee (author) on January 05, 2010:

You are very welcome SophiaGrea

SophiaGrea on January 03, 2010:

This is a fab recipe! I tried it without the bananas and a little extra lemon dash to make a pure lemon loaf. It tastes just like the little slices you can purchase at starbucks! thankss!!

John D Lee (author) on December 28, 2009:

Glad you liked it Selena ...but you gotta use the lemon topping - it's the best part!

Selena Shannon on December 28, 2009:

Bliss! Used half rice flour, half Bob's gluten free flour mix. Added 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Tastes like the real thing. Forgot the lemon topping but it is more than fine as is.

John D Lee (author) on December 21, 2009:

Hi Nat, Thanks for the comment and the best wishes - glad you like this lemon loaf as much as we do!

Nat on December 18, 2009:

Thank you sooo much for sharing this.

You and your mom improved the life of celiac people!

It's delicious, and way better than banana loafs I get from Starbucks.

I'm so happy that I found this just before Christmas. :)

Wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

sarah on December 05, 2009:

YUM!

My boyfriend is gluten intolerant, while I am not.

He's not really one for substituting, so we don't really do much baking, but eat lots of rice and chocolate... never cakes and bread.

Always pitied him not being able to eat the delicious things I can.

Until I made this recipe...

If this is gluten-free cooking, i'd be happy to chuck out wheat any day.

J White on October 03, 2009:

I wanted to add that I used 1 cup rice flour and 1 cup garfava flour. :)

J White on October 03, 2009:

We've been GF for about a year and the only thing we have not found a good sub for are breads and muffins, and we used to eat a lot of them! Last week I had several very ripe bananas and did a search for "best gluten free banana bread". You recipe popped up and I gave it a try. OMG! Wonderful stuff! It is the first gluten free banana loaf that has all been eaten. It has kept in my fridge for just under 2 weeks and was still moist and yummy. Thank you so much!

David H on August 25, 2009:

Hi All, here's a couple of Convertor programmes changes Cups to Grams/Ozs etc and Vice-Versa.

.

http://www.jsward.com/cooking/conversion.shtml

Courtesy of JSWARD.Com

.

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/gram_calc.htm

Courtesy of Gourmet Sleuth.

.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/resources/index....

Courtesy of Global Gourmet.

.

Best Regards,

David

.

P.S. fully intend trying the recipe.

John D Lee (author) on August 23, 2009:

Hi Fats,

Sorry, I don't have the weights off hand. DO you have a volume measurement? 1 cup equates to 250 ml.

I hope that this helps a bit

Fats on August 22, 2009:

Hi,

I would love to try out your recipe but was wandering if it would be possible write up the measurements in grams as cups are not available for me.

Would really appreciate it, if not I'll have to guess!

John D Lee (author) on June 13, 2009:

Kathryn, thanks for letting me know - I am very happy you had success with it!

Kathryn on June 03, 2009:

Hi. Great recipe. I made it and took it to work and both the gluten frees and the nonGFs asked for the recipe. ( PS this is also the 1st time I have been asked for a recipe!). Thanks!

John D Lee (author) on April 05, 2009:

Hey that's great - I will have to try your variations for pancakes and waffles - great ideas!

Megan on April 04, 2009:

I have to say, this is the best gluten-free anything I have ever made! I've used this recipe to make donuts, waffles and pancakes (add milk), cake (add sugar and frosting), and cake-ish cookies.

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Perfectly-Cooked Steaks Inside the House

If, for whatever reason, you can't grill your steaks, you can get a very, very acceptable steak with your trusty old cast-iron skillet.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you need to get one. Seriously. A cast iron skillet is a beautiful thing, and you'll find yourself using it to brown meat for stews, fried chicken, frittatas, whatever. Really, they're great to have.

Instructions

1. First things first, always take your meat out of the fridge about a half an hour before cooking and always salt generously. This salting will bring amino acids to the surface, and this will help you to get that beautiful steakhouse-quality browned sear. The old truism that salting meat prior to cooking it will dry it out is, well, an un-truism. Salting will make it juicier.
2. Pre heat your oven to 350.
3. The secret to a great steak is all about the achieving a great brown crust, and the only way to do this is with a seriously—get ready for the smoke alarm—hot pan. Get your cast iron on the burner, and let it get as hot as you can… and then let it get hotter! This is the make-or-break step to a great steak, so really get that pan red hot.
4. Open the window, and crank up the vent, and still be ready for billowing clouds of smoke... it’s the price you pay for a great steak.
5. Lightly rub a bit of peanut or grape seed oil (or vegetable oil if needed, you want something with a high smoke point, so butter or olive oil are definite no-nos) over the steak, and when you really don't think your pan could get any hotter, carefully place your steak in the pan. Let it cook for about a minute, and check it. You want it to get really crusted and brown. When it is browned to your satisfaction, flip it over, and immediately whack it into the oven to finish cooking.
6. The time in the oven will really depend on the thickness of the steaks used, and if the steals are rather thin, then you may not even need this step. Good inch-and-a-half steaks will be at medium-rare in about 10 minutes. Have your instant-read meat thermometer at the ready, and check the interior temperature early and often.
7. When the meat is cooked to your liking, let it rest covered for about 10 more minutes. This step is very important and too often overlooked. The meat juices will run to the hotter exterior during the cooking, and if you cut into it before these juices have had a chance to redistribute back throughout the meat, they will all run out, very sadly, onto the plate; and your beautiful steak will never be what it could have been.

Man, I wish I was eating a ribeye right now.

Comments

Dan on February 11, 2017:

I can't believe I'm the only one asking this question… In your initial step of getting the crust in your instructions you only did one side before you put it in the oven is that correct ?

Becca on February 21, 2016:

So...read this a couple of weeks ago, then we were having grilled steaks...surprise, no gas! I tried this method, using the 350 degree oven after the cast iron pan on medium high heat. Oh the smoke, but it was delicious! Steaks were about 1 1/2 inches thick, and a bit overdone to my liking, but hubby was happy. Normally we do not care for steaks cooked inside, but we will be making these again! I think I should have taken them out of the skillet during the "rest", but will do that the next time. Thanks!

Lisa on November 23, 2014:

I just tried this recipe for my family and they loved it! I'm not a steak person but living with 3 sons and a husband, I have had to cook many steaks and not until now have I had such a good tender steak cooked inside. I marinade mine in Soy Sauce while sitting out to get room temperature so I don't use as much salt. But with the other spices on them, it made the perfect "crust" and the steaks were cooked to the perfect temperature. Thanks!!!!

andrew on March 15, 2012:

how about cooking it all the way with the cast iron skillet, how do i go about it cause i do not have an oven. thanks

cooking4love on February 20, 2012:

I feel like a professional chef when I cooking with my skillet - take that Ramsey

mrsteaks on January 16, 2012:

I notice the towel over the handle, they do they get VERY hot!

I will be doing some steaks on the Q tonight as Winter is pretty mild this year and there's no snow to speak of. I've not tried your method but will give it a try when the snow hits, I've tried using a griddle pan in the house and they're just not the best for even cooking so a flat skillet may just to the trick.

Karen on January 05, 2012:

Dear Mr. Lee,

Thank you so very much for this marvellous method of whipping up a fabulous steak. I was scared stiff that the cast iron pan would somehow explode or crack my stove top but it all turned out beautifully. Smiles to you!

Holly on November 18, 2011:

This was amazingly good. I used marinated steak tips. Two of the tips were 1/2 inch and two of them were 1 inch. Since it was marinaded I didn't use any oil and seared for 30 seconds (holy smokes! Tip: Open a window in the kitchen and take a fan so the fan blows out the window). I put it in the oven for approx 3.5 t 4 minutes. Let it sit for 5 mins. The 1/2 inch steaks were cooked perfectly medium rare, the 1 inch was on the rare side so had to put back in oven. My recommendations for cooking medium rare would be 3 1/2 to 4 mins for 1/2 inch steak, 6 to 7 minutes for 1 inch and 9 to 10 minutes for 1 1/2 inch. Was AWESOME! Will never cook my steaks any other way.

big al on November 11, 2011:

Use a high heat oil like Grape Oil. DO NOT USE BUTTER.

Using the recipe on a 2 1/2 inch porterhouse tomorrow.

galaxygal on September 22, 2011:

Do I do the same procedure for a sirloin roast or this method only for steaks? i.e. salting, browning in a cast iron pan. and if so do I put the cast iron pan and the roast in the oven or do I move it to a roasting pan. Help lol

Frank M on September 14, 2011:

After the alarm company called and we sent the fire truck back to base, things settled down and the steak was great. So, take the smoke issue seriously - outside (even in Winter) is a best option.

Be sure to use salt liberally.

maryh2132 on August 28, 2011:

me: The steak is cooked in the oven at 350 degrees. I used this recipe last week on a slighty thinner steak and didn't put it in the oven at all...It was still a perfect steak.

me on August 28, 2011:

and no one says what temp the oven should be????

John D Lee (author) on August 10, 2011:

Mary,

I am so happy to read that you had such a good steak using this recipe! You are very welcome.

maryh2132 on May 22, 2011:

I am a senior citizen, and I have cooked for many years. My dad was a chef in a restaurant, and he cooked like a champ, but I have never had a beter steak than this. Thanks for the recipe. It will be used many times!

Mike F. on March 06, 2011:

Made the same mistake again, should have looked at my old comment!

This might seem obvious, but it's important to remove the steak from the skillet before covering or it will continue to cook. Also, if using thin steaks, the over period might only be one or two minutes, or maybe not even necessary at all.

John D Lee (author) on January 18, 2011:

Cody - you are very welcome

Cody Walker on January 05, 2011:

I tried your recipe tonight. ONLY because we have a tundra outside so we cant grill. They turned out awesome! By far the best steak I could have gotten out of cooking it in a pan! Thank you so much for your recipe

John D Lee (author) on October 14, 2010:

Hi Brian J - glad to hear you had some success and I hope you get inspired to ever more cooking!

The seasoning I use depends on a lot of things, like the cut of steak, what I'm serving it with, the quality of the beef, etc. But for a good steak, it's hard to beat just salt and freshly ground black pepper - as the last thing you want to do is overpower the taste of the beef with a lot of other stuff!

Bryan J on October 11, 2010:

oh boy, Im a college student whose culinary skills are... well.... practically non-existent, and thought i would slurge for a nice steak for me and my girlfriend. I came across this method meerly as a desperation attempt to find a way to cook my steak..... and it is AWESOME. What kind of seasoning do you use??

John D Lee (author) on September 12, 2010:

Thanks for all the comments - so glad to hear that people are having good results and tasty steak dinners using this technique!

Mike F. on August 22, 2010:

Great instructions for cooking steak with a cast iron skillet. Tried out earlier this evening, worked great (although the smoke alarm went off for a few seconds). Also, I left the steaks covered in the skillet for ten minutes but will use another covered container next time because the retained heat probably brought them from medium rare to medium, but they still tasted great.

Connie on August 08, 2010:

John D - so happy I found this again. I tried it about 5 months ago and it was delicious. Couldn't remember where I saw this and exactly how it went.

Thank you so much.

Dan on August 05, 2010:

Summer or winter this is the ONLY way I cook a steak now: I lite my gas grill and turn it to high with my cast iron skillet sitting on the grates. I let them pre-heat on high for 15-20 minutes. I oil my room temprature steaks with canola oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper 20-30 minutes before cooking. I toss my steaks in the skillet (do not touch or move, very important) for 1 minute timed, then turn over. I close the lid on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on that side. Turn the steaks and finish for 4 more minutes on the other side with the lid closed. Let the steaks rest as described above. This gives you a very nice medium steak. 30 seconds difference on each side +/- will give you a medium rare to medium well. I used to use my gas oven and stove top but this took all of the smoke outside.

Elsebeth, Denmark on July 27, 2010:

- and cover a wooden handle with aluminun foil, before the pan goes into the oven.

Elsebeth, Denmark on July 27, 2010:

Be good to your cast iron pans - NEVER wash them with soap, only hot water - need to clean it, use coarse salt in the pan and heat it up.

John D Lee (author) on July 25, 2010:

Hi Matt,

Glad you had good results with this method! An instant read thermometer is a lifesaver!

Matt on July 24, 2010:

I just tried this approach to grilling and I gotta say... I wish I was not full and still had more steak... It was awesome! I really need to get an instant read thermometer though, because I over cooked my steak to well done(thin steak). Even then, it was the juciest, tasteful, well done steak I've had in a long time.

Kudos!

John D Lee (author) on July 14, 2010:

Well, you could finish it under the broiler, but what you are really going for here is a gentler heat that will cook the meat to a desired finish without overdoing the exterior. You should be able to get a nice brown crust in the pan and so after that, you don't really need to finish it under the broiler.

Avi on July 14, 2010:

This is my preferred method of preparing steaks - true steakhouse results! One question - would there be any difference between finishing in the oven or finishing under the broiler?

Also with respect to Danny's question on using non-stick pans, my understanding is that you should never use non-stick for anything requiring more than medium heat as it can melt the non-stick surface which is harmful (both to you and to your pan).

John D Lee (author) on February 13, 2010:

Hi Danny - Sorry - probably not. Non stick pans tend to be pretty light weight - so when you put on the cold steak it drops the heat of the pan down dramatically. This makes it tough to get that nice sear you're after. Cast iron skillets are so heavy they retain a lot of stored heat, and so don't cool down much when you add the steaks.

Danny on February 13, 2010:

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, is it still possible to achieve this with a regular non stick frying pan? Snowed in and have these great steaks waiting.

John D Lee (author) on December 31, 2009:

Hi Abigail,

Yes, just transfer the steak in the skillet to the oven.

Abigail on December 31, 2009:

I'm going to try this tonight. Do you leave the steak in the cast iron skillet when you put it in the oven?

John D Lee (author) on December 21, 2009:

Hi Kevin B, thanks for the comment, winter is definitely a time of year for cast iron steaks!

Kevin B on December 19, 2009:

Since my BBQ is covered in snow, I thought I'd try this recipe. The steak was fantastic! The crust was great and the meat was tender all the way through. I'll defintely try this again.

Kevin B on December 19, 2009:

Since my BBQ is covered in snow, I thought I'd try this recipe. The steak was fantastic! The crust was great and the meat was tender all the way through. I'll defintely try this again.

John D Lee (author) on August 25, 2009:

Ashley, I'm very glad to hear of your success and that red wine sauce sounds like a perfect complement

Ashley B on August 24, 2009:

We tried your steak recipe because we live in Palm Springs and in the summer you don't want to grill in 110 degree heat! They turned out great and with the fan on we did not have that much smoke. For an added touch I added a slice of butter on the top while they rested and did a red wine reduction sauce. Perfect!

Nick G on February 14, 2009:

For Joel, I've seen people use Medium High heat for 3 minutes, I would imagine that it wouldn't get a beautiful a brown crust. However, it should still make a great steak with less smoke. And the lower temp might let you use an olive oil or a little butter (which would bring better flavor) And then into the oven for the same amount of time. Just a suggestion

Kara D on January 04, 2009:

This was a fantastic recipe! Being in Minnesota, we long for great steaks in the winter - this is a perfect solution!

Joel on December 30, 2008:

I've done a recipe like this before and loved it -- that was, however, before the birth of my daughter. We'd like to cook this tomorrow night, but we're thinking the smoke would likely wake her up. Any thoughts on how to cook a great steak indoors without creating a huge amount of smoke?

John D Lee (author) on April 02, 2008:

THanks Janet, - you sound like you know your way around a good steak!

Janet on January 11, 2008:

Tried your method for cooking steaks and just loved it. I have been a firm believer of cast iron skillets for some time but using this combined method of pan searing and oven was just perfect. I should know, my husband buy steaks for me to cook 'every Friday', so I have cooked many a steak in my day.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Four Perfect Corn-Grilling Options

Ah, sweet, sweet corn on the cob. Summer's perfect vegetable and a great excuse to eat loads of butter and salt! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a beautiful steamed or boiled cob of corn, and providing you've got a good fresh batch, there is not too much that you can do to mess it up.

That being said, don’t over-boil your corn; it only needs a few minutes in the water. Once it is heated through, it is done.

But if you’re on a bit of a boiled-corn marathon, it can be nice to give that corn a kiss of smoke on the BBQ for a change of pace. Grilling this veggie is easy, and it makes cooking even easier when you can cook your vegetable and meat at the same station.

Generally, the most important thing is freshness. This is, of course, true for all vegetables, especially sweet corn. Corn starts turning its natural sugars into starches from the moment it's picked off the stalk. After only three days, it has transformed half of its sugar into tasteless starch. Refrigeration can retard this process slightly, but fresh corn is always best.

There are four basic corn-grilling techniques. Each produces a different result. Whichever you choose, it's sure to be delicious.

How Can I Cook Corn on the Cob?

My most-trusted methods are:

1. cooked in their shucks,
2. cooked in just the inner silk,
3. naked corn on the grill, or
4. in tin foil.

The first two methods require a bit of soaking beforehand to save the "skin" from premature burning. About a half an hour of soaking is usually enough.

1. Cooking Corn in Their Shucks

1. Soak your corn for about a half hour.
2. After you have soaked the cobs, just toss them onto your preheated barbecue, and cook with a closed lid for about 15 minutes.

This is the most effortless method and will always produce a great cob of corn; but it won't be noticeably barbecued. With this method, the ears basically steam inside the outer layer, and the end result is not that drastically different from a boiled or steamed cob.

2. Corn Cooked in the Inner Shuck

1. Soak the corn for about a half hour.
2. Peel off the outer layer, leaving only the inner silk as a coating.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes. But take note: These will require a little more attention on the grill and will need to be turned occasionally to avoid burning. These should also be cooked with the barbecue lid down.

This method will protect the corn from the direct heat of the grill but will allow some of that smoky heat through. It should end up a touch blackened and smoky sweet.

3. Naked Corn on the Grill

1. Soak the corn.
2. Shuck it completely.
3. Grill the exposed corn directly over the heat of the grill for about 15 minutes with the lid closed. Turn every minute or so.

This method requires the most attention and will result in a more blackened cob. This blackening in not a bad thing. As long as you are vigilant and turn the ear often, this corn will taste nutty, smoky, and sweet. You should keep the lid down, but will need to keep turning the corn about every minute or so.

4. Cook Corn in Foil

In general, most people find that the second method is the best compromise. It's easier than the direct corn-on-the-grill method but will end up noticeably barbecued and not simply steamed (like in the first method). It depends a lot on your personal preference, and if you don't want to see any grill char on your corn, then the un-shucked method is probably best for you.

Try one. Try them all. Grilled corn is great!

Serve with lots of butter and salt, or as in Mexico, with lime juice, chili flakes, and thick sour cream. Make a fresh salad, soup, or just devour it hot off the grill.

Comments

Not Vague on August 28, 2011:

To Vague: You should read the article. It does mention soaking and cooking time.

Vague on July 16, 2011:

Your instructions for barbeque corn as very vague. You do not say how long to cook the bare corn or even how long to soak if you are leaving the shucks on?

Ronnie on July 30, 2010:

AWESOME VIDEO!!! Thanks sooo much for posting/making it!!!!

John D Lee (author) on July 14, 2010:

Yep - sometimes the cooking doesn't have to be complicated!

Cindi on July 08, 2010:

Thanks for the info, just got a new grill and I wanted the lazy mans cooking for corn on the cob. Going to try the corn in it's husk and see how I fare. Thank you.

notacook on June 12, 2010:

I can cook to pass, but one thing I do know is the blackened char on anything charbqued is carcinogenic.

bill on June 07, 2010:

It is called an ear of corn. The cob is what the kernels are attached to and you don't eat the cob.

qfas'gsvnafg on May 31, 2010:

thank's for posting vid

jason on May 30, 2010:

I had the best burgers and I can honestly say your ideas had a lot to do with it. Thanks so much.

stars439 from Louisiana, The Magnolia and Pelican State. on April 09, 2010:

Delicious ideas. Thanks for sharing. God Bless You

Greg on April 24, 2009:

wrap in foil shucked and cook for fifteen minutes in the covered bbq.... yummy!!!!

Julie-Ann Amos from Gloucestershire, UK on September 23, 2008:

Great hub, have linked it to mine on grilling thanks

John D Lee (author) on July 10, 2007:

I feel for you Dan.

The Dan Sai Kid from Scotland on July 10, 2007:

I can't get nice, sweet corn in Scotland - woe is me! Edit: I mean corn that is sweet btw. Not sweetcorn, there is always plenty of that. Does that make sense?

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Overcooking Sausage Is a Common Problem

Smoky, browned BBQ sausages are a summertime treat, and the smoky heat of the grill is one the best possible ways to flavor a fresh sausage. These meaty treats are a great weekday meal too, as they require very little preparation. You can turn them into a flavorful dinner in literally minutes. Too often though, grilled sausages turn out dry and flavorless due to incorrect or careless cooking; People tend to cook sausages for far too long. Because a sausage is a ground-meat product, it needs to be cooked to an interior temperature of 160 degrees, but no more than that.

Direct Heat Makes the Juices Boil and the Sausages Burst

If you cook a sausage over direct heat, the heat of the flames will quickly bring the juices of the interior of the sausage past the boiling point, and this will cause the sausage to split. All of those flavorful juices will run out of the sausage and onto the flames, creating troublesome flare ups—and you'll lose a lot of flavor.

Indirect Heat Solves This Problem

A much better way to BBQ a sausage is through indirect heat; it's sort of a smoky way of roasting the sausages.

The difference between a carefully cooked, juicy, and tender sausage and a high-heat-grilled, split-open, dry, and over-cooked sausage is incredible, and the indirect method is also the easier way to cook these backyard treats.

How to Grill Sausages Over Indirect Heat

1. Give the sausages a minute or two over high heat. This is to brown them.
2. After a minute or so on both sides, turn the heat on your grill down to medium. Arrange your sausages as far from the heat source as possible or as close the lid as you can.
3. Allow the BBQ to roast the meat.
4. The sausages will cook in 10 to 15 minutes depending on their thickness. It's very handy to have an instant-read thermometer here.
5. Remove the meat from the grill once they reach an interior temperature of 160 degrees.
6. Serve with good rolls, lots of chopped onion, sauerkraut, a few varieties of mustard, and I even like a little mayo (because sausages just don't have quite enough fat!) on my monstrous sausage roll creation!

This Is My Kind of Meal

You Can Also Poach Them!

If you are looking for an even easier way to cook your sausages that will also turn out a great, perfectly cooked product, you can first poach them until the internal temperature has almost reached 160, and then transfer to the grill on high heat for a few minutes so that they brown.

1. When poaching sausages in water, heat a large pot of water to a very gentle heat, below even a simmer. Never let the water come to a boil. If the water boils, it will cause the sausages to rupture, spill their juices, and create a dry and bland sausage. You're aiming for an internal temp of 170 degrees.
2. Let poach for about 8 minutes, and transfer to the grill for browning.
3. Grill briefly on each side. You just want to brown the meat.

This method is pretty good and will allow for perfectly cooked sausages, but will not give quite as much flavor as the BBQ's indirect roasting.

You'll never make a blackened, split-open, or dry sausage again if you use either of these easy cooking techniques.

Here's a Video If You'd Like to Know More

Comments

tslade@mweb.co.za on June 10, 2020:

GREAT, THANK U SOOOOOOOOO MUCH, WORKED LIKE A DREAM!!!

GWYN

mahdi jafarian from newcastle on March 28, 2016:

kebabs specially lamb which is marinated in grated onion taste always unbeleavably delicious. All kebabs taste better on natural charcoal.

basspro on May 31, 2013:

great job. here is a great brisket recipe

https://discover.hubpages.com/food/slow-and-low-br...

casst thomson on June 16, 2012:

great recipe . i have 6 times already

Anne on May 27, 2012:

Would it be ok to part cook sausages in the oven before putting them on the barbecue to brown and get some extra flavour?

http://bestcookinggrill.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/cooking-grill-easy-step-on-grilling/ on May 02, 2012:

Great Recipe! it really is and must be appreciated by all! :)

Maria on January 22, 2012:

My question is,the smoky-style sausage should be pre-cooked or not?

The Midwest Man on November 09, 2011:

Nice. I've been doing this for a while now; they turn out so much better. Add some hickory or oak wood to the fire and get some extra smoked flavor in their as well.

InTuneWithCooking from Australia on November 01, 2011:

Fantastic! That's it, sausages on the grill for dinner tonight.

SterlingBBQ on August 12, 2011:

Great Article, got the grill firing up right now, with apple chips and plum hardwood charcoal providing the smoke and heat.

saif113sb on July 28, 2011:

Very nice and informative hub. Thanks

breakfastpop on July 16, 2011:

Thanks so much for this great hub. I am sitting here with sausages and a grill and now I know what to do!

choooch on October 11, 2010:

Great recipe. I've used it 5x already. Thanks!

www.creativecoversinc.com

datahound from USA on September 25, 2010:

Excellent information. I've always cooked on a low flame with the lid down to oven roast but they do crack. Why waste that flavor. I am anxious to give your method a shot next time.

Thanks

John D Lee (author) on October 06, 2009:

Poaching in beer sounds tasty. Can't wait to try that!

Bob.Currer@gmail. from El Mirage, AZ on October 05, 2009:

I like to boil bratwurst in beer with a small onion (quartered), Red pepper flakes, and a pat of butter. Then I toss them on a grill to crisp them up. Smoking them a bit is great, apple wood is hard to come by in these parts, but my daughter has a mesquite tree that is a willing donor to the wood pile.

John D Lee (author) on July 14, 2009:

Hi Danbr7777,

Apple wood is tasty - although not readily available in my neck of the woods. I am currently using Longon wood (a fruit tree) which is a very nice mild smoke - for sausages normally though, just plane Jane charcoal is just fine!

danbr7777 on July 14, 2009:

Good information. I could not agree with you more about cooking them with indirect heat. I like to smoke them with a little applewood. What wood do you use?

John D Lee (author) on May 08, 2009:

Thanks Chris, glad the sausages were to your liking!

Chris Dee on September 01, 2008:

Great suggestions on grilling the links. Really. Came out perfect.

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Which Type of Flour Is Right for Your Particular Baking Needs?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that cake flour is good for cake, and bread flour is good for . . . wait for it . . . bread! But why? And why do some all-purpose flours seem to make great bread, and others make disappointing loaves? And what the heck is self-raising flour anyway?

The primary differences between different types of flour are:

• The amount of wheat germ and bran that are milled with the flour.
• The type of wheat used for the flour.
• The relative protein content of the wheat.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is the strands of amino acid proteins that bind together in a bread dough after adding water. The higher the protein content, the more gluten can develop.

Mechanical mixing (kneading) creates longer and stronger chains of gluten. The reason that you spend so much time kneading when making bread dough is to create lots of these strong gluten chains, and if you under knead, your bread will generally fail to rise well.

These chains of gluten are important for bread, as they are what allow the dough to capture the created gasses during the cooking and leavening processes, and expand from dense to light. High gluten is not considered an asset when making pastries, pie crusts, or biscuits as the gluten can make these doughs tough and chewy.

Northern and Southern All-Purpose Flour

There is a difference between all-purpose flour from the southern climates, and that from more northern climates. Wheat grown in northern climates contain higher amounts of gluten. This can explain why an all-purpose flour bought in Wisconsin makes great bread, and an all-purpose flour bought in Alabama doesn't.

Whole-wheat flour is high in protein, but the protein from the germ and bran doesn't turn into gluten very well. As such, whole-wheat loaves of bread tend to be heavier, but more flavorful than white-flour loaves of bread. On the other hand, rye bread contains very little gluten, and as such rye bread is very dense.

So, if you are making bread, use a northern all-purpose, or bread flour, and if making pastry, use a southern all-purpose, cake or pastry flour. Always look for flour labeled unbleached, as it tastes better, and store whole-wheat flour in the fridge or freezer.

Whole-Wheat Flour

Whole-wheat flour is simply wheat that has been milled into flour with some, or all, of the germ and bran still attached.

Additionally, different varieties of wheat contain different amounts of protein. The more protein in the flour, the higher the amount of gluten it contains.

Cake Flour

Cake flour is a low gluten flour that has also been chemically altered slightly for better use in cake baking.

Self-Rising Flour

Self-rising flour is generally all-purpose flour that has had baking powder mixed in and does not require any additional baking powder to be added when making biscuits, pancakes, or muffins.

Protein Content by Percentage

The protein content of these types of flours are approximately:

• Cake flour: 7–8% protein
• Southern all-purpose flour: 7.5–9.5% protein
• Northern all-purpose flour: 11–12% protein
• Bread flour: 12–13% protein

What Flour Should You Use?

Don’t worry too much about it all though, as most of the time, using whatever flour you have on hand will work out just fine, and you should never not bake that apple pie just because you only have bread flour on hand. Bake those cookies, make that bread, and enjoy the aroma of home baking—it's always appreciated.

Comments

Heidi Theron on December 05, 2017:

I really enjoyed reading your article. It was detailed enough for me to sound clever when sharing the lesson with my friends, and straight forward enough for me to actually understand it myself.

I only have bread flour on my nut I'm desperate to bake cookies, so I shall go ahead as you have encouraged you readers to do :-)

Angela Gillon on October 31, 2017:

I’m out of all purpose flour. So can I substitute with cake flour?.

Teresa on March 12, 2016:

Is there any difference between South African and Canadian flour. A lot of my recipes that worked in SA don't work here. Any suggestions?

RY on June 05, 2014:

Can I use unbleached white whole wheat flour in a recipe that calls for unbleached flour?

Ezra on June 06, 2012:

What do you recommend for a pie crust that is gluten free?? THanks

Liz Cumbria England on May 19, 2012:

Hi just made a traditional banana bread using bread flour even though it states use plain .... it has worked and a good and flavour(Telegraph Cook Book 1984) texture added less sugar as we have a diabetic family member. Sometimes I make muffins could I use bread flour for this? Thanks.

Rickrodri on March 12, 2012:

John D, Thanks for all the great info! Here's yet another question for you. If all purpose flour already has baking powder in it and the recipe calls for 1 tsp more baking powder, and I would like to use cake flour for my cupcake recipe instead, in addition to the 1 tsp, how much more baking powder would I have to add to the cake flour? Thank you.

mrsgroom on February 22, 2012:

I need to make cinnamon rolls and only have bread flour do you think they will turn out ok? From what I have read seems like it will be ok. I do have a little all purpose flour I can mix in , but I dont have to mix.

Thanks for all the information.

Melissa on February 04, 2012:

I make all of our bread in my bread machine. Our food co-op carries organic all purpose and organic pastry flour but no bread flour so I've been using pastry flour. Should I use all-purpose or continue using the pastry flour and add gluten. If so, how much gluten should I add? Thanks!

Ekk on January 20, 2012:

very good and useful knowledge, thank you!

mark on January 16, 2012:

I am trying to clone KFC breading to get that light color with the thickness that it has can anyone help thanks..

Anthony on January 12, 2012:

I like to bake but had no idea about different floures. I wanted to know what type of flour should I use for pizza dough.

kim on January 05, 2012:

Can or should I use bread flour in my biscuits? I've always used AP flour in everything except for home made bread. I'm just wondering if I could improve my biscu.

tam on December 28, 2011:

i want to make a pund cake but its requiring cake flour, can i use all purpose flour instead?

Regine on December 19, 2011:

Just a comment regarding using all purpose and cake flour in cakes. I hate the strange after taste of cake flour. I have always and successfully use 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp of cornstarch for every cup of cake flour. Try it. It leads superb results!

ml on December 12, 2011:

Cake flour or all purpose flour for red velvet cake which is better

NancyG on December 12, 2011:

I have a recipe for butter cookies that calls for bread flour - can I use all-purpose flour?

will on December 03, 2011:

can you use self raising flor instead of strong white bread flour?

Cindy on November 29, 2011:

I am making 4 banana breads, which willrequire 5 1/4 cups of all purpose flour. I only have 3 cups, but have cake and pastry flour. Can I mix the two flours. thanks in advance for advice

Stephon on November 17, 2011:

This is very good for kids who are in science fair.Fluffy pancakes are the best

Keola on October 11, 2011:

I have an odd question:

I have whole wheat flour, and some vital wheat gluten flour. I want to make banana bread.

If I have been understanding everything right, I can add 1 tblsp. of vital wheat gluten to the 2 cups of whole wheat flour I am using in the bread and that should make it lighter/fluffier and less heavy/dense?? Great useful hub, thanks so much!

Barbara on September 27, 2011:

Okay, I have a bread making machine and have been using bread flour for the machine to make my dough as well as other breads. I live in MN. So are you telling me I have been buying higher priced Bread Flour when I do not need to be??

Masuzyo on September 20, 2011:

So can self raising flour be used in cake making? i have a cake recipe that calls for the addition of bicarbonate of soda and i only have self raising flour in the house,and yogurt on hand to compliment the soda?....

HEATHER COETZER on September 15, 2011:

MAYBE COMMENTS ABOVE ME HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION TO THE USE AND BENEFITS OF CORN FLOWER IN COOKIES AND BISCUITS BUT THERE TOO MANY FOR ME TO READ THROUGH SO ILL SAY WHY I INSIST ON ADDING 1 1/2 TBS CORN FLOWER TO MY BISCUIT MIXTURE..... IT MAKES THEM DIVINELY "CRUNCHIER" TRY IT!!!!

Habibeh Alikhan on September 05, 2011:

cake flour for cakes has been disappointing, because these cakes seem too smooth in texture, I prefer all purpose flour. An old book that I still have is "The Desert Lover's Cookbook" by Marlene Sorosky.

All her cakes have turned out great and she only uses all purpose flour in her recipes. Whereas the cake recipes that I got off the Internet including from "Joy of Baking" Martha Stewart, or any other website those that use cake flour have been very disappointing

kenny chang on September 01, 2011:

hi john,

what are the different between cake.bread and pastry flour by seeing and touching them?

John D Lee (author) on August 31, 2011:

Kenny - flour grown and sold in the south tends to have lower gluten content than northern milled flours - hence southern cooking has evolved around things like biscuits, which work very well with lower gluten flours. This is why you need different amounts of water in recipes using northern or southern flours

kiki berg on August 31, 2011:

can any one tell me if one can buy unrefined wholegrains from the flower mills?

arham 4rm khewra pakistan on August 28, 2011:

can any one tell me that can we not use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?according to the recipe cake flour has to add but i have no cake flour cant i use all purpose flour in stead of cake flour ? please guide me

angel on August 24, 2011:

can i use bread flour to make pie crust or do i need to go to the store and buy all purpose flour?

Sam on August 22, 2011:

I have recipes that call for cake flour which is not available in the uk. Does anyone know what can I substitute it for?

AW on April 12, 2011:

I live in China where we only have high gluten and low gluten flour available. Which flour is best to make cookies? (sugar, peanut butter, chocolate chip, etc)

cheri on March 07, 2011:

thanks for this great and informative article!=)

eclecticeducation on February 21, 2011:

Thank you for this info!

Roxie on February 18, 2011:

Regarding the question about cornstarch and all purpose flour as a substitution for cake flour... It's is said that all purpose flour is equivelant to slightly less volume of flour than cake flour, app. 1 Tbsp. less per cup. So, some say add cornstarch in that amount (1 T to the all purpose flour to equal 1 cup total volume.) This is said to more closely resemble the density and other properties of cake flour. Can't vouch for it myself, I have yet to try it but will post back on my results!!

Kenny on February 10, 2011:

I just moved from the south to the northwest to start college. I found that alterations needed to be made to my mom's bread recipe for it to taste like she makes it. I have to add more water, and more yeast. I also get better bread by mixing 1 cup bread flour, and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; everything has to be warm, and even the order the various ingredients are added. I'm happy to figure these things out, but why? Why would it make a difference from the warm, humid south, to the frigid northwest? Probably a stupid question, but I'm really curious...

Wendy on January 27, 2011:

I am amazed at the information provided here on your site, and even nore impressive is the amount of years you've been helping others so I firstly want to say thank you.

I'm making these wheat rolls

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/soft_whole_wheat...

and used all purpose for the major portion of it, except for the 1/2 cup for kneading in. While the recipe says it will be sticky.... its very sticky. Is it possible to still have soft dinner rolls without using cake flour? I've noticed using wheat flour tends to make my loaves dry and I always use vital wheat gluten.

Im in a very experimental stage right now.

elle libby on January 24, 2011:

i have a recipe for monkey bread...one calls for bread flour and the other all purpose...which would be better?

DiItYourSelfer on January 18, 2011:

I live in South Africa. We only have 2 kinds of white flour here (other than Self-raising): Bread Flour and Cake Flour. I want to make American Biscuit Mix but the recipe calls for 8 cups of All-purpose Flour. Would it work if I used 5 cups (plus 1 tablespoon) of White Flour and 3 cups of Bread Flour?

eatlikenoone from Saline, MI on January 09, 2011:

Thanks for sharing with people the difference in flour types. It's so important to use that right flour for what you are trying to do. I just got some cake flour today to use in my fried fish batter. I want less protein, so less gluten and more crisp fish.

John D Lee (author) on December 28, 2010:

Furnace fighter - I'm not familiar with the brand, but i suspect that if you used any type of bread flour as a replacement, you'd do fine.

Mathis, corn starch would certainly lower the gluten content, but it might also change the taste somewhat. I'd try using cake flour.

mathis patterson on December 20, 2010:

what can you put in regular flour to turn it into soft flour i was told corn starch

Furnace Fighter on December 18, 2010:

What is the difference between bread flour and Best For Bread Flour Hodgson Mill. Have a bunch of recipes that call for Best for Bread flour, they have stopped selling this stuff, and the one place that does, wants a stiff price for a small bag. Read somewhere more gluten added and a small amount of rye flour?

Furnace Fighter on December 18, 2010:

What is the difference between bread flour and Best For Bread Flour Hodgson Mill. Have a bunch of recipes that call for Best for Bread flour, they have stopped selling this stuff, and the one place that does, wants a stiff price for a small bag. Read somewhere more gluten added and a small amount of rye flour?

Carol H. on December 14, 2010:

My daughter told me, she made two batches of cookies this weekend. She sent her husband to the store to buy some new flour. My daughter never looked at flour in its package. She just used the new flour in her cookie recipes. She said the cookies were wonderful all even in size and nice & chewy. Here she made her cookies with bread flour. She said her family loved her cookies.

Frieda on November 18, 2010:

Came across this site while looking for pastry flour ~ lots of good information! Perhaps I could help answer a couple of the more recent questions:

@N. Anderson ~ I have found that adding Vital Wheat Gluten (1 T. per 3 c. flour) has increased the shelf life of my bread by a few days. Others swear by crushing vitamin C tablets and adding it to their breads, which I haven't tried. The bread around here gets eaten up quickly!

@Bredy girl ~ milk is used as a tenderizer in breads. An example is using milk in dinner rolls, creating a more tender, lighter crumb texture.

@Mademarion ~ All purpose flour comes from a blend of ground soft wheat and hard wheat. The ratio varies from region to region. If you sift your freshly ground hard/soft white wheat through a fine sieve, you will remove the bran which makes bread dough dense.

mademarion on November 07, 2010:

I have a grain grinder and make my own whole wheat flour, is there any way I can make all-purpose flour?

tracy on November 06, 2010:

I was wondering what is the difference between southern pastry and plain pastry?

bredy girl on October 18, 2010:

why do the french put milk in there bread?

N. Anderson on October 16, 2010:

My husband works with a guy whose girlfriend bakes cinnamon rolls and bread. She has experimented for years, and finally found a way to keep her fresh baked rolls and bread fresh as just baked, for days. She refuses to share her secret with anyone. Those of us who bake bread and rolls would love to know how this can be done. Does anyone have a clue what the secret to baking rolls and bread that stay fresh for days might be?

John D Lee (author) on October 14, 2010:

Abby - corn flour has no gluten, so it won't react the same way in many recipes as any kind of wheat flour.

komal on October 13, 2010:

h i john i like your hub .....it's really very informative for me... thanks john.

abby on October 11, 2010:

in a recipe, can u substitute corn flour with all purpose flour?

John D Lee (author) on October 11, 2010:

Caitlin, you can use bread flour, but use just a little bit less than you would all purpose. Because of the extra gluten, the cookies made with bread flour might be a little bit tougher.

v_kahleranderson from San Jose, California on October 04, 2010:

I came across your hub by accident, and I am very glad I did. You offer a load of wonderful information here.

Caitlin Tanaka on September 29, 2010:

can i use bread plain flour to bake cookies?

John D Lee (author) on September 23, 2010:

Hi Sammy, you could definitely get away with all purpose as a sub for the pastry. Not sure if other grain brans would substitute as well for the wheat bran...

Sammy on September 22, 2010:

Recipe calls for wheat pastry flour and wheat bran for the carrot cake. Can I substitute with any other flour?

Thanks.

John D Lee (author) on September 12, 2010:

Hi Sam,

The kind of flour that's best kind of depends on what you plan on baking.

Sam Rao on August 03, 2010:

Hey John, iv been eating whole wheat for a while but recently learned that the high gluten content of that isn't very beneficial. So, im thinking of switching to "Organic Pastry Flour" , thats a good choice right?

John D Lee (author) on July 30, 2010:

Hi Brad,

More kneading will improve things up to a point (it's hard to overknead if doing it by hand) but the cake flour just lacks the gluten you'll need to get a robust rise.

Brad on July 30, 2010:

Hi John,

great info I have cake flour and want to bake bread, can i knead the dough longer for a better bread

thank you.

John D Lee (author) on July 25, 2010:

Roxana, yes, you can add mix very high gluten flours with lower gluten flours to get a stronger 'bread' flour.

John D Lee (author) on July 25, 2010:

Hi Aimee,

flour that is opened and left for a long time in storage can attract insects. They are very small, but still...not what you want! If you are keeping flour for a while, just be sure to store it in something airtight or in the freezer and you will be fine!

Roxana on July 18, 2010:

Hi John!

Thank you for the very interesting article! I have a question: I live in Canada where we use "all-purpose" flour for most bread/cake recipes and they turn out great, but a friend of mine who lives in Slokavia and bakes goods from various European recipes needs "Manitoba flour" for an Italian panettone recipe that calls for this particular kind of flour. Up until now, I've never heard of "Manitoba flour", so I did some research and I understand that, for the Italians, "Manitoba flour" is flour with a higher gluten content (maybe like the "all purpose" that is found in Canada, therefore the name "Manitoba flour"?). Is it correct? And if so, can my friend obtain a high-gluten content flour simply by mixing very small amounts of "gluten flour" (which is also available here, in Canada) with the flour that is available to her in Slovakia?

Thank you!

aimee on June 18, 2010:

In answer to a previous post, you mentioned storing flour in the freezer to kill any bugs and/or eggs. Is that a common problem with flour and does that go for all types of flour? Those are certainly not the kind of eggs I want in my baked goods! ;)

Steve on May 11, 2010:

Can I turn soft red wheat into bread flour by adding gluten?

simran on May 03, 2010:

In India we do not get self raising flour can you please suggest how can i substitute it with normal plain all purpose flour or a refined kind of cake flour

John D Lee (author) on March 15, 2010:

All purpose flour will work fine, the waffles may just have a slight bit more chew to them than those made with cake flour.

ardsahalm on March 13, 2010:

a waffle recipe calls for cake flour, but if i use all purpose flour will it make a difference?

John D Lee (author) on March 02, 2010:

Hi Laurence,

Yes that would work out - although most all purpose flours will also work OK for bread.

Laurence on February 26, 2010:

I want to make bread but where I live they don't have bread flour. Can I use all purpose flour and add some Vital gluten so as to get the result of the bread flour?

John D Lee (author) on February 17, 2010:

John, Of the three you mention, plain flour sounds like your best bet.

JOHN on February 17, 2010:

I live in an area where all purpose flour is not available. What is best alternative for making pita? We can get cake flour,plain flour and self raising flour.

John D Lee (author) on February 09, 2010:

Hi Kathryn,

I am sorry to be of little help, but grinding wheat is beyond my area of expertise!

Kathryn on February 04, 2010:

So glad I found your site you have excellent advice! I grind my own wheat. I use a hard red and a soft white. I usually buy my wheat berries from Wheat Montana. My question is can I grind my own bread flour? I have different settings from pastry to regular. Any thoughts?

John D Lee (author) on February 02, 2010:

HI Avatart,

Whole wheat and rye breads tend to be denser - adding vital wheat gluten to the dough will increase the strength of the gluten in the dough and will promote a better rise and a lighter bread.

I am less of an expert on using whole wheat flour in pastries, but since many pastries benefit from lower gluten (pie crusts, for example) adding wheat gluten to such doughs may have a negative effect.

Best of luck!

John

avatart on February 02, 2010:

Hi John, I am new to baking. I am trying to make tasty treats that are more healthful for my family. I am wondering if adding wheat gluten to 100 % whole wheat flour will give me better results when baking whole wheat breads and pastries. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

ezy on December 26, 2009:

Thanks John for the info. I'm from Labuan Island, Malaysia and we don't have many choices of flour here. So, it's really helpful to know the substitute for certain flour. Love your hub.

C on November 18, 2009:

Thanks for so much insightful information. I will be on my way to my baking exploration. :)

John D Lee (author) on October 29, 2009:

Hi CayC,

Go ahead and use the all purpose flour for your cookies instead of the cake flour - you'll be fine!

CayC on October 29, 2009:

Hello, I was wondering... I am wanting to make some Shrewsbury Drops (a type of cookie) and it calls for 1 1/4 cups of cake flour, but I unfortunately do not have any cake flour. I have stocked up on white (unbleached) all purpose flour though and was wondering how much of it to use, or if I even can use it in these cookies? Any info would help. I am just learning how to make homemade cookies (newlywed) and would love any help anyone could offer!

Thanks! CayC

John D Lee (author) on October 24, 2009:

Hi Cherrille,

Bread flour can mold, especially if exposed to moisture, but in general the shelf life of refined white flours is long. You should be alright, although you should definitely discard if you see any evidence of mold. The flour may well taste a bit stale, however.

Cherrille McLean on October 24, 2009:

I have a bag of bread flour that was packed two years ago but not old in my house, bought just maybe two months ago. I am wondering what constitutes "old" before you have to worry about mold?

John D Lee (author) on October 24, 2009:

Hi rmcrayne,

Thanks for the compliment, and you are very welcome to link to this hub!

rmcrayne from San Antonio Texas on October 21, 2009:

You write really well. Glad I stumbled on you here. I'd like to link this hub to one of my cake recipe hubs. Would that be okay?

lebohang phetla on October 14, 2009:

i think cake flour can be used also to bake bread

John D Lee (author) on September 17, 2009:

Hi Nancey,

All purpose is a flour that performs up to its name - it will work fine for most tasks and I am sure it will make lovely cakes. You will be fine.

Next time, if possible, you might want to seek out unbleached flour though. It's a small point, but you don't really need whiter than white flour and you don't need bleaching agents in your flour either!

Nancy Spivey on September 16, 2009:

My husband brought me home a 25 lb bag of Enriched and Bleached All-Purpose H&R Flour for me to make cakes with. Will this work and is there any advice for making sure it turns out great.

John D Lee (author) on September 11, 2009:

If the recipe doesn't indicate cake flour - I'd probably go with all purpose.

Joan Jackson on September 11, 2009:

I found a recipe for a butter pound cake, but it didn't say what kind of flour. It just said 2 c. of flour. Do you know if i can use cake or all purpose flour?

John D Lee (author) on September 06, 2009:

Hi Davis,

Good luck with your flour mix - let us know how it turns out for you!

Davis Freeberg on September 04, 2009:

Great article, it was very informative. I had no idea that gluten could be so interesting. I especially liked how you ended it on an encouraging note. I wasn't going to bake my cake until I read that. Now I am going to try half all-purpose and use bread flour for the rest. We'll see how it turns out.

grace on July 27, 2009:

Why cake flour and bread flour are mixed in some recipes like brownies? thanks

John D Lee (author) on July 17, 2009:

Hi Kathryn,

try cake flour, it should give you a more spongy texture

Kathryn on July 16, 2009:

I have a great banana bread recipe and am looking for a spongy texture vs bread-like. I used an all purpose flour and got the bread like texture. Any thoughts?

Thanks

celticpride01 on June 29, 2009:

Excellent article but, I have a slightly different problem then knowing the difference between them. I noticed a number of people suggested reading the bag.

What if you no longer have the bags? I put my different types of flours (self-rising,all purpose,bread,bread machine) in unmarked containers! Long story but it goes without saying it was not intentional.

Now i have four containers of flour and no idea which is which.

I read somewhere there's a way to tell the difference. I think it involved adding a specific amounts of water/ flour together and observing the reaction/results.

Sound familiar to anyone? Any other ideas?

All help greatly appreciated.

John D Lee (author) on June 13, 2009:

Hi Novi,

The what flour you bought very likely is all purpose flour - feel free to use it, it should be fine. Best of luck!

Novi on June 13, 2009:

Hi,

is it possible to substitute all purpose flour to wheat flour (says it's for cake and bread) when making brownies? i went to the market to day, and all purpose flour is out of stock, and i just bought the wheat flour one..>,< (the recipe use all purpose)..

thx!! ^^

Vivian on May 11, 2009:

I would like to make some really crunchy choc chip cookies that does not spread too much and makes it too thin. Does any one knows what's the best best type of flour to use (cake, all purpose or self raising) or the combination of the flours that can product this result? Thank you.

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

Country-Fried Chicken

Col. Sanders be gone. Make your own country-fried chicken at home, and get a rich, dark brown chicken with a shatteringly crisp crust and a taste so good you'll find yourself inexplicably in front of the fridge at two in the morning eating its cold leftovers.

Debates over "real" fried chicken can get pretty heated when involving people who grew up on it, and there are certainly some regional variations in the ideal recipe. This one is pretty good though, and will be sure to satisfy even the most ardent fried chicken purist.

One of the keys to good fried chicken is using the right fat for frying. Unfortunately, the more saturated and hydrogenated the better! Now trans fats are kind of a no-no these days, but you might want to make an exception, just this once. The absolute best fried chicken is made with a version of 50% Crisco (you want the good old trans fatty Crisco, not the new trans fat-free Crisco), or other vegetable shortening, and 50% bacon fat or lard. You can use pure vegetable shortening to great effect, though.

The other secret to a great chicken fry is the pan, and this is where your old cast iron frying pan will really shine. Nothing beats a cast iron pan for holding the steady even heat needed for great fried chicken. If you don’t have a cast iron pan (you should have a cast iron pan), use the heaviest alternative that you have.

This recipe is not complicated and will make a fantastic country-style supper.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken: Perfect in a Cast Iron Fry Pan!

Country-Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 chicken cut up into parts for frying (You should look for a chicken that is 3 1/2 lbs or less, as a chicken that is larger than this gets a bit tricky to fry without burning the outside. You can also use whatever already cut chicken parts (thighs/drumsticks/wings) that you like instead of the whole chicken, just try to buy small-ish pieces.)
• 2 cups of buttermilk + 1 TBSP salt
• 1/4 cup of Tabasco sauce
• 2 cups flour + ½ tsp pepper + 2 tsp salt + ½ tsp cayenne
• Enough Crisco, lard, or bacon fat (or peanut, or palm oil if you don’t want to use a solid fat) to half fill a cast iron skillet

1. Cut up your chicken into parts for frying, and add to your buttermilk/salt mixture and also add the Tabasco. Keep covered in the fridge, shaking occasionally. This is best done the morning that you are going to fry the chicken. It can be done longer in advance than that, but if you are going to let it sit for more than a day, you should reduce the amount of salt a bit.
2. Mix together your flour salt, pepper and cayenne, and place in a big shakable container (a paper bag is traditional here).
3. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and toss in the flour mixture until completely coated.
   
   You want to let the flour mixture "set" on the chicken before frying it, so wait about 30 minutes after flouring before frying. This will help the flour to adhere and promote a better crust.
4. Heat your shortening, or shortening and lard/bacon fat mixture, in your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. If you have a deep-frying or candy thermometer, it is a good idea to dig it out for this job. The temperature of the oil is quite important to the overall success of the chicken. If the oil is too hot, it will burn the chicken before it is cooked through, and if it is too cool, the chicken will be too greasy. You want to keep the fat at about 350 degrees for the whole cooking time. This is why the very heavy cast iron frying pan is so good for this recipe. All that weight really stores the heat and the fat doesn't cool too much as you add the chicken.
5. Heat the fat up to about 375 degrees (It will reduce in temp. when you add the chicken.) and then add as much chicken as will fit in the pan without overcrowding. You will want to cook the chicken until nicely dark brown on the first side (about 15 minutes) before turning it over. After another 10 minutes or so, the chicken should be cooked through. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken a little before this point, and take it out when the internal temp is 165 degrees. (Alternatively, just cut into the chicken, and when it is white to the bone, it is done.)
6. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve with your favorite summertime fried chicken accompaniments. My favorites are a good sour potato salad and sweet buttered corn on the cob.

This chicken has a crisp, dark, flavorful crust, and a tender and seasoned inside: the perfect fried chicken. This recipe is a bit messy, and it's not super healthy, but once in a while, it is a treat.

How to Make Fried Chicken in a Skillet

Comments

Catherine Melnyk on April 25, 2017:

I really look forward to trying this recipe. I rarely fry foods such as this, but once or twice a year it would be such a treat! Thanks.

Lisas-thoughts101 from Northeast Texas on June 25, 2012:

Voted up and useful. It looks delicious. Good fried chicken is my weakness...... and cold fried chicken, when it is really good and homemade, is heaven. I am going to have to try your recipe. Now if you had a hub for sour potato salad we'd be set.

Lisa

Brandi on April 12, 2012:

Jo blo get a life.

jo blo on March 31, 2012:

wow the spelling mistakes in this recipe are crazy, no proofreading i guess?

even in the video the ingredients flash up on the screen and italian is spelled itailian? c'mon. proof read your shit

Abigail on March 29, 2012:

Do you possibly have any idea where one could find the old trans fatty Crisco? I made this and it was delicious!

carljsp on January 10, 2011:

looks delicious ...try spicy garlic curd chicken recipe in my profile one of my favorite chicken recipe....

Anamika S Jain from Mumbai - Maharashtra, India on June 10, 2010:

Those looks so yummy, I got to try it too! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

Michael Shane from Gadsden, Alabama on March 22, 2010:

Nothing like it John!

Divas Can Cook on December 12, 2009:

Ohhh John this chicken looks superb! I can smell it cooking! Send me over a piece.

John D Lee (author) on August 27, 2009:

I use wheat flour

emdi on August 27, 2009:

What type of flour do you use, wheat or corn?

Eaglekiwi from -Oceania on June 14, 2009:

Great hub , I have travelled a long way to test out the theory of 'southern fried chicken'!! your hub sure sounds like I may have finally found the treasure ,thankyou for sharing ,love the video too! bon appetite..cant wait to cook some bring on the trans fat I say...( once never hurt anyone)

maisdinheironet from Portugal on May 21, 2009:

So so goood! ;) Thanks!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 25, 2009:

Gave away all our cast iron pans when we moved. Now I keep reading how we need them. Wouldn't you know! Maybe I'll pick one or two up in a thrift shop some day.

blondepoet from australia on April 20, 2009:

Mmmmmmm boy can you cook look forward to browsing your recipes

moonlake from America on January 24, 2009:

I agree with you on the Crisco that's what makes good fried chicken. My recipe is a little different then yours but will have to give yours a try. When we were newly married and moved up north all my husbands family had to make fried chicken for me, Aunts, uncles, cousins no matter who invited us over they made fried chicken. They were being so nice but after they fried it they put it in the oven for an hour. I didn't have the heart or guts to tell them they were doing it wrong.

Enjoyed your hub.

AntBee on January 05, 2009:

Good Demo, however chicken should not be turned but once!

You fry your seasoned chicken in medium hot oil (a few pieces at a time) and brown it on one side (about 8-10 minutes for the larger pieces), then turn it and brown the other side until deep golden.

Also, brine your chicken at least 8 hours before you fry it.

Thanks for the video

John D Lee (author) on August 23, 2008:

Hi Bob,

That's not me in the video.

Bob on August 23, 2008:

I enjoyed your article. I love and make deep fried chicken all the time especailly during football season. I enjoy trying new recipes. When watching your video, I couldn't help watching you picking up your spices without washing your hands after turning your chicken. So, I must ask do you wash your spice containers after each use.

hungry on April 17, 2008:

dude, you are awesome! thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

do you recommend an oven fried/baked version that can come close to this?

thanks again, we really appreciate you taking the time to put this together for us on the net! You rock!

John writes these articles to try to pass on any great recipes and tips that he's picked up during my culinary journeys.

What's Better Than a Burrito?

Man, chimichangas are delicious! Whoever thought of taking all the goodness of a burrito and frying it is a genius! It's probably not a great meal to eat every day, but once in a while, a chimichanga sure hits the spot.

I'm happy to say that they're not at all hard to make. The problem most people have while making a chimichanga is the tortilla coming apart during the frying, which makes the burrito end up a goopy mess. The secret to making a chimichanga is to use a flour and water "glue" to stick the tortilla together.

You can make this recipe a vegetarian option by omitting the chicken. Alternatively, beef and pork also taste great. You can either deep fry the burritos or shallow-fry them in a skillet. Deep frying is better, but most people at home prefer the shallow-fry method. That's why these instructions are for the latter method. Follow these easy steps to chimichanga heaven!

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 thinly-sliced chicken breasts, grilled
• 1 onion, sliced and sautéed until soft
• 2 sweet peppers, sliced and sautéed until soft
• 1/2lb mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, grated
• Refried beans
• Vegetable oil
• Flour and water, mixed to make thick "glue"

Instructions

1. Mix flour and water in a bowl until you create a paste.
2. Lay out all eight tortillas on a work surface. You're going to put all the ingredients on them and roll them up for frying. Pile the ingredients in the very center of the tortilla, not edge to edge as you would for a burrito—this will let you roll it up and seal it later.
3. Add a couple of spoonfuls of refried beans into the center of your tortillas. Divide up the other filling ingredients into piles on top of the beans.
4. Take one of the tortillas and roll it over once. Add some of your flour glue to the two ends. Then, fold them in towards the center. Roll it again, using more glue to seal off the edge. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. If your tortillas are breaking, warm them up in the microwave a bit to make them more pliable.
5. Add about an inch of oil to your deep skillet, and heat it up over medium heat. When it's hot, add your chimichangas. You'll know it's reached the right temperature when a little piece of tortilla starts bubbling immediately when it's dropped into the oil.
6. You will probably need to do this in about three batches, as you don't want to overcrowd the skillet and drop the oil temperature down too much. Fry them for about two minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown.
7. Enjoy these with your favorite salsa, hot sauces, or guacamole. These will definitely become a family favorite!

Comments

Sal on June 18, 2012:

OMG!!

Mary jones on April 01, 2012:

How many servings does make

Casey Strouse from Phoenix, Arizona on February 12, 2012:

I love chimichangas and here in Arizona you can get them almost anywhere.

Anonymous on January 29, 2012:

Cherry-changa here i come!

Me: on January 13, 2011:

As a college student in Texas from Arizona originally. Chimichangas are a great taste of home

trista on August 31, 2010:

hahah TACO BELL IS NOOOOT mexican food. and people...it's CHIMICHANGA not chimiCHUNGA rotfl..

Nina on July 20, 2010:

Thanx!

Harry on May 24, 2010:

I'm gonna try a chimichunga right now!

Thanks for the video.

Laura D on March 07, 2010:

Great receipe! A great find on the internet.

brie on September 03, 2009:

i love chimichungas.mmmm

Nick on June 15, 2009:

does taco bell make chimys because i thin they should and in a chalupa shell

Kim Akers on May 03, 2009:

Add salsa and cheese before wrapiing and deep frying! Yum Yum!!!!

steve on March 24, 2009:

delicious recipe

Dontrez H. on February 02, 2009:

yummY!!!!!!!!

DBlade on February 01, 2009:

I love these! I like to simmer the chicken in enchilada sauce for an hour before making these, also canned green chilies are a great addition.

Mel-Kitchen Goddess Adk Loj on December 02, 2008:

I added salsa to a ground beef mix and a shrimp one as well. Thanks for a great recipe. My staff enjoyed!

REGGIE on October 21, 2008:

GREAT RECIPE THANK A MILLLION!

John D Lee (author) on April 02, 2008:

Thanks everybody - glad to hear that there are some bold deep-fryers like myself out there!

Larwance on February 06, 2008:

mmmm, yup it was pretty good. Thanks for a yumy snack!

Taryn on November 29, 2007:

Just what I was loooking for, thanks!

nobody on November 23, 2007:

yuck

reggie on September 21, 2007:

Thanks for a great recipe!!!!!!!!

John D Lee (author) on July 20, 2007:

I agree, a chimichanga rarely dissapoints!

Yummy!!!!!!!!!!♥♥♥♥ on July 19, 2007:

delicousy i love this for everyday!!!!!!!!!!!♥♥♥

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Homemade Tastes Better

I've made a lot of bagels in my time. I owned a bagel restaurant for years, and you would find me every bleary-eyed morning kneading the dough and hand-rolling all the fresh bagels for the day.

I've since gotten out of the bagel game (yay, sleep!), but I still love a great bagel.

People think that making delicious bagels at home is really difficult, but it's really no harder than making a loaf of bread and can be done within about an hour.

Don't be discouraged if your bagels look at bit funny at first, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Those curiously-shaped bagels will still beat supermarket bagels hands down.

What makes a bagel different from other breads is the two-stage cooking process. A bagel is first briefly boiled, and then it is baked. I worked the meat counter in a Jewish deli as a teenager, and as my boss would say, an unboiled bagel is just a roll with a hole!

Ingredients

• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these days is instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you won't be able to get all the dry flour incorporated.
2. Plop the dough down onto the counter, and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.
3. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized balls, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
5. Now, take each of the dough balls, and using two hands, roll them into little snakes on the counter.
6. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant roiling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers.
7. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish and roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect; it just takes practice!
8. Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and lightly grease a large baking tray. You can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.
10. After the 20-minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about 1 minute, turn them over, and boil for 1 more minute. Take them out a let dry for 1 minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat this process until all of the bagels are boiled.
11. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
12. Open the oven, flip the bagels over, and bake for another 10 minutes.
13. Take the tray out of the oven and let it cool for at least 20 minutes. Get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!

Toppings and Variations

• Toppings: You can add any toppings you like to these; e.g., cream cheese, lox, onion, tomato, capers, etc.
• Variations: To make sesame, onion, poppy seed, caraway, etc., bagels, all you need to do is have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as you would for plain bagels.

Bagel-Rolling Technique

Comments

Cristie on March 21, 2019:

Hi, just found this recipe. It worked like a charm the first time. The second time not so much- I added jalapeños and cheese and they just didn’t rise and didn’t want to get done inside. Also I wanted to bake the next day so I let them proof until they would float, put in fridge overnight, next day- no rise. Can you give some advice? Email: cristie@gccbg.com

Jessica on January 01, 2019:

I found your recipe about 8 years ago.I was living in Germany and was missing a good bagel with schemer. I came across your recipe, tried it and loved it. They have been a hit in my home and at brunch potlucks a like ever since. So easy and delicious.

Cristina on March 09, 2018:

Hi!

Can a stand mixer be used to knead the dough, or is hand kneading a must?

Thanks :)

Bagelmeister on March 05, 2017:

Did you make them?

Dawn Teakles on January 29, 2017:

Thanks John!!!

This was my second try at making bagels and the bagels turned out great!!!

Alicia Ridout on December 24, 2016:

I made these bagels often about seven or eight years ago. Now making them for Christmas morning. Looking forward to delicious bagels. Had to do some googling to find this recipe, but I wouldn't use any other! Thanks again for years of tasty bagels! :)

John D Lee (author) on February 29, 2016:

Of course! Thanks

John D Lee (author) on February 29, 2016:

They should float. If they don't, your yeast probably isn't working and you aren't getting any/enough rise.

Ryan on March 11, 2015:

Made your recipe the first time in 2010 and have been making every since with my boys. Thanks. I took a break from making them, but looked this recipe up once again because I don't want to try another :)

Julie on January 24, 2015:

Hi john

Made these with all sprouted grain flour. They were perfect. Great recipe. Need practice on the hand rolling technique

Thanks

Mollymf on November 02, 2014:

Woops- meant they're soft on the inside ;)

Mollymf on November 02, 2014:

These are so delicious, nice and soft on the outside with the smooth crisp finish on the outside. Third time making these in the last 3 weeks, can't keep them in the house for very long!

Goringe Accountants from London, UK on September 21, 2014:

Great article!

Jill on August 23, 2014:

Terrie Michelle, I always use active dry yeast when I make this recipe. Just proof the yeast first, as you would for any bread recipe. Warm water (for this recipe, I find 1 1/3 cups of water is the way to go), the sugar, and the yeast. Let it sit till frothy, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix. I've never had a problem using active dry yeast.

Terrie Michelle on July 24, 2014:

Hi, I will be making the bagels this weekend but I brought ActiveDry Yeast packets that states in it All natural yeast. It's not really rapid kind. Can I still use this according to your recipe?

Jill on May 04, 2014:

John, your recipe is fantastic, and I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I've made bagels before with MUCH lesser results. I have been making your recipe almost every Sunday for the last two months or so, and not only are they fantastic (and freeze well!) but they are saving me a boatload of money on bagel-shop bagels with absolutely no difference in quality. Thanks!

Ashley on January 12, 2014:

Oh these were delicious! I will be making them at least once a week from now on! Would you mind if I shared your recipe on my blog, with credits and a link back to you of course.

Jacob Jackson from Kansas on August 24, 2013:

these bagels look delicious

Kari on March 19, 2013:

Should my bagels float when I boil them? And if they dont, what am I doing wrong????

phorbekeery on March 07, 2013:

We utilized to get at the top of lifestyle nevertheless lately We have accumulated a new level of resistance.

Priya Singh from US on January 22, 2013:

wow, Lovely and tsty post...

rmcleve on January 22, 2013:

I wish my bagels turned out as beautifully as yours, but I love this recipe! My dough was a little dry on the outside for some reason, but the boiling process hid a lot of the uglies. Totally delicious, easy to make, and definitely a new recipe in my arsenal. Thanks! :)

Cyndi Rizzo on January 05, 2013:

Made these yesterday - they were awesome!!! Made 6 instead of 8. Making them again this morning. Making 8 this time. If I were to make 10 smaller bagels (good for little kids) would it change the resting/rising/boiling/baking times? These are amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Melanie on December 24, 2012:

This was my first attempt at making homemade bagels. I am so glad I used this recipe! I added 2 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten since I didn't have bread flour and I added about 1/2 TBS of molasses to the boiling water. It was easy, faster than any other real bagel recipe I've seen, and most importantly, fabulously delicious!

Cheryl on November 21, 2012:

I made the recipe exactly as directed and voilà! Bagels are in the house in Paraguay! This was ridiculously simple, and now I know that wherever I am, I'll never be bagel-less again! Thanks for the recipe!

Michele on November 10, 2012:

What if I wanted to make pumpkin spice bagels? How would I alter the recipe?

katelyn on October 17, 2012:

the bagels were great

Cheryl on September 30, 2012:

I got here through a friend who posted some amazing results from her first try on her Facebook page! I'm living in Paraguay and desperate for a good bagel... so I'll definitely give these a try. Flour down here in South America is generally classified with 0, 00, 000, or 0000 and after some research I've determined that 000 should be used for bread products due to gluten content - so I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes!

Gzksbyasuwi on September 10, 2012:

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Индивидуалки-очень-дешевые-Москва-не/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Отзывы-проститутки-спб-частные-анкет/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Интим-услуги-девушек-Москва-элитные-п/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Вызов-путаны-спб-на-дом-гламурная-шлюх/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Строгие-путаны-Москва-заказ-индивиду/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Интим-досуг-проститутка-Анечка-Москв/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Опытные-путаны-Москвы-фото-высоких-ин/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Шлюхи-г-Москвы-от-1500-руб-путаны-выезд-юго/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Индивидуалки-Москвы-выезд-Семёновск/

http://sampekumsho.blogs.cn/2012/09/09/Проститутки-Питера-метро-Пролетарск/

Sarah Kenatz from Kansas, USA on August 21, 2012:

What a great recipe! I actually found this a couple of years ago and made it several times. At the time, I was only baking for my husband and me, so this made much more than we needed, but I would toss the extras in the freezer and defrost them in the microwave for breakfast throughout the week. I haven't made them in a while (since my daughter was born) but sometimes I fantasize about it -- maybe I will try it again soon.

Hosmdmeios on August 14, 2012:

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/индивидуалки-в-г-москва-выезд-дешёвые/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/анкеты-индивидуалок-москвы-фото-элит/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/проститутки-с-небритыми-кисками-пута/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/лучшие-проститутки-в-возрасте-элитны/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/заказать-проституток-в-москве-яркие-п/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/шлюхи-запад-москвы-проверенныу-путан/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/проститутки-интим-досуг-путана-на-пол/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/проститутки-москвы-грудь-первый-разм/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/проститутки-100-фото-в-спб-путаны-москвы/

http://nahesbuens.blogetery.com/2012/08/15/проститутки-интим-фото-досуг-недорог/

Fansudeosab on August 10, 2012:

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/проститутки-москвы-большие-фото-анке/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/путаны-москвы-м-новогиреево-дешёвые-ш/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/где-же-все-лучшие-проститутки-москвы-super/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/интим-досуг-питер-шлюхи-недорого-услу/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/проститутки-пушкинского-района-с-пет/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/интим-услуги-индивидуалки-москвы-дос/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/индивидуалки-услуги-госпожи-в-питере/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/интим-досуг-выезд-москва-все-шлюхи-анк/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/шлюхи-москва-метро-партизанская-лучш/

http://snemugeloce.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/элитная-проститутка-карина-выезд-мос/

Mizosndufys on August 10, 2012:

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/самые-красивые-проститутки-в-москве-и/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/проститутки-питера-отзывы-шлюхи-в-мос/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/интим-услуги-индевидуалки-г-москва-са/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/индивидуалки-москвы-выезд-подмосков/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/выбор-проститутки-петербурга-заказа/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/ищу-проститутку-в-москве-путаны-выезд/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/шлюхи-питера-1000-р-час-интим-услуги-москв/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/шлюхи-москвы-до-5000-рублeй-интим-досуг-в-ва/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/настоящие-индивидуалки-питера-недор/

http://ansuwienre.blogetery.com/2012/08/10/индивидуалки-анкеты-москвы-шлюхи-мет/

Poimalokdoa on August 06, 2012:

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Досуг-Н-Новгород-бесплатные-интим-объ/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Проститутки-выезд-Иваново-сочные-шлю/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Самая-дорогая-проститутка-Москвы-цен/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Девушки-проститутки-красивые-киски-д/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Шлюхи-негритянки-Москвы-только-возра/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Сайты-дешёвых-проституток-Москвы-вые/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Проверенные-анкеты-индивидуалок-Пит/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Индивидуалки-спб-не-агентство-путаны/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Телефоны-чебоксарских-проституток-т/

http://medarsuan.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Интим-услуги-проституток-с-выездом-до/

Olsmaiswuda on August 06, 2012:

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Проститутки-Иркутска-молоденькие-пу/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Вызов-индивидуалок-Москвы-бюсты-опыт/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Путаны-Питера-у-метро-низкие-индивиду/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Вызов-индивидуалки-Добрыненская-пут/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Интим-путаны-Москва-питерские-индиви/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Подбор-проститутки-Москва-путаны-вые/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Интим-услуги-проститутки-в-Казани-вые/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Дорогие-проститутки-спб-самые-красив/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Анкеты-с-фото-Пермь-проститутки-темно/

http://nespumagonia.blog.com.pe/2012/08/06/Шлюхи-выезд-за-40-Петербурга-интим-досу/

Mozsiewuaq on August 04, 2012:

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Девушки-по-вызову-расценки-анкеты-опы/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Индивидуалки-лучше-девочки-в-Северод/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Шикарная-леди-интим-досуг-проститутк/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Проститутки-метро-Тульская-азиатка-п/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Анкеты-дешёвых-проституток-Москва-шл/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/проститутки-в-городе-Стерлитамак-инд/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Интим-услуги-Москва-проститутки-с-апа/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Индивидуалки-Дмитровская-выезд-прос/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Лучшие-проститутки-Москва-дешевые-шл/

http://naespolubecs.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Индивидуалки-Москвы-интим-услуги-Али/

Weavysiwson on August 04, 2012:

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Снять-проституток-г-Тольятти-дешево-в/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Интим-каталог-проституткок-спб-заказ/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Интим-проститутки-массажистки-самые/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Путаны-Москвы-интим-Братиславская-до/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Шлюхи-Питера-на-Ветеранов-индивидуал/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Индивидуалки-в-г-Казани-экзотика-фото/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Проститутки-Москвы-интим-досуг-Тула-в/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Зрелые-путаны-30-40-лет-Москва-девушки-по-в/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Проститутки-Уфы-анкеты-заказать-услу/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Проститутки-мулатки-г-Москва-самые-де/

http://bernapankiwgh.blogs.iol.pt/2012/08/04/Индивидуалки-дающие-у-станции-метро-п/

Angie on July 10, 2012:

If you get a small bowl of cold water and put a bagel in it during the proofing process, you will know if it is ready to boil. If the bagel floats within 10 seconds, it is ready to boil. If it doesn't, then let it proof a few minutes longer. In hot weather this will be just a few minutes, in cold weather it will take longer.

Ciaisoewyaw on July 09, 2012:

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/?????-?????-?????-??????-?????-??????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/????????????-???????-?????-1500-??-?????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/?????-?????-?????-?-???-?????-???????-?/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/???????????-???-???????-??????-?????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/???????????-?????????-?????-???????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/??????-???????????-??????-?????-?-???/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/????????-????????????-??????-??????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/??????-?????????-?????-??????-??????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/????-???????-?????-?-??????-?-???-vip-????/

http://dalopamunse.blognet.ru/2012/07/08/??????-??????-??-40-?????-??????-?-?????/

Dadunsimsid on July 09, 2012:

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/??????-????????????-?????-?????-????/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/????????????-??????-?????-?????-????/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/?????-??????-?????-??????-??????????/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/???????????-???????-?????????-?????/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/???????????-?-??????????-?-??????-???/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/?????-??-??????-?-??????-???????-vip-????/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/???????-???????????-?????-??????-???/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/?????-??????????-?????????-???????-?/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/????????????-?-??????-???????????-??/

http://snuepuderm.blognet.ru/2012/07/06/???????????-??????-??????-30-??-???????/

Liz on July 03, 2012:

Would I change anything if I used Rapid Rise yeast?

Tara on June 19, 2012:

BEST RECIPE! first time and came out perfect! The only thing i did different was to add BROWN SUGAR and HONEY to the boiling water

Steve NZ on May 31, 2012:

I have made this recipe dozens of times, well worth the effort and fairly quick once you get the hang of it.

I actually read through every single comment on here last night in anticipation of this mornings baking to see if anyone had any handy hints. Mine sometimes come out flat and hard other times tall and light. Inconsistancy is annoying, I think it has to do with the yeast and the temperature fluctuations we have here in southern NZ.

But after reading the comments I felt brave enough to try some new ideas, so used 2 cups high grade flour, 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup buckwheat flour (just becuase I had some to use up). I also substitued the sugar for honey and added baking soda and treacle to the water. They came out good, I wouldn't say perfect but I'm going to keep trying for perfect by changing things around a little.

I don't think the baking soda or treacle in the water made much difference, but I highly recommend making the bagel shape by making a ball and pushing your thumb through the middle to make the hole, way easier than trying to join the ends. Thanks for the recipe others I tried wer a complete disaster.

reagu from Los Angeles on May 24, 2012:

I've been a bagel fan for well-over 15 years. I prefer them over doughnuts in the morning.

BakeSisters on May 23, 2012:

My 12-year-old sister found your site... it's a godsend!! My mom had little faith that we could so quickly and easily master yeast cooking... especially the boiling process used in bagel-making! But our bagels turned out remarkably well first time and a second batch is now rising. We made 1/2 the first batch herb-garlic, with the addition of basil and garlic powder to the dough, and rolled them in chives and poppyseeds. The second half was honey-cinnamon-raisin. Thank you so much!! Our new favorite thing to bake, we had fun and got to enjoy a great bagel at the end!! The dishes were the only downside....

bakerbarb on May 01, 2012:

Wow!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! I always thought that bagels were too difficult for the average person to make! LOL this was easier than making an apple pie!!! My family loved them and I will deffinately be making them again!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

Laura on April 23, 2012:

I just made my first batch of bagels today! They are awesome!! Thank you so very much for posting this!! GREAT RECIPE!!!

Stephanie on April 22, 2012:

I learned to make bagels a few months ago. I have been through many recipes. This is by far the best! It is so easy and tastes great! I've made bagels that takes hours and even one that took a whole day. You are amazing!

Deanna on April 13, 2012:

Great recipe! Mine came out fabulous! I posted a blog step by step pictoral here:

http://howardavenue.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-new-yo...

Gregorious on April 07, 2012:

I'm going to try your recipe tommorow. Few years back I tried making bagels once, but they didn't came out right. I hope this time I'll get better luck.

momof4 on March 25, 2012:

Loved the bagels they came out great and tasted even better.

My kids loved them made some turkey sandwiched with them best bagels I have ever had.

Li on March 25, 2012:

I had a jalapeno bagel craving and was the only one at home so I made 1/4 batch - stupid right? I have made bagels before and couldn't be bothered looking for the recipe but knew not to let them double or get to puffy before boiling. I only had home brand flour and they were still great. I hadn't flipped my bagels before, next time I will flip only sime to see the difference.

I spray the oven with water upon putting them in to get a crisp crust. I have tried putting the malt syrup in the mix previously as another reviewer asked but they came out stodgy. When I added it to the boiling water it added a nicer colour and flavor than these.

I've never seen dried blueberries here. Has anyone tried making them with fresh berries?

james on March 23, 2012:

whomever said that the bagel tasted like a pretzel.. Umm duhh pretty much similar stuff..

Carolrita on March 13, 2012:

I just want to add my thanks to the hundreds you have received on this site. I'm originally from New York, lived in Miami and now live in Vancouver, Canada, While Vancouver is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live, great bagels are impossible to find. ( I can't understand why, because Toronto's bagels are as good as New York') Anyway, I've been planning to make these bagels for months and finally found the time. Made the dough in my Breadman, on dough cycle ...but removed the dough before it rested. Then cut the dough into 8 pieces, followed your instructions and "Bob's your uncle". OMG, I will never buy bagels in Vancouver again. Now if I can only find a way to import New York water to Vancouver (for the bagels) life would be sweet. Thank you , Thank you!

Michelle T on March 13, 2012:

I made bagels for the first time using this recipe and they turned out fabulous!! I made one slight addition, as I brushed the tops of the bagels with a tiny bit of canola oil which made the bagels brown very nicely.

louromano on March 10, 2012:

Looks great all. I feel hungry.Homemade bagel recipe is fantastic. It took me three tries to get this right (first time entirely my fault...not sure what happened the second), but it was COMPLETLEY worth it. Bagels here are disappointing, at best, and it's so wonderful to be able to have the real tasty thing. thanks !!!

Kellie on March 08, 2012:

This was such an easy & wonderful recipe thanks!

TechLauren on March 06, 2012:

My effort involved replacing 1C of bread flour with 1C wheat flour and 1t gluten all King Arthur brand. Turned out awesome. Easiest dough I've ever worked with! So fun!!!

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/LaurehWow/...

Rob on March 05, 2012:

Just followed the recipe and made homemade bagels for the first time ever. They came out perfect!

Can't believe how great these taste. Thank you for the post.

daniella on March 05, 2012:

OMG going to make these great recipie (l) lovethem

Marilee on March 04, 2012:

I know you don't need any more praise for this recipe, as there is already so much in these comments, but I can't help it--I just made these today, and they're amazing! I never thought making bagels was something that could be done so quickly and easily. Thanks :)

melanie on March 03, 2012:

Tried these today and LOVED them! Now if I can only make them last til breakfast...

richi kataruka on February 26, 2012:

we dont get bagels here in calcutta, india.. my friend had the in israel n he was hooked on to it.. so i gav it a try.. he said it was exactly like the ones he had ther... im so pleased :D thanks a lot

traged on February 25, 2012:

Yummy! thanks for that!

proxlittleman on February 16, 2012:

yummy

Hannah on February 14, 2012:

I have to tell you-- I recently moved to Germany, where there are few bagels and if you find them, they are NEVER boiled, not even steamed. I grew up eating bagels on the weekends from a local Jewish bakery and I was so homesick, first try they were alright, but I have a feeling they'll get better with practice and 1050-high gluten flour!

KristaLee on February 08, 2012:

Thank you for posting your recipe. I have been making them now for about a year and have added all types of ingredients into them. Sun Dried tomatoes and Basil is one of my most asked for. Tonight I am making up a batch of jalapeno and cheese ones. I've also done bacon and chives, blueberry, strawberry, and many others.

JodiV on February 06, 2012:

This is the first time I made bagels and I chose your recipe. Everything seemed fine and the flavour turned out ok but what I don't understand is why flip them half way through the baking process. They were looking great and after the flip I ended up having bottom halves of bagels with no rounded tops. I think had I left them they would have turned out perfect. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Andi on February 06, 2012:

I'm so glad this was the first bagel recipe I have tried. I have room for an improvement, but they still tasted great. Thank you. The recipe is great, and so easy to follow.

mary on February 05, 2012:

I just made bagel dogs and they turned out better than Ive ever bought from ANY box store. This dough is beautiful- so soft and supple after kneeded for the 10 minutes. I followed everything exactly except wraping the dough around the dogs and they turned out PERFECT.

ScottB on February 05, 2012:

Very similar to my pizza dough! Tried that and it came out pretty good. I used to be GM of a bagelshop, we boiled them, but I haven't even tried them in over a decade though.

Irenevosburgh from Philadelphia, PA on February 04, 2012:

Hi, I was looking on Yahoo search for my own HUB page Bagel Recipe to see where it ranked and yours was on the first search page...CONGRATS!

Very nice HUB.

Angela on February 02, 2012:

I've tried this before and after I boil my bagels, they deflate some and get very dense and lumpy. What did I do wrong?

Elisa on January 23, 2012:

I live in Italy and I can't find bagels here. With your recipe I can make them now!!!! Thanks a lot, they are really good and easy to make!

kxdorey from Beverly Hills, California, USA on January 13, 2012:

Way to make me hungry! Mmmmmm. They look bakery quality.

Bagel Spud on January 11, 2012:

Nailed 'em didn't I! Now I am North London's premier bagel maker. I've already put two bagel shops out of business and I don't even sell mine. I think they're intimidated by my skills.

I've even adopted a new nickname!

You've got to boil your bagel!

Jan on January 06, 2012:

What is instant yeast? Is it rapid rise yeast?

Angela on January 06, 2012:

Bagels are in the oven. I coated half of them in cinnamon and sugar for the kids. Can't wait to try them.

(I think I made them a little too big, next time I'll make the snake shorter and keep them a little tighter when I roll)

Kahla on January 03, 2012:

Just used this reciepe and added fresh roasted green chile to mine and they're amazing my neighbors won't stop eating them!! Thanks

Vespa Woolf from Peru, South America on January 03, 2012:

I make bagels infrequently, but will use your expert advice when I crank out my next batch.

Andrew on November 21, 2011:

Love these bagels!

Guy on November 12, 2011:

I'm assuming that your talking about the first mixing process, if this is the case, add 1/4 cup at a time and continue mixing until the dough reaches the desired consistency.

Joe on November 03, 2011:

How many cups of water should we add??????

Krazy Kook on October 30, 2011:

No idea how many times I've used your recipe, and shared it with others, but thank you so much!!

I've made several different variety's, and my favorite is adding cinnamon and dried cranberries when first mixing the dough.

Again, manyyyyyyyyy thanks for the best recipe!!

Yumi on October 28, 2011:

Btw, I'm making some right now!!! Just waiting to boil them!! Half Cinnamon Rainsins, Half Classic :D

Yumi on October 28, 2011:

I moved down to Venezuela from NYC!! Oh gosh! I was so desperated to find bagels (I found a small bag that were fluffy, tasted funny, and weren't worth the travel to buy 'em); so couple of months ago, I found this recipe! I WON'T ever buy them again! It is too easy, fast, and not delicious but YUMMMY!!! Thanks for this recipe, wherever I move, I'll have the chance to have a bagelicious breakfast! :D

Elisabeth Lowther on October 23, 2011:

I made your bagels today. I used half whole wheat flour in them. They came out really great and also looked quite nice thanks to the good description! Now we have bagels in Serbia!

Mr Bytchy from Taipei, Taiwan on October 22, 2011:

John,

This sounds great. I have been making bread for a little while and have perfected my 'Crusty Cloud' recipe. I am going to try your recipe today using my preferment (biga).

A former Montreal resident, I long for the bagels from Fairmount Bagel Factory http://www.fairmountbagel.com. I hope this comes even a little bit close.

Bytchy

Kristian on October 17, 2011:

Thanks so much for the hub! Haven't had a bagel, worth eating, since moving to the country a few years back. Time for that to change!

Cheers,

www.hand-made.com.au

Katherine on October 13, 2011:

I have made these bagels three times now. Delicious and so easy.

I've started making blueberry bagels by simply substituting 3/4 of a cup of dried blueberries into the mix and replacing the sugar and water with an equal volume of apple juice. I finish it off with a dash of ground cinnamon. Absolutely lovely. Excuse me while I go and polish them all off.

halaB on October 13, 2011:

Hi can I refrigerate the dough after the first rise and shape them the next day?

Jon on October 03, 2011:

Made these this past weekend. Got 8 bagels out of the batch. When all was done, they had the proper shape and consistency. Color was a little light... my reading suggests this might be because of missing lye in the water. Didn't feel adventurous enough to play with poison :) Bread flavor was a little flat. Perhaps some longer rising time for the yeasts to produce more flavor, or some different flour combinations. I'll certainly try this again and experiment more. thanks!

Nomannic on September 29, 2011:

Not quite the soft, doughy taste I was looking for. Tastes more like really good white bread. But still - very delicious. My family ate them right up. But a note - this takes more like two hours to do, at least the first time around.

Dr Rockpile from USA on September 28, 2011:

I never thought of making my own bagels before. Might have to try it!

amanda on September 28, 2011:

AMAZING!!!! So easy and tasty to boot.

Madds on September 25, 2011:

I laid my dough out and sprinkled cinnamon, sugar and crazins on it, then rolled up the doing and kneaded the extra stuff in. it came out amazing! thanks for the recipe.

BagelManiac on September 22, 2011:

This comment is for anyone who says that this bagel tastes like pretzel.

You never had a real pretzel in your life, if you think this bagel tastes like pretzel!!!! Great recipe, thank you so much. Just came out of the oven :) yammm

Middleton on September 18, 2011:

I added a cup of chocolate chips while I was kneading the dough and they turned out just like a bagel shops I'm so happy now thanks for the recipe :)

JimBakes on September 18, 2011:

Last week was the basic halved recipe, this weekend I decided to try chocolate chip. I know, I know, not very traditional but tasty! I followed others' tips and added the 1/3C chips (2/3 for the full recipe) at the beginning. I also wanted more "bagel" flavor so substituted barley malt syrup for the sugar (equal amounts), and added 1Tbsp of the barley malt syrup, 1Tbsp baking soda and 1Tbsp salt to the boiling water. They were excellent! Just the perfect tasting, chewy bagel. Next is some toppings on a plain bagel with the water additions. I can't believe how easy this is!

billybob122121 on September 11, 2011:

Thanks for the recipe i really needed it :) have a grrrreeeeeat day :)

John D Lee is a chef and restauranteur living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He's always loved to cook.

Texas Chili!

There are as many chili recipes as there are Texans. To say that this recipe is the world's best may be a little difficult to prove, but it's pretty darn good!

The secret to great chili is using the right ingredients and taking your time. You've got to let it bubble away for several hours to get the real experience.

I'm going to give a recipe for a Texan style chili. Now, a lot of Texans might say that true chili should never include beans, and I can't help but agree with them—but this is pretty good, and using black beans makes the recipe a whole lot healthier, not to mention a lot cheaper!

It may seem like this recipe has a lot of directions, but it's really quite simple, and most of what you see is my effort to explain the hows and whys of what you're doing as you prepare the dish.

Chili Recipe

This makes enough for a big family meal, with lots of leftovers!

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 5 green or red peppers (a mixture of the two works well)
• 2 lbs of beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
• 10 big (or 15 medium or 20 small) tomatoes, all coarsely chopped up. (Use fresh tomatoes if they are in season and local tomatoes are flooding the market. Fresh tomatoes in season can't be beat! If they are not in season, you might be better off using a large can of tomatoes.)
• 2 TBSP chili powder
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 3 cups of cooked black beans (A common mistake is adding uncooked beans into the chili figuring that they'll cook in the chili liquid as it simmers. They will, but the acidity from the tomatoes will keep the beans kind of crunchy no matter how long you boil them for, and I think that the beans are better when they almost disappear into the mixture.)
• Salt and sugar and dried chile powder* or flakes to taste.

*Homemade Chili Powder

I think another often overlooked secret to this dish is homemade chili powder. Store-bought chili powder is too aggressive, and I don't much care for the taste. Make your own by combing three spices, and see how much better your chili tastes!

• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
• 2 tablespoons hot chile powder or flakes

That's it. Just mix it up and you've got a great homemade seasoning that's going to make a big difference in your next batch of chili.

Instructions

1. Add a couple tablespoons of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pot on medium heat.
2. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until slightly softened, for about ten minutes.
3. Add the chili powder and stir for about a minute. Then add the garlic and stir for an additional 30 seconds.
4. You don't want the garlic to start burning, so after the garlic is ready, immediately add in your chopped tomatoes.
5. Transfer everything out of the pot into another pot or bowl as you get the beef ready.
6. Now, add a couple more tablespoons of oil to your saucepan on medium heat, sprinkle salt and pepper onto the beef, and add about half of it to the pot to brown.
7. This is one of the most critical steps on the road to great chili. You want to take your time and get that beef nice and brown all over. You want it brown, not just grey-cooked looking, as that deep brown gives a lot of beefy flavor to your chili. Keep the heat moderate and just keep at it. The rest of the chili cooking is effortless, so it's worth it to spend the time here. Repeat with the second half of the beef.
8. As long as the bottom of the pan has not burnt (By cooking at medium you should be fine. That crusty stuff on the bottom is like chili gold!) add all the stuff you just put into a second pot or bowl back into the cooking pot.
9. Add about a quart of water to the pot and set the heat down to low. You want to see the chili just barely simmering away. You want to get beef so tender that it literally just melts apart into the chili, and the secret to that is "low and slow!"
10. You'll want to keep this simmering slowly away for about 6 hours total, but there's really little effort required. Every hour or so, check to see that there is enough water to just cover all the ingredients. And what's better than a Sunday afternoon spent watching football with the smell of your chili perfuming the house?
11. After you've been simmering for about 4 hours, add the cooked beans into the chili, and keep that the pot trucking away for another couple of hours, stirring occasionally.
12. You'll know it's done when it looks like real Texas chili! It should have a uniform mixture. You won't see bits of beef and bits of tomatoes and bits of beans. You'll just see your reddish-brown masterpiece!
13. Now you're ready to season! Add about 2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, and as much extra chile as you'd like. Keep tasting it and adding more salt until it tastes like it should. You can also add a tablespoon or two of sugar if you think it's too sour. If you think it needs more of a chili kick, add more chili powder by the teaspoon until it's where you like it.

Great chili is all about harmony and balance. You want a perfect union of flavors, so nothing should be too dominant.

This chili recipe is a great basic chili, and once you make it once, it might become your family's new favorite!

Comments

NaNoska on March 26, 2017:

This chili is a huge hit with me and my family! I have been making it this way for four years now!

2patricias from Sussex by the Sea on October 17, 2012:

I've always used minced beef to make chili. I think it would be better as you suggest - thanks for an interesting recipe.

I am adding this to my Recipe Index for HubPages.

vtop on September 05, 2012:

From Australia. Huge Texas taste recipe. Thanks for the effort of getting it out there. Looking forward to cooking this for six hours and into it with fried polenta. Many thanks.

Tryshia on March 30, 2012:

ok im only 16 and this recipe was so easy for me to make and my family loved it when they came home from work thank you so much

DESIREE on January 22, 2012:

Wow... I'am soo glad I found this recipe. Finally, a recipe that uses fresh tomatoes :-) Thanks for taking the time in sharing your receipe to us. This was one of the best dishes I've ever made.

tom stephenson on January 21, 2012:

How long will Texas Chili keep unfrozen in the fridge?

EvaThomas30 from Washington on January 12, 2012:

This recipe sounds great. I have my beans soaking right now so I can make it tomorrow. Some people mentioned adding cinnamon to their chili. I don't think I'd do that but I do know that a good combination is; cinnamon rolls (preferably homemade) and chili. Try it some time. It might sound strange but it's amazing. Or as a quick sub you can make cinnamon toast. Yum!

Diana on October 02, 2011:

Thank you for sharing your recipe, I've never made chili completely from scratch. I cooked the beans overnight, kidney, pinto, and pink beans. Almost 4 cups - knowing that I would be removing a third for the vegetarian batch.

My "beef batch" just had the beans added,and should be ready in two hours. The vegetarian version has been finished for a couple of hours, and everyone keeps snitching at my daughter's dinner.

My chili powder version was red pepper flakes, ground cumin and cumin seeds (to equal 2 tbls), and dried oregano, and a grind or two of chipotle pepper.

Very good flavor

Frank (the big hurt) Thomas on September 15, 2011:

This chili made my girlfriend's farts intolerable.

Elena Dmitrieva on June 02, 2011:

I love your recipe. I used minced meat, because I couldn't cook chili for so many hours as in the recipe. I'm sure it'd taste even better if I cooked it longer than I did. Anyway the result is fantastic. All my ingredients were organic. Thank you for inhancing comments. I'll keep them in mind in my cooking.

amber on May 17, 2011:

Omg. Yes this recipe awesome ty so much!!

GrantGMcgowan on May 11, 2011:

THanks for the recipe, I love it.

Sinea Pies from Northeastern United States on March 15, 2011:

I have never made chili this way, though I love chili and I do make it. Gotta try this recipe...worthy of being cooked on Diners,Drive-ins and Dives!

loves2cook from Portland, OR on January 24, 2011:

This version looks delicious, thanks! Very entertaining to read as well.

texan on November 19, 2010:

made this chili for a chili cook-off and won. cooked chili during day, put it in refrigerator overnight and then reheated in crock pot the next day. on second day, added two additional tablespoons chili powder and one tablespoon black pepper. also, I didn't use the recommended quart of water since there was so much water from the 7 pounds of tomatoes I used. thanks for the great recipe and instructions!

falada on November 01, 2010:

Fantastic fart medicine!

John D Lee (author) on October 14, 2010:

That's great Angel - your version sounds tasty!

Angel Esperanueva on October 11, 2010:

Thanks for the recipe. Made it yesterday and it came out fantastic. I used pinto beans cooked in ham hocks to give it a hint of smoke. It came out great!

Eddy Browning on July 03, 2010:

I enjoyed your blog especially the good tip on chili powder. I'm going to try it tonight in fact. Hope you and yours have a great 4th of July Celebration!

John D Lee (author) on June 15, 2010:

Hi Don - your chili sounds great - thanks for the comment!

Don on June 11, 2010:

I stumbled upon this recipe and absolutely loved it! added two pounds of ground beef around the same time as the beans, and i also added some corn, and at the start, when i added the water , i also added a 1/2 cup molasses.

Absolutely fabulous!

Holle Abee from Georgia on April 17, 2010:

Hubby will love this!

raven on February 28, 2010:

i do the same but i add corn lol

John D Lee (author) on February 08, 2010:

Thank you for letting me know about your chili success Tanya!

Tanya on February 08, 2010:

Great Chili! My family loved every bowl. Making my 2nd pot right now.

John D Lee (author) on February 03, 2010:

You are welcome Augusto! Glad to hear you enjoyed the chili.

Augusto on February 03, 2010:

Awsome chili! I just enjoyed one bowl of the best chili ever. Hey thanks John Lee for sharing your recipe.

John D Lee (author) on January 25, 2010:

Hi deb,

I sometimes use a mixture of fresh and dried chili peppers in the chili, but there is no real substitute, in my opinion, for at least some dried chili powder - it has a taste that isn't replicated by fresh chilies. Of course, that's only my opinion, try it for yourself and see!

deb on January 24, 2010:

I am not a fan of chili powder either, I like the idea of homemade or, even better, why not try using fresh chili peppers. I haven't tried this but I am about to. I figure you could use different hot peppers depending on what flavour you like or how hot you like it.

La donna on December 05, 2009:

I made some chilli but it tastes blah what's wrong

John D Lee (author) on October 24, 2009:

Kidney beans will work too - I just happen to prefer the flavor of black beans. Hope you get a chance to try it out soon!

ManlyPoetryMan from (Texas) Boldly Writing Poems Where No Man Has Gone Before... on October 18, 2009:

Loving this chili recipe (good touch with the black beans...I usually use kidney beans)...Although it made me very hungry while reading it!

stuart747 from Colchester, Essex, UK on October 13, 2009:

sounds tasty, thank you for sharing, I will give it a try

California_Dreamin on September 14, 2009:

This chili sounds great, I'll have to give it a try some time. Black beans instead of kidney beans sounds like a good idea, though recently I've been making my chili Texas style--with no beans.

Monica on July 29, 2009:

Do you think that this recipe would taste the same if I use pinto beans instead of black beans?????I made pinto beans and i am going to try it and let everyone know if its good or not.

Ashley Joy on March 26, 2009:

Chili is such a wonderful comfort food. The best thing is that you can personalize it to your tastes.

jim10 from ma on February 04, 2009:

I love chili. Thanks for the great recipe. Once in a while I will had some cinnamon, chocolate or peanut butter for a change. Most people really like and comment on the cinnamon.

rambo87 on February 03, 2009:

Sounds like a great recipe, definitely going to try this, nothing better than a nice big bowl of chilli!

Die'Dre' from The Great Pacific Northwest on January 21, 2009:

I had a friend who was married to a Navy Lt. He had a Texas chili recipe, and this sounds a lot like it. He always had three meats in his. Looks like a perfect recipe for a cold winter night.

trish1048 on January 06, 2009:

Sounds like another winner! I've bookmarked this page, it sounds absolutely yummy.

Thanks for sharing!

Evan on November 02, 2008:

I am making chile right now and used your recipe for the chile powder. For Jeremy's comment I have added tomatoe paste close to the end to help thicken the chile up. I know that kinda takes away from the whole scratch thing but it works for me and it doesn't seem to altar the taste. Good Luck

Sue on October 10, 2008:

This recipe sounds great, I am making it today. I have my beans soaking now, but am using a mixture of kidney, black and pinto beans. We like the beans in our chile. I wrote down your recipe for the chile powder and will try it. This is the first recipe I looked at for Homemade Chile from Scratch, made with dried beans, and I am done looking. Thanks!

Barb Lee on October 04, 2008:

Thanks John for the information on cooking the beans. I was wondering why my dried kidney beans never seem to soften in the chile. I'll try cooking them fully before I made the chile. Chile is perfect with cool fall weather!

trakker14 from franklin on December 11, 2007:

Oh my gosh was this chili great, all my guests thought it was supurb!!! I wont alter a thing..Thanks again

John D Lee (author) on November 09, 2007:

Hey thanks Jeremy,

Good ideas for the modifications... always fun to perfect that chili recipe!

Jeremy Lauderdale on November 06, 2007:

I made your chili yesterday and I love it! It took me about ten hours to cook but it came out great! I would suggest using more meat (maybe one or two more pounds) and more chili powder. I also added 1lb. of Italian sausage. I also added a dash of cinnamon and some choped green onions and about two cups instead of one of the black beans. My batch came out a little more liquidy than I normally like my chili. This a great recipe and I give it a 10. Thank you!

John D Lee (author) on September 06, 2007:

Thanks Angela...and since by my calender the first week of the NFL equates to chilli season, it's time to start thinking about it once again!!!

Angela Harris from Around the USA on September 06, 2007:

Sounds like a fantastic chili recipe, and thanks for the homemade chili powder.

John D Lee (author) on May 23, 2007:

I think that you'll really notice an improvement by making your own. I think that store bought chili powder is too aggressive, and never seems to blend in well with the overall tastes of the chilli.

Good luck, and thanks for the comment,

John

Melissa Ray Davis from Swannanoa, NC on May 22, 2007:

Ooh. I like your tip on homemade chili powder. We'll have to try that next time we make chili. Thanks!

Barb Lee on May 12, 2007:

I like the idea of making my own chile powder.