Resuming my cooking adventures

[42_42_42]

Yes, you can brine poultry. We brine our turkey every year.

Pork, poultry, lamb, beef, etc should all be "rested" after cooking, to allow the juices to be retained by the meat.

Searing does not seal in the juices because the juices are released by damage to the cell walls and searing does just that. It does, however, create a delicious "crust" on the meat that cannot be replicated in any manner.

Sorry, Jester, I'm sure your fish is fabulous, but it's not moist because of the searing, but because you know how to cook the fish and don't over cook it.

[AdminAssistant]

Quoth Alton Brown, "If you feel it necessary to seal in juices you should buy a laminator."

[Jester]

You can always cut up extra veg and keep in the freezer and add to your "Killer Chili" as needed! (Unless you don't use veg in the Chili?)

I use veggies in my chili, yes, but not carrots or celery.

BTW - I haven't seen anything about your Beercation? Did I miss something?

No. I want to post with pictures, and damnit, I am still waiting on Little Red to get her pics uploaded. It's all her fault. (No, really.)

Sorry, Jester, I'm sure your fish is fabulous, but it's not moist because of the searing, but because you know how to cook the fish and don't over cook it.

Certainly a possibility, and as always, I reserve the right to be an idiot on this topic, but the question arises: why, in the same restaurant, with the same cooks, does pan-seared and blackened fish taste so much better and juicier than grilled fish?

[the_std]

Jester, it's because of the heat and methods used in both. Caramelization in the sugars of the fish that happens in both blackening and pan-searing is full, just crazy full, of flavor. Also, high-heat methods mean there is less time for juices to be lost to the cooking process. Voila, juicy, tasty fishies.

[lordlundar]

Certainly a possibility, and as always, I reserve the right to be an idiot on this topic, but the question arises: why, in the same restaurant, with the same cooks, does pan-seared and blackened fish taste so much better and juicier than grilled fish?

Pan seared and blackened fish use a relatively wet cook method and are cooked fast and hot which damages far fewer cells in the meat. Grilling on the other hand is a relatively colder and slower dry cooking technique which gives the fish more time to be damaged at the cellular level and lose moisture without it being replaced. Oily fish like tuna or salmon are better suited to grilling, because of their oily texture.

That and if grilled fish is coming out dry at a particular place, then they don't know how to grill fish then. Grilling is much closer to oven roasting, and requires a MUCH different approach.

[Jester]

Jester, it's because of the heat and methods used in both. Caramelization in the sugars of the fish that happens in both blackening and pan-searing is full, just crazy full, of flavor. Also, high-heat methods mean there is less time for juices to be lost to the cooking process. Voila, juicy, tasty fishies.

Pan seared and blackened fish use a relatively wet cook method and are cooked fast and hot which damages far fewer cells in the meat. Grilling on the other hand is a relatively colder and slower dry cooking technique which gives the fish more time to be damaged at the cellular level and lose moisture without it being replaced.

Okay, so it doesn't physically seal the juices in. But from these two descriptions, it sure as hell sounds like it "locks" them in, wouldn't you say?

In other words, when you get down to it, I was right.

That and if grilled fish is coming out dry at a particular place, then they don't know how to grill fish then. Grilling is much closer to oven roasting, and requires a MUCH different approach.

I was not referring to a particular place serving dry fish, merely that grilled fish tends to be driER than seared fish. Which your own explanation seems to support.

[the_std]

Okay, so it doesn't physically seal the juices in. But from these two descriptions, it sure as hell sounds like it "locks" them in, wouldn't you say?

Noooo, because you said that it could seal juices in. That's impossible. There is no cooking method that will keep cell walls from being damaged, aside from sashimi. All you can do is minimize the amount of juice lost, and because fast, hot, wet cooking methods allow for less time for said juices to escape and replace some of the original juice with moisture from the wet cooking method...

Sorry hon, you're right lots of the time, but this time, no way! Nice try, though.

[Magpie]

There is no cooking method that will keep cell walls from being damaged, aside from sashimi.

I object to this being referred to as a cooking method!

[the_std]

My bad. Method of preparation? And I actually lied, slicing the fish will damage cell walls... Hm... I think it's impossible unless you want to chomp on that tuna whole!

[JoitheArtist]

So I bought rutabagas, because the store has mislabeled them. SIGH.

I cut them into 1/2 inch chunks, boiled them in salted water till tender, then sauteed them in butter and glazed them with a bit of honey.

...

OMG THAT'S WAAAAAAAY MORE AWESOME THAN POTATOES!!! Seriously, rutabagas are going on my list of awesome foods now. Yummmmm....

[AccountingDrone]

So I bought rutabagas, because the store has mislabeled them. SIGH.

I cut them into 1/2 inch chunks, boiled them in salted water till tender, then sauteed them in butter and glazed them with a bit of honey.

...

OMG THAT'S WAAAAAAAY MORE AWESOME THAN POTATOES!!! Seriously, rutabagas are going on my list of awesome foods now. Yummmmm....

never said there was anything wrong with rutabagas, jus tthat they were not turnips =)

Try parsnips, parboiled like turnips/rutas and then sliced into discs and sauteed in butter =)