Kitchen shortcuts

[CoTex 1160]

I use a blender to make hollandaise sauce.  Ain’t nobody got time to whisk all that mess.

put all the ingredients except the butter (egg yolks lemon juice, maybe a bit of mustard) into blender and blend the hell out of it.  Then heat butter until melted and almost browning - should be pretty hot.  Turn on blender and pour in butter slowly.  Et voila!

If there is a speed record in Texas for making eggs Benedict, I likely hold it.

[Brisketexan 105114]

6 minutes ago, CoTex said:

 

If there is a speed record in Texas for making eggs Benedict, I likely hold it.

"making eggs benedict" is an odd euphemism for having sex with your wife, but you do you.

[Covri 6249]

"I had eggs Benedict with your wife and not in those words" --Tupac

[bluto 4927]

I use a shit ton of aluminum foil, makes cleanup a breeze as most nights I do roasted veggies. 
 

Open to the public restaurant supply stores are great for any/everything kitchen related. 
 

I do green smoothies, I purée then freeze the leafy greens into ice cubes. Cuts prep time during the week to nothing, takes about 20 min on the front end. 
 

you can put ripe bananas and avocados in the fridge and they’ll hold for a few days easy. 

[elfenix 34238]

7 hours ago, CoTex said:

I use a blender to make hollandaise sauce.  Ain’t nobody got time to whisk all that mess.

put all the ingredients except the butter (egg yolks lemon juice, maybe a bit of mustard) into blender and blend the hell out of it.  Then heat butter until melted and almost browning - should be pretty hot.  Turn on blender and pour in butter slowly.  Et voila!

If there is a speed record in Texas for making eggs Benedict, I likely hold it.

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by elfenix

[fuggled 576]

I use roux from a jar when making gumbo.  It's just flour and oil, no reason to spend an hour making my own.  Usually I'll brown chicken and andouille first, pull it out and then cook the vegetables with spices. Once they're cooked, stir the roux into the veggies to soften it and then start whisking in stock or water.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

3 minutes ago, fuggled said:

I use roux from a jar when making gumbo.  It's just flour and oil, no reason to spend an hour making my own.  Usually I'll brown chicken and andouille first, pull it out and then cook the vegetables with spices. Once they're cooked, stir the roux into the veggies to soften it and then start whisking in stock or water.

[fuggled 576]

Thought of another one.... I'll use sunflower butter or just peanut butter when I'm making hummus.  I know it's not authentic, but I don't make it often enough to keep tahini around just for that.  Maybe I need more recipes that use tahini.  Would love a hack for peeling garbanzo beans if one exists.

[fuggled 576]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I defy anyone to tell the difference.

[fuggled 576]

Here's a good hack story I remembered.

 

Years ago my wife and I decided to go down to San Antonio to spend Christmas with her Mexican grandma. She was a Scrooge and didn't want to do anything for the holidays. So we were going to make her dinner 

We found the most authentic mole recipe we could and did it with turkey.  We had about 50 ingredients and did everything from scratch. Soaked and pureed chiles, toasted pumpkin seeds, etc. I can't even remember all the nit picky ingredients we had to handle.  It tasted damn good.

Anyway, Grandma comes through the kitchen and stops to taste after we'd been cooking for hours.  She lets us know how horrible it tastes.  "Why didn't you just use the sauce from the jar?  That's what I do.  Let me show you."  She then proceeds to pull Hershey's syrup and JIF out of the pantry and "fix" our mole the way she makes hers.

[Texzilla58 4734]

I haven’t sorted, washed, pre soaked soaked and cooked a dry bean in years. I fry up bacon sausage ham with onions and other aromatics, build a broth, add a 56 oz can or two of Bush’s pinto beans black eyes, navy beans, add my seasonings and tomatoes to my whim, and simmer a while. Defy anyone to find a difference with dry beans.

[Anastasis 23469]

22 minutes ago, fuggled said:

Would love a hack for peeling garbanzo beans if one exists.

Don't worry about peeling them and just make your hummus.  Hack approved by my lebanese mother in law. She thinks this is white people shit and was sure to inform me that they only time she saw it was with an aunt (by marriage). 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Anastasis

[fuggled 576]

8 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Don't worry about peeling them and just make your hummus.  Hack approved by my lebanese mother in law. She thinks this is white people shit and was sure to inform me that they only time she saw it was with an aunt (by marriage). 

I hear ya. It's definitely not necessary. But I've tried it both ways and the hummus is noticeably smoother when taking the time to peel.

[Anastasis 23469]

2 minutes ago, fuggled said:

I hear ya. It's definitely not necessary. But I've tried it both ways and the hummus is noticeably smoother when taking the time to peel.

What are you blending it in? I mean I can see that, and it makes sense.  My MIL's certainly has a structure and consistency. But I think that meaningful difference in consistency you are seeing could be related to the oil and peanut butter and other ingredients.  

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

5 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

What are you blending it in? I mean I can see that, and it makes sense.  My MIL's certainly has a structure and consistency. But I think that meaningful difference in consistency you are seeing could be related to the oil and peanut butter and other ingredients.  

Totally agree.  I was walking through the kitchen and my wife was frustrated about a new hummus recipe that called for peeling the beans.  I told her, "that's the reason we bought the expensive and powerful Vitamix blender!"  It turned out fine without peeling the beans.  We do use tahini when we make it.  And garlic, lots of garlic.

[Brew 3049]

I’ve never peeled garbanzo beans for hummus, add enough oil to get it smooth. I can’t say anyone has ever noticed or at least no one has said anything.

[Captain Ron 12876]

12 hours ago, fuggled said:

I defy anyone to tell the difference.

 

12 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

I haven’t sorted, washed, pre soaked soaked and cooked a dry bean in years. I fry up bacon sausage ham with onions and other aromatics, build a broth, add a 56 oz can or two of Bush’s pinto beans black eyes, navy beans, add my seasonings and tomatoes to my whim, and simmer a while. Defy anyone to find a difference with dry beans.

/sarcasm

I use liquid smoke and make my brisket in the oven. The flavor is indistinguishable from an brisket smoked on the grill. I defy anyone to find a difference.

[jimmyjazz 45911]

15 hours ago, fuggled said:

I use roux from a jar when making gumbo. 

This is a thing?  I've seen dry roux "mix" on the grocery shelves, but never actual roux.

I use the Alton Brown recommended technique for making roux -- mix flour and fat in a Dutch oven, bake it uncovered in a 350 F oven until it reaches the color you're looking for, maybe whisk it a couple of times along the way.  So far it's been bulletproof.

[CooterBrown 18007]

Would love a hack for peeling garbanzo beans if one exists.

Why?

If you cook the beans enough, you don’t need to.

This guy’s restaurant in Israel has the best hummus in the world according to various foodie magazines. His recipe says to make sure you overcook the beans to the point they are mushy. It’s what I do and I gotta say, it turns out great.

https://food52.com/recipes/42695-zahav-s-hummus-tehina/amp

He also recommends this specific tahini:

Soom Foods Pure Ground Sesame... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WU3X5Q

[fuggled 576]

58 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

This is a thing?  I've seen dry roux "mix" on the grocery shelves, but never actual roux.

I use the Alton Brown recommended technique for making roux -- mix flour and fat in a Dutch oven, bake it uncovered in a 350 F oven until it reaches the color you're looking for, maybe whisk it a couple of times along the way.  So far it's been bulletproof.

Yep.  I get two pots of gumbo from a jar.  Plus it's certified Cajun, so I'm covered there.  I may try that Alton Brown method.  Do you make it ahead and save it, or do you directly build your gumbo in that same dutch oven?

[jimmyjazz 45911]

4 minutes ago, fuggled said:

 I may try that Alton Brown method.  Do you make it ahead and save it, or do you directly build your gumbo in that same dutch oven?

I just go right into the gumbo from there.  Caveat: I'm not a gumbo expert, I'd check on the gumbo thread to see if anyone else is doing it that way.  It may fall short of the best traditional methods, but I'm probably not good enough or sophisticated enough to tell.

[squib 1120]

23 minutes ago, fuggled said:

Yep.  I get two pots of gumbo from a jar.  Plus it's certified Cajun, so I'm covered there.  I may try that Alton Brown method.  Do you make it ahead and save it, or do you directly build your gumbo in that same dutch oven?

Yep, that is good stuff. Always keep a jar around for when time is short. 

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

There are all kinds of ways to make roux, including with a microwave (google it), but none of those other ways allow you to spend two beers worth of time watching the magic happen right before your eyes in your well-seasoned cast iron.  Some traditions are worth preserving!

[Texzilla58 4734]

There are all kinds of ways to make roux, including with a microwave (google it), but none of those other ways allow you to spend two beers worth of time watching the magic happen right before your eyes in your well-seasoned cast iron.  Some traditions are worth preserving!

It’s good to know old foodways and teach them to the young but who’s got time when one wants some etouffee right fucking now.

[utee94 15820]

6 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

There are all kinds of ways to make roux, including with a microwave (google it), but none of those other ways allow you to spend two beers worth of time watching the magic happen right before your eyes in your well-seasoned cast iron.  Some traditions are worth preserving!

Right on.  Even after 20 years of marriage, my wife still believes it is absolutely necessary for me to hover over the BBQ pit for 12 hours and drink at least a 12-pack of beer whilst smoking brisket.  She has no idea that all I really have to do, is add another split about once every 45 minutes.  But I get an entire day free of harassment and honey-dos, and she gets delicious brisket at the end of the day, so it all works out.

[Brisketexan 105114]

59 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

It’s good to know old foodways and teach them to the young but who’s got time when one wants some etouffee right fucking now.

Good news -- the roux for my etouffee takes mere minutes to make (it's a light roux).  I can have etouffee, from beginning of prep to serving, done in less than 30 mins.

[dcbc 14480]

When I make roux for gumbo, it's a lot more than a two beer affair. 

[jimmyjazz 45911]

30 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Right on.  Even after 20 years of marriage, my wife still believes it is absolutely necessary for me to hover over the BBQ pit for 12 hours and drink at least a 12-pack of beer whilst smoking brisket.  She has no idea that all I really have to do, is add another split about once every 45 minutes.  But I get an entire day free of harassment and honey-dos, and she gets delicious brisket at the end of the day, so it all works out.

That's absolutely the go-to play to avoid family time on a weekend.  "Honey, I'd love to go to World Market and then maybe Barton Springs later on, but I gotta tend our brisket!  I've been working all night and it's nowhere near done!"

The problem is, she ends up going to World Market, spending $200, coming home, picking up the kids, taking them to Chuy's (another $100) and THEN to Barton Springs, and by the time it's all said and done I should have just pre-ordered from Franklin and saved some money.

[utee94 15820]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

That's absolutely the go-to play to avoid family time on a weekend.  "Honey, I'd love to go to World Market and then maybe Barton Springs later on, but I gotta tend our brisket!  I've been working all night and it's nowhere near done!"

The problem is, she ends up going to World Market, spending $200, coming home, picking up the kids, taking them to Chuy's (another $100) and THEN to Barton Springs, and by the time it's all said and done I should have just pre-ordered from Franklin and saved some money.

It's funny because it's true!

 

[dcbc 14480]

Just now, utee94 said:

It's funny because it's true!

 

I was going to say worth every penny.

[conVINCEd 21469]

15 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

That's absolutely the go-to play to avoid family time on a weekend.  "Honey, I'd love to go to World Market and then maybe Barton Springs later on, but I gotta tend our brisket!  I've been working all night and it's nowhere near done!"

The problem is, she ends up going to World Market, spending $200, coming home, picking up the kids, taking them to Chuy's (another $100) and THEN to Barton Springs, and by the time it's all said and done I should have just pre-ordered from Franklin and saved some money.

[Neonmoon 38129]

Cooked Rotisserie chicken from store hot bar 
 

It’s not a hack, it’s just easier to pick one up than make a rotisserie chicken 

[jimmyjazz 45911]

1 hour ago, Neonmoon said:

Cooked Rotisserie chicken from store hot bar 
 

It’s not a hack, it’s just easier to pick one up than make a rotisserie chicken 

Shoot, at CostCo you pay less for the cooked chicken than a raw chicken.

[Texzilla58 4734]

Cooked Rotisserie chicken from store hot bar 
 
It’s not a hack, it’s just easier to pick one up than make a rotisserie chicken 

Sams rotisserie chicken is the best and a bargain at $4.98. At Tom Thumb by my house though is their pulled rotisserie chicken; it’s well trimmed with no fat, skin, goozlers, or tendons. $6.98 a pound. Killer hack for quesadillas, pasta, enchiladas(or easier still, king ranch chicken) whatever.

[irishtexan 11518]

On 7/31/2022 at 2:54 PM, Celery Man said:

i still sometimes fight with the skins a bit but a garlic press makes fresh garlic easy enough

 

Use a microplane/zester instead. That way you get to use the whole clove of garlic and don't have to fuck with the skin. Works for ginger too

[jimmyjazz 45911]

This isn't really a shortcut so much as a surprisingly easy technique:  if you want to shred cooked meat (chicken, pork, beef), stick it in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and go to town.  It's incredibly effective.

[Texzilla58 4734]

Use a microplane/zester instead. That way you get to use the whole clove of garlic and don't have to fuck with the skin. Works for ginger too

This is a very handy implement. Haven’t tried garlic on it but will. I use it mainly to zest lemons and limes and grating Parmesan. If you don’t have one get one.

[LW Goatman 1123]

On 7/31/2022 at 3:07 PM, dcbc said:

I'll freeze celery before it goes bad, if only to use it to make stock later.

This. I keep a large ziplock in the freezer with all sorts of left over veggies, or even ends, that would get tossed. I use that with a chicken carcass for stock (like that rotisserie one noted above), good stuff.

Edited August 3, 2022 by LW Goatman
1234

[Etexhorn13 3045]

On 8/1/2022 at 5:36 PM, fuggled said:

I use roux from a jar when making gumbo.  It's just flour and oil, no reason to spend an hour making my own.  Usually I'll brown chicken and andouille first, pull it out and then cook the vegetables with spices. Once they're cooked, stir the roux into the veggies to soften it and then start whisking in stock or water.

Just chiming in to tell you you’re cheating yourself and whoever else is eating it out of an actual good gumbo. That stuff may be Cajun certified, but I was tasked with making a gumbo last Christmas for my in-laws in Lafayette, and i showed my FIL how easy it was to make roux (he always just used to jarred stuff… he’s not much of a cook) and he swore off the premade roux after seeing how easy it was and how much better it tastes.
 

Also, the best smell in the world is trinity vegetables meeting a hot roux. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Etexhorn13

[Trey3216 15346]

WHen making fried chicken or pork chops, be sure to add a little bit of crushed Ritz cracker and either some fresh or granulated ginger to your flour/batter mix.  

[dcbc 14480]

Store bought, cooked rotisserie chicken for gumbo.  Pull it apart the night before.  Reserve the meat for the gumbo and use the bones/carcass to make stock.

[ChickenSandwich 9834]

Water on guac for storage 

[CooterBrown 18007]

On 8/1/2022 at 4:01 PM, bluto said:

you can put ripe bananas and avocados in the fridge and they’ll hold for a few days easy. 

Unripened avocados will hold 1-2 weeks without ripening while refrigerated.  However, if you push that 2 week mark, when you do ripen them at room temperature, they will sometimes have brown spots you'll have to scrap off. 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by CooterBrown

[Zepol87 9185]

41 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Water on guac for storage 

Never knew this and my gf started doing it. Works great

[HouTex 1867]

49 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Water on guac for storage 

A little lime juice and then cover with plastic wrap actually touching the surface of the guacamole (completely, no air pockets) works well too.  

[Texzilla58 4734]

Water on guac for storage 

Pic please

[dcbc 14480]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Water on guac for storage 

Alternatively, you can leave a couple of the avocado pits in the mix and it will keep it from getting too brown.

[ChickenSandwich 9834]

27 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

Pic please

https://noblepig.com/2014/05/chunky-guacamole/

[Upgrayedd 5810]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

https://noblepig.com/2014/05/chunky-guacamole/

The mayo and hidden valley ranch powder help?

[Brisketexan 105114]

4 hours ago, dcbc said:

Store bought, cooked rotisserie chicken for gumbo.  Pull it apart the night before.  Reserve the meat for the gumbo and use the bones/carcass to make stock.

Now do it with smoked chicken.  Seriously, do it.  When I make a chicken and sausage gumbo, I quick smoke a bunch of dark meat quarters, and do exactly this: let it cool, pull the meat, use the bones and skin to make stock for the gumbo.  You can smoke the chicken yourself, or if you pick up a smoked chicken at a BBQ joint, use that.