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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC) Vol. 2

zbarron

Member
for caramelizing, a simple blowtorch from the local hardware store is the cheapest way, lots of professional kitchens use these.
There is one by me for $15. Unfortunately money being a little tight currently it isn't considered a necessity. With the final of the four I made I tried to flambe it with some rum we had on hand. The texture was different but the taste was phenomenal. The sweet rich custard was flavored and tempered slightly by the slightly bitter rum. Anyone here experiment with the flambe technique?
propane can leave a funny taste. lots of kitchens use mapp, but anything will usually get the job done http://modernistcuisine.com/2011/02/torch-tastes/
Thanks for the link. If I ever do get a torch this will help me do it properly.
 

n0n44m

Member
tastiest thread on GAF !

pizza1cxuoj.jpg


pizza2vvuw2.jpg

finally had a good camera lying around :)

Just homemade dough, canned tomato sauce, mozzarella, Spanish chorizo and shredded cheese. Finished in 5 minutes with the broiler+convection method.
 
I notice this thread is in Off-Topic, not OT Community. I like it better this way. Does it automatically move there after a certain number of posts?
I'm going to give it a few days to pick up some interest/new posters in the main OT, then it'll get moved back to Community.
 

Keen

Aliens ate my babysitter
I'm going to give it a few days to pick up some interest/new posters in the main OT, then it'll get moved back to Community.

Any way to get top posters from the old thread? When I finally figured out how to do it (at least on mobile), it seems that thread tools aren't available in locked threads.
 
Any way to get top posters from the old thread? When I finally figured out how to do it (at least on mobile), it seems that thread tools aren't available in locked threads.
Here's the Top 25:

Code:
OnkelC		1,766
Zyzyxxz		1,720
nakedsushi	960
ElectricThunder	472
CrankyJay	450
Metroid Killer	420
Cosmic Bus	401
Yes Boss!	333
thespot84	297
RatskyWatsky	270
CrystalGemini	261
Keen		251
beelzebozo	241
Maklershed	227
tnw		200
TheExodu5	199
BriareosGAF	196
Funky Papa	185
dyonPT		171
MrBig		167
slidewinder	162
jarosh		159
Haly		158
zbarron		157
cartoon_soldier	156
 

Keen

Aliens ate my babysitter
Here's the Top 25:

Code:
OnkelC		1,766
Zyzyxxz		1,720
nakedsushi	960
ElectricThunder	472
CrankyJay	450
Metroid Killer	420
Cosmic Bus	401
Yes Boss!	333
thespot84	297
RatskyWatsky	270
CrystalGemini	261
Keen		251
beelzebozo	241
Maklershed	227
tnw		200
TheExodu5	199
BriareosGAF	196
Funky Papa	185
dyonPT		171
MrBig		167
slidewinder	162
jarosh		159
Haly		158
zbarron		157
cartoon_soldier	156


Thanks! Onkel's been busy! :D
 

zbarron

Member
tastiest thread on GAF !



finally had a good camera lying around :)

Just homemade dough, canned tomato sauce, mozzarella, Spanish chorizo and shredded cheese. Finished in 5 minutes with the broiler+convection method.
That is beautiful. I may have to make my Kale pizza again tonight. Mind sharing which dough recipe you used? It looks fantastic.
I'm going to give it a few days to pick up some interest/new posters in the main OT, then it'll get moved back to Community.
Cool. Thanks for the information.
Here's the Top 25:

Code:
OnkelC		1,766
Zyzyxxz		1,720
nakedsushi	960
ElectricThunder	472
CrankyJay	450
Metroid Killer	420
Cosmic Bus	401
Yes Boss!	333
thespot84	297
RatskyWatsky	270
CrystalGemini	261
Keen		251
beelzebozo	241
Maklershed	227
tnw		200
TheExodu5	199
BriareosGAF	196
Funky Papa	185
dyonPT		171
MrBig		167
slidewinder	162
jarosh		159
Haly		158
zbarron		157
cartoon_soldier	156
Wow. I'm surprised I got in there considering how LTTP I was in the last thread.

Last night was Taco Night to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Nothing photo worthy. I decided to do a breakfast burrito with the leftovers though and that was a bit more interesting.

Before wrapping:
17365423396_a1f3e991d5_b.jpg

Drats. Even with having weeks of experience working at Chipotle I still manage to tear the tortilla from time to time:
16768862114_36592c7485_b.jpg

For the curious it's cheddar cheese, fried egg, leftover taco meat cooked in taco sauce, Huy Fong Chili Sauce, and sour cream.
 
Here's the Top 25:

Code:
...
BriareosGAF	196
...
Going strong, and almost coming up to my sixth year junior anniversay :).

Need to cook something awesome this weekend for the new thread. Finally hit the high 60s/low 70s here in Maine so we're switching up ingredients, finishing off the last of the winter tubers, etc. Wife made a lovely parsnip soup accented with a garlic and parsley infused olive oil the other day, probably the last of that sort of thing for a while.
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
With the final of the four I made I tried to flambe it with some rum we had on hand. The texture was different but the taste was phenomenal. The sweet rich custard was flavored and tempered slightly by the slightly bitter rum. Anyone here experiment with the flambe technique?

At a restaurant I worked at, we were doing a normal brulee with a finishing flambe for show, but it was short-lived because some of the servers kept either spilling the rum on the guests or putting out the flame by pouring too much of the liquid on top of it. I think there's a reason you don't mess with a classic... ;)
 

zbarron

Member
At a restaurant I worked at, we were doing a normal brulee with a finishing flambe for show, but it was short-lived because some of the servers kept either spilling the rum on the guests or putting out the flame by pouring too much of the liquid on top of it. I think there's a reason you don't mess with a classic... ;)

Did you get to taste it? If so what did you think of the added rum flavor? I'm not having much luck online finding instructions for preparing it this way. Any tips? You mentioned some used too much liquid and that put the flame out. Isn't the liquid rum which is the fuel?

I agree that I love it the classic way but until I get a torch this is the best way I can make it and even after I buy one it'll be nice to have a variety.
 

n0n44m

Member
That is beautiful. I may have to make my Kale pizza again tonight. Mind sharing which dough recipe you used? It looks fantastic.

sure, it is based on Jim Lahey's No-Knead recipe but I actually do knead it with a mixer ;)

12g~16g salt, 500g flour, 350g/ml water, ~1g yeast

I mix it with a handheld mixer (dough hooks) and cover it for 16~18 hours at room temperature (therefore I always make it around midnight). Then an hour before I want to eat I divide the dough in portions (I made two thick pizza's this time, but 4 thinner is what I usually do). Stretch each portion out slightly, then fold it in over itself about 4 times. Now use your thumbs to push dough from beneath to get a ball shape, then cover them up for an hour. Finally just stretch them slowly in a disk shape on a floured surface.

The best thing for getting good results is getting your oven as hot as possible and using a baking stone (or steel).
 

zbarron

Member
sure, it is based on Jim Lahey's No-Knead recipe but I actually do knead it with a mixer ;)

12g~16g salt, 500g flour, 350g/ml water, ~1g yeast

I mix it with a handheld mixer (dough hooks) and cover it for 16~18 hours at room temperature (therefore I always make it around midnight). Then an hour before I want to eat I divide the dough in portions (I made two thick pizza's this time, but 4 thinner is what I usually do). Stretch each portion out slightly, then fold it in over itself about 4 times. Now use your thumbs to push dough from beneath to get a ball shape, then cover them up for an hour. Finally just stretch them slowly in a disk shape on a floured surface.

The best thing for getting good results is getting your oven as hot as possible and using a baking stone (or steel).
Thanks. Alas I am starting my dough now for dinner tonight so it'll only have 4-5 hours to rise. I have the cast iron griddle pictured below that I put under my gas broiler for half an hour. It gets very hot and I leave the broiler on when I cook the pizza so it gets heat from both sides.
582b6fe2241a26fcc1d74bxu4j.jpg

I would love a baking steel that would fit on my grill.
 

yasu151

Member
I like what I cook, though I'm not the greatest. I do consider myself an awesome wingman in the kitchen though, particularly when it comes to baking.

Bread. I often use whole wheat, locally grown & freshly ground. Sadly, these pics are from mere white king arthur flour.

Before:
20140421_122744_andro86utv.jpg


After:
20140421_125342_androgaunj.jpg


Not ready yet, though this will be used in future pictures to be posted. (minimum of 8 weeks to steep)

Day 1
20150406_2014225uuda.jpg


Day 8
img_20150410_142736c1ulk.jpg
 

zbarron

Member
What is that? Is it Vanilla Extract? If so I've thought about doing that given how expensive buying it premade is.

By the way, nice buns!
 

yasu151

Member
Thanks! The buns were greedily gobbled by all.

And yup, vanilla extract. $25 worth of vanilla beans on amazon, and a 750ml of 35% vodka. (Lowest shelf, no flavor.) We made a batch of it 2 years ago for gifts, and it's gotten so much better as it's aged. We're down to one remaining little bottle now though, so we needed more.

I'll post some pictures of our favorite anglefood cake when I next make one. Again, I know it's a little bit of a tangent from Iron GAF, but it's the part of the dinner I contribute towards.
 

yasu151

Member
Just a couple things I cooked recently:



Oven-roasted ribs (250 for 3-4 hrs) with a homemade spice rub and brown sugar hickory bbq sauce.



Steak. New York Strip. Did the reverse sear process. Was pretty amazing.

Would you mind sharing the process? I have some New York's I was thinking of cooking this weekend. I have access to a propane grill, briquette grill, and a cold (not really so cold, ~185 degree) smoker.
 

Pickman

Member
Would you mind sharing the process? I have some New York's I was thinking of cooking this weekend. I have access to a propane grill, briquette grill, and a cold (not really so cold, ~185 degree) smoker.

Actually the whole thing is done with an oven and skillet.

You need a cookie sheet, some aluminium foil, and a cooling rack that isn't lacquered (like you'd use in baking).

Preheat the oven to 275, and get your steaks seasoned really well with salt and a little pepper, and anything else you want to use.

Put the aluminium foil on the cookie sheet, and the cooling rack on the foil. Then put the steaks on the cooling rack.

Toss the steaks in the oven until they hit around 125 internal temp. For my inch and a half thick NY strip there, it was about an hour.

Take the steaks out and let them rest for 15 minutes tented with another sheet of foil to keep in some of the heat. While you do, get a skillet heated to highish heat. Put some olive oil in, and just before the oil starts smoking, toss the rested steaks in and sear really hot for about 2 minutes per side.

After that you can serve the steaks immediately since they've already rested.

Honestly one of the most tender and delicious steaks I've had in a long time.
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
Did you get to taste it? If so what did you think of the added rum flavor? I'm not having much luck online finding instructions for preparing it this way. Any tips? You mentioned some used too much liquid and that put the flame out. Isn't the liquid rum which is the fuel? .

Personally, I thought the alcohol was overpowering, even after it had a few seconds to burn off. Creme brulee should be a more delicate flavor, imo.. Putting some in the custard base would be a better way to get the rum into it without being as intense.

The rum was only a tablespoon or so, but the idea was to drizzle it on while lighting the alcohol so there was a fun presentation (I thought it was a stupid idea) and they would usually pour too quickly and the flame would go out, literally doused by the splashing even though this was a fairly flammable liquid we're talking about. Our servers were not the smartest. :p
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
Dinner last night:

2015-05-06%2009.24.10%201_zpsjnbmuant.jpg


beer battered rockfish, red pepper and jalapeno puree, roasted tomatillo, avocado, hash browns (hidden underneath)
 

zbarron

Member
Thanks! The buns were greedily gobbled by all.

And yup, vanilla extract. $25 worth of vanilla beans on amazon, and a 750ml of 35% vodka. (Lowest shelf, no flavor.) We made a batch of it 2 years ago for gifts, and it's gotten so much better as it's aged. We're down to one remaining little bottle now though, so we needed more.

I'll post some pictures of our favorite anglefood cake when I next make one. Again, I know it's a little bit of a tangent from Iron GAF, but it's the part of the dinner I contribute towards.
Not a tangent at all. Any and all food related things are welcome here. I posted pictures of my vegetable garden in the last thread. I need to do another update soon. It's come so far since last time.

Just a couple things I cooked recently:
Oven-roasted ribs (250 for 3-4 hrs) with a homemade spice rub and brown sugar hickory bbq sauce.
Steak. New York Strip. Did the reverse sear process. Was pretty amazing.
You've been holding out on us.
Personally, I thought the alcohol was overpowering, even after it had a few seconds to burn off. Creme brulee should be a more delicate flavor, imo.. Putting some in the custard base would be a better way to get the rum into it without being as intense.

The rum was only a tablespoon or so, but the idea was to drizzle it on while lighting the alcohol so there was a fun presentation (I thought it was a stupid idea) and they would usually pour too quickly and the flame would go out, literally doused by the splashing even though this was a fairly flammable liquid we're talking about. Our servers were not the smartest. :p
Got it. Using a good quality rum in the base does sound like a good idea. I love the flavor but I also love the hard caramel top.

Haha. I was wondering if it was better to light it before pouring it onto the custard or after it is on. I want the heat to melt the sugar on top and even when poured slowly one table spoon with only 40% of it being alcohol isn't much fuel and is consumed pretty quickly.
 
I've got a question for all you amazing chefs. What is the best way to freeze green vegetables ?

Not sure if someone else said this, but my advice would be to blanch the vegetables first (throw in to boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes - the amount of time varies by veggie - then shock in cold ice water) before freezing individual servings :)

Does anyone know a good resource I can use to reference basic herb/spice combinations and what types of food they complement?

I own a book called The Flavor Bible - you can buy it on Amazon for like $15 used. It's really handy to have laying around the kitchen and lists tons of ingredients and what they pair with well. I use it often and love it. My other advice would be simply to experiment. There's such a huge variety of herbs and spices in the world. Pick up some that you think smell good from your local grocery store and start experimenting!

All the food in this thread looks amazing guys!
 

UrokeJoe

Member
Actually the whole thing is done with an oven and skillet.

You need a cookie sheet, some aluminium foil, and a cooling rack that isn't lacquered (like you'd use in baking).

Preheat the oven to 275, and get your steaks seasoned really well with salt and a little pepper, and anything else you want to use.

Put the aluminium foil on the cookie sheet, and the cooling rack on the foil. Then put the steaks on the cooling rack.

Toss the steaks in the oven until they hit around 125 internal temp. For my inch and a half thick NY strip there, it was about an hour.

Take the steaks out and let them rest for 15 minutes tented with another sheet of foil to keep in some of the heat. While you do, get a skillet heated to highish heat. Put some olive oil in, and just before the oil starts smoking, toss the rested steaks in and sear really hot for about 2 minutes per side.

After that you can serve the steaks immediately since they've already rested.

Honestly one of the most tender and delicious steaks I've had in a long time.

Um, that's not how Alton Brown does it. Are you sure about this?

Kidding. I've done it similar ways, but I'm going to try this exactly. Nice work.
 

VanWinkle

Member
tastiest thread on GAF !



finally had a good camera lying around :)

Just homemade dough, canned tomato sauce, mozzarella, Spanish chorizo and shredded cheese. Finished in 5 minutes with the broiler+convection method.

I used the Serious Eats NY Style dough. It made a ton of dough. This is the first time I was actually able to hand toss it correctly. Oh what a difference corn meal makes.



I made two Charred Kale Pizzas


Followed by a bacon banana pepper pizza.


I had so much extra dough that I made some quick breadsticks and garlic knots.

Good job, guys. Looks great.
 

Darren870

Member
Will have to start posting mine. I made a delicious chicken cordon bleu yesterday. Suppose I'll post the left over pictures as I made enough for a few dinners/lunches.

My next kitchen purchase is a pressure cooker. Been meaning to get one for a while. I don't have a crockpot, so I think pressure cooker is the way to go for me.
 

Friggz

Member
MMmmmmmm..... this new thread smells very good... best smelling new thread on GAF.

Anyways.. Decided to jump back into the homemade pizza game.



Put a little butter and minced garlic in a sauce pan with some Italian seasoning and fried up some sausage, then red, yellow and green peppers. I had some fresh mozzarella so I cut that up into long rectangles and stuffed the crust. Then into small cubes to cover the pie. I made the dough with my tried and true NY pizza dough recipe I've shared in here a few times.

I wish I would have thought ahead day old dough is always much better than only few hour old dough. Wife said "This is the best pizza I think I've ever had". She is usually critical of my cooking skill so that is a major accomplishment for me.

Happy baking, cooking, and eating everyone! Cheers to another 8 years of IronGAF goodness!



feel free to post the dough recipe again =)
 

Zyzyxxz

Member
I just cooked a 6 course meal for a friends birthday party and nobody took pics i think... sad face.

But at least it does mean they enjoyed the food and were paying attention to it.
 

ReAxion

Member
I used to post in this thread years ago when I was just starting. Was a great resource. Good to see the familiar faces.
 
Holy hell I can't believe I was that high up in the postings at the #4 slot given all the amazing stuff everybody is putting out there---damn this general ongoing drought of new cheeses and such to experiment with!

This thread may the be one where my spirit finally breaks and I have to start searching for food over the internet for lack of local options really setting in worse than before...
 
I'm getting my farm box today so maybe that'll inspire me to make something and post it.

I'm terrible at taking food pictures though so it'll probably look bad anyways.
 
I'm getting my farm box today so maybe that'll inspire me to make something and post it.

I'm terrible at taking food pictures though so it'll probably look bad anyways.

Don't feel bad, some of us prefer things don't look overly fussy and perfect when it comes to food photography, it's a little precious in high quantities.

Farm shares are great for sparking creativity because "christ, what do I do with four pounds of celeriac" is bound to make you try something new and different (makes a great slaw).
 

Zyzyxxz

Member
I just cooked a 6 course meal for a friends birthday party and nobody took pics i think... sad face.

But at least it does mean they enjoyed the food and were paying attention to it.

16786714423_40b2e105eb_z.jpg


Somebody did take pics yay!

Although only 4 of the 6 courses I served. From top left clockwise:

Braised abalone, shiitake mushrooms, chinese broccoli, in superior stock sauce
big eye tuna, nori dashi puree, fresh wasabi
beef tartare rice ball, egg yolk, and thins sliced wagyu beef to wrap around it
duck ramen
 

HORRORSHØW

Member
16786714423_40b2e105eb_z.jpg


Somebody did take pics yay!

Although only 4 of the 6 courses I served. From top left clockwise:

Braised abalone, shiitake mushrooms, chinese broccoli, in superior stock sauce
big eye tuna, nori dashi puree, fresh wasabi
beef tartare rice ball, egg yolk, and thins sliced wagyu beef to wrap around it
duck ramen
i'm drooling
 
16786714423_40b2e105eb_z.jpg


Somebody did take pics yay!

Although only 4 of the 6 courses I served. From top left clockwise:

Braised abalone, shiitake mushrooms, chinese broccoli, in superior stock sauce
big eye tuna, nori dashi puree, fresh wasabi
beef tartare rice ball, egg yolk, and thins sliced wagyu beef to wrap around it
duck ramen

Sounds and looks amazing.

Zyz whenever he posts:
5LcFIOn.gif
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
16786714423_40b2e105eb_z.jpg


Somebody did take pics yay!

Although only 4 of the 6 courses I served. From top left clockwise:

Braised abalone, shiitake mushrooms, chinese broccoli, in superior stock sauce
big eye tuna, nori dashi puree, fresh wasabi
beef tartare rice ball, egg yolk, and thins sliced wagyu beef to wrap around it
duck ramen
Work of art, thanks for sharing! I dig the tatare in particular.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Onkel C you are the man.

This is for you.

http://i.imgur.com/cTFNGAE.jpg?2[IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/eSMYotw.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]
Nice, is that yours?
had a quick photo session with mine and an orange one recently:
[URL=http://s73.photobucket.com/user/OnkelC/media/GT86/DB7F71B3-D65C-4886-8C0D-69B853AD3CA4.jpg.html][IMG]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i216/OnkelC/GT86/DB7F71B3-D65C-4886-8C0D-69B853AD3CA4.jpg[/URL]
But BTT;)
 

thespot84

Member
so I did the dark chocolate and Parmesan grilled cheese tonight. My mouth has never been more confused yet oddly satisfied
 
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