What Are You Chef-ing Tonight, Dr?

GrateEggspectations · April 12

BeanHead said:

Well @GrateEggspectations I ended up with a smaller smoke ring, 8.5 inches. It sits perfectly in the kickash can of the MiniMax. Trying to cold smoke a couple cheeses over applewood pellets. We shall see. Thanks for the inspiration to buy more gadgets. My grate was a bit gross so I sent the cheese on some grill mesh.

Thanks for circling back on this. I’ve found cold smoked cheeses to make great gifts. They freeze well if you vac seal.

Bet yours will be great.

BeanHead · April 12

I am very hopeful! If freezing for gifting becomes an obsession I will certainly move to the XL to do a large batch. Read a few recipes and many folks recommend vacuum sealing for a couple weeks to let the smoke flavor mellow out. Told that to DH and he seemed disappointed so I am guessing we will have a taste test today followed by a vacseal rest test.

caliking · April 12

BeanHead said:

I am very hopeful! If freezing for gifting becomes an obsession I will certainly move to the XL to do a large batch. Read a few recipes and many folks recommend vacuum sealing for a couple weeks to let the smoke flavor mellow out. Told that to DH and he seemed disappointed so I am guessing we will have a taste test today followed by a vacseal rest test.

Vac seal, and rest the cheese x 2 weeks. You'll likely enjoy it way more than cheese eaten immediately after smoking, which can sometimes taste like an ashtray (depending on the pellets used for smoking).

I smoked cheeses the first weekend in December for a couple of years, and gifted to friends for the holidays. Folks liked it.

BeanHead · April 12

I’m using apple. Mostly do that, pear, and pecan/hickory. Kinda hate mesquite and post oak (sorry Texas).

BeanHead · April 12

Took a peek and the cheese is picking up smoke color! Grilling some veggies for tomatillo enchiladas (tomorrow) and acorn squash risotto (tonight) along with a bunch of gizzards for my lunch. DH is getting a salad with leftover balsamic chicken from last night. He suffers in silence.

BeanHead · April 12

Cheeses never made it over 90° dome temp for their four hours of smoke. In the fridge chilling out now. Very happy with the color they picked up.

caliking · April 12

BeanHead said:

I’m using apple. Mostly do that, pear, and pecan/hickory. Kinda hate mesquite and post oak (sorry Texas).

Pellets are mostly made of hardwood (or, something) then flavored with whatever they're being sold as i.e. apple, hickory, etc. They're marketed as "100% natural/wood/whatever".

Some brands sell pellets that are actually made entirely of the wood they claim to be, but they tend to be more expensive, and labelled as competition grade, or something like that. They do make a difference in flavor, IMO.

You may already know all this, but it took me a while to figure out

caliking · April 12

BeanHead said:

...
Took a peek and the cheese is picking up smoke color! Grilling some veggies for tomatillo enchiladas (tomorrow) and acorn squash risotto (tonight) along with a bunch of gizzards for my lunch. DH is getting a salad with leftover balsamic chicken from last night. He suffers in silence.

From what we've seen, I would not mind suffering similarly!

DoubleEgger · April 13

Battleborn · April 13

Nothing fancy, strip with a baked potato and Kraft Mac and cheese.

caliking · April 13

Most excellent, @DoubleEgger ! Commendable flip on that tahdig.

caliking · April 13

SV cheesecake - Oreo, and strawberry.

JohnInCarolina · April 13

caliking said:

SV cheesecake - Oreo, and strawberry.

Alright, which recipe did you use? Verdict?

GrateEggspectations · April 13

JohnInCarolina said:

caliking said:

SV cheesecake - Oreo, and strawberry.

Alright, which recipe did you use? Verdict?

Seconded. Looks great, @caliking.

BeanHead · April 13

@caliking yes please on the recipe! Never seen this SV magic before. Just did a quick search and there are lots of variations. This would be fantastic for parties.

caliking · April 13

Thanks @JohnInCarolina , @GrateEggspectations , @BeanHead.

I posted a separate thread, as I don't have this dialed in. It was a first try, but turned out nicely.

caliking · April 13

JohnInCarolina said:

caliking said:

SV cheesecake - Oreo, and strawberry.
...

Alright, which recipe did you use? Verdict?

Deets in https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1234135/sv-cheesecake#latest

These were good. Easy to put together, and great for gatherings.
I would have made a mango one, but the good mangoes haven't landed yet.

BeanHead · April 13

Ohhhh my, pretty sure the mango will be the first I try! Thanks for the extra thread.

BeanHead · April 13

Made a green enchilada sauce from the garlic, tomatillos, and jalapeños I cooked yesterday (first on coals to char followed by elevated to the cast iron grate to soften). Stuffed corn and flour mixed tortillas with some of the sauce, leftover smoked pulled pork, a couple bits of leftover balsamic chicken, about a cup of leftover acorn squash risotto, and 1/4 tub of ricotta that didn’t have much more of a life expectancy. Baking for about an hour before topping with some cheese to brown. Will have fresh for lunch today and freeze 4-5 lunches for us to take to work. This is my favorite way to use up leftovers and one of DH’s favorites for work lunches so it is a win win.

Botch · April 13

BeanHead said:

Mmm, that looks good! I was stationed in New Mexico for five years and really fell for that cuisine; still buy a bushel of roasted Hatch chiles every August (although you used tomatillos; I use them in salsas but haven't tried baking enchiladas in them yet).

BeanHead · April 13

Well @Botch I love hatch and you should try this… make my green sauce out of the least expensive produce. Tomatillos are 99c a pound now and hatch are $2.65. When that dynamic shifts my green sauce will be hatch based.

johnmitchell · April 13

@BeanHead that looks spectacular 😋😋

JohnInCarolina · April 13

BeanHead · April 13

JohnInCarolina said:

I don’t know what this is but I am sure if my DH saw the picture you would have a new BFF.

Wooderson · April 13

JohnInCarolina said:

I believe Uma is going to make an appearance for this treat!

Botch · April 13

Tacos al Pastor with bacon?

JohnInCarolina · April 13

Botch said:

Tacos al Pastor with bacon?

That’s a bingo!

GrateEggspectations · April 13

@JohnInCarolina

Wow. Me thinks Otto approves.

caliking · April 13

JohnInCarolina said:

…

Oh Ima looking forward to this one. The bacon basters are genius!

JohnInCarolina · April 13

Part of the payoff:

What Are You Chef-ing Tonight, Dr?

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