What did you eat last night for dinner?

[Piobaire]

^ Yeah, I am going to try my own grind for a burger. Based on what it does for sausage I can only imagine the texture and flavour change.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

What's the grind method? The same that Blumenthal did in In Search of Perfection?
Yeah, you have to keep the grind all in the same direction, make a sort of cylinder and then cut off slices for each burger. The throw away is pretty big for two people, but as you add people, the end size remains the same, so the yield is alright. Of course, we just feed the leftover ground meat to the dog, so no big deal.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yeah, you have to keep the grind all in the same direction, make a sort of cylinder and then cut off slices for each burger. The throw away is pretty big for two people, but as you add people, the end size remains the same, so the yield is alright. Of course, we just feed the leftover ground meat to the dog, so no big deal.

I did that grind method for family meal one day at Cyrus. It's such a wonderful texture.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yeah, you have to keep the grind all in the same direction, make a sort of cylinder and then cut off slices for each burger. The throw away is pretty big for two people, but as you add people, the end size remains the same, so the yield is alright. Of course, we just feed the leftover ground meat to the dog, so no big deal.

Explain that a bit more please.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Explain that a bit more please.
When the meat comes through the holes, the strands are going in one direction. You put plastic wrap on a sheet, and you line up strands of ground meat, all with the strands pointing in the same direction. Then you use the plastic to form the meat into a tube shape, like a really thick sausage, you wrap it up like a torchon, chill it and then cut burgers off.

 

[impolyt_one]

Had Chinese again for lunch, I guess I secretly love Chinese food. Had a really nice chicken soup with greens, yuba, shiitake, and Jinhua ham in it, was delicious. Same baby bok choy and mapo tofu combo, because they didn't have the bean sprout dish I've been fiending for.

Dinner was Indian food, had a chicken vindaloo that I've been craving for years and can't have in Seoul. Awesome rasam with tamarind to start, some light chicken tikka, a caprese salad made from fruit tomatoes and paneer, basil naan with the curry.

About to hop in the tub with my lady and have a bottle of Cattier Rose I picked up at the supermarket, snacking on some cheese and melba toast right now.

 

[Cary Grant]

Actually scratch-cooked last night for the first time in ages... nothing too fancy, turned out OK.

Chicken thighs pan-roasted, stuffed with fontina and spinach... carmelized onion/reduction and speck-wrapped asparagus.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by iammatt

When the meat comes through the holes, the strands are going in one direction. You put plastic wrap on a sheet, and you line up strands of ground meat, all with the strands pointing in the same direction. Then you use the plastic to form the meat into a tube shape, like a really thick sausage, you wrap it up like a torchon, chill it and then cut burgers off.

Interesting. Are you using more than one type of meat in the grind? I was planning on trying some cubed veal with some cubed short rib meat.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Interesting. Are you using more than one type of meat in the grind? I was planning on trying some cubed veal with some cubed short rib meat.

If there's not at least three kinds, then this fails the Keller test.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Interesting. Are you using more than one type of meat in the grind? I was planning on trying some cubed veal with some cubed short rib meat.
I wouldn't add veal. Too lean and too little flavor, at least in a beef mixture. I used 75% short rib and 25% hanger steak.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by iammatt

When the meat comes through the holes, the strands are going in one direction. You put plastic wrap on a sheet, and you line up strands of ground meat, all with the strands pointing in the same direction. Then you use the plastic to form the meat into a tube shape, like a really thick sausage, you wrap it up like a torchon, chill it and then cut burgers off.
This is (minus the grinder) eerily similar to Tramonto's Octopus Carpaccio, which is a wonderful dish with a spectacular presentation Image is probably not from Tru - but this is basically what it looked like: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...FsJ40u8faspzI3

 

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by iammatt

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/...st-burger.html Yes, kyle is right. I prefer a normal burger with just a little mustard and mayo any day, but the bun recipe is great, and the method for grinding and forming the meat really improves the texture. On the last part, it is actually pretty convenient for a large group, as each additional person takes no real extra time, so I would probably do it for a "nice" barbecue, though not for the two of us at home if we wanted a burger.
Did you do every step? Even the toasting of the bun in beet suet and sous-vide lettuce?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Did you do every step? Even the toasting of the bun in beet suet and sous-vide lettuce?
Yes. I have to admit that, after one bite, I dumped the mushroom, lettuce and tomato and just ate the burger.

 

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yes. I have to admit that, after one bite, I dumped the mushroom, lettuce and tomato and just ate the burger.
Damn, that must have taken forever. Was it worth the effort?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Damn, that must have taken forever. Was it worth the effort?
Yes and no. I'll never do it again, but I learned a few things I will do for burgers in the future. It really didn't take much active time.