As promised in my last newsletter, which was a while ago… I know…
Let’s talk Mustarda. Not just the Italian word for mustard, it is way more involved than that. Mustarda is a mustard syrup, filled with dried fruits. Similar to a chutney, but usually much sweeter and laden with dried fruit. Some mustarda will employ intense, whole mustard seeds along with other spices to create a jelly like creation that is both sweet and spicy. We offer Prima brand Mustarda here at The Meatery. They are delicious with cheeses, cured meats and cooked meats. Served with a Niman Ranch pork chop is my favorite pairing.
If you have never Sous Vide before, here is an easy way to try that out as well. You can certainly grill the pork chops as well and forget about the sous vide method.
If you decide to give it a try, you will need to get some preparation. Sous vide cooking is a method of cooking where you prepare food under vacuum, so vacuum sealed foods such as meats, vegetables, fish, even fruits.
It is a highly accurate and precise way of cooking foods to a specified temperature and holding. Perfectly cooked carrots, an exact medium rare steak or duck breast. It is a very advanced method of cooking and some people love it! I have used the technique for years in my career, it works best for me when cooking for a large group, the ability to prepare perfectly cooked steaks for a group of 200, life saver. I also made one of the best tri-tips of my life with the sous vide method! In case you are saying to yourself, “oh great, I don't have a vacuum sealer chef” , it can be done safely and effectively without actually placing things under vacuum.
So if you don't have a vacuum sealer, no worries. Using a ziplock bag you can create a similar scenario that works very well. Here’s how, place whatever you're hoping to sous vide in a zipper top plastic bag, being careful not to dirty the seal of the bag. (fold the edges of the bag down to fill the bag) Add the product and seal the bag pushing out as much air as possible while sealing 3/4 of the way. Place the filled zipper top bag on the edge of the counter and slowly slide the bag over the edge, maintaining tension just until the product is hanging and then close seal completely and gently bring the product up. Once bag is securely sealed, submerge in your circulating water bath, secure the top of the bag to the edge of the bath (I like my Emmer’s Boston Bulldog clip, it has never failed me)
Considering buying a Sous Vide Cooker? The Anova, Precision Sous Vide Kit is a great way to get started (there's also option to just the machine and not whole kit) and will keep up with your curiosity for many cooks to come…