Knife 101, Part Deux

I was watching an older episode of Good Eats, “American Slicer,” and was inspired to write about my personal views on the knife.

We had already posted something on the subject awhile aback; I highly suggest you read it if you want to increase your slicer knowledge.  One of the best tips is that you only need 3-4 knives and not a dozen or so.  However, personally, I’m a minimalist and think that you only really need two: a medium-sized chef’s knife and a serrated blade.  A medium-sized chef’s knife will take care of virtually all your knife needs even paring.  Unfortunately, there is one task that even a good chef’s knife can’t handle.  To put it brusquely, a chef’s knife can’t saw food.  Certain things such as bread and tomatoes need more of a sawing action to get the job done.

Today, I wanted to focus on choosing a good chef’s knife.  Since it’s the tool that will take care of much of your slicing, dicing, chopping needs, it’s important to choose the right knife for you.

I had a friend ask me why on earth should she purchase an expensive knife when she could purchase an entire knife set at WalMart for $20.  Sadly, back then, I couldn’t quite articulate my arguments well enough to stop her from purchasing the cheap knife set.  I rolled my eyes at the misguided choice.

However, now, I can explain why you should pay three times as much for one good knife as opposed to an entire set of cheap knives.

Let’s start with stamped vs. forged knives.  Stamped knives are cut from rolled steal into templates and then sharpened.  The steel itself is light, and the knife itself will lack density and weight.  The process isn’t as labor intensive as forging blades and the material generally cheaper.  Although you can find pricier stamped blades, generally speaking, they are cheap $20 set variety you can find at your local big box store.

You can find an expensive set of stamped knives like shown on the left.  Wusthof makes a very decent knife; that I am not contesting.  The problem is that it doesn’t change the fact that it is stamped.

Stamped knives, due to their low density and overall softness, do not hold their edges for too long.  You will need to sharpen them more frequently than forged ones.

The biggest problem I have with stamped knives is really the fact that they are light.  I like my blade to have some weight on it.  A knife with heft and a reliable edge will always do you right.  Because the blade is so light on a stamped knife, you will need more force and tighter grip which can all result in an injury.  Poor fingers….ouch.

Forged knives make me smile.  These knives are worked over in an intricate process of heating and molding and then expertly polished and sharpened.  Think of the old samurai movies where the sword smith tires over extreme heat with a hammer and you have a good idea what I’m talking about.  Well almost.

Forged knives have good weight and will give you the precision you need for expert slicing, dicing, and chopping.  Furthermore, they are more economical since you only really need one good knife, and you won’t have to sharpen as much.

So what do I recommend?

I have a thing for J.A. Henckels, an old and respected German brand of knives and cutlery.  They make seriously good knives.  They can be pricey, but it is so worth the investment.  I suggest getting a santoku knife from Henckels.

This particular model is 7 inches, the perfect size for a multitasking knife.  Notice the shape of the blade.  It’s formed for ease of use on the the wrist.  Furthermore, the recessed edge make it easier to ply food off the blade.  No more pesky veggies to scrape off your blade.

This beautifully blade can be yours for the low, low price of around $40-50.  Believe, you’ll be glad you made the investment.

I’ve been using a Henckel’s for about 7 years now and won’t ever use another knife.  It’s been a pleasure to use.  No, Henckel’s isn’t paying me to say this   Either way, buy a good, forged knife.  Your cooking will improve and your uninjured fingers will thank you.

The Best Chili Ever—via Serious Eats

Kenji is at it again, this time he tackled Chili. This guy is good, and I love reading his posts. PETER, if you don’t know how to make Chili, this one should help

Check it out

The Best Chili Ever

Clockwise from left: three dried chiles, a finished bowl of chili, the effect of salt on beans [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

I gotta admit up front: the title of this article is somewhat misleading. Yes, we will discuss chili, and yes, it’s the best chili I personally have ever made.

But! to call something “The Best Chili Ever” implies that the recipe is perfect, and perfection implies that there is no room for improvement. I can only hope that others will continue perfecting the chili work that began on the Tex-Mex border and that I continue testing well after the last rich and spicy remnant is licked clean off the bottom of the bowl. With that disclaimer out of the way, lets move on to the testing.

My first step was to set up some parameters that would define the ultimate chili. Certainly, there are disputes in the chili world as to what makes the best. Ground beef or chunks? Are tomatoes allowed? Should we even mention beans? But discounting a few people (who are most likely either from strange places like Cincinnati or Japan), I think we can all agree on a few things.

The ultimate chili should:

• Have a rich, complex chile flavor (for the sake of clarity, I will spell the dish “chili“, and the fruit “chile” for the remainder of the article) that combines sweet, bitter, hot, fresh, and fruity elements in balance.
• Have a robust, meaty, beefy flavor.
• Assuming that it contains beans, have beans that are tender, creamy, and intact.
• Be bound together by a thick, deep red sauce.

To achieve these goals, I decided to break down the chili into its distinct elements—the chiles, the beef, the beans, and the flavorings—perfecting each one before putting them all together in one big happy pot.

Read the rest of the post on Serious Eats HERE

The Food Lab: How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib—via Serious Eats

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt always does an amazing job testing out food and show us how things works. The latest test shows how to cook my favorite Prime Rib to perfection. Read on to see if you agreed with me.

The Food Lab: How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib

Posted by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, December 18, 2009 at 7:30 AM

It’s time for another round of The Food Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he’ll do his best to answer your queries in a future post.

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

This is a four-pound joint of well-marbled prime beef rib—it is not cheap. And while my friends provide me with as many mental and philosophical riches as a man could ask for, and my wife supplies an adequate amount of emotional wealth, being a humble food writer, dollars and cents are not something I part with lightly.

Read the rest of the story HERE

How to Preheat Your Pan—via Serious Eats

How to Preheat Your Pan

Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 15, 2009 at 12:30 PM

You might have learned how to tell when your pan is hot enough in home-ec class: just observe a water droplet or two on the pan’s surface and wait for it to bead up and roll across the hot pan. But did you know this trick has a name?

It’s called the Leidenfrost Effect. Ideally, you want a mercury-like ball of water to hover over the pan, which happens at 320°F or the Leidenfrost point. The water should evaporate more slowly than it would at lower temperatures but if many tiny bubbles form, that means the pan is too hot.

Read the original story and see the video from SeriousEats HERE

How to Open Champagne—Uncorking the Bubbles via Slashfood.com

by LeNell Smothers (Subscribe to LeNell Smothers’s posts)

Photo: Apple Blossom Photography, Flickr

A friend had me over for dinner and handed me a bottle of Champagne to open. His roommate handed me a corkscrew. This reminded me how often folks really don’t know how to open a bottle of bubbly. Here’s how to properly open your champagne for the holidays and beyond:

1. Chill Champagne 3 hours in fridge or 30 minutes in ice bucket. Chilled Champagne is less volatile … and tastier! Take care to not shake or disturb too much to also lessen volatility of bubbles.
2. Towel dry your chilled bottle to prevent any slippage.
3. Remove foil from top by pulling tab or gently cutting foil if no tab present.
4. Point the bottle away from you and other people just in case a cork gets on the loose.
5. Keeping thumb on the cork, remove wire cage with cap with six half twists. If you truly want to impress your friends, call the wire cage by its French name “le muselet.”
6. Hold cork in one hand with slight downward pressure to prevent cork flying out and hold the fat part of the bottle in the other. If it helps you feel more secure, hold the cork with a towel in your hand for better grip and to help capture a runaway cork or wine spillage.
7. Twist the bottle and cork in opposite directions until you hear a soft “ssssffft” not the big pop you see in movies. This gentle way of opening helps maintain the bubble better. An old saying goes, “The ears loss is the palate’s gain.”

How to carve a turkey!!—SeriousEats.com

Video: Alton Brown on How to Carve a Turkey

Posted by Robyn Lee, November 25, 2009 at 12:00 PM

If you don’t know how to carve a turkey, let Alton Brown show you the way. Start by cutting off the breast, then move on to the drum sticks, wings, and thighs. And then make a sandwich.
Alton Brown on How to Carve a Turkey

Kochujang—Korean Chili Paste

In our podcast No. 4, I talked about Bugoki which is a spicy pork dish from Korea. I mentioned the Korean Chili paste and wanted to follow up on that.

Korean chili paste is called “Kochujang”—고추장, the translation is “Chili Paste”. Made from rice  powder, fermented soybeans (dwenjang)  and red peppers. They use it in all types of food from soups, stews, dipping sauce (ssamjang) or even as marinade.

You usually see it in a jar or a red tub. There are a few recipes for Bugoki out there for you to try. Be adventurous and try it. You wouldn’t be disappointed.

Best store-bought mayonnaise money can buy!

While we are on the subject of Mayonnaise, I would like to point out that I absolutely love “Kewpie” brand mayonaise. It’s the best one in my book other than those I’ve made from scratch. To my knowledge, it has been around longer than I’ve been alive.

What makes it so wonderful? It’s the type of vinegar they use to make it with. Rice vinegar is the secret. It gives a totally refreshing taste which is quite different, and much better (to me) than harsh taste of distilled vinegar we use here in the U.S.

You can usually find Kewpie in some high-end grocery stores here or in asian markets. If you want to try something new, give Kewpie a try.

Perfect Boiled Eggs Recipe—via Serious Eats

Even boiling an egg has some science to it. I think this article has everything you need to know to boil an egg for all the occasion. Read on…

The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs

Original Posted J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, October 9, 2009 at 11:45 AM

Note: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (of Good Eater) brought his analytical cooking expertise to us last week in his first installment of The Burger Lab. This week he starts another bi-weekly column, The Food Lab, dedicated to unraveling the science of cooking. Today, learn about what happens under the shell when boiling eggs and how to make the perfect soft and hard boiled eggs.

I’d like to apologize in advance for the shameless, horrible egg puns that I’m inevitably going to shell out over the course of this story.

For the very first installment of The Food Lab, I thought I’d tackle one of the simplest, yet most vexing everyday challenges of the home kitchen: perfectly boiling an egg.

Nearly every basic cookbook offers conflicting techniques on how it should be done—start the egg in cold water, or gently lower it into boiling water; add vinegar to the water to lower its pH, or add baking soda to the water to raise it; cover the pot, don’t cover the pot; use old eggs, or use new eggs, and on and on—but very few offer evidence as to why any one of these techniques should work any better than your average old wives’ tale. Apparently, boiling is not…ahem…an eggs-act science.

The first few of these fairy tales were easy to banish with some easy tests.

Read the original story on Serious Eats HERE

The Perfect Fried Rice

One dish that I feel all Asian countries share would be fried rice.  Everyone has a different recipe but certain rules apply to all.

First, let’s talk about what makes a great fried rice.  For me, I think the perfect fried rice isn’t mushy but fluffy.  Also, the flavors should be complex but subtle with no flavors over powering anything else.  For me, I prefer something more salty and spicy.  Any meat and veggies that you put into your fried rice should be diced bite-sized and contribute to the flavors of the seasonings you put in.     

Fried rice isn’t a difficult dish, but you must consider a what you put into it and how you cook it.

Let’s go over the list:

1.  Rice: it doesn’t matter what kind of rice you choose.  Short or long grain, all of it is good.  I prefer short grain, sticky rice because of the texture.  However, there is one very important rule to note: always use day old, refrigerated rice.  Always.  Freshly steamed rice seems like a good idea but really isn’t.  The problem is moisture.  If you want a fluffy and not mushy fried rice, make sure you use day old rice.

2.  Meat and Veggies:  Typically, veggies should be cooked or at least don’t need to be cook prior to putting it in the pan.  The same can be said of meats.  Cooking time should be kept to a minimum and only used to meld the rice and other ingredients together and not necessarily cook the other ingredients.  

As for choosing veggies, I would avoid starchy veggies such as potatoes since you will get enough of that from the rice.  Veggies that aren’t too over powering and can be chopped into bite-sized pieces are best.  Onions don’t count.  I see them aromatics.  Also, I would avoid anything too crunchy as it would mess up the overall texture of the rice.  I’m not a fan of peanuts.   

As for meats, anything will do

3.  Aromatics, Spices, and Seasonings:  Onions are great aromatics but you must choose wisely.  I would avoid regular, sweet, or red onions due to the moisture content.  If you want the aromatics of the onion but not the moisture, choose scallions.  Garlic is good as long as you don’t put too much.  Ginger is always a great choice in Asian cooking.

For spices, I like to keep things simple.  Black pepper is a good choice.  I would also incorporate red pepper flakes for the spice but also for the contrasting color.

The seasonings are also very simple.  I would primarily use soy sauce.  Remember not to overuse it to avoid mushy and salty rice.  I would also use some salt at the very end to adjust the flavor.

Although my personal recipe for fried rice varies here and there, this is the basic recipe:

1. two eggs, beaten
2. tablespoon of oil, peanut or sesame preferred
3. 3-4 cups of cooked, day old rice
4. 1.5 cups of peas and carrots, defrosted
5. 0.5 tablespoon of garlic, diced
6. 0.5 cup of scallions, chopped finely
7. 0.5 tablespoon of ginger, grated
8. 0.25 cup of soy sauce
9. pinches red pepper
10. salt and peper to taste

Put the oil in a heated pan.  Add the peas and carrots and soy sauce and saute for 3-4 minutes or until the veggies turn color.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute.  Add beaten eggs and increase heat if need be.  Once eggs are cooked with the veggies, add the rice.  You may have to preheat the rice if its too hard and also may have to add a little more soy to loosen.  Stir fry mixture for 3-4 minutes.  Add the ginger and scallions.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add red pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  

What’s great about fried rice is it’s an excellent way to use left overs.  Have some left over rice?  Left over meat?  Left over veggies?  Put them is a pan and voila! You have another meal ready to go!  

God bless fried rice (tears up a little).