Da_Cook's Profile
Vancouver, Whistler, Salt Spring, Sechelt?
I am a whister local and chef. I believe Araxi is a very special restaurant, James Wlat is a truly talented chef and it is priced to boot. I feel that Whistler's best restaurant is the Rim Rock Cafe in Creekside, however if you are staying in the Village and don't want to take a taxi then Araxi for sure.
Edgewater Lodge is a rustic dinning room with the most spectacular views anywhere. They finally have a serious outstanding chef, Patrick Fortier, whose impecable Continental/Quebec style is so solid; I know he's a star on the rise.
Pasta Lupino is a small cafe that serves a combination of fresh house-made pasta with a few sauces. It is simple and delicious, great for lunch or recovering from last-nights over indulgence and a bruised visa card.
Sidecut has a great reputation as a steak house - definitely better than The Keg or Ric's.
Of course, should you have a hankering for Southern Soul food, I operate the Southern Soul Diner in Function Junction - Thursday Friday & Saturday nights only - www.bigsmoke.ca
In Vancouver by all means go to a Japadog cart (there are several) not the restaurant ,and have an amazing, inventive dog on the street.
In Vancouver there are the THREE: Tojo's, Vij's & Cioppinos’ Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca (Chef Pino Posterara) that represent the city's high end the best.
The ultimate Vancouver experience is an evening at one of the Guu restaurants. My favourite is Guu With Garlic on Robson. Wild, loud, raucous, delicious Japanese Izakaya fare, with beer chugging chefs, staff yelling orders back and forth, a boisterous clientele and delicious original food. The quintessential Vancouver dining experience.
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Just stumbled across this lineeta, wow what an ordeal.
You did very well with this and I'm getting ready to do it again myself.
I think if you incorporated rice bran water into this preparation it would be even better. I also think the crucial cooling of the pork in it's own liquid overnight is the final key to success.
Love to hear if you would consider browning a piece or two just before the final reheat and what would the results be.
Goog luck, great cooking!
Da Cook
Poutine in Vancouver: can it be done?
Actually, so does Costco.
They use the Bergeron Gouda Cheese curds and the very best Quebec gravy-from-a-packet you can buy.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew with or without coconut milk.
Hey Duppie, thanks for the reply.
What a laugh, as not only did I grow up with a Jamaican housekeeper too, I wrote about her on my blog: http://web.me.com/wadam/Big_Smoke_2010/Bad_Blog/Entries/2011/1/10_H’Adam_%26_Curry_Goat.html
I would, in hindsight, add more allspice to the recipe for curried goat.
I also was a regular customer at Bacchus Roti Shop on Queen St. West in Toronto. Before she died, old Granny Bacchus taught me many Trinidadian recipes. They were the first to serve boneless goat rotis, so cab drivers could eat them as they drove.
Finally both my wife and I frequented he bahamas as kids so we are partial to that Island's cuisine too.
What a mix!
I'm gonna make the pigeon peas as I can get them fresh/frozen at the Mexican market in Vancouver.
Cheers
Knife help, please?
As a chef I have indulged in expensive, finicky, hand forged Japanese carbon steel knives. At home though, I use Global knives. My wife likes the looks and the forged line is really top quality.
However, the Victorinox black or yellow handled knives are excellent. They last forever, have good balance and are easy to sharpen.
Spend your money on 1 good x 8" or 9" chef's knife. Anything else is unnecessary with the possible exception of a 3" or 4" petty knife and a serrated slicer for carving and bread.
Whatever knife you choose, you need a steel and a sharpener. You must use the steel each time you use the knife This hones the blade and re-aligns the microscopic shards on the knife edge. This isn't sharpening. You should also properly sharpen your knives, using stones or a commercial device, at least 4 times a year as you get to a point that the steel is no longer effective.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew with or without coconut milk.
I must confess that my peas n rice recipe is Bahamian not Jamaican. The Jamaicans use red beans don't they?
My recipe uses salt pork, pigeon peas, onion, tomato paste, thyme and black tea for the stock.
Your peas recipe, is it a side dish? I can get a pigs tail easy and I'll salt it along side my next batch of salt pork.
What other vegetables would be served with oxtail? I can get plantains but I was thinking of some greens, etc...
Pork rillettes failure!
Yeah baby, cooling in the fat and liquid helps the meat fibres re-absorb that unctuous goodness. Anything we can do to bring in more of that gelatinized stock and the fat to the finished product the better.
I would even go as far to cool on the counter, refrigerate overnight, then gently warm the next day to process. It would only taste better for it.
I would also advocate using classic charcuterie Quatre Epice for seasoning, Probably more authentic anyway.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew with or without coconut milk.
Thank you both.
I went with a roux as I wanted the toasty flour taste I would have got if I dredged the meat in flour before browning, which i didn't as i wanted a deep sear on the meat and flour would have burnt.
I do have cassava flour and will try it some time.
I passed on the lima beans only because I made peas n rice with green field (pigeon) peas and had long green beans as a side.
This was my best batch of oxtails in a long time, my guests were happy too.
Poutine ( Oxtail )
If you take care and don't use the fat that you browned your meat with and skim, skim, then skim some more while cooking, your oxtail sauce can be shiny and vibrant coloured even with a roux.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew with or without coconut milk.
I've got a killer batch of oxtails simmering away. It's rich with scotch bonnets, fresh thyme, ginger and allspice. I got a great sear on the meat and the colour is great. I want a thicker gravy though, and I may use some roux or some really thick coconut milk.
I am worried that the coconut may kill my very traditional flavour.
What is the consensus? Is coconut milk ok?
Please chime in.
Thanks
The Best Pimento Cheese Ever
I endorse the SFA route, great people, great site, great recipes.
Over the years my recipe has migrated a bit. I now add a touch of fresh thyme and lemon zest. I really love this new flavour profile.
Pork rillettes failure!
I use pork shoulder and a supply of homemade lard.
I debone and cube the pork and season it with fresh thyme, allspice, salt and pepper and let it mellow in the fridge overnight. You may add a few duck legs or do this with duck only for a tasty alternative.
The pork (and the bones!) should be in a pan just big enough to be submerged in lard. 250º for 5 hours is great. The key is to let it cool for 3 or 4 hours in the fat, with just a small corner opened. Pour off the fat, remove the bones then shred the meat in the stock. Yes a paddle mixer works well, but Cat Food texture is just a few extra seconds of mixing away. Be careful. Add back enough fat to maintain good body, pack it in jars, top it with more fat and seal. The lard goes in the freezer after I'm done (alongside my goose fat) and waits until the next time.
This recipe is also excellent packed into a small terrain mold. When chilled and set, cut slices to serve with crusty bread, dijon, gherkins and pickled onions. Or bread with panko, fry it up and call it "scrapple".
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Hello FF
Hope you enjoyed my description of you and your posts. I've read some of your old posts and replies but couldn't get your log to appear on my browser. I've been neglecting ChowHound for some time. Lately I've been reading up on old posts and looking for opportunities to contribute. I'll do so really soon. I just don't want to rehash my blog, keep it all fresh.
I just finished a winter contract, working the Olympics, and now with some time off, I'm gonna do some cooking. Next trip to the City and will get me some nuka and fresh Berkshire pork belly. Buta one more time.
Thanks for the kind words.
Cheers
Da Cook
Poutine in Vancouver: can it be done?
Fromagerie Bergeron makes the best cheese curds for Poutine (Gouda cheese curds). Though not the original cheese curd, their product adorns more Poutines in La Belle Provence then any other.
Lucky for us Wet Coasters, one the Bergerons lives in the Whistler area and he has made his family's curds available to restaurants looking for the real thing.
What is missing from the conversation is a discussion about the gravy. I believe that the correct gravy is a Chicken gravy, made from a roux and has the addition of a small amount of BBQ sauce as per the Quebec chicken joints. The hint off acid and sweet adds a nice balance to the gravy and brings me back to my 70's/80's Laurentian road trips like nothing else does.
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
To all that participatd and helped out on my Buta project, I just wanted to say thank you.
I started a food blog on my website and I dedicated a entry to this post.
I especially wanted to say thank you to FoodFuser, it was fun.
http://web.me.com/wadam/Big_Smoke_2010/Bad_Blog/Bad_Blog.html
Caul fat as a substitute for suet in a Xmas pudding?
I want to make a traditional Xmas pudding as well as some fruit cake so they can age properly for next Xmas season.
I have no suet but do have butter, goose fat and caul fat in my pantry/freezer. Would caul ft melt like suet does in baking?
Veal Stock Foam
I was making veal stock the other day and the Exec Chef wanted me to skim the foam.
I said "yes Chef" and did it.
I thought it was unnecessary as the bones, aromatics and tomato paste were properly roasted off.
Here's a bad photo, what do you think?
Please advise
Da Cook
Good Japanese Knives in Vancouver
I've recently gone back to being a chef in "fine dining".
My old blades are screaming for mercy.
I ready for a good Ao-Ko Gyutou or as close as I can afford. I want a sexy folded steel blade, at least 9.5" long and a comfortable grip.
So far all I can find is mail-order from Toronto (Internet Kitchen Store) and Korin from New York.
Is there anyone with a good selection out here? How about in Seattle?
Please advise.
Thanks
Da Cook
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Just bought and devoured a bowl of Japanese curry "fatty" beef brisket and daikon. Another combo or rich fatty meat and daikon. It was YUMMY!
Food of the 70's, 80's and 90's
Que Pasa Brand is alive and well in Vancouver, Canada. They have a plant nearby and they make organic tortilla chips from yellow red & blue corn They make tortillas (corn & wheat), fresh salsas, burritos, tamales as well as stocking a huge line of Mexican groceries for both the consumer and the industry.
They also have a food counter at the plant where they sell the above hot and fresh as well as soups, dips, cheeses and delicacies. I even get poblanos and cactus paddles there.
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Hey Foodfuser
I know I was a little sloppy in parts. I didn't have enough daikon for the amount of pork I was doing or sauce. I should have made enough to completely submerge the pork, at least until it began to reduce.
I'm still pretty confident in the recipe except for some details, like the blanching part. I can't help but wonder if I should skip that step and just marinade overnight in the daikon/ginger and next day steam then braise.
Your thoughts?
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Sorry about the delay.
The Japanese dinner got put off again and I ended up doing this the night before I roasted my whole lamb for Easter.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/387826
Sigh, it wasn't that good.
It was tough and wasn't chop stick tender.
The taste was excellent and a non-pork eater, who I had to cajole into trying it, gobbled hers up. The eggs were over cooked too, I might as well have cooked them in the sauce as the original recipe intended.
I have some left over pieces that I will steam to reheat in the sauce. I post the results when I try this. I'm also gonna try this again from scratch with better pork and use the refinements discussed above. Watch for it in the next few weeks.
I'll take pictures next time as well.
Thanks
Do-not-miss dining: Toronto
Get there early and you get to try everything. No one is worried about missing the good stuff and you can relax and enjoy yourself. I've only encountered bad behavior after 1pm when the pickings start to get slim.
Whole Roast Spring Lamb Méchoui for Easter
Well, it's done. What a success!
I had 30 very happy guests, all of whom left waddling, groaning and smiling.
Here's the method for a pit smoker:
Have the butcher prepare a whole baby lamb, weighing about 25 - 45 pounds on foot. Do not hang longer than 48 hours.
Split open breast bone of lamb and break ribs where the join the spine. Lay lamb out flat. Wash lamb inside and out with a cloth dipped in cider or wine vinegar, mixed half and half with water, then pat dry with paper towels.
12 cloves of garlic
zest of 3 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
5 tablespoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons cumin seed
2 tablespoons paprika
1 pound butter, clarified
2 cups olive oil
Toast spieces in a dry pan. Add to morter and grind fine. Set aside in a large bowl. Pound garlic, zest & thyme in morter. Add salt and make a paste. Add to spices and combine with clarified butter and olive oil. Massage this mixture into the entire lamb and refrigerate until ready to cook.
1/2 pound butter, clarified
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
the juice of 3 lemons
1 bouquet fresh thyme
Combine butter, oil, lemon juice and thyme leaves. Leave in a warm place to baste the lamb as it cooks (about every 15 - 20 minutes). Use a basting mop with the bouquet of thyme tied to it.
2 Cups veal, beef or lamb stock
2 cups Madeira wine
Ignite 2 bags of charcoal, enough to last 3 - 4 hours. Lay lamb, skin side down on an upper level grid. Under the lamb place a large baking tray or make one with a double layer of heavy duty foil to catch the drippings to be used as gravy.
Close the smoker and turn over once, after 2 hours.
It usually takes 3 - 4 hours, the lamb when ready should be golden brown and crisp on the outside and the meat very juicy on the inside. When ready to serve remove juice in pan – then pour the whole into a hot saucepan. Add stock and Madeira. Let the whole get hot while scraping the pan and add to the meat juices in the saucepan. Serve very hot, easy to do by reheating a few seconds over the hot charcoals.
To serve get a good carver to cut it. Remove from que (bungie stakes removed) to a large table covered with oilcloth – with a hot platter in front of lamb to place cut meat – each one helps himself and always enjoys the delicate fine flavour that only a roasted “Méchoui” can give to the lamb.
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup cumin seed
1 tablespoon pepper corns
The Moroccans place on tables bowls of coarse salt mixed with ground cumin & pepper – 2 tablespoons salt to 1tablespoon cumin – they dip their pieces of meat lightly into it. You may enjoy trying it! Toast & grind spices, mix with salt and put out in little bowls.
Lamb kidney
Just had a big Easter party at my place, we Barbecued a Whole Lamb Méchoui Style. It was awesome!
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/387826
The lamb had it's kidneys and the fat still attached. I moved them to a ziplock and put them in my fridge.
They are 5 days old.
Can I still cook them?
What do I do with them?
Please advise
Does anyone eat rabbit on Easter?
Once 7 years ago, and my wife won't let me forget it, my kids either.
That said I've got a rabbit in my freezer waiting for the next batch of Paella. I've been taking it out now in an absent minded kind-of-way just to hear the howls of outrage. I better stop or it might disappear before my next Paella party.
I pretty much go with the tradition of lamb for Easter and in true ChowHound fashion...click on: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/387826
Da Cook
Da Cook
Whole Roast Spring Lamb Méchoui for Easter
I inherited, from my Mom, a whole whack of great cookbooks, one being this little booklet by Madame Jehane Benoit. It was printed in 1974 and she did it for the Lamb Council of Ontario (a pre- Marketing Board). It featured her on the cover wrapped in a shawl, spit roasting a whole lamb over a fire. The recipe was the last one in the booklet and was called "Spring Lamb Méchoui" and I've always wanted to make it since I was a kid when I 1st saw that photo.
She has you wash the lamb inside and out with diluted apple cider vinegar then pat dry.
You then fill the stomach opening with crushed garlic cloves (12) 3 Tbsp crushed coriander, 5 tbsp coarse salt, 2 Tbsp crushed pepper and two whole lemons sliced, this get sewn-up inside along with 1/2 pound margarine (I've gotta update this to olive oil or butter).
After spiking and trussing the lamb, you rub it with all over with 1 pound margarine (olive oil? butter?) creamed with 2 Tbsp each of paprika, thyme and cumin.
To baste, you melt 1 pound margarine (olive oil? butter?) and add the juice of 3 lemons. Make a basting brush from a big bunch of thyme tied to your sauce mop.
Her rig has the lamb above and beside the fire with pans underneith to catch the drippings to be used as a gravy.
She says the whole thing should take about 3 hours to cook to crispy with constant turning.
So, I'm gonna try this on my big Smoke Pit. I've done plenty of pig roasts, tons of lamb shoulders but never a whole lamb and never this recipe/flavour profile.
I won't have a cavity as I'm gonna spay the lamb out flat. So the rub will have to be a combination of the stuffing and the rub mixture. I'm thinking of using lemon zest.
I'll use charcoal only, no smoking woods and I will place pans on the rack below to catch the juices. I'll be careful about the amount of water in the water jacket below so I don't make too much steam. Otherwise, I think I can pull this off. I promise to take photos this time too.
Any advice or ideas will be appreciated. I've attached a photo of my smoke pit.
Da Cook
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
I can guarantee that there is no rice bran in the kitchens Guu.
Lots of testosterone, attitude and Japanese culture.
I'm gonna point Chef Hayashi San towards this post and see if we can get some insight.
Da Cook
Most healthy sushi?
Good Question.
You should check out the post on Japanese pork belly and whether or not it's good for you.: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/351100
Some good questions are asked, like is fried food bad for you because it's unhealthy or by eating it you are not consuming a healthier alternative.
There is also the issue of correlation vs. causality, i.e. when eating pork fat does all the saturated fat harm you or the cholesterol. Both are in the food, but only one may be harmful.
Da Cook
Braised Pork Belly (buta no kakuni)
Ok, so what happened?
Well, my Japanese dinner got postponed/cancelled 'til next Thursday.
The Pork is sitting, covered in a pyrex dish in my commercial fridge. The sauce is on the side in a tupperware tub. I guess I'm now testing my theory that it will hold for a week and that a little controlled decomposition will help out the texture.
So, when I got canceled, I took my son to Vancouver to see the Auto Show.
We went to GUU afterwards and, of coarse, we ordered two orders of Kakuni.
It wasn't as good as I remember, in fact it wasn't much more tender than my batch. The head chef was on, so I quizzed him about their version. Yes, they steam then chill then braise; no they don't use Kombu or Daikon. He didn't have anything to add about health benefits either.
Hmmm.... tricky.
Well, I'll post again after we do have it. Also my Barbecue teammates wants to know if we can do this in the smoker for the appetizer entry at the Canadian national BBQ Championship. You know, if I use only charcoal and no wood, it could just work.
Da Cook
