I want to apologize for skipping my blog for so long. Life has been crazy. You know, there's a local guy who has been hassling my boss via comments on new articles. He complains that our restaurant isn't open nearly long enough each day for people to actually enjoy.
Shoot, I wish he could spend just one week in my shoes--- this week in fact. Not only has it been crazy with late food trucks, missing orders, and shuffling staff, but add on private parties, four performances of a show, two with a three course dinner, and a night of karaoke, all topped off with regular daytime business. Early morning trips to 24-hour supermarkets, late nights cooking and cleaning, and routine health inspections are all in a days work. If I spend fewer than ten hours on the clock, I celebrate.
But, it is all worth it. When I think about what I do, the people I work with and the way I can contribute to change in my community, I find it in myself to get up in the morning and go right back to work.
I also hope to find it in myself to get right back to blogging here every day.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Man vs. Meat Part Three
We've now covered cuts of meat and methods for cooking, and marinades and rubs. If you are ready to put it all together, let's get into some tricks of the trade.
If you are like me, you probably want to get the most bang for your buck at the store. When you shop inexpensive cuts of meat, keep in mind they tend to be tough, but now that you know you can use a marinade or a meat mallet to tenderize it, that won't be a deterrent. There's no reason you can't eat well from a cut of meat that is tough at the store.
So, what are you likely to pick up? Let's say you get a chuck roast or an arm roast. These are basically grandma's pot roast. Cooking these requires patience. If you have a crock pot, that is an ideal vessel for making a delicious, one pot meal with your roast.
To start, you want to sear your meat. That means, get a saute pan pretty darn hot on the stove, sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper, then put it in the pan until it is browned on all sides. This shouldn't take too long, but will work better with a stainless steel pan, although non-stick will work. If you are using stainless steel, you will notice that the meat will kind of stick to the pan when you first put it in. That's fine. Leave it there until it releases itself. At that point, you should have a lovely brown crust on that surface of the meat. What this does is change the taste, texture and flavor of the meat. Any bits of brown goodness that are in the pan, make sure you rescue those from obscurity by adding a little water, stock, or wine to the pan and scraping them up. They are the super goodness.
Now, this is something to remember for roasting as well as cooking your pot roast. In order to make sure heat can circulate, you want to either put a rack under your meat, or, the better option in my mind, chopped vegetables. Cut onions, carrots and celery into pieces anywhere from half an inch to an inch, depending on what size piece of meat you have, and then put them in the bottom of your crock pot or baking dish. Remember, veggies add flavor. Next, add whatever flavorings you'd like. I'm partial to a little water or red wine, and a packet of onion soup mix. Don't be afraid of experimenting with spices, herbs or sauces. Put the lid on and cook. In my experience, as long as you don't let it go, like I did one time, for 18 hours, you are probably going to be ok on time. But, again, experiment with your equipment.
What if you grabbed a steak? Grills are always preferable, but remember, you can use your broiler or a saute pan. There's no reason to deny yourself of a delicious steak because you don't have a grill. I love to use a generous amount of kosher salt, a sprinkle of pepper and sometimes, a salt-free steak seasoning. And, because I adore rare steaks, I toss my steak in a searing hot pan just long enough to make that lovely brown crust on the outside. You might want to cook it longer. Keep an eye out for "eye of round" steaks or other such things. They may look like steak, but are really a tougher cut of meat that is better served by braising.
Ok, there's a few things to get us started. I'll be adding cuts of meat and techniques as time goes on.
If you are like me, you probably want to get the most bang for your buck at the store. When you shop inexpensive cuts of meat, keep in mind they tend to be tough, but now that you know you can use a marinade or a meat mallet to tenderize it, that won't be a deterrent. There's no reason you can't eat well from a cut of meat that is tough at the store.
So, what are you likely to pick up? Let's say you get a chuck roast or an arm roast. These are basically grandma's pot roast. Cooking these requires patience. If you have a crock pot, that is an ideal vessel for making a delicious, one pot meal with your roast.
To start, you want to sear your meat. That means, get a saute pan pretty darn hot on the stove, sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper, then put it in the pan until it is browned on all sides. This shouldn't take too long, but will work better with a stainless steel pan, although non-stick will work. If you are using stainless steel, you will notice that the meat will kind of stick to the pan when you first put it in. That's fine. Leave it there until it releases itself. At that point, you should have a lovely brown crust on that surface of the meat. What this does is change the taste, texture and flavor of the meat. Any bits of brown goodness that are in the pan, make sure you rescue those from obscurity by adding a little water, stock, or wine to the pan and scraping them up. They are the super goodness.
Now, this is something to remember for roasting as well as cooking your pot roast. In order to make sure heat can circulate, you want to either put a rack under your meat, or, the better option in my mind, chopped vegetables. Cut onions, carrots and celery into pieces anywhere from half an inch to an inch, depending on what size piece of meat you have, and then put them in the bottom of your crock pot or baking dish. Remember, veggies add flavor. Next, add whatever flavorings you'd like. I'm partial to a little water or red wine, and a packet of onion soup mix. Don't be afraid of experimenting with spices, herbs or sauces. Put the lid on and cook. In my experience, as long as you don't let it go, like I did one time, for 18 hours, you are probably going to be ok on time. But, again, experiment with your equipment.
What if you grabbed a steak? Grills are always preferable, but remember, you can use your broiler or a saute pan. There's no reason to deny yourself of a delicious steak because you don't have a grill. I love to use a generous amount of kosher salt, a sprinkle of pepper and sometimes, a salt-free steak seasoning. And, because I adore rare steaks, I toss my steak in a searing hot pan just long enough to make that lovely brown crust on the outside. You might want to cook it longer. Keep an eye out for "eye of round" steaks or other such things. They may look like steak, but are really a tougher cut of meat that is better served by braising.
Ok, there's a few things to get us started. I'll be adding cuts of meat and techniques as time goes on.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Man vs. Meat Part Two
Sorry I've been away from the keyboard, folks. It's been a long week. As I've said before, I work at a small restaurant, but small doesn't mean not busy. We have a dinner theater and this week we are opening our fourth show of the season! That means tweaking the recipes, spiffing the restaurant, rehearsals every night, selling tickets and generally up to the eyeballs in work, but it is so exciting that I wouldn't change it for anything.
However, I do want to continue answering G's question about cooking meat. Did you do the quiz? Did you play match-up with the meats and cooking methods?
If you did, here are a few of the combinations:
Steaks -- Broil, Grill, or Saute
Roasts -- Braise, Roast or Stew
Ribs -- Braise, Grill or Roast
Stew Beef -- Braise or Stew
Pork Chop -- Broil, Grill, or Saute
Pork Loin -- Grill or Roast
Soooo, now that we know what things go together, what else is important to keeping meat from turning to leather? There are a few things on that list. Let's start with marinades and rubs.
A marinade is a combination of oil, an acid (usually vinegar, but could be citrus) and a variety of herbs, spices, etc. The ratio is generally two parts oil for one part of vinegar, so if you use a half a cup of oil, you would need...... that's right, a quarter cup of vinegar. What is the purpose of vinegar? Well, the acid starts to break down the muscle fibers, making them tender. With meats like beef and pork, they tend to be more hearty and can withstand greater marinating times. For example, if you are marinating a steak, you could probably manage an hour or two with no problems, where chicken can only take half an hour or forty-five minutes. If you marinate something for too long, your meat will basically turn to mush. But, that doesn't mean you need to be afraid of marinating. Practice, practice, practice!
Here's a great marinade I'm currently using with pork loin. The unused marinade (meaning the part that does not touch the raw meat) doubles as a sauce after cooking.
1/4 cup red wine or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sweet basil
pinch of sugar
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or so, then marinate your meat, reserving a cup or so for saucing your finished product. Feel free to jazz any recipe up. I love spicy, so if I were making this for myself, I might finely dice a jalapeno or two to add to the mix, throw in a little cayenne or some crushed red pepper flakes. Experiment. You can make any recipe reflect you.
Rubs are a combination of spices that are literally rubbed onto the meat. This is done often with ribs, but you can rub steaks or roasts, too. A good ingredient to keep on hand for rubs, although it can be added to marinades, too, is meat tenderizer. It's a powder that is actually an enzyme found primarily in pineapple. Cool, huh? Rubs can be simple: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder. Or they can be more complicated. They sky is the limit. One of my favorites, and super simple is this recipe for herb roasted pork. The change I make for the rub is letting it actually sit overnight on the pork.
Oh, you know what? I forgot probably the simplest way to make your meat less like leather....
Ladies and gentlemen, it's a meat mallet. Go ahead and take out your daily frustrations by getting in a few rounds of whack-a-steak. I promise you'll feel better and your steak will be tender. Two birds, so to speak.
Ok, so now, we've covered the cuts of meat you are most likely to buy, and discussed, briefly the methods used to cook them. You've got your steak or your pork loin marinating in the fridge-- (you did put that back in the fridge, right?) What's next?
Next up, we will actually get your meat cooking. Stay tuned for how to use your grill or your oven, when Man vs. Meat returns.
However, I do want to continue answering G's question about cooking meat. Did you do the quiz? Did you play match-up with the meats and cooking methods?
If you did, here are a few of the combinations:
Steaks -- Broil, Grill, or Saute
Roasts -- Braise, Roast or Stew
Ribs -- Braise, Grill or Roast
Stew Beef -- Braise or Stew
Pork Chop -- Broil, Grill, or Saute
Pork Loin -- Grill or Roast
Soooo, now that we know what things go together, what else is important to keeping meat from turning to leather? There are a few things on that list. Let's start with marinades and rubs.
A marinade is a combination of oil, an acid (usually vinegar, but could be citrus) and a variety of herbs, spices, etc. The ratio is generally two parts oil for one part of vinegar, so if you use a half a cup of oil, you would need...... that's right, a quarter cup of vinegar. What is the purpose of vinegar? Well, the acid starts to break down the muscle fibers, making them tender. With meats like beef and pork, they tend to be more hearty and can withstand greater marinating times. For example, if you are marinating a steak, you could probably manage an hour or two with no problems, where chicken can only take half an hour or forty-five minutes. If you marinate something for too long, your meat will basically turn to mush. But, that doesn't mean you need to be afraid of marinating. Practice, practice, practice!
Here's a great marinade I'm currently using with pork loin. The unused marinade (meaning the part that does not touch the raw meat) doubles as a sauce after cooking.
1/4 cup red wine or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sweet basil
pinch of sugar
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or so, then marinate your meat, reserving a cup or so for saucing your finished product. Feel free to jazz any recipe up. I love spicy, so if I were making this for myself, I might finely dice a jalapeno or two to add to the mix, throw in a little cayenne or some crushed red pepper flakes. Experiment. You can make any recipe reflect you.
Rubs are a combination of spices that are literally rubbed onto the meat. This is done often with ribs, but you can rub steaks or roasts, too. A good ingredient to keep on hand for rubs, although it can be added to marinades, too, is meat tenderizer. It's a powder that is actually an enzyme found primarily in pineapple. Cool, huh? Rubs can be simple: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder. Or they can be more complicated. They sky is the limit. One of my favorites, and super simple is this recipe for herb roasted pork. The change I make for the rub is letting it actually sit overnight on the pork.
Oh, you know what? I forgot probably the simplest way to make your meat less like leather....
Ladies and gentlemen, it's a meat mallet. Go ahead and take out your daily frustrations by getting in a few rounds of whack-a-steak. I promise you'll feel better and your steak will be tender. Two birds, so to speak.
Ok, so now, we've covered the cuts of meat you are most likely to buy, and discussed, briefly the methods used to cook them. You've got your steak or your pork loin marinating in the fridge-- (you did put that back in the fridge, right?) What's next?
Next up, we will actually get your meat cooking. Stay tuned for how to use your grill or your oven, when Man vs. Meat returns.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Man vs. Meat Part One
Ok, folks, I've got a doozie of a question!
G asks: "How are you supposed to cook meat...in general...everything I make is roughly the consistency of shoe leather."
You are not alone. I used to have that problem before I entered the magical world of culinary school. Meat is good stuff. According to the 2010 US Census, the United States consumed 34,156,000 metric tons of meat (including beef, veal, pork, and poultry). Given the US population of 308,745,538 in 2010, also according to Census, this means, on average, we each consume approximately 242 lbs of meat each year, or about 2/3 of a lb per day. Clearly, we love our meat.
But, wouldn't we love it more if we all knew how to make it tasty at the end of the cooking process? Absolutely! So, let's get down to basics.
The first thing I'm going to cover is some terminology.
There are many, many ways to cook meat. Here are a few of the more common ones and their definitions.
Braise- simmering with a small amount of liquid, usually in a closed container, for a period of time
Broil- cooking with a direct heat, generally in the oven, but could also be a grill or a salamander
Grill- cooking with direct heat, as above, on a grill
Roast- cooking with dry heat, essentially baking
Saute- frying in a pan with a small amount of liquid or oil
Stew- cooking at a simmer or low boil for a length of time
----------------------------------------------------
In addition to quite a few methods for cooking meat, let's not forget the different cuts of meat that are out there. Some of the most common cuts are:
Steaks- a thick slice of beef, generally high quality. Steaks tend to come from the top half of the animal, from the ribs on back. Steaks tend to be cut from muscles the cow doesn't use too much, hence their higher fat content and thus their tenderness.
Roasts- large hunks of beef, roasts can be either tough cuts that require a long time in cooking (think Grandma's Pot Roast), or a more tender cut that can be cooked until rare (i.e. Prime Rib)
Ribs- Just what you think....ribs. These come in a few varieties, including Short Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs and the pork Country Rib (which doesn't actually come from the rib but rather a place near the shoulder of the pig, but tastes delicious anyway)
Stew beef- tougher cuts of beef, usually from the front end of the cow
Pork chops- small cuts of pork, usually from the center portion of the pig, near the ribs; can be cut thick or thin
Pork loin/tenderloin- The loin in the large muscle that runs basically from the shoulders back. It is the primal muscle for chops, but can stand on its own as a roast. The tenderloin is a small muscle attached to the loin that is prized for its tenderness.
If you aren't squeamish, take a look here at a beef butcher chart, or here at a pig butcher chart.
-------------------------------------------------
Now that we know some basic ways to cook meat, and some basic cuts, let's figure out how to put them together. Probably the most important thing to remember here is that tender cuts require less time to cook than tough cuts and direct heat will almost always cook faster than indirect heat.
Want to test your knowledge? Take a few minutes and play a little game with yourself matching up the cuts of meat with cooking methods. Write it down if you want; I'll be solving that puzzle with my next entry.
Those things in mind, we are armed with the tools to start cooking in "Man vs. Meat Part Two"!
G asks: "How are you supposed to cook meat...in general...everything I make is roughly the consistency of shoe leather."
You are not alone. I used to have that problem before I entered the magical world of culinary school. Meat is good stuff. According to the 2010 US Census, the United States consumed 34,156,000 metric tons of meat (including beef, veal, pork, and poultry). Given the US population of 308,745,538 in 2010, also according to Census, this means, on average, we each consume approximately 242 lbs of meat each year, or about 2/3 of a lb per day. Clearly, we love our meat.
 |
| Image from corncommentary.com |
But, wouldn't we love it more if we all knew how to make it tasty at the end of the cooking process? Absolutely! So, let's get down to basics.
The first thing I'm going to cover is some terminology.
There are many, many ways to cook meat. Here are a few of the more common ones and their definitions.
Braise- simmering with a small amount of liquid, usually in a closed container, for a period of time
Broil- cooking with a direct heat, generally in the oven, but could also be a grill or a salamander
Grill- cooking with direct heat, as above, on a grill
Roast- cooking with dry heat, essentially baking
Saute- frying in a pan with a small amount of liquid or oil
Stew- cooking at a simmer or low boil for a length of time
----------------------------------------------------
In addition to quite a few methods for cooking meat, let's not forget the different cuts of meat that are out there. Some of the most common cuts are:
Steaks- a thick slice of beef, generally high quality. Steaks tend to come from the top half of the animal, from the ribs on back. Steaks tend to be cut from muscles the cow doesn't use too much, hence their higher fat content and thus their tenderness.
Roasts- large hunks of beef, roasts can be either tough cuts that require a long time in cooking (think Grandma's Pot Roast), or a more tender cut that can be cooked until rare (i.e. Prime Rib)
Ribs- Just what you think....ribs. These come in a few varieties, including Short Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs and the pork Country Rib (which doesn't actually come from the rib but rather a place near the shoulder of the pig, but tastes delicious anyway)
Stew beef- tougher cuts of beef, usually from the front end of the cow
Pork chops- small cuts of pork, usually from the center portion of the pig, near the ribs; can be cut thick or thin
Pork loin/tenderloin- The loin in the large muscle that runs basically from the shoulders back. It is the primal muscle for chops, but can stand on its own as a roast. The tenderloin is a small muscle attached to the loin that is prized for its tenderness.
If you aren't squeamish, take a look here at a beef butcher chart, or here at a pig butcher chart.
-------------------------------------------------
Now that we know some basic ways to cook meat, and some basic cuts, let's figure out how to put them together. Probably the most important thing to remember here is that tender cuts require less time to cook than tough cuts and direct heat will almost always cook faster than indirect heat.
Want to test your knowledge? Take a few minutes and play a little game with yourself matching up the cuts of meat with cooking methods. Write it down if you want; I'll be solving that puzzle with my next entry.
Those things in mind, we are armed with the tools to start cooking in "Man vs. Meat Part Two"!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Is it my imagination
Or do the weeks keep getting longer? On the advice of a friend, I wanted to be a little more personal with my blog, so every once in a while, I'll just talk about me.
Today is Wednesday, but for all the world it feels like I'm on day 6 of the week. The heat here in the Midwest was relieved for a couple of days in the past month, but it's been over 100 degrees for the rest of the summer. On top of that, it's been a madhouse at work, getting ready for our up-coming show, working private and special events and doing our darnedest to keep up customer morale.
I suppose I should explain the last part of that statement. The restaurant I work at, as I've mentioned before, caters to our city and state employees. As I've said before, too, we see them every day--sometimes multiple times each day. I see it as part of our goal at the store to improve their moods. If one of them is having a crappy day when he or she walks in, I can almost always guarantee they will have a smile when they leave. Right now, it is super tough. The drought we are in has not only affected the obvious things like cattle and crops, but the employees that work for the Department of Agriculture. Not a day goes by that someone isn't beat to he** because he had the task of spending the day on the phone with a cattle farmer or a corn farmer, imploring that employee to perform some super secret DoA rain dance to produce the moisture needed for both to survive. I can only imagine how thoroughly depressing it must be to have to tell those people whose lives depend on the prosperity of their respective crops, that the end is not in sight, that they will have no choice but to take a loss this year and start from scratch next year.
In a way, though, I'm lucky. I have the opportunity to hear this information and plan in advance for my restaurant. What the drought means for me is beef prices will be down for a short time as ranchers slaughter their cows and sell while they can. What it also means is that come spring, beef will be off the menu. It means I can start planning now on how to bring in the extra business necessary to make up the coming shortfall caused by inflated prices that cannot be passed on directly to my customers.
For all I learned in school about cooking, there was never a class called, "How to Succeed on Almost Nothing", nor was there a course titled, "What to do when the Economy Tanks and People can't Afford to Eat at your Restaurant". So far, *knock wood*, we've been extremely lucky. Our low employee turnover rate means each of us develops a strong, personal relationship with the customers that keeps them coming back and trusting us, day after day, year after year.
I guess, in the end, this post wasn't really all about me, but there's a lot of me in it, so that counts. :)
Today is Wednesday, but for all the world it feels like I'm on day 6 of the week. The heat here in the Midwest was relieved for a couple of days in the past month, but it's been over 100 degrees for the rest of the summer. On top of that, it's been a madhouse at work, getting ready for our up-coming show, working private and special events and doing our darnedest to keep up customer morale.
I suppose I should explain the last part of that statement. The restaurant I work at, as I've mentioned before, caters to our city and state employees. As I've said before, too, we see them every day--sometimes multiple times each day. I see it as part of our goal at the store to improve their moods. If one of them is having a crappy day when he or she walks in, I can almost always guarantee they will have a smile when they leave. Right now, it is super tough. The drought we are in has not only affected the obvious things like cattle and crops, but the employees that work for the Department of Agriculture. Not a day goes by that someone isn't beat to he** because he had the task of spending the day on the phone with a cattle farmer or a corn farmer, imploring that employee to perform some super secret DoA rain dance to produce the moisture needed for both to survive. I can only imagine how thoroughly depressing it must be to have to tell those people whose lives depend on the prosperity of their respective crops, that the end is not in sight, that they will have no choice but to take a loss this year and start from scratch next year.
In a way, though, I'm lucky. I have the opportunity to hear this information and plan in advance for my restaurant. What the drought means for me is beef prices will be down for a short time as ranchers slaughter their cows and sell while they can. What it also means is that come spring, beef will be off the menu. It means I can start planning now on how to bring in the extra business necessary to make up the coming shortfall caused by inflated prices that cannot be passed on directly to my customers.
For all I learned in school about cooking, there was never a class called, "How to Succeed on Almost Nothing", nor was there a course titled, "What to do when the Economy Tanks and People can't Afford to Eat at your Restaurant". So far, *knock wood*, we've been extremely lucky. Our low employee turnover rate means each of us develops a strong, personal relationship with the customers that keeps them coming back and trusting us, day after day, year after year.
I guess, in the end, this post wasn't really all about me, but there's a lot of me in it, so that counts. :)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Goals
I'm not sure why I'm awake yet....oh yeah, the cat decided she needed breakfast. If it weren't for her, I'd still be blissfully asleep, hopefully not dreaming about work (which happens all too often). I spend a lot of time at my job-- yesterday I worked for 12.5 hours. While that's a couple hours more than my average day, it's not uncommon at all, to find me at the store from open to close. My customers will toss, "Don't work too hard!" over their shoulders as they leave the building. "I won't," I reply with a smile.
What they don't realize is that this isn't just a job. I don't just go to work to get a paycheck. There's a deeper purpose there for me, a deeper goal. I grew up loving to cook, loving to feed people. There is a stronger satisfaction in that than in anything else I do. Most people just see us as a place to grab their lunch, with friendly employees. But honestly, I see many of my customers much, much more than I even see my family. I've seen the same faces day in and day out for almost three years. I've seen people get married, have babies, I've seen folks retire or get laid off. I've seen coffee groups grow and shrink, newbies joining the pack and others move away.
My goal there is to provide a place people can go to escape their humdrum existence behind a desk; a safe place to go where they can vent a little if they need to, smile, laugh, hang out for a few with their co-workers outside of work, anything to make their day a little better. My crew and I don't just serve food. We serve comfort and familiarity and even just a bit of affection in the mix. My goal at work is to make my customers' lives better, even if only for a few minutes while they are in the store. You don't have to be famous or wealthy to change the world...you just have to put your mind to it, roll up your sleeves, and dig into your little corner.
What they don't realize is that this isn't just a job. I don't just go to work to get a paycheck. There's a deeper purpose there for me, a deeper goal. I grew up loving to cook, loving to feed people. There is a stronger satisfaction in that than in anything else I do. Most people just see us as a place to grab their lunch, with friendly employees. But honestly, I see many of my customers much, much more than I even see my family. I've seen the same faces day in and day out for almost three years. I've seen people get married, have babies, I've seen folks retire or get laid off. I've seen coffee groups grow and shrink, newbies joining the pack and others move away.
My goal there is to provide a place people can go to escape their humdrum existence behind a desk; a safe place to go where they can vent a little if they need to, smile, laugh, hang out for a few with their co-workers outside of work, anything to make their day a little better. My crew and I don't just serve food. We serve comfort and familiarity and even just a bit of affection in the mix. My goal at work is to make my customers' lives better, even if only for a few minutes while they are in the store. You don't have to be famous or wealthy to change the world...you just have to put your mind to it, roll up your sleeves, and dig into your little corner.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Why does my bread collapse in on itself?
Thanks, Kya, for my very first question!
"How come dad and our stepmum's bread keeps having the top collapse on it. Doesn't matter if they do it in the oven or the bread machine the top always does this funny thing and it makes for interesting bread but it's driving everyone nuts as to why.
They've made adjustments to water, yeast, oil, proofing times and temperatures so we're kind of at a loss."
There are a few reasons why the bread might be collapsing. Bread turning out well is dependent on a number of factors. They include, among other things, proofing/rising time, oven temperature, and baking time. I would say that one of these things might be the issue.
Starting from the proofing, it might be proofing or rising too long. Gluten, the building block of bread, only has a certain capacity for rising. If the bread is allowed to rise too much, it's like trying to put a third story on a house that is only designed for two. There is no support for the additional expansion of the bread. So, one thing you might try, is not letting to dough rise too much. Make sure you are following the directions on whether you are looking for double volume or triple volume. I know you said they had adjusted proofing time, so if they have really worked on that end, it might be one of the following factors.
Oven temperature might be another culprit. When I cook at home, I almost never pay attention to my oven being pre-heated before putting something in it, unless I'm baking. It is uber important to make sure your oven is at the right temperature before putting your bread in. If you aren't really paying attention to the pre-heat step, do. You might also want to check your oven temp with a properly calibrated thermometer to make sure it is actually at the temperature to which you are setting it. If you are baking at 350, but your oven is really only at 320, your bread will have problems. Also, opening your oven to check the bread can diminish your oven temp by as much as a third, causing your bread to be unfinished when your timer goes off, and this can cause your bread to collapse.
The third factor I've listed is baking time, and this can tie directly with the above factor of oven temp. However, it can also include other things like the weight of your loaf, why type of flour you have used, etc. Heavier breads, perhaps made with whole wheat flours, or which are by their nature more dense loaves (read, not fluffy white bread in this), will need a longer bake time at a lower temperature, to make sure that your bread is completely baked. Let's say you have a dense loaf of bread. You bake it at 350 for 35-40 minutes. It might look done on the outside, have a beautiful golden crust, but it may not be done in the very center. It maybe should have baked at 325 for 45-60 minutes, and that might make the difference in whether it stays up or falls. So, if you have been following a recipe, but the temp and time aren't working out, try setting the oven a little bit lower and cooking a little bit longer.
Let me know if any of those suggestions help. :)
"How come dad and our stepmum's bread keeps having the top collapse on it. Doesn't matter if they do it in the oven or the bread machine the top always does this funny thing and it makes for interesting bread but it's driving everyone nuts as to why.
They've made adjustments to water, yeast, oil, proofing times and temperatures so we're kind of at a loss."
There are a few reasons why the bread might be collapsing. Bread turning out well is dependent on a number of factors. They include, among other things, proofing/rising time, oven temperature, and baking time. I would say that one of these things might be the issue.
Starting from the proofing, it might be proofing or rising too long. Gluten, the building block of bread, only has a certain capacity for rising. If the bread is allowed to rise too much, it's like trying to put a third story on a house that is only designed for two. There is no support for the additional expansion of the bread. So, one thing you might try, is not letting to dough rise too much. Make sure you are following the directions on whether you are looking for double volume or triple volume. I know you said they had adjusted proofing time, so if they have really worked on that end, it might be one of the following factors.
Oven temperature might be another culprit. When I cook at home, I almost never pay attention to my oven being pre-heated before putting something in it, unless I'm baking. It is uber important to make sure your oven is at the right temperature before putting your bread in. If you aren't really paying attention to the pre-heat step, do. You might also want to check your oven temp with a properly calibrated thermometer to make sure it is actually at the temperature to which you are setting it. If you are baking at 350, but your oven is really only at 320, your bread will have problems. Also, opening your oven to check the bread can diminish your oven temp by as much as a third, causing your bread to be unfinished when your timer goes off, and this can cause your bread to collapse.
The third factor I've listed is baking time, and this can tie directly with the above factor of oven temp. However, it can also include other things like the weight of your loaf, why type of flour you have used, etc. Heavier breads, perhaps made with whole wheat flours, or which are by their nature more dense loaves (read, not fluffy white bread in this), will need a longer bake time at a lower temperature, to make sure that your bread is completely baked. Let's say you have a dense loaf of bread. You bake it at 350 for 35-40 minutes. It might look done on the outside, have a beautiful golden crust, but it may not be done in the very center. It maybe should have baked at 325 for 45-60 minutes, and that might make the difference in whether it stays up or falls. So, if you have been following a recipe, but the temp and time aren't working out, try setting the oven a little bit lower and cooking a little bit longer.
Let me know if any of those suggestions help. :)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Q and A?
I haven't written in the past few days. I've been thinking about what to write, what direction to go with my blog. There are a lot of things I love about food. One of my favorite things is spouting information about food, cooking techniques, all those sorts of things. (Ask anyone I work with--I'm sure they get annoyed with it at some point.)
So, I'd like to ask my readers, few though you are, if you'd like to ask questions, or have me put a regular blog entry, maybe once a week, answering questions or providing food facts? You could feel free to send me a message, email, etc, with your questions about food or cooking techniques. Looking for a special recipe or need help planning a menu? Write me and I'll give ya a hand.
So, I'd like to ask my readers, few though you are, if you'd like to ask questions, or have me put a regular blog entry, maybe once a week, answering questions or providing food facts? You could feel free to send me a message, email, etc, with your questions about food or cooking techniques. Looking for a special recipe or need help planning a menu? Write me and I'll give ya a hand.
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