Liberal Forum

Just tossed these two puppies on the smoke a few minutes ago.

I used a sweet and hot rub recipe and am burning cherry and pecan for the smoke.

Hopefully we're eating by 6pm!


 
 

RedheadedStranger » 03 Sep 2023, 5:45 am » wrote: ↑

03 Sep 2023, 5:45 am

Just tossed these two puppies on the smoke a few minutes ago.

I used a sweet and hot rub recipe and am burning cherry and pecan for the smoke.

Hopefully we're eating by 6pm!

I think everyone should have a dish or two that they make just right for themselves.

Two that come to mind for me are chili and tuna/pasta salad. Other people love the way I do those, but I do not care. I would make them my way no matter what.

I make my own yogurt too. That really is about using whole milk and getting it nice and thick. Better than any I've ever purchased in a store. Lactose intolerant people can eat this stuff since the yogurt culture eats up all the lactose. (Dr. Shoove's hint for the day).

Grilling, barbecue, smoking have never quite worked out great for me. Labor of love it is not.
Hamburgers and hotdogs. Can't **** them up and they are a lazy cook's way...
 

RedheadedStranger » 03 Sep 2023, 5:45 am » wrote: ↑

03 Sep 2023, 5:45 am

Just tossed these two puppies on the smoke a few minutes ago.

I used a sweet and hot rub recipe and am burning cherry and pecan for the smoke.

Hopefully we're eating by 6pm!

These were buy one get one free and on sale to boot. They were a shade over 9lbs each and ended up yielding about 6 1/2 lbs each of pulled pork... which gave us 11lbs in the freezer for the winter and a full assed belly Sunday night. I finished off the last of what we didn't freeze yesterday. For $20, I'll take it!

I just don't care to cook outdoors in the colder months because the temps are harder to regulate and I just don't like the cold and wet. I'm going to probably smoke a couple of hens in the next week or two and pull/cube them up for the winter as well. Smoked chicken breast is fantastic on a Cobb salad, and you can use the pulled dark meat for a number of things too Chicken salad, chicken BBQ, chicken and rice, white chicken chili, etc etc.

I've gotten to the point to where I rathole food like a squirrel for the winter so we don't have to go hunt much up if I don't want to. It's just about canning season here too. 

Same thing with booze. Even though I don't drink much these days I always stock up the bar cart heading into the fall... just in case.
 

 

DeezerShoove » 07 Sep 2023, 9:52 am » wrote: ↑

07 Sep 2023, 9:52 am

I make my own yogurt too. 

That's something I've never tried, but may.

I have instapot that has a yogurt setting on it, but I've never really investigated using it for that. I like yogurt, but not so much the Greek stuff.

Fat free yopliat light vanilla and a spoon full of granola is my favorite.

RedheadedStranger » 07 Sep 2023, 10:46 am » wrote: ↑

07 Sep 2023, 10:46 am

That's something I've never tried, but may.

I have instapot that has a yogurt setting on it, but I've never really investigated using it for that. I like yogurt, but not so much the Greek stuff.

Fat free yopliat light vanilla and a spoon full of granola is my favorite.

I started with the Instapot...
It taught me a lot. Not what I do anymore.
The Instapot did not get quite hot enough anymore. Yogurt came out runny.

You have to cook the milk just to near scalding over 160 - 165 degrees.
Maintain that for a brief period to break the proteins down. Doesn't take much once temp is reached.
Otherwise the culture cannot "do battle" and win as well.
I take about an hour to bring a refrigerated gallon to that temp. Stirring every 8-9 minutes.
Still end up with burned milk on the bottom so stir without touching the kettle.
Try to minimize that and don't break it up into the batch.
Aftermath: Use non-stick pan, comes right off.

The Instapot did all that (at first) then got weak on me. I do all stove top now.

Second major step is cooling the cooked milk to about 115 degrees (no higher) 110 is ok too.
(Hint: pour it into a clean pot. I use the Instapot stainless steel liner. Perfect!)
Add the culture and put the gallon in the oven covered with the oven light on for warmth.
Close the door and wait at least 10-11 hours. Yogurt in the morning.
Strain off the excess whey (clear liquid).
I use a cotton cloth bag as a filter in a colander sitting on a big deep plate.
You have to empty the whey a couple times. Some people use it for recipes (I'm too **** lazy).

When it seems drained enough, dump contents into a big bowl, whisk it for smoothness, pour into a couple covered containers.
Once cool, it is smooth and even thicker. I eat it plain. **** delicious.
My pal puts some honey in. She's a ******.

This all sounds laborious. It is not. Basically small "work periods" with a long wait in the middle.
The drain is just more waiting. Might take 90 minutes. 
Once you figure out the steps and how they suit your kitchen, tools, timing... it's simple.
Better and cheaper yogurt. Lasts for over a week, maybe almost two weeks in the frig.
I should pay attention to that sometime.

ps
Cooling tip: I use a candy thermometer to stir it as it sits in a sink of ice water rather than wait. The container sitting in ice water will cool from 160 to 112-ish in about ten minutes while being stirred.

My Macedonian buddy is proud that I do this as well as I do. He uses his little finger tip to judge when it right temp to "inoculate" the warm milk. Old World method. I use a thermometer because I don't want to accidentally sabotage all the previous work of heating, cooling, $5 worth of milk, etc...
 

DeezerShoove » 07 Sep 2023, 3:18 pm » wrote: ↑

07 Sep 2023, 3:18 pm

I started with the Instapot...
It taught me a lot. Not what I do anymore.
The Instapot did not get quite hot enough anymore. Yogurt came out runny.

You have to cook the milk just to near scalding over 160 - 165 degrees.
Maintain that for a brief period to break the proteins down. Doesn't take much once temp is reached.
Otherwise the culture cannot "do battle" and win as well.
I take about an hour to bring a refrigerated gallon to that temp. Stirring every 8-9 minutes.
Still end up with burned milk on the bottom so stir without touching the kettle.
Try to minimize that and don't break it up into the batch.
Aftermath: Use non-stick pan, comes right off.

The Instapot did all that (at first) then got weak on me. I do all stove top now.

Second major step is cooling the cooked milk to about 115 degrees (no higher) 110 is ok too.
(Hint: pour it into a clean pot. I use the Instapot stainless steel liner. Perfect!)
Add the culture and put the gallon in the oven covered with the oven light on for warmth.
Close the door and wait at least 10-11 hours. Yogurt in the morning.
Strain off the excess whey (clear liquid).
I use a cotton cloth bag as a filter in a colander sitting on a big deep plate.
You have to empty the whey a couple times. Some people use it for recipes (I'm too **** lazy).

When it seems drained enough, dump contents into a big bowl, whisk it for smoothness, pour into a couple covered containers.
Once cool, it is smooth and even thicker. I eat it plain. **** delicious.
My pal puts some honey in. She's a ******.

This all sounds laborious. It is not. Basically small "work periods" with a long wait in the middle.
The drain is just more waiting. Might take 90 minutes. 
Once you figure out the steps and how they suit your kitchen, tools, timing... it's simple.
Better and cheaper yogurt. Lasts for over a week, maybe almost two weeks in the frig.
I should pay attention to that sometime.

ps
Cooling tip: I use a candy thermometer to stir it as it sits in a sink of ice water rather than wait. The container sitting in ice water will cool from 160 to 112-ish in about ten minutes while being stirred.

My Macedonian buddy is proud that I do this as well as I do. He uses his little finger tip to judge when it right temp to "inoculate" the warm milk. Old World method. I use a thermometer because I don't want to accidentally sabotage all the previous work of heating, cooling, $5 worth of milk, etc...

It sounds like more to go through than I would eat in a week, and it would break my heart to toss any of it after going through all that to make it. Lol

Like l said, I like yogurt, but I don't love it! I realistically probably eat a half a dozen of those little 6oz containers a week, and it's usually for breakfast alongside a couple of eggs. I still may try my hand at a batch one day. It sounds like all I'm really risking is a gallon of milk and some live probiotics.

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RedheadedStranger » 07 Sep 2023, 6:16 pm » wrote: ↑

07 Sep 2023, 6:16 pm

It sounds like more to go through than I would eat in a week, and it would break my heart to toss any of it after going through all that to make it. Lol

Like l said, I like yogurt, but I don't love it! I realistically probably eat a half a dozen of those little 6oz containers a week, and it's usually for breakfast alongside a couple of eggs. I still may try my hand at a batch one day. It sounds like all I'm really risking is a gallon of milk and some live probiotics.

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I make a batch every ten days or so. I haven't bought any from the store in a long time.
Just need a couple of big dollops from the previous batch to make the next.
Like I said, it sounds way worse reading it than it actually is. I am lazy.

Your first post is already showing you are not lazy. You do it because you know it WILL be successful.
Boiling milk, cooling milk, stirring milk. Success. 3/4 gallon of yogurt. For $5.
Better yogurt and save over $20.