Tomorrow’s project is from scratch meatball sub. I’ve never made meatballs. Recipe calls for pork, beef and veal. Anyone know how critical the veal is for the final product?
The veal’s primary contribution is gelatin, but you can just add powdered gelatin instead of baby cow. I think Kenji has a more detailed explanation somewhere.
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Yup. I also think that in the context of a sandwich with red sauce, you’d be hard pressed to even notice the extra gelatin.
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Cool. Think I’ll skip it. Thanks.
Hmm sounds like gelatine is good for pan sauces and stews too. I’ve never used it. Going to give it a go tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!
That’s what I’m talking about. From-scratch tomato sauce for #SimmerSunday.
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Gelatin is ~essential for pan sauces and a big boon for stews. In a pan sauce, you need gelatin as an emulsifier for your butter, so unless you are using a rich, homemade stock, it’s difficult to get enough gelatin content in there to make a good one. For stews, it’s less essential as an emulsifier, but it’s a big component of the savory flavor. I always keep plain powdered gelatin packets on hand, because they’re a great way to turn store bought stock into something respectable, and I’ll sometimes even use them to supercharge my homemade stocks.
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Been reading that. Thanks. Now to figure out where the hell gelatine is at the supermarket. Lol.
I might try gelatin next time I make a stew.
The jello section but look for a lonely white and orange box branded Knox
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Speaking of where to find things in the supermarket even though it’s off topic - why in the hell is it so freakin’ hard to find energy bars? Every single damn store I’ve ever been to it’s like hide-and-seek to find out which obscure and highly illogical aisle they stock them in. Candy? Nope. Granola? Nope. Snacks? Nope. Cookies? Nope. Organic hippy shit? Nope.
On today’s expedition I located them after 7 or 8 passes through the one-way rat maze in the aisle where they keep the bulk ramen and seasonal crap. On sale tho.
Typically in the supplement section.
Ah, yes. One product is a lazy replacement for making a sandwich, and the other is a placebo that literally gets pissed into the toilet. Very similar!
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Turned out good not great. I didn’t have San Marizano tomatoes so had to use utility ones. I think it hurt the final product.
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Looks pretty good to me. San Marzanos do make a small difference in my experience. Most discount brands now make a San Marzano “style” product that is perfectly good.
Also, I am not sure if I could tell the difference between San M tomatoes and cheapies with a tablespoon of sugar added. As far as I can tell San M tomatoes are basically just sweeter
Jesus Christ I forgot to add sugar to the sauce. Lol I swear I have covid brain. I couldnt figure out why it didn’t taste right!
There you go.
Spicy watermelon is a thing. Watermelon and feta salad is a thing. I decided to look into ideas for combining the two ideas. It seems that other people have hit upon the idea of a spicy watermelon salad. Most seem to just add jalapeno to a regular watermelon salad recipe.
I do have watermelon, some greens, and feta. I don’t have any jalapenos or other spicy chiles. I’ve been thinking about using spices, either a paprika- or cayenne-centric blend and whether it makes more sense to dust the watermelon and let it mellow for a while before making the salad or if I should use those in making the dressing. I’m lukewarm to the idea of using sriracha or some other hot sauce in the dressing. I’m also thinking about how if I had some radishes, those could be a source of heat while adding a bit of a crunchy texture.
Watermelon is starting to come into season and is becoming an item featured in grocery store ads. I’ve been thinking about ways to prepare it other than straight up as cut fruit. I’m not sure if I will make a spicy watermelon salad. These ideas tend to percolate in my brain for a while before I get around to experimenting.
However, I’m definitely not making a watermelon ham.
https://www.thekitchn.com/watermelon-ham-ducks-eatery-261223
This is one Of the tastiest things ever
Watermelon with salty cheese (called “Bulgarian Cheese” Sirene - Wikipedia) is a staple food whenever at the beach.