Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

How to Cook a Steak - Tasty Recipes For Cooking Steak

!±8± How to Cook a Steak - Tasty Recipes For Cooking Steak

Lots of ways historically on how to cook a steak. Here in the U.S. everything from on a stick over an open fire to pan cooking a steak to broiling or grilling steaks to baking a steak in the oven is practiced regularly. The heat is over or below or like roasting, indirect or all around.

Just so you pay attention to the basics of how to cook a steak.

Style and thickness of steak Preparation of steak Pre-heating what you're going to cook your steak on Tenderizing or seasoning with a steak marinade recipe or steak rub Searing the steak Keeping the juices in (don't fork it up-use tongs) Get the right doneness Let it rest 5 minutes to let the juices spread back throughout the steak Dig in

It really doesn't matter whether it is an oven broiler, gas or charcoal grill, flat grill or fry pan (cast iron of course) that you use to cook a steak. Broiling steak - the heat comes from above, grilling steak or frying steak the heat comes from below, and baking a steak comes from above and below.

It is good to have a way to cover or lid your cooking vessel. You have a cover on your gas grill, a lid for your cast iron skillet, and you can close the oven door on your oven when you are broiling your steaks. It is all to keep the heat in and cooking your steak. So, end of lecture for the purists. Let us get down to it.

Our big Labor Day end-of-summer bash had arrived and were planning on a wine and steak theme. Chuck the local butcher had a deal on some ribeyes so I had him cut several nicely marbled 1 1/2 inch thick steaks.

Here in Florida, weather is a crap shoot. As the arrival hour approached we got an old fashioned deluge with accompanying lightning, wind, and thunder that was not going to stop. Since I am not an umbrella cook and the grill is open to the sky, it is inside we go for the feast.

I decided to use both because of different desires of doneness requested. I just have a GE electric oven glasstop but the broiler works just fine. I'll need extra preheating time for the cast iron fry pan I use because it takes close to FOREVER for it to get hot enough.

Remove the steaks from the refrig early enough so they are room temperature when you cook them. NY Strips are well marbled so flavor is not an issue

I have found a nice spices shop locally and they make a nice Tuscan rub that everyone seems to like so after rubbing some peanut oil on the steaks I used the spices and let sit.

So, we have seasoned steaks at room temperature, a cast iron fry pan smoking away and two glasses of cabernet under our belt so it is time to cook our steaks.

I place the steaks in the very hot skillet, cover with the lid and wait 2 minutes. I uncover the steaks, spin them all 45 degree and cover again. Cook for another 3 minutes, open up, turn over with your tongs, see the nice design and recover.I get a nice grill design on the steaks with the pan and that makes everyone happy. After another 3 minutes, check to see how done the meat is by using either a back of a fork or a spoon or your thumb to check. It should be soft spongy and that is rare. I place each steak then on a metal plate and if you want more doneness I place them in a 350 degree oven another 4 minutes for medium rare and 7 minutes for medium.

I put this steak on a warm plate and let sit with foil over it for 5 to 7 minutes before serving. Easy, huh? To pan cook a steak I like to use cast iron skillets because they heat better. If you use a Teflon pan you will burn the coating at high heat and I don't like the taste of Teflon. But, I have used aluminum, stainless steel, and even titanium pans with good results.

As I said before, get it real hot and drop your steaks after drizzling in a little oil to keep the steak from sticking. Cover with a lid and cook 2 minutes, spin the steak 45 degrees (don't turn over and please use tongs), close the lid, then cook another 2 minutes. Open the lid, turn the steak over, I use a grill ridged cast iron pan that makes grill marks so I can now see the pretty design on my steak. Cook another 3 minutes then check for doneness as above. It should be rare and then use the oven to slowly bring the doneness to whatever floats your boat.

Grab a nice red wine, maybe a little Lea and Perrins on the side, some grilled or roasted veggies and it is time to enjoy your knowlege in how to cook a steak.


How to Cook a Steak - Tasty Recipes For Cooking Steak

Slide Mitre Saws Purchase Double Jogging Stroller Discount

Monday, October 17, 2011

Your Essential Camp Cooking Checklist

!±8± Your Essential Camp Cooking Checklist

One of the most fun things to do during a camping trip is camp cooking. Why? Because eating is one of the best things in life! Most people who are passionate about food and have flair for the sense of taste would agree with this. A grand feast of sumptuous camping meals would definitely make a camping vacation a great experience.

But because cooking entails quite an effort and some equipment to bring, avoid the scenario of forgetting an important ingredient or an essential cooking utensil by creating a menu of the dishes you intend to cook for the family and from here create a checklist of things to bring.

Here's a sample of a camping cooking checklist with a few cooking tips to make your life easier. Be sure to add any personal food item or cooking utensil you can't do without.

o Main ingredients of the dishes and meals you plan to cook. It's a good idea to measure ingredients back at home, put them in ziplock bags with labels. This will make cooking much easier and faster and save you space in your bags. It's also better if you half cook meat or poultry at home also to save fuel in the camp trip.

o Other cooking necessities like cooking oil, seasonings and condiments.

o Cookware like pots, pans, frying pans that you'll need for the meals in the menu. Don't forget the lids because these will enable you to save a lot of cooking time since dishes cook faster when covered.

o Cooking and eating utensils like spatula, tongs, grill skewers, knives, spoons, forks, plates, bowls, cups, can and bottle openers.

o A Coleman camping stove. Be sure to bring one that will suit your camping needs: size of cooking you intend to do, type of camping activity and fuel preference.

o Camp or barbecue grill

o Lighter or matches. Even though most Coleman stoves have electronic ignition, it's still good that you have these to use for other purposes like lighting up a grill.

o Fuel for your Coleman camping stove

o Large water jug, water bucket. Camping activities may drain your energy. You need a lot of water to reenergize and prevent yourself from dehydrating.

o Coolers, ice chest and ice. These are important because you'd want a cold drink to quench your thirst. It's a smart idea to bring a large block ice instead of cubes because the former last much longer.

o Potholders and oven mitts to prevent anybody from getting scalded.

o Thermos

o Portable water heater

o Dishwashing soap

o Folding tables and chairs and table cloth

o Heavy-duty aluminum foil and ziplock bags which serve a variety of purposes like for wrapping leftover food, for storing ingredients and many others.

o Paper towels and napkins

o Trash bags. Be sure to leave the camp site in a spick and span state.

After a whole day of spectacular views to see, exciting and fun activities to do, the best thing to look forward to aside from a comfortable rest is a great sumptuous meal that entice your taste senses. Bon Apetite!


Your Essential Camp Cooking Checklist

Discounted Horizon B701 Exercise Bike

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Can I Safely Cook Chicken in a Solar Oven? And Other Useful Tips and Information on Solar Cooking

!±8± Can I Safely Cook Chicken in a Solar Oven? And Other Useful Tips and Information on Solar Cooking

Can meat be cooked safely in a solar oven?

How does the sun cook your food?

These are just a couple of many questions that come up in my classes when people are first introduced to the concept of solar cooking.

In fact they are probably two of the most frequently asked questions due to concerns related to food illnesses that are an inherent risk in food preparation, more particularly when it comes to meat.

Nevertheless, if traditional food handling and cooking safety guidelines are followed and if suggestions and guidelines for using a solar cooker are followed, then it is possible to cook any variety of meat safely and deliciously.

Most all professionally manufactured solar cookers are capable of reaching and sustaining the requisite temperatures needed for cooking meats and all other types of foods.
And most, well built, home made solar cookers can perform the same task just as well or better than a commercially manufactured cooker.

So, just how does the sun cook the food inside of a solar cooker?

Solar cooking is done by means of the suns UV rays, it is not the sun's heat that cooks the food, nor is it the outside ambient temperature, though this can somewhat affect the rate or time required to cook, but rather it is the suns rays that are converted to heat energy and this heat energy is then retained by the pot and the food by means of a covering. In much the same way that a greenhouse retains heat or a car with its windows rolled up. An effective solar cooker will use the energy of the sun to heat a cooking vessel and efficiently retain the energy (heat) for maximum cooking effectiveness.

This is best explained with a mental diagramming of the process.

First, you would need a darkened or blackened pot with a lid. This can be a pot such as a cast iron Dutch oven, a black enameled roasting pan such as a chicken or turkey roaster or any pot that you might blacken on the outside with a non-toxic, weatherproof paint. Dark surfaces become very hot; they heat up more quickly than shiny surfaces which reflect the suns rays away. Then you will need to obtain a clear transparent covering such as a large glass bowl or a durable plastic oven cooking bag. This will be used for retention of heat and will also allow the rays of the sun to be able to penetrate to the darkened cooking pot and food, thus raising the cooking temperatures and preventing the heat from escaping. Next you will need a material that will reflect extra sunlight towards the cooking apparatus so as to concentrate the suns rays. This is usually accomplished in the form of some type of reflecting surface such as mirrors, aluminum foil and buffed tin or sheet metal. With the help of a reflecting surface you will be able to increase the temperatures and to cook the food more rapidly.

For more information on solar cooking tips, techniques and information please visit our on our website.

Nathan Parry


Can I Safely Cook Chicken in a Solar Oven? And Other Useful Tips and Information on Solar Cooking

Pampers Swaddlers Sizes Buy Online

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Solar Cooking - a green alternative

!±8± Solar Cooking - a green alternative

The traditional concept of cooking is covered with kitchens, gas or electric stoves, microwave ovens, toasters and ovens. The heat comes from wood, coal or natural gas available - all vital resources, but limited, which may adversely affect the environment. In response to the increasing technical nature of the heavy food, many people are experimenting with the idea of ​​solar cooking. Solar cooking is an innovative method of cooking that uses environmentally friendly power -You guessed it - the so-called

How solar cookers work

Solar cookers in many shapes and sizes, but all the same basic working principles. First Solar cookers use absolutely no fuel or energy other than the energy as light and heat from the sun collected and concentrated, to cook food. In the simplest sense, the most extreme examples of solar cookers for the greenhouse effect. That's how they work.

The simplest type of solar cooker is basically a boxwhich can be the light of the sun, but not heat. A "box-cooker" consists of a box covered with aluminum foil covered with a sheet of glass. A pot or a pan (preferably dark) that the food is placed in the box. When the sunlight shines into the case, it reflects on the film and is absorbed by dark material of the pan. The heated air inside the box too. However, since the sealed box, can escape the heat and instead is based on this virtual "greenhouse effect" to reachincredible levels of 225-275 degrees Celsius. Although slower than conventional ovens, solar cookers in the position, much like cooking.

Why is solar cooking?

Solar cooking is not only fun, try it, but to use and effective. Unlike conventional gas or electric ovens and stoves, solar cookers not limited to, finite forms of fuel (wood, coal, natural gas) leave. Using the power of the sun, get a solar oven, for all intents and purposes, an endless supply of fuel(If one is not available at night or on cloudy days).

Solar cookers are also portable and easy to do. You can quickly and easily assembled with common materials and do not require connection to gas lines or electrical cables, which makes them a great opportunity for outdoor activities and camping trips. They are also the environment and creates no byproducts or waste burned.

Finally, the solar cooking is cheap. A single oven is reusable and does not consumeFuel type. For this reason, solar cookers are very common in countries populated low-income and high density, where people use them to get healthier eating habits than would otherwise be able to afford.


Solar Cooking - a green alternative

Schwinn 460 Elliptical Discounted Ipod Classic 7th Generation Compare !8!# Merrick Dog Treats Save










Sponsor Links