So as many of you know one of my passions in life is cooking. To me it is more than just food, it’s understanding other cultures and history. It is chemistry, biology and science as well. And to me anyway cooking is fun, trying new things, making something simple not just taste good but look amazing.
Take the picture above for instance. To make that we just took a walk around our property. We foraged some wild garlic flowers, some lambsquarters, nasturtium, pea tendrils and some veggies from our grow beds. We made a salad with left over cut up chicken. Simple, but why does it look so amazing, simply the arrangement. I can tell you that it also tasted as good as it looked.
So today I want to give away a bunch of what I call me “cheat codes”, these are various ingredients that add amazing flavor with minimal effort. Additionally I feel if an ingredient is a “cheat code” it has to do more than just what it is intended to do, for instance sure you can make chipolte mayo for a taco with chipolte canned peppers, but you can also make a BBQ sauce for ribs that will blow your mind.
I am also including “Jack Hacks”, little things I have learned over the years to make things work better or to make them easier to do. Like how about a way to make perfect rice and not even give a damn about how much water you use. Okay you are going to have to tune in for that.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
- Why we should make cooking an essential life skill in America
- Some of my favorite “cheat codes and what to do with them”
- Better Than Bullion Broth Bases (love this stuff)
- Maldon Smoked Salt (link)
- Canned Chipolte Peppers (Brand I use, this one will likely cost less at the store)
- Ground dehydrated celery (I get mine from Harmony House)
- Curry Paste (link)
- Micro Greens (sunflower and daikon especially east to do)
- Yogurt Cheese (use flour sack towels to make this)
- Citrus Zest (use a microplane grater)
- Chili Garlic Oil (get these chilies strait from Thailand)
- Sumac Powder (some of the best I have found is this stuff)
- Saffron (expensive because it is worth it get it here)
- Dehydrated Onions (I get mine from Harmony House)
- Lemon Pepper (link)
- Miso and other pastes (Doenjang, Gochujang, Miso, Black Bean Paste)
- Some of my hacks
- Cook rice like you do pasta
- Infuse rice with flavor
- Par cook bacon that is going to used to wrap something
- Always do your marinades or brines in a zip top bag
- If a marinade has water and oil bases always add mustard
- Mix marinades in a ball jar
- Partially freeze any meat you want to grind or slice
- Steam your hard boiled eggs instead of boiling them (Alton Brown Hack)
- Grill fruit
- Use water from re-hydrated veggies
- Salted Steaks and Salted Squash (how to make zoodles)
- Salt aging steaks (Alton Brow Hack)
- Defrost meat on cast iron cookware – yes it works
- Use cast iron to start or finish sear food on the grill
- Soak skewers in a water bottle (Another Alton Brown Hack)
- Cook chicken bones/cores in a strainer (I love this pot and strainer from Ikea)
- Put a lemon in chicken stock
- The above also makes a great steamer
- Cook in the oven with a cooling rack and a baking pan
- Finally, do put some thought into presentation
- In the end just try stuff, it will often work out
Resources for today’s show…
- Join the Members Brigade
- Join Our Forum
- The Year 110
- Walking To Freedom
- TSP Gear
- TspAz.com – Support TSP When You Shop Online
- The Granddaddy’s Gun Club
- Bullhead Fishing
- Aquatics and Aquaponics Playlist
- Biltong for Breakfast
- What About Us – Pink
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I have been asked if I think the Weber Kettle is the best charcoal grill on the market. My answer to that is a definitive no. The next question then is why do you love it so much. Well first in my opinion it is the best charcoal grill under 200 dollars on the market, perhaps the best (from a versatility stand point) under 400 dollars.
