Some of my smoked meats

[minesamojito]

If you are planning on a new healthy start to 2012 cutting the amount of salt, fat and calories……then look away now….
However if you feel you still want to get stuck into some serious meat then have a gander at this hearty selection of smoked meats I’ve been cooking recently.
I’ve been reading here and there about predictions for food trends for 2012….Peruvian anyone? (well maybe Smoked Guinea Pig…….. Wallace and Grommit our family guinea pigs watch out!).
After recent trends of molecular gastronomy, tiny little portions of tastes, why not do food properly and go big! Serve your family some good quality meat, a decent cheap cut, such as ribs, or some brisket or shoulder of pork, with some crusty home made bread, some simply cooked vegetables, and enjoy real food. Bear in mind all of these meats can be cooked on a BBQ as long as it has a lid, such as a kettle BBQ, these can be picked up very cheaply in the sales at the moment.

[Calaf]

If you keep posting tummy-teasers I'l turn up on your doorstep and you'll have to feed me to stop me singing.

[veauifru]

Hello minesamojito, can I just say that your food tempting me to get a smoker.

[minesamojito]

Hey there, yep, smokers are great, you can buy one or build one yourself it's up to you, depends what sort of smoking you want to do? You can smoke in a wood oven too, I just use a specialist smoker for my low and slow cooking.
Cheers
Marcus
P.s. if you look on my blogs, there's loads more ideas on smoking etc.

[medinacafe]

Has anyone tried cooking short beef ribs? I tried asking one local independant butcher for beef short ribs and what I got was really only suitable for making stock. I wonder if the meat trade styles of cutting in the UK are very different to the US & Europe?
So what cut do I ask the butcher for?
And whilst on the subject of beef cuts, what names of beef steak cut do you recommend for grilling?

[tonyb]

Beef short ribs are called 'thin ribs' in this part of the country. I've cooked them sous vide and finished them in the wfo a couple of times. As you noted the quantity of meat on them tends to be quite variable, at least around here, I think depending on which ribs.

For grilling you need tender cuts: sirloin, rib eye, rump, fillet,( all quite expensive)or very thinly cut slices of other cheaper, lean cuts like topside, very quickly grilled.

[minesamojito]

I ask for "short ribs from the plate" usually get what I want, though i have had £50 rib roast plonked in front of me.
I'd say go for 3 ribs with a good section of meat, some can be all fat, so have a good look.
Also known as a jacobs ladder.
If you can get it, try a onglet or hanger steak for grilling, a good butcher will be able to help.
Cheers
Marcus

[Tom B]

Hanger steak for grilling - wouldn't that make it tough, Marcus? I got some from my butcher and I fried it at a high temperature on a cast iron griddle for 3 minutes maximum each side, and it was excellent.

[minesamojito]

Grilled over coals on a white hot heat, and cut across the grain, can't beat it....well maybe a thick ribeye would
We used to grill onglet over coals in france. First place I ever tried it....mmmmm!
Cheers
Marcus

[Tom B]

I stand corrected - that's the only way to grill

[medinacafe]

Thanks Guys this is great information. I will try a different butcher and hopefully find one who cuts the carcass and not prepacks. There are only 3 retail butchers left in Carmarthen now, the supermarkets have taken the trade. I might just take with me a photo on my phone of what I want.

[baronkev]

Very nice photos of your cooking indeed. Professional quality that would look good in a food magazine.

[minesamojito]

Thank you, that's very kind of you to say.
Cheers
Marcus

[turkey]

Mar 5, 2012 8:15:57 GMT baronkev said:

Very nice photos of your cooking indeed. Professional quality that would look good in a food magazine.

would look better on my plate (please feel free to start a take away service lol)

I will have to get the BBQ out and try to replicate some of these dishes as they do look lovely. Some serious chunks of meat in use tho, might have to test at a smaller scale.

As a random side, I love the photos for their artistic merrit as much as their tasty contents, it would be great to see a post on how you stage some of oyur photos as I notice some are cleverly lit, do you use a flash / light box or any other tricks to get the glamour shots?

[minesamojito]

Thanks, happy to share my photo secrets, maybe ought to set up a food photography thread?
I've got lots of tricks, but most of all use just lovely natural light.
Tend not to get the fancy kit such as softboxes out for my food photography, as the family would get hungry and the food would get cold.
Cheers
Marcus