dry brining, reverse searing, etc.
#21
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by Roxanne 21 (Buzz, I have done th...)
Quote:

Buzz, I have done this for years and it is a very nice way to do steaks of any kind. The timing is spot on!

Looks as though you visit the same site Peter does---LOVES his knives....yours are pretty impressive!




Kitchen knives and extreme sharpening are hobbies of mine. I have some from Japanese custom houses where I dictated the specs and they created the knife. Mostly I have standard, although somewhat high end production knives from Takeda and Watanabe (also custom houses), Yoshikane (that's the knife in the picture), Kikuichi, Takayuki, Murray Carter (Canadian living in the US but trained for 17 -18 years in Japan), Aritsugu (current favorite), Hiromoto, and Tojiro. I also have a few fom US custom makers such as the steak knife in the photo above. It's actually a utility knife but I cut meat with it because the largest attribute of the steel (L6) is what is known in the industry as "toughness", the ability to maintain its edge under stresses like grinding on a glass or ceramic plate.

I also have a few WWII era Thiers-Issard Sabatier French Chef's knives and some others, all of which receive little use. I've had my share of Chicago Cutlery, Wusthof, Henckels, Forschner Victorinox, et al, but except for a few they were sold off several years ago because they're like Chevies in my world of Ferraris.

Can you tell you caught my attenion when you mentioned the Yoshikane?
Buzz

I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Reply
#22
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by cjs (hmmmm, why is this n...)
Quote:

hmmmm, why is this not salt-curing? I like the term "dry brining," but just wondered.





I looked up salt-curing and found really the same recipe and nearly the same article I found (with the same slides from the funny tutorial I posted). It also had some times. Perhaps it reall is the same thing afterall. I have never done either one, so I hope to try it soon.

Here is a great link with photos for salt-curing:

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/08/28...me-steaks/
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Laura
Reply
#23
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by buzzard767 ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
AND you caught my attention with the Ferraris!!!

I have been searching for a really awesome chef's knife that will fit into my very small hand----any suggestions????
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
Reply
#24
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by Roxanne 21 (AND you caught my at...)
I have some answers but first need to know what you have in mind as to length and type of knife, ie. utility, Santoku, or Chef's.

Buzz
Reply
#25
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by buzzard767 (I have some answers ...)
Forgot two things.

First I assume you would want stainless steel. What is your budget, and do you use knives right or left handed?
Reply
#26
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by buzzard767 (Forgot two things.[b...)
Ah HA----sorry I did not respond sooner, Buzz.

I am looking for all of the above.....the best there is for a quality sharp blade and I am right handed. I have tried several brands (every time I go to the States I go knife shopping and come away empty handed). I find most knives to be too bulky for me....would appreciate any suggestions you may have.....I have googled every site but just haven't connected with one yet. Thanks for your interest
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
Reply
#27
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by Roxanne 21 (Ah HA----sorry I did...)
Santa has brought me some Shun knives over the past Christmases. With the "Alton Brown" angle which is really a nice angle to chop.

Barbara
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka.
Reply
#28
  Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by buzzard767 (I think I've previou...)
OK Buzz,

Just picked up a 1 lb Rib Eye steak from Whole Foods this afternoon. It's about 1+ inches thick. I'll do this for about 100 degrees until I take it out as the Hubby likes his meat a little more done. (Sigh)

I'll smush it with kosher salt, smashed garlic, and fresh rosemary.

Oh Baby!!

Barbara
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka.
Reply
#29
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by Roxanne 21 (Ah HA----sorry I did...)
Quote:

Ah HA----sorry I did not respond sooner, Buzz.

I am looking for all of the above.....the best there is for a quality sharp blade and I am right handed. I have tried several brands (every time I go to the States I go knife shopping and come away empty handed). I find most knives to be too bulky for me....would appreciate any suggestions you may have.....I have googled every site but just haven't connected with one yet. Thanks for your interest




Hi Roxanne. I'm going to combine this for the sharpening aspect so hello BarbaraS.

I've been getting some reads from friends at dedicated knife sites that have kitchen cutlery sub-forums. None of my knives ever came with smallish handles but I knew I had seen applicable references previously so had to ask around. This is one of the few times google didn't get it for me.

First of all Roxanne. From what you have said I will make two assumptions. First, low dollar is not required. Second, you want a knife that doesn't feel like a machete.

There will be a little bit of knife shorthand but I will give definitions as I go along.

Let me make a statement: 95% of all cutting needs in the kitchen can be executed easily by a Chef's knife in the 8 to 10 inch range. Me, I'm a big fan of 240mm (9.4") Gyutos (Japanese chef's knives). Most women I know prefer knives considerably smaller such as 150mm (5.9") Petty (utility) knives or Santokus in the 7" range. I feel they are missing the boat and should be using 210mm (8.3") or longer Gyutos. The reason is that a shorter Santoku can do about 70% of what a Gyuto can do and the Gyuto can do 100% of the Santoku's abilities plus a lot more. It's all about overlap and the Gyuto is the clear winner. Gyuto literally means "cow sword" in Japanese and originally was used for butchering, ummm, cows. What they didn't realize at the time was that they had invented the best all around kitchen knife of all time. A properly sharpened Gyuto can not only slice meat but ultimately turns out to be the best all around vegetable slicer/chopper on Earth. Again, properly sharpened, you won't need a serrated bread knife either because a Gyuto is up to the crumb free task.

Why?

Two reasons; the first is geometry. A Gyuto, although side profiled similar to a French Chef's knife, is much thinner side to side. This has one function and that is to reduce friction. A thinner knife has much less medium to push aside as the the blade enters and continues on into the cut. It's a big deal. The second reason is the various steels from which J knives are made. Much of it is produced in Japan from special mines with very pure iron ore. A few very smart Japanese manufacturers also now use steels produced by the Swedish companies Uddeholm and Sandvik. Again, the iron ore is very pure. So what's the big deal concerning the steel? First, the size of the carbon particles is relatively small and this translates into a blade that can be made very sharp. Second, the Japanese (and Swedish) steels are heat treated to much harder levels than their European counterparts resulting in an edge that lasts several times longer before needing resharpening. There are a couple caveats however.

That's it for tonight ladies. I'll continue tomorrow. Sorry Barbara, I didn't get to sharpening and that is where you come in. We'll talk about that after I recommend a couple of knives.

ZZzzzzzzzzz
Reply
#30
  Re: Re: dry brining, reverse searing, etc. by buzzard767 ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
I've received quite a few replies on two different knife sites re: my request for info on smaller handled knives. The one that stood out was the Suisin. I think the Inox (stainless) version is the best bet. I'm 99% certain the steel is Swedish, either Uddeholm or Sandvik. Any of the knife steels these two companies make would be excellent. I have some. Finding dealers is somewhat of a problem but I have one source, Seito Trading in NYC from which I've purchased knives in the past. I have one on order right now. This is the page on the Seito site. Notice that it is Rockwell C scale hardness 58. This is soft by Japanese standards (58-65) but quite hard by European standards (52-56). The scale is not linear so there is a big difference between 54 and 58. Email Ms. Pam Otomo there for shipping information.

A second knife I would recommend is the Hattori HD Gyuto, also in 210 millimeters. It is what is called San Mai construction. The cutting edge is clad on both sides with a softer stainless steel. The edge itself is also stainless and it is made of VG-10, a very good Japanese knife specific steel. The best place to get them is here. JCK only charges $7 for shipping world wide. If you have questions you can email Koki Iwahara. He's a great guy and is usually quite prompt in his responses. I've ordered knives from JCK that have made the trip from Japan to Florida in as little as five days.

Take a look at those and tell me what you think. I have a new and super looking clam chowder recipe I have to get working on but I'll get back tomorrow with a post about sharpening because Japanese knives are different.

Buzz
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)