# Cooking........crap.



## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

I really enjoy cooking but it's the eating I like the best.

For a quick Sunday lunch I thought I would do a roast Pork tenderloin. Coated it in 'erbs and spices together with roast vegetables.

Pork done to perfection (well almost) and very nice veg. However the Pork was crap. I don't usually go for messed about meat with sauces etc. Should just have used salt and pepper.

Anyone else like their meat "messed" about with?


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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

For some time now I've been using a nice and simple marinade recipe for meat.

You can use the standard salt, pepper and various herbs that you usually use. I usually add thyme as I feel it's mandatory for such meats.

The "secret" is to chop some onions (go by eye) and fresh lemon juice squeezed into the receptacle that you'll leave the meat in. Can add some wine or beer but not mandatory.

Been using this for a while and we're really loving it. It left for at least half a day or a day it makes wonders.


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## jsud2002 (Nov 7, 2015)

None of that herbs and spices rubbish for me , the only sauce that goes well with a Pork roast is gravy :laugh:


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

Pork shoulder with a good amount of fat ( For making Schmaltz.)

Corn pepper and garlic buds deeply inserted in the rind. That's it.


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## deano1956 (Jan 27, 2016)

Me I like my meat both au naturel and seasoned / spiced depends on the type and cut , probably comes from many many moons ago being a professional chef in hotel kitchens ( gave up hated split shifts and I wanted to do something the motor trade as cars was my passion , still is :biggrin: )

there is a skill in deciding what goes with what that makes something ordinary into something special.

deano


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

jsud2002 said:


> None of that herbs and spices rubbish for me , the only sauce that goes well with a Pork roast is gravy :laugh:


 +1, I agree with you John.


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

Black pudding with pork and as said above it should be a cut with sufficient fat. Just add salt/ pepper/ gravy. Tenderloin is a nice enough cut but I've never really taken to fillet as it definitely needs messing about with. I bought a stand up electric rotisserie, cooks joints and chickens nicely.

maybe a little herb de Provence.


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

Pic of said rotisserie in action

IMG_0359 by David Wren, on Flickr


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## brummie1875 (May 2, 2016)

Slightly off topic (same meat different gripe) Who's stupid idea was it to take the skin off?

I know most 'butcherey' counter staff will give you a piece if asked but how do you know it originated on the same pig? If the joint came off a pig fed on apple enhanced diet and the fat came off a different breed fed on acorns it's never going to be tasting right in a million years!

Our local Butchers shop knows better than to do this but Supermarket butchers well! It's wrong leave it on unless the customer asks specifically to have it cut off, okay it costs a little extra as it adds to the weight but the end result is a moister joint and some stunning crackling. :teethsmile:


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Blimey, are we all going coloured now on the Forum - nice green that, dear brummie, and the text is big enough for my poor eyesight.

As for the meat business, I like mine in every which way - herbs and spices, plain, or sauced up - as long as it is nicely executed and flavoursome. A bit like my taste in watches. :laugh:


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Top quality meat I like plain. The best roasts with just a simple jus or cream gravy on the side, and steaks with a pepper or Roquefort sauce, again on the side.

One of the most sensational things I have ever eaten was plain barbecued swordfish (with a thick peanut curry sauce served in a ramekin) and a caramelised banana! :thumbs_up:

Cheaper cuts can be wonderful if they are marinated and slow-cooked in a tasty sauce like carbonnade or bourguignon. I once had a slow cooked goat curry with roasted veg and couscous! Nom nom!


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

I like my steaks plain with just a little seasoning. The only time I like a nice jus is when I have either venison or duck breast. I make my own - beef stock, crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar and half a pot of redcurrent jelly. Bring to the boil and reduce to a thick jus. Lovely.


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

What I don't get is this obsession with salting everything... Why!!??


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Some of the so called "cooked" meat that these TV chefs do, I am sure that they are "cooked" by holding under the arm-pit for a couple of minutes....they are that rare.

I think these (under cooked, bloody, almost still alive) meat dishes created by so called top chefs, were created to speed up the cooking time to turn-over more covers....get 'em in, fed and out again in double quick time.


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## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

I like my roasts with good quality meat, but plain and simple and not mucked about with. There's one or two very nice places that do such a roast here. I rarely eat steak now, but when I do, I like it medium rare, just. All I want with it is Dijon mustard. Don't know why, but I have never fancied English mustard with steak. And to accompany the steak, mushrooms and grilled or oven cooked tomato's is plenty.

I love fish, but not covered in sauces, which is a problem here, as Thai's don't understand the word, 'plain', but I do enjoy fried whole fish here with a tamarind sauce, or what they call 'three flavour sauce', which also includes tamarind. It's the next best thing to vinegar!

Now I have a kitchen installed with an oven, I'm beginning to cook more of my own simple food again, but I was chuffed when I went into a store here which stocks an ever changing selection of Iceland frozen foods (from the UK). I found a pack of Mackerel fillets from UK waters, far better than the larger version from Korea or Japan, which I find overpowering, which is used here - have to find my mackerel recipe's now!


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## artistmike (May 13, 2006)

Biker said:


> What I don't get is this obsession with salting everything... Why!!??


 They obviously don't care about high blood pressure or heart attacks.... :biggrin:


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

Every single recipe they say, "...blah blah a little bit of seasoning..." then proceed to add a spadeful of salt! FFS WHY?!?!


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Biker said:


> What I don't get is this obsession with salting everything... Why!!??


 Because it brings out flavour


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

The only flavour I ever noticed being brought out was, well, salt..


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Biker said:


> The only flavour I ever noticed being brought out was, well, salt..


 Then that is jsut you (and not to say others). It is a scientific fact though. You can even add salt to your deserts to make them taste sweeter instead of adding more sugar.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Steve D UK said:


> I like my steaks plain with just a little seasoning. The only time I like a nice jus is when I have either venison or duck breast. I make my own - beef stock, crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar and half a pot of redcurrent jelly. Bring to the boil and reduce to a thick jus. Lovely.


 You've been watching to many episodes of Come Dine With Me and those poncy telly chefs

The word you're looking for is gravy

:laugh: :laugh:

I like my steak one jump start away from alive, Auntie Bessie crickly chips with a bit of a fry up on the side, onions, toms, mushrooms, peppers and its not complete without Heinz Beans and HP broon sauce. If I'm feeling extravagant I some times have a couple of fried eggs

Yum Yum

Better than any Sunday roast any day of the week

:biggrin:

during the week we alternate between curries and various rice or some sort of tally pasta dish. Meat, pork, lamb, prawns, salmon or tuna, you choose, in a bit of a marinade of sorts and off you go.

I used to make all my own but these days Im lazy and some of the jars and packet stuff are quite tasty if you throw in a few other ingredients like extra chillies, peppers, onions, garlic and ginger Chinese veg and so on

Probably not very healthy but hey ho.


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> .....Meat, pork, lamb, prawns, salmon or tuna, you choose, in a bit of a marinade of sorts and off you go.


 You've been watching to many episodes of Come Dine With Me and those poncy telly chefs

The words you're looking for is flavoured liquid.

:laugh: :laugh:


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## xellos99 (Dec 17, 2015)

A few months back I bought a pressure cooker ( hob type, not the electronic )

I read about how its meant to keep all the flavour and make meat more tender but I thought that was just sales talk.

There were three of us and all had eaten countless gammons over the years by various methods.

Well all three of us were blown away by how nice it was, how tender and flavourful,

No sauce, no additives, no nothing, just a cup of water in the pressure cooker.

And to top that it took considerably less time and electricity.

I have missed out all my life


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

I have an almost pathological hating of fat or gristle in meat. I've lost count of the times I've sent steaks back and refused to pay because of too much fat on them or a huge streak of gristle through them to the point that I don't order steaks in restaurants unless I can see them first. Mine have to be cooked completely with no trace of blood or pink, or back they go, while 'er indoors has hers so bloody, a good vet with a defibrillator could probably revive it. Actually having steak tonight, but thankfully its a proper 21 day matured medallion with no fat at all....yummy! (Mach....don't look.... :laugh: )


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

xellos99 said:


> A few months back I bought a pressure cooker ( hob type, not the electronic )
> 
> I read about how its meant to keep all the flavour and make meat more tender but I thought that was just sales talk.
> 
> ...


 A slow cooker is another underated method of cooking all types of meat. If you want to try 'pulled' meat, a slow cooker is the way to go. We do all our meat in it these days, from Sunday roasts to gorgeous casseroles. Casseroles are especially good in the slow cooker...just add the meat, all your veg including potatos, a stock cube or two and half a pint of water. Turn it on as you leave for work, and it's ready when you come in. Delish!


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Roger the Dodger said:


> A slow cooker is another underated method of cooking all types of meat. If you want to try 'pulled' meat, a slow cooker is the way to go. We do all our meat in it these days, from Sunday roasts to gorgeous casseroles. Casseroles are especially good in the slow cooker...just add the meat, all your veg including potatos, a stock cube or two and half a pint of water. Turn it on as you leave for work, and it's ready when you come in. Delish!


 You'd be surprised how effective a pressure cooker is for this. We've pretty much given up on the slow cooker these days due to the convenience of pressure cookers for spontaneous dinner. At one of my old work places we would pressure cook whole pigs at a time. I had the honour of getting it out once done. Disintegrated in my hands. Didn't need a lunch break after that task


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## jsud2002 (Nov 7, 2015)

Roger the Dodger said:


> A slow cooker is another underated method of cooking all types of meat. If you want to try 'pulled' meat, a slow cooker is the way to go. We do all our meat in it these days, from Sunday roasts to gorgeous casseroles. Casseroles are especially good in the slow cooker...just add the meat, all your veg including potatos, a stock cube or two and half a pint of water. Turn it on as you leave for work, and it's ready when you come in. Delish!


 I agree about slow cookers we use ours quite regular . One of our favourites is to brown off some sausages and liver ( liver sprinkled with flour ) finish off by frying some onions then put it all in the slow cooker with water and a beef stock and cook over night . The liver melts in the mouth


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

jsud2002 said:


> I agree about slow cookers we use ours quite regular . One of our favourites is to brown off some sausages and liver ( liver sprinkled with flour ) finish off by frying some onions then put it all in the slow cooker with water and a beef stock and cook over night . The liver melts in the mouth


 Totally agree, John. Not done the sausage/liver combo, but a sausage casserole is lovely via the slow cooker. Will try the addition of liver in the near future. :thumbsup:


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

My wife, a Scot-Irish Hybrid, decided to make Haggis for Robbie Burns night. Our local butcher, an old Acadian chap with roots in 'Something-Shire' knew exactly what was required. ( His farm and abattoir are local)

Well, it didn't quite turn-out. And I will leave it at that.


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## it'salivejim (Jan 19, 2013)

wrenny1969 said:


> Pic of said rotisserie in action
> 
> IMG_0359 by David Wren, on Flickr


 That's the funniest thing I've ever seen on this forum :laugh:


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