Kitchen 911

[zoramargolis]

Freeze in small containers or zip bags. Mix with cooked oatmeal for a "multigrain" hot cereal. Add to pancake or waffle batter for textural interest. Cook further with milk, sugar and spices to make dessert--wheatberry pudding. Knead some into bread dough. Mix with herbs, onion, dried fruit etc. and stuff a chicken with it. When corn season arrives, mix the grain with lightly steamed corn-off-the-cob, cilantro, lime vinaigrette and lime zest.

[Pat]

This isn't incredibly urgent.  I'm just working around it.  But I'd be interested in comments and suggestions for the future.

This is the second (maybe third?) time I've had trouble using Bob's Red Mill bulgur.  For at least the second time, my tabbouleh recipe is all messed up because this bulgur won't soften in cold water.  My recipe calls for leaving the bulgur in cold water for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.  This bulgur (labelled "quick cooking") will not soften in cold water.  It's the only bulgur I've found in stores in recent months when I've looked.  For many years I bought the kind in the white box with the pastoral green scene painted on the box (don't recall the name), and this recipe worked perfectly fine.  I've also bought it from the Mediterranean market on S Pickett (which I'm probably going to have to go back to).

After 2 1/2 hours and barely any softening, I poured a couple of cups of boiling water over it.  After a little while, I'll drain and hope it's softened more.  Given that this is supposed to be refrigerated for a couple of hours before the meal, I'm about out of time.

What is done to "quick cooking" bulgur?  I assume it's par-cooked, like Uncle Ben's rice.  Why does that make this otherwise very reliable recipe not work?

[zoramargolis]

 Clearly, this "quick cooking" bulgur is meant to be cooked, not merely soaked. Probably, the bulgur you have used before is par-cooked and dried, like instant cous-cous, and so merely needs to be soaked. ("French" couscous, on the other hand, has to be steamed in multiple steps, and isn't meant just to be soaked in hot water.)

Use this bulgur for a pilaf, and get another kind for tabbouleh. Or cook and chill this one--the tabbouleh will have a different, softer texture.

[johnb]

 I assume it's par-cooked, like Uncle Ben's rice.

Actually, UB is not par-cooked; it is "parboiled,"  which sounds kinda like par-cooked but in fact is a very different thing.  This is much misunderstood.  The parboiling process involves soaking and steaming the rice while its hull is still on, then drying it and only then de-hulling it.  The result is that parboiled rice has far more nutritional value than normal white rice, 60-80% as much as brown rice, and cooks differently (less sticking).  But it takes just as long to cook as ordinary white rice that has not been subjected to the process.  It has no relationship whatever to pre-cooked rice (like Minute Rice).

[Pat]

 Clearly, this "quick cooking" bulgur is meant to be cooked, not merely soaked. Probably, the bulgur you have used before is par-cooked and dried, like instant cous-cous, and so merely needs to be soaked. ("French" couscous, on the other hand, has to be steamed in multiple steps, and isn't meant just to be soaked in hot water.)

Use this bulgur for a pilaf, and get another kind for tabbouleh. Or cook and chill this one--the tabbouleh will have a different, softer texture.

Thanks.  I've only been buying the Bob's kind because it's all I've been able to find in grocery stores when I've looked lately.  They seem to have taken over the market, and the only kind of theirs that shows up is this "quick cooking" type.  I usually avoid products labeled that way in favor of the basic version, but it seems to be the trend with all kinds of things that the easy/convenient/quick version is all that's marketed.

In any case, pouring the boiling water over it and letting it sit for half an hour worked okay.  Later it occurred to me to look and see if they had a tabbouleh recipe on the package, as it's common for packages of bulgur to list one.  Sure enough, there's a recipe right on the package.  It calls for presoaking in boiling water for an hour to soften.

Next time I need bulgur, I'll check the bulk section at Whole Foods.  Their bulk grain selection changes enough there's no guarantee they'll have it, but they do sometimes.   The Mediterranean market on S. Pickett has a good selection, though.  I know I've even bought extra fine bulgur for making meatless meatballs there.

[DanielK]

Well, fuck.

While cleaning in the laundry/mud room, my kids accidentally kicked out the plug on my full 16 cu ft upright deep freezer.

Now, everything I've read says that you can definitely get at least 48 hours out of food in the freezer before you have to toss it, but even the FDA site says you can get more with a dedicated freezer than just the freezer compartment of a fridge. How much more, I can't find a reference for anywhere.

My dilemma - it was a full 4 days before we discovered it. When I opened the door, I got a wave of cold air, and then immediately noticed that things were defrosted. Now, everything still felt cold to the touch, but almost none of it had any "frozen" qualities left to it. I immediately shut the door, figured out the plug was out, and plugged it back in.

With 20/20 hindsight, I wish I'd gotten a thermometer and stuck it in - the sites say that if it goes above 40 for a few hours, then the answer is toss, but I have no way of knowing.

So, how to decide toss or keep?

[porcupine]

A similar thing happened to me last year.  I had bags of frozen berries that were partially thawed.  I took a chance and ate them anyway and got mildly sick.  The jars of stocks and broths and sauces were still frozen (maybe a tiny bit of melt on top), so I kept them and have been using them with no problem.

Not sure that's helpful.  My sympathies, it's a heartbreaking situation.

[KMango]

My regrets, what a bummer of a situation.  I'm risk adverse when it comes to food safety, so I'd be throwing just about everything out.

What you said about the thermometer is spot on, in fact, upgrade and get one that will scream with an alarm if the temperature goes above a certain threshold.

[DanielK]

Kmango, it does have an alarm built in, but it won't make the sound if it's not plugged in!

I know the product you linked to is a separate battery-powered unit, and had I thought of it at the time, I would have tossed my weather station's outdoor sensor in there to see what temperature it was at, but I didn't think of it until hours later.

[zoramargolis]

[DonRocks]

I know the product you linked to is a separate battery-powered unit, and had I thought of it at the time, I would have tossed my weather station's outdoor sensor in there to see what temperature it was at, but I didn't think of it until hours later.

My guess is that you should assume pretty much exactly what you experienced: Things remained "cool," but not frozen, and assume they were like that for several days.

With that in mind, you should triage everything, asking yourself which items could survive this, and which items couldn't, and err on the side of "health concerns" in each case.

If you actually felt that the items were still cool, I suspect you're safer than you might think - not many things need to be actually frozen in order to maintain freshness for 4 days - freezers are more for long-term storage.

But again, if there are any "risky" items (raw meats, etc.), you may want to just bite the bullet and discard them. Also, look for liquid leakage on the bottom of the freezer, and discard any item that leaked.

[DanielK]

It was nearly all raw meat.

[zoramargolis]

Cook it all to well done and re-freeze. Four days with the door closed, and the contents still cold means that it all thawed slowly, given the mass of cold stuff inside an insulated box.

[Anna Phor]

I am on a mission to eat things out of my freezer to clear space.

Using the following ingredients (plus numerous other pantry staples on hand but limited other veggies), what can I make for dinner?

Croutons

Swedish meatballs from ikea

half a bag of fresh spinach

frozen broccoli

frozen peas

[Pat]

Spinach salad with croutons*, dried fruits, nuts, etc. as available from pantry

Peas turned into a pesto and served over the meatballs, with a side of steamed broccoli** - cheeses and pasta/rice as available

*If the croutons are frozen, heat enough to crisp before using in the salad.

**Or vv, using a broccoli pesto

[Anna Phor]

Thanks!

I actually ended up making a kind of savory bread pudding with the croutons (which weren't really croutons, actually--just stale bread that I'd cubed and put in the freezer. Future croutons, more than anything). Croutons, shredded spinach, meatballs, and a can of crushed tomatoes with a beaten egg stirred in.

[legant]

Can this meal be saved?

Last month I portioned, and vacuum sealed, fresh pasta.  Tonight, I cooked one of those portions, according to the instructions - fresh or frozen, 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water. Although the potion sat at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, when I dropped it in the boiling water it did not separate. I stirred and gave it 2 more minutes. Still one big clump. I then put the clump into the sauce, to simmer for 2 min. Again, one big clump. Turned off the heat, covered the pan with sauce, and waited 3 minutes this time. Guess what? One big clump!

I've cooked frozen, vacuum sealed pasta -- both dried and fresh... with success... but not this time. (The success was store-bought capellini; the failure was farmers-market sourced papperdelle.) What happened here? I've got 4 more portioned, vacuum sealed packets. What do I need to do differently?

[DonRocks]

My guess is that the noodles melded together (I think this happens with homemade pasta exclusively), and the odds of you separating them are about the same as you hacking down a brick house with a toothpick. (Sorry!)

The good news is that it was (semi-?) cooked when you portioned it, so it is, in theory, cooked despite its lumpen shape.

Maybe cut the lump into strips?

[legant]

[OMG! I've been away far too long! DR is giving cooking advice??!! Did hell freeze over as well??!! I've got nothing else to say.]

[weezy]

Can this meal be saved?

Last month I portioned, and vacuum sealed, fresh pasta.  Tonight, I cooked one of those portions, according to the instructions - fresh or frozen, 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water. Although the potion sat at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, when I dropped it in the boiling water it did not separate. I stirred and gave it 2 more minutes. Still one big clump. I then put the clump into the sauce, to simmer for 2 min. Again, one big clump. Turned off the heat, covered the pan with sauce, and waited 3 minutes this time. Guess what? One big clump!

I've cooked frozen, vacuum sealed pasta -- both dried and fresh... with success... but not this time. (The success was store-bought capellini; the failure was farmers-market sourced papperdelle.) What happened here? I've got 4 more portioned, vacuum sealed packets. What do I need to do differently?

I think with your future portions, let it thaw and tease the noodles apart before cooking.

[zoramargolis]

Whoever made the pasta either did not toss it with enough flour, hang it up to air dry for a sufficient amount of time, or both. Next time you buy fresh pasta, toss it with flour or cornstarch before bagging and sealing. By vacuum sealing moist pasta, you essentially reconstituted it into a ball of dough. Don's advice to shred the pasta when it comes out of the freezer bag, before cooking it is probably the best you can do. Call it "pasta pazzo" (crazy noodles).

[Ilaine]

The story so far . . . . well, it seemed to start innocuously, and joyously.  First, there was a new Penzey's in Rockville.  Kind of a treck from Fairfax, so I bought everything I thought I might want in the reasonably foreseeable future.  And then, younger son moved to Richmond, and there was a Penzey's in Carytown.  And then Penzey's in Falls Church.  Not to mention experimental purchases at ethnic markets, things I had never seen before, and was curious about.

Well, you might guess how it turned out.  Cabinets, and I mean, cabinets, full of herbs and spices, just languishing.  You probably wouldn't have guessed that I arranged them, not just alphabetically, but also by category.  In little organizer baskets.  Starting with arrowroot and ending in za'atar.  I even typed out a list and taped it to the inside of the cabinets. Filled up two pages. Document created 8/1/2010. You might also have guessed that dried herbs don't really last for years.

After my mother moved to assisted living, I decided to end my hoarding ways.  Yesterday I hauled everything out of the cabinets, put it on the dining room table, along with the compost bucket, and started throwing things out.  I kept the stuff that still smelled good, like whole nutmeg and whole star anise and whole coriander (green AND black). Well, what I did was dump the contents into the compost bucket (filled it up twice), recycled all the plastic containers, recycled all the glass jars but Penzey's jars, and soaked and washed all the Penzey's jars, lids, and shaker tops.  Of which I now have 25.  Yes, I counted.

My question to you, dear Kitchen911 divas is, do I really want to save 25 clean glass Penzey's jars, complete with shakers and lids, and if so, for what?  Or is this just another form of Extreme Hoarding?

(I am also going through all the rest of the cabinets and drawers, intending to bring every obscure gadget I haven't used in decades to the DR fall picnic, but that's another story.  Cannot decide on the falafel maker, but the tortilla press stays.  Even though I have never made a tortilla in my life.)

[Pat]

My question to you, dear Kitchen911 divas is, do I really want to save 25 clean glass Penzey's jars, complete with shakers and lids, and if so, for what?  Or is this just another form of Extreme Hoarding?

I would keep at least some of them, in varied sizes. If you have 15 of one size, you can put some into recycling without guilt.  I keep various food items in recycled glass jars, and it's good to have the smaller ones for a small amount of extra seeds or nuts that I've toasted, spice blends I've blended, or nutritional yeast or other items bought in bulk in plastic bags.  I find the jars themselves are more often useful than the shakers, and mostly I keep the extra shaker pieces in a kitchen drawer with miscellaneous stuff.

[lperry]

Seconded for keeping a few jars on hand.  If you buy spices at Indian markets, for example, you can pour them into a jar and get to them better than if they stay in the little plastic bag (that inevitably gets lost and/or torn open in the cabinet.) 

[johnb]

Third.  Those little jars are nice to keep herbs and spices in that you buy from the bulk bin or wherever and bring home in little plastic bags.  Airtight and easy to store on your shelves.

I've never has the opportunity to shop in a Penzeys; they showed up in the DC area about the time I left. But my impression is their stuff is wildly more expensive than I (cheapskate thrifty person that I am) would ever be able to justify to myself spending.  I used to go to organic stores and get spices from the bulk bins.  It was great since you could buy only a small amount, then go back for fresh stuff sooner.  Now I do my shopping for such things in Atlanta, where there is a place called Your Dekalb Farmers Market, which sells a huge selection of good quality herbs and spices that they pack themselves in half pint and pint plastic containers at prices that are unbelievable.  I recently replaced most of my collection.  For example, ground allspice for 40¢ an ounce; Spanish sweet paprika for 35¢ an oz.

[zoramargolis]

John--how can one know how fresh the spices in the bulk bins are? I buy ground spices from Penzeys in their smallest containers. And spices I use all the time,or a lot of-- like ground cumin-- or whole seed spices, I get at the Middle Eastern, Latin or Asian grocery store.

[lperry]

Third.  Those little jars are nice to keep herbs and spices in that you buy from the bulk bin or wherever and bring home in little plastic bags.  Airtight and easy to store on your shelves.

I've never has the opportunity to shop in a Penzeys; they showed up in the DC area about the time I left. But my impression is their stuff is wildly more expensive than I (cheapskate thrifty person that I am) would ever be able to justify to myself spending.  I used to go to organic stores and get spices from the bulk bins.  It was great since you could buy only a small amount, then go back for fresh stuff sooner.  Now I do my shopping for such things in Atlanta, where there is a place called Your Dekalb Farmers Market, which sells a huge selection of good quality herbs and spices that they pack themselves in half pint and pint plastic containers at prices that are unbelievable.  I recently replaced most of my collection.  For example, ground allspice for 40¢ an ounce; Spanish sweet paprika for 35¢ an oz.

Flashback!  I used to drag people there every time I visited my sister.  At the time, I had never seen such an amazing diversity of foods so it was both overwhelming and wonderful, like a food World's Fair.  That's where I bought my first bottle of balsamic vinegar way back when, and if you make iced tea, they used to have this bulk mango tea that was amazing.

[johnb]

John--how can one know how fresh the spices in the bulk bins are? I buy ground spices from Penzeys in their smallest containers. And spices I use all the time,or a lot of-- like ground cumin-- or whole seed spices, I get at the Middle Eastern, Latin or Asian grocery store.

Well, maybe I mis-spoke when I said bulk bins.  It's a word I tend to use generically when talking about buying things where you scoop what you want and weigh it.  Usually at most places I have gone herbs and spices are in big glass jars with lids.  Has to be at least as good as those plastic bags one usually sees at ethnic places.  I suppose one could ask the folks at the store how often the supply is replenished.  Or trust one's nose.

[DrXmus]

I made a batch of the ubiquitous green sauce found at Peruvian chicken joints and now I have a jar of Aji Amarillo paste I don't know what to do with. Thoughts?

[Pat]

I made a batch of the ubiquitous green sauce found at Peruvian chicken joints and now I have a jar of Aji Amarillo paste I don't know what to do with. Thoughts?

On the Peruvian theme, you could make causa, the mashed potato dish.  It uses aji amarillo pepper paste.  Here's a link to my description of how I made the causa I brought to one of the dr.com picnics.

[johnb]

I made a batch of the ubiquitous green sauce found at Peruvian chicken joints and now I have a jar of Aji Amarillo paste I don't know what to do with. Thoughts?

It's often used as an ingredient in ceviche.  Another possibility is as an ingredient in deviled eggs, if that floats your boat.

[lperry]

I made a batch of the ubiquitous green sauce found at Peruvian chicken joints and now I have a jar of Aji Amarillo paste I don't know what to do with. Thoughts?

Omigosh.  Papa a la Huancaí­na.  Wonderful.  Get a recipe off YouTube, or a Peruvian website, or combine a few.  Here's just one to try.  It will be unlike any potato dish you have ever eaten, unless, of course, you've eaten it before.   Now I need some!

[DrXmus]

On the Peruvian theme, you could make causa, the mashed potato dish.  It uses aji amarillo pepper paste.  Here's a link to my description of how I made the causa I brought to one of the dr.com picnics.

It's often used as an ingredient in ceviche.  Another possibility is as an ingredient in deviled eggs, if that floats your boat.

Omigosh.  Papa a la Huancaí­na.  Wonderful.  Get a recipe off YouTube, or a Peruvian website, or combine a few.  Here's just one to try.  It will be unlike any potato dish you have ever eaten, unless, of course, you've eaten it before.   Now I need some! 

You guys are awesome!! Thanks for the help. I'll try the potato dishes and the deviled eggs. I love ceviche but I've never made it.

[Pat]

Some time ago I bought yellow hominy from Anson Mills.  It's been in the freezer ever since.  I was thinking of making it soon, but when I looked up cooking directions on the Anson Mills website, it seems to require powdered culinary lime to process it before it can be cooked.

I really wish I had researched this better before purchasing, as I am not big on chemistry experiments.  It looks like the lime is potentially hazardous if mishandled.  (I guess it's an alternative to lye?)  One site I looked at, which I don't particularly trust, gave instructions on doing this process with baking soda, something I'm much more comfortable with.

Does anyone have experience with this?

[lperry]

Are you sure that's not a recipe for making hominy from corn, and not making a dish with their hominy?  "Hominy" should already have been treated with the lime to hull the corn.

If It does need the lime, it's pretty innocuous stuff when you buy it at the store.  It will be a white powder in a plastic bag, usually in with the peppers and corn husks, at least at Grand Mart.  The label will say "cal" for Calcium hydroxide, I suppose.  It will be slick, sort of like bleach, so gloves are not a bad thing, but this is not like using lye drain cleaner - not even close.  Here's Wikipedia's take.  It might even be fun.

[Pat]

Are you sure that's not a recipe for making hominy from corn, and not making a dish with their hominy?  "Hominy" should already have been treated with the lime to hull the corn.

If It does need the lime, it's pretty innocuous stuff when you buy it at the store.  It will be a white powder in a plastic bag, usually in with the peppers and corn husks, at least at Grand Mart.  The label will say "cal" for Calcium hydroxide, I suppose.  It will be slick, sort of like bleach, so gloves are not a bad thing, but this is not like using lye drain cleaner - not even close.  Here's Wikipedia's take.  It might even be fun.

The basic recipe requires this process before cooking the hominy.  I don't know that I want to acquire a special product I won't use again.  That's why I was hoping the baking soda cheat might work.  Even that page says to use gloves before hulling the hominy prepared in the baking soda liquid.

When I'd gotten hominy before from Rancho Gordo, it had already been prepared for posole.  I didn't look closely enough to see that Anson Mills was selling the completely unprocessed stuff.

It's back in my freezer.  I'll have to figure out what to do.

[Barbara]

The basic recipe requires this process before cooking the hominy.  I don't know that I want to acquire a special product I won't use again.  That's why I was hoping the baking soda cheat might work.  Even that page says to use gloves before hulling the hominy prepared in the baking soda liquid.

When I'd gotten hominy before from Rancho Gordo, it had already been prepared for posole.  I didn't look closely enough to see that Anson Mills was selling the completely unprocessed stuff.

It's back in my freezer.  I'll have to figure out what to do.

I'd PM Zora, if I were you.

[zoramargolis]

I'm with Linda. At any Latin grocery store, you'll find tiny envelopes of cal in with the spices. Stir a couple of tablespoons in a cup of water, then add it to the corn and the water covering it, before boiling. It's really not a big deal--it is an alkili, but you don't even need to touch it if you are worried--it is the same powdered limestone used in making cement. If you don't want to keep any on hand, you can dig what's left into your garden to alkalize the soil. But the taste/aroma it provides is essential to making posole. You will smell it immediately--it is the aroma of corn tortillas. It is this treatment, cooking corn with cal, that is called nixtamalization. The outer hull of the corn is gelatinized, so it can be rinsed off. In the process, Vitamin B6 and some amino acids are liberated that make the corn more able to be utilized by the human body, as a complete protein when combined with legumes, and to prevent B6 deficiency--the severe form is called pellagra. When the conquistadors took corn to the old world, unfortunately they did not take the wisdom of the native ancients, who developed the traditional technique of nixtamalization. As a result, the corn that became the food of the poor in much of Europe (and later the American South) was not treated with calcium hydroxide prior to consumption, and pellagra was epidemic.

I've never tried to remove the hulls from dried corn with baking soda. It wouldn't have the flavor I am looking for. I used to nixtamalize dried corn quite often when making my own masa for tamales. Seriously, if you use your exhaust fan while cooking the corn with cal, it's not unpleasant at all.

[porcupine]

 As a result, the corn that became the food of the poor in much of Europe (and later the American South) was not treated with calcium oxide prior to consumption, and pellagra was epidemic.

You mean calcium hydroxide - Ca (OH)₂ - I hope, not calcium oxide CaO.  The latter might be fun to play with in a lab but would be a real hazard in the kitchen.

[Pat]

I'm with Linda. At any Latin grocery store, you'll find tiny envelopes of cal in with the spices. Stir a couple of tablespoons in a cup of water, then add it to the corn and the water covering it, before boiling. It's really not a big deal--it is an alkili, but you don't even need to touch it if you are worried--it is the same powdered limestone used in making cement. If you don't want to keep any on hand, you can dig what's left into your garden to alkalize the soil. But the taste/aroma it provides is essential to making posole. You will smell it immediately--it is the aroma of corn tortillas. It is this treatment, cooking corn with cal, that is called nixtamalization. The outer hull of the corn is gelatinized, so it can be rinsed off. In the process, Vitamin B6 and some amino acids are liberated that make the corn more able to be utilized by the human body, as a complete protein when combined with legumes, and to prevent B6 deficiency--the severe form is called pellagra. When the conquistadors took corn to the old world, unfortunately they did not take the wisdom of the native ancients, who developed the traditional technique of nixtamalization. As a result, the corn that became the food of the poor in much of Europe (and later the American South) was not treated with calcium hydroxide prior to consumption, and pellagra was epidemic.

I've never tried to remove the hulls from dried corn with baking soda. It wouldn't have the flavor I am looking for. I used to nixtamalize dried corn quite often when making my own masa for tamales. Seriously, if you use your exhaust fan while cooking the corn with cal, it's not unpleasant at all.

Thanks for the explanation, Zora.  I guess I'll look start looking for some of the powder.  If it comes in that small a size, there shouldn't be much left over.

[zoramargolis]

You mean calcium hydroxide - Ca (OH)₂ - I hope, not calcium oxide CaO.  The latter might be fun to play with in a lab but would be a real hazard in the kitchen.

Thanks. I tend to forget the hydr. My father had a Ph.D. in chemistry, which is why I avoided studying it.

[dwt]

Do you have a fool-proof method for ridding clams of their grit? I generally use them in soups/stews and pasta dishes. The only method I've found reliable is to cook them separately and strain their juices through a sieve lined with paper towels, then add the juice and meat to the dish when it's a minute or two from being done. That works fine, though I'm probably losing some of the liquor to evaporation waiting for the last, most stubborn clams to open. And somehow it just seems more pleasingly rustic and festive to have clams in their shells nestled amongst the linguine.

I'm surprised at how little agreement there is on this topic. The author of the cioppino recipe I prepared last night said to soak the claims in water for an hour so that they would purge themselves. Marcella says to soak them for 5 minutes and then scrub them each 4 or 5 times, changing the water after each scrubbing (I diligently followed her instructions recently but still produced a gritty linguine with clam sauce). Bittman claims "hard-shells require little more than the cleaning of their shells." Then how did my littlenecks produce grit after being scrubbed 5 times in 5 changes of water?

BTW, I've only used littlenecks because they are readily available.

[Rieux]

For clams and mussels I usually do the sit in water for an hour method, which has always worked for me.  The trick is to get all the mollusks out of the water without disturbing it too much so that you don't stir up the grit.

[Rhone1998]

Do you have a fool-proof method for ridding clams of their grit? I generally use them in soups/stews and pasta dishes. The only method I've found reliable is to cook them separately and strain their juices through a sieve lined with paper towels, then add the juice and meat to the dish when it's a minute or two from being done. That works fine, though I'm probably losing some of the liquor to evaporation waiting for the last, most stubborn clams to open. And somehow it just seems more pleasingly rustic and festive to have clams in their shells nestled amongst the linguine.

I'm surprised at how little agreement there is on this topic. The author of the cioppino recipe I prepared last night said to soak the claims in water for an hour so that they would purge themselves. Marcella says to soak them for 5 minutes and then scrub them each 4 or 5 times, changing the water after each scrubbing (I diligently followed her instructions recently but still produced a gritty linguine with clam sauce). Bittman claims "hard-shells require little more than the cleaning of their shells." Then how did my littlenecks produce grit after being scrubbed 5 times in 5 changes of water?

BTW, I've only used littlenecks because they are readily available.

If you do decide to continue using the filter the water method, coffee filters work great for this.  I also use them to strain the water after soaking dried mushrooms, which can also be gritty.

[dcandohio]

I have two 1.5 lb. pieces of beef labeled "beef round london broil." they are about 1" thick. Can i slow cook this cut in liquid (like a brisket) or to make pulled beef? Or must it be quickly cooked at a high temp? The label on the package says "for grilling," but with our cold temps here I'd like a slow cook inside. Is this cut too lean for that?

[Pat]

I have two 1.5 lb. pieces of beef labeled "beef round london broil." they are about 1" thick. Can i slow cook this cut in liquid (like a brisket) or to make pulled beef? Or must it be quickly cooked at a high temp? The label on the package says "for grilling," but with our cold temps here I'd like a slow cook inside. Is this cut too lean for that?

Braising it should work.

[zoramargolis]

I have two 1.5 lb. pieces of beef labeled "beef round london broil." they are about 1" thick. Can i slow cook this cut in liquid (like a brisket) or to make pulled beef? Or must it be quickly cooked at a high temp? The label on the package says "for grilling," but with our cold temps here I'd like a slow cook inside. Is this cut too lean for that?

Round will get very dry if you braise it for too long--not enough fat and connective tissue. You can use it for stroganoff or paprikash (quick-cooking stews) or the other possibility is to grind it, with some added fat if desired and use it as "ground round" in chili, meatloaf, meatballs.

[The Hersch]

I have two 1.5 lb. pieces of beef labeled "beef round london broil." they are about 1" thick. Can i slow cook this cut in liquid (like a brisket) or to make pulled beef? Or must it be quickly cooked at a high temp? The label on the package says "for grilling," but with our cold temps here I'd like a slow cook inside. Is this cut too lean for that?

Round steak is the classic cut for the braised dish known as Swiss steak. Make that. (Recipes abound, but if the recipe doesn't include tomatoes and carrots, it's Swiss steak in name only.)

[dcandohio]

Round will get very dry if you braise it for too long--not enough fat and connective tissue. You can use it for stroganoff or paprikash (quick-cooking stews) or the other possibility is to grind it, with some added fat if desired and use it as "ground round" in chili, meatloaf, meatballs.

I can't grind it. No equipment. I ws thinking of cooking it as a braise and then shredding with BBQ sauce. Would that countact dryness? I'm feeding people who aren't very adventurous. I think stroganoff or paprikash would freak them out. BBQ beef would not be frightening.

[dcandohio]

Round will get very dry if you braise it for too long--not enough fat and connective tissue. You can use it for stroganoff or paprikash (quick-cooking stews) or the other possibility is to grind it, with some added fat if desired and use it as "ground round" in chili, meatloaf, meatballs.

I can't grind it. No equipment. I ws thinking of cooking it as a braise and then shredding with BBQ sauce. Would that countact dryness? I'm feeding people who aren't very adventurous. I think stroganoff or paprikash would freak them out. BBQ beef would not be frightening.