Ask Behr anything food related thread

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#9,701
#9,701
My tomato plants and cucumbers are doing great. I have a bunch of tomatoes, and soon a few will be ready!
 
#9,703
#9,703
Behr said:
Maybe you reach for the one you know is sharper.

I use my chefs knife the most just because I'm used to it. I'm trying to use the santoku more often. I like it mainly because food doesn't stick to it when slicing like the chefs knife.

Death Knife? Butcher?

I hardly ever sharpen my paring knife either because I don't think it needs it. But after I do sharpen it, I always say damned, I need to do that more often.
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That's what she uses to kill beeches with.
 
#9,704
#9,704
The death knife is a 9" carving knife.

The reason we call it the death knife is a long story. Here it is.

Bought the knife, had it in a drawer still in the cardboard sleeve, had never used it.

Hubby and I stopped to eat on the way home from an orange and white game. While we're waiting on our salad my phone rings. It's my oldest son asking me for the number on our insurance card. He's at the emergency room with my youngest son. Oldest son was grilling hamburgers and youngest son was going to slice the tomatoes. While they were standing there talking, youngest son is absent mindedly sliding the cardboard sleeve up and down the knife. It's a sharp knife.

We get home and I walk into my house and it looks like a scene from a horror movie. Thank God I knew what had happened because there was a trail of blood from the deck door to the middle of the kitchen, and you wouldn't be able to tell which direction it was going.

That's why we call it the death knife. :)
 

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#9,705
#9,705
Ok Behr have to ask -- how do I grill boneless skinless chicken breasts on a grill so they dont come out dry and bland tasting ?
 
#9,706
#9,706
508mikey said:
Ok Behr have to ask -- how do I grill boneless skinless chicken breasts on a grill so they dont come out dry and bland tasting ?
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Ok mikey I'll tell ya.

I like to make sure the breast is an even height all over for grilling. If you've got a kitchen hammer cool, if not use a rolling pin or even a skillet. Put it in a freezer bag or cover it with plastic wrap and pound it. Don't beat the hell out of it and make it too thin or pulverizer it, just pound it until it's close to the same height all over.

Brine it in a salty brine for about 30 minutes. The salt reshapes the proteins which helps retain the moisture. Water and salt alone...or add other stuff like soy, oil, herbs.....whatever.

Make sure the grate is clean and oiled. A Dirty grate can cause flare ups and oiling it helps prevent sticking which you know can pull it apart which loses juices and is just a pain in the ass. The fire should be about medium high.

Don't over cook it. You don't have to cook it to 165 degrees. A meat thermometer is a must, at least until you get used to cooking it like you want. Pull the chicken at 150-155 and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. The temp will continue to rise. At 150 it only takes about 3 minutes for pasteurization (kill the bacteria) and it will be thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy the process as much as eating it too. That helps me.

Edit: I don't know where that emoji came from or how to get rid of it. Wtf?
Edit again. I got rid of it, but still don't know how it got there. Weird.
 
Last edited:
#9,707
#9,707
Behr said:
Ok mikey I'll tell ya.

I like to make sure the breast is an even height all over for grilling. If you've got a kitchen hammer cool, if not use a rolling pin or even a skillet. Put it in a freezer bag or cover it with plastic wrap and pound it. Don't beat the hell out of it and make it too thin or pulverizer it, just pound it until it's close to the same height all over.

Brine it in a salty brine for about 30 minutes. The salt reshapes the proteins which helps retain the moisture. Water and salt alone...or add other stuff like soy, oil, herbs.....whatever.

Make sure the grate is clean and oiled. A Dirty grate can cause flare ups and oiling it helps prevent sticking which you know can pull it apart which loses juices and is just a pain in the ass. The fire should be about medium high.

Don't over cook it. You don't have to cook it to 165 degrees. A meat thermometer is a must, at least until you get used to cooking it like you want. Pull the chicken at 150-155 and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. The temp will continue to rise. At 150 it only takes about 3 minutes for pasteurization (kill the bacteria) and it will be thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy the process as much as eating it too. That helps me.

Edit: I don't know where that emoji came from or how to get rid of it. Wtf?
Edit again. I got rid of it, but still don't know how it got there. Weird.
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Thanks will go for it Sunday -- The sticking part may have been my problem also maybe a little over cooking it -- I wonder why though, these dont come with skin on anymore ?
 
#9,708
#9,708
508mikey said:
Thanks will go for it Sunday -- The sticking part may have been my problem also maybe a little over cooking it -- I wonder why though, these dont come with skin on anymore ?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by this. I wasn't aware they didn't.
 
#9,709
#9,709
I cooked Pacific Rockfish (not sure of the specific specie) for the first time last night. Sauteed it in olive oil with a pinch of salt. Finished it with a squeeze of lemon after plating. The wife loved it.

The first time I taste a fish, I like it prepared simply, so the natural flavor and texture are apparent. Once I'm familiar with a fish, I can get wiggy with it in as much as the fish flesh allows.
 
#9,714
#9,714
Tin Man said:
Got a fav recipe?

[If ever I'm going to do this, I've got to spark my missus' imagination away from smoke/roasting chickens whole.]
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Not really. You grilling or roasting? But I do remove the backbone and sturnam, so it is actually spatchcocked and not just butterflied.
 
#9,716
#9,716
Behr said:
Not really. You grilling or roasting? But I do remove the backbone and sturnam, so it is actually spatchcocked and not just butterflied.
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Want to grill the spachcocked chickens. Will appreciate whatever advice you have on prep & grilling (I have long skewers if recommended for stabilizing the flattened out birds).
 
#9,718
#9,718
Cool, hope it turns out good. Can't think of a reason it wouldn't. Leftovers might make easy tacos.
 
#9,720
#9,720
Tin Man said:
Want to grill the spachcocked chickens. Will appreciate whatever advice you have on prep & grilling (I have long skewers if recommended for stabilizing the flattened out birds).
Click to expand...

Not sure how you have prepared a spatchcocked bird before, but here's how I do it.

Lay it breast side down. Cut the backbone out from the tail to the neck by cutting along both sides of it as close to it as you can. Press down on the wings and break the breast bone to flatten it. Flip it over and cut off the small wing tips. I keep them and the backbone and freeze them for stock.

Then dry brine it or in a regular brine, which I Like better. Then season it however you want. If I'm preparing chicken for me, I go simple with rubbing it with a mixture of fresh rosemary, olive oil and fresh garlic, then a nice dusting of Cavenders Greek Seasoning.
 
#9,721
#9,721
My favorite recipe for chicken is Melissa D'Arabian's Flattened Chicken. It isn't quick, but my word it is delicious.
 
#9,722
#9,722
Late to the game, but:

Love my Henckels Twin Pro S. I have the 8-inch chef's knife, the 7-inch Santoku, the 5-inch serrated utility knife, the 4-inch paring knife, and the carving set. I've bought them one at a time, over time. I bought the paring knife first, about 30-some-odd years ago. It has a nick, but is otherwise fine.

DH lost a fair amount of blood before learning and believing that good knives cut rather than bruise, and fingers are fair game. :p The sharpening steel (the long thingy with the raspy texture) works fine.

My only challenge is to catch them right after they've been washed, dry them, and put them away. Everything else can air-dry, but not the knives.

Steak knives are Walco Boston full tang chop knives. We had dinner at Skates in Berkeley, and I kinda bullied my way into the back to find out where they got their knives. They're really huge, and they bounce around the plate, but they're amazing.

I don't spend much at all on anything except for kitchen gear. Some things (very very few) are worth every penny.
 
#9,723
#9,723
Behr said:
Not sure how you have prepared a spatchcocked bird before, but here's how I do it.

Lay it breast side down. Cut the backbone out from the tail to the neck by cutting along both sides of it as close to it as you can. Press down on the wings and break the breast bone to flatten it. Flip it over and cut off the small wing tips. I keep them and the backbone and freeze them for stock.

Then dry brine it or in a regular brine, which I Like better. Then season it however you want. If I'm preparing chicken for me, I go simple with rubbing it with a mixture of fresh rosemary, olive oil and fresh garlic, then a nice dusting of Cavenders Greek Seasoning.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Behr. In the past, I've simply split the chickens in half. I've read that spachcocking makes for even cooking and moister breast meat. Dunno if that's true, but I want to try it all the same.
 
#9,724
#9,724
vollygirl said:
My favorite recipe for chicken is Melissa D'Arabian's Flattened Chicken. It isn't quick, but my word it is delicious.
Click to expand...

Thanks. My first intention is to grill, but, if it's raining or second time spachcocking a chicken, I'll this.
 
#9,725
#9,725
Bought 2 knives.

Dalstrong Santoku and a Shun Paring knife.

Anymore and I'll have to make a stop at the title pawn place:)
 
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