• GrillingGrilling
  I've been doing a lot of grilling these days and the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. Things that I've been experimenting with these days: BinchotanBinchotan
  Binchotan is a Japanese charcoal made from hardwood using a special process yielding a very dense, hot and long-burning form of charcoal. It is difficult to light, but once it is going it will burn for 3-5 hours and can be stopped by cutting off the oxygen and restarted again. Some new binchotan Binchotan sticks out of my starter chimney The chimney only heats the lower half easily Flipped the longer binchotan and lit the bottoms Binchotan lighting up hot side of grill Kamitosa White Binchotan - Japanese hardwood charcoal. [[Reverse Sear]] - Inspired by sous vide - grilling on low heat to get the internal temperature up slowly before finishing with a sear. [[Doneness]] - How do I know when my food is done? The [[evaporation-effect]] - why does my temperature plateau once and then start rising again. Answer: the evapor...
• ThermometersThermometers
  Thermometers are an essential tool for cooking. The things that I measure are meat and fish during cooking to check doneness and cooking progress. I also like to measure the oven temperature at the surface of the dish, which can vary 10º or so even with a good oven. I measure oil before frying - something that maybe I won't have to do after I get better at more subjective measures. I also sometimes monitor the insides of sous vide bags to let me know when things like [[Tuna-Confit]] are done....
• BinchotanBinchotan
  Binchotan is a Japanese charcoal made from hardwood using a special process yielding a very dense, hot and long-burning form of charcoal. It is difficult to light, but once it is going it will burn for 3-5 hours and can be stopped by cutting off the oxygen and restarted again. Some new binchotan Binchotan sticks out of my starter chimney The chimney only heats the lower half easily Flipped the longer binchotan and lit the bottoms Binchotan lighting up hot side of grill Kamitosa White Binchotan
• SmokingSmoking
  Smoking uses wood chips or pellets to create smoke during grilling or in some cases without much heat to flavor meats, fish and vegetables.
• Meat and TemperaturesMeat and Temperatures
  As I've started dialing in and experimenting with cooking meats, I've settled roughly on the following pattern: Roasting - sous vide in oven at a few degrees above the target temperature and hold it there for a period before searing it quickly at high temperature to finish. Braising - low and slow after searing in a Dutch oven or Instant Pot slow cooker mode. Smoking - low and slow in Weber grill with a quick sear or no sear at the end. For tender meats, never go above 130ºF but be mindful to...
• Leidenfrost effectLeidenfrost Effect
  Attribution: Vystrix Nexoth at the English Wikipedia The Leidenfrost effect, according to Wikipedia: The Leidenfrost effect is a physical phenomenon in which a liquid, close to a surface that is significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer that keeps the liquid from boiling rapidly. Because of this 'repulsive force', a droplet hovers over the surface rather than making physical contact with the hot surface. This is most commonly seen when cooking, w...