When you do the same thing over and over the results don't change, for better or for worse. We have an affinity for cooking first cut chuck shoulders. Our model has been to cook it for 24 hours at 55°C. Until we tried to cook it like a thick cut steak, and the results were deliciously revelatory. In today's workshop we wanted to see if we could get the tenderizing benefits of the long cook in less time. We seasoned a first cut chuck shoulder with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil and put it into the CVap to cook. We decided to cut 4 hours off of our proven cooking time. We removed the shoulder from the CVap and browned it on the grill, adding caramelized and charred notes to the beef. I sliced the shoulder through all its parts and pieces. And we ate. The meat seemed juicier than I remembered our 24-hour shoulder. Shaving off 4 hours time gave us a shorter cooking time and added juiciness. Now I need to explore the idea further in an actual comparison, not one based on memory. In any event, the shoulder cooked beautifully in 20 hours, and that is a fabulous starting point.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
