There are moments in life that you just need to share with others, quickly. I have been cooking racks of lamb for decades. And on an often basis - hundreds of them. No utensils needed, single bites of evidence of a higher life form in existence. Last night was that moment. And I can offer several witnesses if so desired including my wife: “Best Ever”, “Restaurant Grade, actually better”. So now that I have completely blown managing expectations, here goes. Racks of Lamb. I get mine from Costco. A minimum of 2lbs per rack if possible. I usually cook 4 racks at a time, minimum. I vacuum seal what we don’t eat And freeze them. Ready to sous vide them whenever. Tastes like just made. Grass vs. Grain fed. I MUCH prefer grain fed racks of lamb. Far less gamey to my palette. Australian racks of lamb tend to be completely grass fed. American racks of lamb tend to be grass fed and then the last several months or so they switched to grain feed. Feel free to do your own taste testing. I stay far away from completely grass fed animals. Preparing the racks of lamb. Very simple. You don’t have to do anything if you do not want to. I tend to clean it up a little. Take excess fat off and the silverskin. This allows for more surface area for the seasoning to set into. That said, I am not obsessively compulsive about it. Pre Cooking Marinade Depending on how many racks you are going to cook, change the amounts accordingly: I put 4 racks in a 2 gallon zip lock bag. And I did it by eye, so these are approximations. You will get the gist of ratios though: Olive Oil - .5 to .75 cup Balsamic Vinegar - .5 to .75 cup Garlic Powder - 2 to 3 tablespoons Honey - 2 to 3 tablespoons Salt - 1 teaspoon at the most Black Pepper - 1 teaspoon at the most Herbs de Provence - 1 tablespoon Put the racks in, meat side down towards the bottom of the bag, shake it around, seal the bag and take out as much of the air as you can. Let it sit for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, overnight is great. Make sure to shake and rotate the bag every now and then. The Cook I used my Weber charcoal grill. Feel free to use any cooking device you have available. The only requirement is you need to be able to slow cook it with indirect heat or bake it and then sear or broil it. Take the racks of lamb out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes Before cooking them. Feel free to gently season them. Be CAREFUL of adding salt. See below for what I did Two Zone Cooking I put charcoal in a basket on one side of the grill, and kept the other side void of charcoal. A hot zone and a “cold” zone. I put the lid cover with the vent over the cold side forcing the hot air to circulate over the cold side and the food. If you are using an oven, bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature is 123-125 degrees and then take them out to rest for 20-30 minutes. I added some maple and cherry wood chunks to the charcoal You be you. I would stay away from strong woods such as hickory and more towards the sweeter, lighter, fruitier woods. Either way, Charcoal is the best heat source, almost always for any protein. Seasoning I strongly believe in creating levels of seasoning. Hence the pre-cook marinating. That is step one here. Step two had two parts for me: Part A - Lightly apply and pat in Suckle Busters SPG Rub (also some sugar in there) Then apply more liberally and pat in Part B: Suckle Busters Sugar Daddy I put the rack in the Weber, meat side down with the bones resting on each other like a teepee. Covered it and waited until….. 123-125 degrees For medium rare, take them off the heat at that point and let them rest for at least 20 minutes. The carry over cooking will take them to around 130 degrees Searing Time Build up your fire. Add more charcoal. Turn up the heat or turn on the broiler. Ripping hot. When I cannot hold my hand above the grill grates for more than one second is when I know we are good to go. While you are getting your heat source prepared and letting the racks rest, make your searing marinade. The 4th level of flavor here. If you are using charcoal, and smoking wood you are getting closer to double digits of levels of flavor. Searing (and Serving/Dipping) Marinade This marinade is so good, I need to work on an intravenous form. It made heart bursts with joy and cranial nerves explode with excitement. Apricot Preserves - 1 jar Balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon Hot Water - 2 tablespoons Salt - .5 teaspoon Black Pepper - .5 teaspoon Mix it all together and brush it on the rack of lambs. Then sear the rack of lamb. All sides. 20-30 seconds and flip, and flip, and flip until you get that gorgeous color of caramelization. The smell is ridiculous too. When it's done, give it another gentle coat of the marinade and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then slice and serve, with the marinade close by. You can do the same thing in the oven using the broil function. Make sure to not let it get too close to the broiler itself. Keep the oven door open and keep a close eye on it. You can always add more sear, you can never remove too much of it. It sounds like a lot of work. I did not think it was. It is a quick, easy cook which is great. About 40-45 minutes to get it to 123/125 degrees. 20 minutes to build the charcoal bed up to blistering hot (during which time the racks had to rest anyway) 2-4 minutes of searing action. Just overall Game Changing for me. A rare event. Let me know what you think, Wishes for a great day, Hugs and love to all, David/

How many times have you cooked something to a perfect temperature only to serve it 10 or 20 minutes later and find it over done? It is important to realize that whatever you are cooking, and let's focus on steak because I can, is absorbing energy from your cooking source – an oven, a pan, a grill, etc. The energy it absorbs brings it from raw, to medium rare, to medium, to medium well, and then [God Forbid] well done. The space between those levels of doneness can be measured in a minute or less depending on how hot your cooking source is, the amount of energy it is emitting. A grill top at 600 degrees Fahrenheit will progress through those stages far quicker than one at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The rate of rise in doneness is also dependent on the size or thickness of the steak and how much energy it is going to take to get it to where you want it done. A 1.5” steak [which is the thickness I always recommend] takes more energy than a 1” steak. Hence one of my reasons for never buying “thin” ribeye or NY strip steaks. Sidebar: There is a misconception that you take your steaks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes or an hour before you cook them to get them to room temperature. That is false. Do this test – temp your steak in the fridge with your thermapen and then take it out and temp it again 30 minutes later. Let me know if it reached room temperature. Carry over cooking is what happens when the energy you have placed in your steak continues to cook it after you have taken it off the heat source. Just because you take it off the grill does not mean that the stored energy in the steak all of a sudden disappears and stops exerting its forces. That stored energy will continue to exert itself and continue the cooking process – it will slow down because once off the heat source no more new energy is being entered into the steak. Think of your car and its gas tank. You fill it up full and you have 400 miles of range when you leave for your trip. You can only turn your car on and cannot turn it off. Your destination is 350 miles away. You get out at mile #350 but your car goes until its source of energy is fully depleted another 50 miles. That is exactly what happens in steaks and other food you cook. And you need to take that into account. If you don’t, you end up with overcooked steaks, dry overcooked chicken, etc. Sidebar: If you use your MEATER probe to assist you in cooking your steaks, they do a good job taking that into account re the carry over cooking that will occur automatically. In general, what I do to aim for a medium rare steak (132-135 degrees) is bring it to 127 or 128 degrees and take it off. With chicken, 155 to 160 degrees, depending on how I am cooking it (spatchcocked, whole rotisserie, etc). It is far better to undercook steak, you can always add heat to it. There is no reversing the cooking process once you go past medium rare. It is also illegal (at least in my kitchen) to go past medium rare. Wishes for a great day to all, Hugs too, David/

Pay attention here because cooking a Cowboy Ribeye steak, or any piece of very thick meat is different from all the rest. If you cook this the way you would a regular ribeye or NY Strip steak, you will end up with a large portion of the Cowboy Ribeye over cooked and only a small portion of the steak properly cooked. Given: No steak should ever be cooked more than Medium Rare. Personally, if somebody wants me to do that for them, they need to get permission in writing in advance of the cook. Goal: A well charred medium rare Cowboy Ribeye Process: As the Cowboy Ribeye is resting comfortably on your cooling rack, fully seasoned up ( see Dry Brining Post here) , in your kitchen at room temperature, you will go to your grill or smoker, or even oven. What you want to do is SLOWLY bring the steak up to 115 degrees internal temperature. 225 degrees to 250 degrees is the window you are aiming for. Once your cooking device is dialed in there, put your steak in. Pearl of Wisdom: Wagyu Beef Tallow (purchase HERE ). Get it ready. Here is the cast iron basting pot and brush I use: Cuisinart Basting Pot and Brush . I put the tallow in the basting pot and warm it up, often putting it in my smoker along with the steaks, until it becomes a golden liquid. Sidebar: Thermometer. I use the Meater , a wireless thermometer that connects to your phone or iPad. You can use any thermometer as long as you use one. It is essential that you pull the steak off when it hits 115 degrees. Along with getting your Wagyu Beef Tallow ready, get your grill ready. You can use the same device or another one. I go from my smoker to my Weber 22” kettle. Using the chimney , I fill it ¾ the way up. The Slow and Sear takes that much. You want TWO zone cooking – you need a “cool” area on the grill or cooking device (you can just take it out from the broiler or out of the iron skillet. One half of my grill has charcoal, the other half does not. You want a smoking hot fire, 500 degrees plus. It is going to take somewhere between 60 – 90 minutes for the cowboy ribeye to hit that temperature. Once it does take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, baste it with the wagyu beef tallow, BOTH sides. You are doing this to allow the steak to absorb all the energy from the cook and let it dissipate. The temperature will climb a few degrees. You want to let all that stored energy go. If you go to the next step too quickly, you will overshoot your desired doneness because of that excess stored energy and the “new” energy you are about to hit it with... a rookie mistake I have made more than one time. Here goes – it's been 10 minutes, your cowboy ribeye is glistening with the Wagyu Beef Tallow. You have your food safe gloves on hand (pun intended). Put it on over the charcoal. You should get pretty quickly a response of fat and steak hitting fire. That sizzling and fire is ok, but keep an eye on it. After 20 – 30 seconds, lift the steak by the bone and look at it. The charring process should have started. You can put it back down, usually for 1-1.5 minutes before I take it and put it on the “cold” half of the bbq. Turn it over to the side that was not on the fire, coat it with a little more tallow, and then move it over the charcoal. Pearl Of Wisdom: you can always put the cover of the Weber on, and that will stop the fire but keep the steak cooking. Once you have cooked the other side of the steak for 1-1.5 minutes, move it back to the cool side. Your next step is to cook the sides of the steak. Place it “standing” up, fat side down on the fire and make sure it does not fall down. It should be 90 degrees perpendicular to the grill grates. It is essential you render the fat and that could take another 1 to 1.5 minutes. You have your gloves on so you can always check to see how it's going. It is better to check more often than less. You can always add heat to the steak, but you can never remove it once it's in. Recap: You cooked each side for about 1.1.5 minutes, you cooked the sides for an equal amount of time. You are applying your tallow. You will probably need to cook each side for another 1 to 1. 5 minutes. This is all dependent on how hot your grill is. You should use the Thermapen here, you can't use the meater probe for searing - too hot! You are aiming for an internal temperature of 128 degrees. There is going to be "carry over cooking" from the stored energy. Always keep this in mind, no matter what you are cooking. If your char is perfect for you, and your internal temperature is 128 degrees, take it off and let it rest. This is the hardest part of the entire process. A minimum of 10 minutes. DO NOT TOUCH that steak for at least 10 minutes. If you want you can LOOSELY wrap it in aluminum foil. Wrap it too tight and that stored energy will go back into the steak and cook it all that much more. If your char is perfect and your steak is not yet at 128 degrees place it on the cool side of the grill AWAY from direct heat. Close the lid and the temperature will get there. You can even put a little more tallow on it. Keep an eye on the internal temperature and take it off when it reaches 128 degrees. The REST: pun intended. Once your steak has hit 128 degrees it is going to cook up, release all that stored energy several degrees to between 130 and 135 degrees – perfect medium rare. Do NOT touch it. If you want to cover it, do so loosely, giving the excess heat and energy a way to escape, and therefore not continuing to cook the meat. It also lets the steak “rest and relax” – when the steak is hot it is contracted, and the juices are locked in the muscle fibers. Letting it rest and cool down will release these juices back into the steak. Slicing: Slice the steak off the bone. Separate the outer muscle layer, the spinalis, and cut that into cubes. The inner portion of the steak should be cut into slices, however thick or thin you want. Personally, I like ¼ inch slices. Take the juice off the cutting board or wherever it was resting, and pour them on top of the sliced steak. Lastly, don’t forget to pick up the bone and do not throw out any of the goodness you just worked so hard to create. I do that even in the finest of restaurants, and for sure at my house too. Wishes for a great day to all, Hugs too, David/

This is my second post on dry brining, the first involved steaks . It is a gamechanger in a positive way. I also dry brine my turkey. And you follow the same principles. 1. Clean the turkey 2. Dry it off. 3. Use a cookie sheet and rack. a. I put aluminum foil on the cookie sheet to make clean up easier 4. Use a binder such as olive oil or butter. 5. Apply a light coat of salt to the turkey, both sides if you spatchcocked yours. a. I use Maldon Sea Salt 6. Put it in the refrigerator the day prior to cooking. Remember not to add any more salt when you season the turkey before you cook it. Wishes for a great day to all, Each one a gift, Hugs too, David/

If you have to cook one turkey, this is the ONLY way to do it. I say that with 99.99% confidence built over decades of cooking multiple turkeys. We average over 50 adults at our home every Thanksgiving. I make at least three turkeys for them. On occasion a 4th one pops up. There is nothing easier to make and better to eat than a spatchcocked turkey. And it makes no difference where you cook it. Inside or outside. Here is a link that demonstrates how to do it. Helpful hints: 1. Make sure the turkey is not frozen 2. Get a good pair of scissors. By taking out the turkey’s spine you get to cook the turkey without having to heat up the cavity – which causes your turkey to be overcooked, and dry year after year. Here are some other helpful tips: 1. 14-16lbs MAXIMUM. Never get a turkey larger than 16lbs 2. Dry Brine. If you can, spatchcock it the day before Thanksgiving and salt it. Put it on a baking pan/cookie sheet so the salt can be absorbed. This will create the juiciest turkey you ever tasted. 3. Seasoning. You do you. I like turkey made this way, simple. I take it out of the fridge an hour before I am going to cook it. Add some black pepper, granulated garlic, and onion powder. If you want some color, a touch of paprika. Either way, you do you. 4. Thermometer. I LOVE the Meater Probe . Get one. It will prevent you from overcooking your turkey and anything else you use it with. 5. 160 Degrees. Remove the turkey from the heat source when it hits 160 degrees. The carry over cooking will take it to 165 degrees and a degree higher or two. 6. WAIT. Do NOT slice the turkey for 15 to 20 minutes after you take it out of the heat source. Wishes for a great Thanksgiving to all, Each day is a gift, David/

Meater Probe: https://store-us.meater.com/products/meater-2-plus Really simple If you are serious about cooking meat, even chicken, order the Meater 2 Probe . There are a number of wireless digital thermometers out there This one is the best by far. Hundreds of cooks are using them. I have been using it for years The Meater 2 came out right before Thanksgiving and you are able to put it anywhere including into frying oil. Which I did when I deep fried the turkey. It takes the guesswork out of when your meat/chicken is ready to be taken off the heat and rested. Meat is too expensive to get it wrong Yes, it takes a bunch of cooks to get used to how it works In general, you place it in the protein getting cooked. Go to the app and set up the cook: Select what you are cooking Select the temperature you want it cooked to It will give you a countdown to when it's ready, following the temperature of the protein all the way. It calculates the carryover cooking time , the resting time, and lets you know when it's ready. Truly a great device. Wishes for a great day Hugs too, to all, David/

Thermapen , get one. Either the Thermapen One or the Classic. There is nothing more important than knowing an accurate temperature of what you are cooking, especially if it is meat or chicken or fish. Sidebar: There will be an upcoming post on Meater which is a wireless temperature probe I also use. They are not mutually exclusive. The difference between medium rare and medium can be measured in seconds and not minutes, especially when cooking at high temperatures. And when you take into consideration as you must, the amount of energy stored in what you are cooking once you take it off or out of the heat source, knowing what the current temperature is, is vital. Sidebar: There will also be an upcoming post on carryover cooking; the fact that the temperature of what you are cooking will continue to rise after you stop heating it directly. I have spent enough money and bought so many other digital thermometers that I would have been better off, saved money, by buying the Thermapen from the outset. Full Disclosure – I am not receiving any “kickbacks” from Thermapen. I just think they are the best and you should have one if you take cooking seriously. Wishes for a great day, Hugs too, David/

We recently posted about “charcoal”. In order to make charcoal work for you certain things are necessary, and certain things can enhance the experience. Here goes: Grill. There are many to choose from, but the best all around grill is the Weber Original Kettle 22” grill: Grill Cover. Important to get this to protect it from the elements. My 22” Weber is several decades old and going strong. Thermapen. It is accurate, reads the temperature of what you are cooking very quickly, and has a large display. I have been through a number of quick read digital food thermometers. This is the best. It is not inexpensive, nor is the food you are cooking. The batteries last a long time, and are easy to change. Weber Rotisserie. Again, not inexpensive. If you want to make Amazing chicken, and prime rib roasts, get this. Slow N Sear. It is important to be able to create two zone cooking areas in the grill. One zone that is hot where the charcoal is, and one zone that is less hot aka where the charcoal is not. You can do this manually or you can buy this. I used to do it manually, but this is much better. It prevents the charcoal from moving around during the cook. It is easier to add new charcoal or wood during the cook. It has a removable water reservoir when you want to do low and slow and keep the grill temperature rock steady. I use this all the time, especially when I use the rotisserie. Charcoal Chimney. The Best Way To Light Charcoal. It also has two handles allowing you to pour its [very hot] contents into the grill safely. GreenSpark Fire Starters. I have tried a bunch of them. I keep coming back to these. In fact, I just bought the 140 piece box vs. the 70 that is linked below. They are natural, easy to light, and burn for a long time. I use two every time to get the charcoal in the chimney burning quickly. On average it takes 15-20 minutes for the charcoal to light to the point where you can dump it in the grill. Gloves. They come in two varieties. Both are important to have. One is to protect your hands from the heat, the other is used to handle food. Rapicca BBQ Food Safe Gloves Grill Heat BBQ Gloves BBQ Utensils. Dealers choice here. Some important considerations: BBQ Tongs. You want extra long ones. You want the amount of force you need to generate with your hand to close it, not to be too great. Grilling several dozen lamb chops will put your hand to the test. Spatula. Again long and not too heavy. Fork. I never use one. I refuse to puncture holes in my food for juices to run out of. I use two tongs, or one tong and a spatula to move things if needed. I never use a fork to move any food that I am cooking. And lastly, aluminum foil. I use it by the boatload. I have the normal and heavy duty always on hand. You will always let the meat you are bbq’ing rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes. You will need to cover it with aluminum foil. You will be cooking side dishes that will be done at different times and will need to be kept warm. You can use it in so many ways. I have tried a number of brands but always keep going back to Reynolds. I get mine at Costco where I purchase it in three different forms: Regular Heavy Duty Bulk Apologies for the long post today. The good news is that each one of these items will last you a long time and you will derive great pleasure from their employment. Wishes for a Great day to all, Hugs too, David/ Refer to This Post about Charcoal.

Topic: Charcoal – Chapter One (more to follow) Don’t BBQ without it. BBQ’ing without it is called grilling, or cooking outside with gas instead of cooking inside with gas. Charcoal is formed by heating wood in minimal oxygen. It removes all the water and sap and other natural chemical compounds from the wood. There are two different types of charcoal: Briquettes – made by compressing charcoal into a shape Lump – natural charcoal, not compressed into any shape. Each has its own place in the BBQ game as we will see in future posts, and its own sets of pros and cons. Lump tends to have less ash production, burns hotter, lights quicker, has no fillers or binders that can be found in briquettes, has a natural wood smell (very addictive) and produces lots of smoke flavor. On the downside it burns quicker, in general is more expensive, and can be more difficult to work with given the uneven sizes of charcoal that are in the bag. Briquettes maintain a steadier temperature, burn longer, and in general are less expensive. On the other hand, they produce more ash, take longer to light, and can produce a chemical smell depending upon which brand you use. They commonly have additives to help them maintain their form such as sawdust. There are two types of wood sources aka trees that you can make charcoal from – hardwood or softwood. Softwood trees are trees that keep their leaves year-round (ex. pine, cedar, spruce, fir). These trees contain large amounts of terpenes and other chemicals commonly found in soap and foam free fire extinguishers. You will have a tough time finding softwood charcoal for a good reason – its chemical compounds will leave a very bad taste in your mouth. Hardwood trees (ex. Hickory, Oak, Cherry, Mesquite, Apple, Pecan) do not have the issues found in softwood trees. They can impart on your food unique flavors depending on the type of tree, its climate, thickness of its bark, drying time, and moisture content. Similar to grapes and wine. Where each fit in your BBQ’ing quiver in general is this: Lump tends to burn hotter and quicker making it best for direct grilling burgers or searing a steak. Briquettes are used for longer slower cooks and are used in smoking a brisket or short ribs. Personally, I have several different types of both lump and briquette charcoal always available to me. The choice is based on what I am cooking, the people I am serving and how much time I have or need to get it done. But the bottom line is that you can go with either form. Whatever is easiest for you – usually briquettes. I just want you to BBQ with charcoal, and experiment with the different forms and brands. Several decades ago, we were at my Uncle’s house and he made a variety of food on his BBQ. A game changer for me. The taste was so amazing. He is also a big “wine guy”; the food and the wine that afternoon is seared (pun intended) into my mind’s eye forever. Sidebar: Kingsford Charcoal (not my favorite) but a very cool history. Edward Kingsford was married to Henry Ford’s cousin. Ford was burning lots of wood to make his Model T’s and suggested that the wood scraps be processed into charcoal. Thomas Edison designed the briquette factory that Kingsford used. “Ford” charcoal was sold only through Ford dealerships initially, and in 1951 an investment group bought it and renamed it Kingsford Charcoal in honor of Edward. Wishes for a great day to all, Hugs too,  David/

You will fall in love with Sous Vide – or cooking “under vacuum” (translation from French) – a method of cooking using a water bath and either a plastic bag or glass jar that contains the food you are cooking. Think low and slow, a concept we will visit again in future posts associated with different forms of cooking including grills and smokers. Sous Vide cooking is commonly found in the finest of restaurants in addition to many homes. You cannot overcook food with it. Vegetables are not dried out, or soggy. Steaks are dialed into to your exact doneness – fish too. It takes effort to not get food perfect with it. It has a lot of advantages including that you can cook and prepare food and then store it. There is no worry about oxygen oxidating fat so that it becomes rancid. Then when you want to eat it, just sous vide it. We use it to cook everything - egg bites, grits, vegetables, fish, chicken, steak and so on. We also use it to warm up food that was previously cooked, a HUGE advantage here for sous vide vs. warming up leftovers in an oven or microwave that inevitably leaves the food over cooked, dried out, and far less tasty than when had originally. When ordering food either at a restaurant or to be eaten at home we do not hesitate to order what we want in terms of quantity (knowing we are guilty as are other humans who frequently have eyes bigger than their stomachs) because we vacuum seal the leftovers and will either put them in the fridge or freezer. And that when we reheat them sous vide they will be at least as good as when we originally ordered them – sometimes better. A downside is that food prepared sous vide does not brown, does not undergo the Maillard reaction (a chemical reaction involving the amino acids and sugars found in foods) and or caramelization (the browning of sugars) that produces amazing flavors and aromas. Think about toasting a marshmallow vs. warming it up sous vide. So here is a general principle or step in cooking sous vide. With steak, if you want medium rare (132-135 degrees), set the sous vide to 120 degrees and keep the vacuum sealed bag of steak in the water for the set amount of time. There are widely available tables that will tell you how much time you need to get to different temperatures of whatever you want to cook. They will also tell you what temperatures you are looking for depending on what you are cooking. It truly is very simple. Once your get your steak is done in the sous vide, you take it out of the bag, pat it dry, season it (Maldon Sea Salt, coarse black pepper, granulated garlic), and then sear it in an iron skillet for several minutes on each side. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before eating. No worries here either, a number of future posts on all things related to steak and meat heading your way. Side Bar: Thermapen. A must have if you are going to cook steak chicken or anything that is “temperature” sensitive. It is worth the money. Having gone through less expensive ones and having learned my lesson the hard way on numerous occasions, get this one. (No commission earned) So get one – a sous vide that is. And this is especially true if you have a vacuum sealer. They make a perfect pair. Force multipliers. Wishes for a great and productive day to all, Hugs too, David - Anova Sous Vide Cooker and Water Container - Thermapen - Maldon Sea Salt

A key and vital piece of equipment that every home should have is a vacuum sealer. Here is the link for the one I use, and perhaps one of the best $50 investments you can make. You can spend a lot more money on one, but don’t. This one is great. Link: Vacuum Sealer Here is a link to the vacuum sealer bags . Here are a few reasons why you should order one now: 1. Extend the shelf life of your food – two to three years in the freezer; weeks instead of days in a refrigerator. 2. Protects food – from freezer burn or dehydration. 3. Food Preservation – prevents mold or bacteria from growing. 4. Stop wasting food – vacuum seal leftovers. 5. You can buy food in bulk and break it down into smaller portions. 6. Sous Vide Cooking - more on this in an up and coming post. 7. Better tasting food – vacuum sealing food holds its moisture better. By having a food vacuum sealer, we now cook on the weekends and sometimes during the week with the intention of cooking an additional dinners worth of food to have in the future when we don’t have the time to prepare and/or cook it. I save money by purchasing larger portions of meat and break them down into steaks, salt them, and then vacuum seal them. We feel comfortable ordering food knowing that any leftovers will be vacuum sealed and consumed at a later date. In an upcoming post we will talk about sous vide – cooking food in vacuum sealed bags in a hot water bath. A sous vide machine (commonly found in the finest of restaurants) enhances the value of the vacuum sealer exponentially.

Buy this: Wagyu Beef Tallow This completely changed my meat cooking game. Brought me from the minors to the Big Show. It will be impossible to fully explain how this will up your cooking game too in one post. There are so many ways to use it, and we are setting out to explore them all and undoubtedly find new ways along our journey. It will become obvious too that you can use it for other things besides meat including veggies and desserts. You can fry, sauté and sear with it too. And it's healthy to boot – more about that in future posts. It is 100% pure rendered Wagyu Beef fat. You are wondering what Wagyu Beef is. Wagyu means Japanese Cattle ( ‘Wa’ means Japanese, ‘gyu’ means cow). It is any of four breeds of Japanese cattle and can be shipped from Japan carrying the name of the area it came from such as Kobe Beef. It gets its reputation by having a very high percentage of intramuscular fat. Fat is flavor. If you are wondering how these cows developed such high levels of intramuscular fat, it was due to their selection over thousands of years in Japan to be draft animals used in agriculture. They had to have superior physical endurance. By having extra fat which is a source of energy in their muscles, this gave them a significant advantage over other breeds. You can find Wagyu beef originating from different countries too, including Australia (has the largest number of Wagyu cows outside of Japan) and the United States. It gets confusing because in the USA and Australia Wagyu cows are often cross breed with other cows such as Angus cattle in the USA. When this is done you will see it referred to as American Style Kobe Beef or “Wangus”. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I use it a lot. When I went to Amazon to obtain the link to it above, it turns out I have purchased 9 of these containers over the past 13 months. Wishes for a great day to all, Hugs too, David/ www.eachdayagift.com Make sure to check out the posts on: Salt BBQ Equipment