Quick Review: Momofoku

[dhw]

A quick caveat before the review itself. I have a strong bias towards cookbooks which teach it right, and against anything which hints at a sub-par version designed to be either quick or "for the home chef". Admittedly, I did just pick up a copy of Ad Hoc at Home, but (a) it was Thomas Keller (b) I could get it signed (c) it was Thomas Keller.

Comments

[kinzel]

Meat glue sounds like something to be avoided ... in the "what could go wrong department" I can think of far too many answers.

On the other hand, ginger-scallion sauce made my mouth water (my breakfast hasn't happened yet) and I haven't even gone to amazon to see it yet.

I salute your patience -- cooking that takes quite that long sounds more like brewing or winemaking!

[dhw]

It actually isn't that much work. The meat and seasonings are in a vacuum sealed bag, the bag is in a constant temperature water bath at 134F.

Based on the thickness of the meat, the contents were pasteurized in a couple of hours, well within the "four hour" guidelines. Now we're just letting the collagen break down.

The end result, if it works, will be tender, medium rare, and seasoned with carmelized sugar, fish sauce, galangal, and lemon grass.

[vivian2112]

thanks for mentioning this! do you perchance, bake bread, too?

[dhw]

I'm working on that. I have a copy of Peter Reinhardt's new book, which uses the refridgerator to develop flavor rather than lengthy preferments, but I haven't used it yet.