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‘Quick Tips’ Category

  1. CHEF TIP # 1-512

    January 6, 2012 by Jarrett

    Most of us proPork with a Cider Saucebably grew up knowing the rule that pork needed to be cooked to a higher temperature than any other meat. I remember being told that I would get trichinosis if it was under-cooked, and though I had no idea what that meant, it conjured up horrible images. That being said, I was also taught not to eat shoe leather, so I have always heated it to 150 degrees.

    Everything changed when the US Department of Agriculture announced that it has lowered its temperature recommendation for cooking pork to 145 °F.

    The new requirements call for leaving the meat to rest for “at least 3 minutes” before carving, but most home cooks already know that.  Ground pork should still be cooked to 160 °F.

     

    Can Safely Cooked Pork Be Pink ?

    Cooked muscle meats can be pink even when the meat has reached a safe internal temperature. If fresh pork has reached 145 °F throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

     

    Partial Cooking

    Never brown or partially cook pork, then refrigerate and finish cooking later, because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave pork immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking.

    I hope this will dispell any rumors about the safe cooking prcedures for pork, and we can enjoy this tastey and tender cut of meat. No longer do we have to cook it dry and make it tough enough for shoe leather’

     

    Chef Phil

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  2. Tips For Opening Champagne Bottle Safely

    December 29, 2011 by Jarrett

    CHEF’S TIP #173

    Tips For Opening Champagne Bottle Safely

     

    Drinking this time of year can be dangerous, in terms of eye injuries.

    The American Academy of Ophthalmology said the incorrect popping of champagne corks is one of the most common holiday-related eye hazards.

    A cork can fly up to 80 miles an hour as it leaves the bottle, generating a force powerful enough to shatter glass.

    Below are some tips for opening bottles safely (courtesy of American Academy of Ophthalmology):

    • Ensure champagne or sparkling wine is chilled to at least 45 degrees F (7 C) before opening
    • Don’t shake the bottle
    • To open the bottle safely, hold down the cork with the palm of your hand while removing the wire hood
    • Point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and from any bystanders
    • Place a towel over the entire top of the bottle and grasp the cork
    • Keep the bottle at a 45-degree angle as you slowly and firmly twist the bottle while holding the cork to break the seal — continue to hold the cork while twisting the bottle and continue until the cork is almost out of the neck
    • Counter the force of the cork using slight downward pressure just as the cork breaks free from the bottle
    • Don’t use a corkscrew to open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine

     

    Enjoy the New Year,

    Chef Phil

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  3. Christmas Dinner Check List

    December 22, 2011 by Jarrett

    Just as I gave you a “punch list” for preparation of the Thanksgiving Day feast, I will pass this along for the Christmas dinner as well.

    Christmas Dinner Check List

     

    2 DAYS TO GO

     

    • Make a shopping run for the perishable items.
    • Chop, slice and dice the vegetables for any recipes that require them. Seal in bags or containers and refrigerate.
    • Prepare anything that can handle two days in the fridge, such as cranberry sauce and soups.

     

    1 DAY TO GO

     

    • If you’re buying fresh (not frozen) turkey, prime rib or ham, pick it up today.
    • Clean and truss the turkey and return it to the refrigerator.
    • Defrost pie crusts, bread, and appetizers. Refrigerate.
    • Prepare side dishes and stuffing. Refrigerate and reheat tomorrow.
    • Prepare salads. Refrigerate.
    • Bake pies.
    • Set the table.

     

    CHRISTMAS DAY

     

    • Early in the day, prepare your turkey, ham or rib roast for the oven.
    • Consider your “sit-down” time and check cooking times to ensure it will be done on time.
    • If you’re baking a turkey, don’t forget to baste it every half hour.
    • In the early afternoon, prepare any side dishes, gravy, etc. that you didn’t make previously.
    • Place beverages and white wine in the refrigerator to get them chilled.
    • Give yourself an hour to relax and ready yourself for company.
    • Have a very merry Christmas.

     

    All of us here at J.E.S. wish you & yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year !

    Chef Phil

    Category "The Scoop" Kitchen Guide, Kitchen Guides, Quick Tips | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  4. Steps for Deboning a Chicken Breast

    December 12, 2011 by Jarrett

    De-boning Chicken is a task that many people think is much more complicated than it truly is. In this video we head to the Test Kitchen to learn how to the be a do-it-yourself cook, while saving money, and getting more control over your ingredients.

    For this technique all you’ll need a clean cutting surface and a sharp boning knife. Be sure, as always, to clean any surface that the raw chicken touched – keeping safe from food-borne illness.

    This video is the first part of our Chicken Gumbo Video now up at the JES YouTube account. Don’t forget to subscribe for more great videos.

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  5. CHEF’S TIP #172

    October 17, 2011 by Jarrett

    A nonreactive pan—stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass — is necessary when cooking acidic foods, such as cranberries, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.

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  6. How to Roast Peppers

    August 30, 2011 by Jarrett


    CHEF’S TIP #17

     

    HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS:

    Roasted peppers are a wonderful addition to many meals. Roasted peppers are great in pasta sauces, salsas, pasta salads and just about anything else that you’d like to add a sweet, smoky flavor to.

    These days you can buy many types of roasted peppers in jars at your local grocery store*, but it’s easy and much tastier if you make your own at home. Roasted peppers are not hard to make. In fact, it’s the one time burning something in the kitchen is the goal.
    There are several ways to make roasted peppers, depending on the equipment in your kitchen. If you have a gas stove, you can roast peppers on a burner. Just turn the flame on medium and place the pepper directly on the burner. Use tongs to turn it every few minutes until the whole pepper is charred black, but the flesh beneath still feels soft.

    If you don’t have a gas stove, you can make roasted peppers in your oven or toaster oven. Preheat the oven to 400 and cook until the skin is blistered. You can also use the outdoor grill or a grill pan on your stove top to roast peppers in the same manner as on a gas flame.

    After they have charred, remove from heat and put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool The heat and steam will loosen the skin for easy removal.

    The biggest mistake people make is to rinse the pepper with water to remove skin and seeds, this washes away a lot of the flavor that comes from the release of the natural oils.

    Enjoy,
    Chef Phil

      If you use store bought, they will more than likely be pack in oil. SAVE this oil, it is great for sautes of meats etc.


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  7. CREPE MAKING QUICK TIPS

    July 6, 2011 by Daniel

    CECIJ4 Eurodib Krampouz Electric Crepe Griddle

    Making crepes is not hard. If you can make pancakes, you can make crepes. Before we start, we at J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment have a few tips:

    Don’t worry about getting the thinnest possible crepes. I have had people tell me that when they make crepes, they aren’t thin enough. Crepes don’t need to be perfectly thin, and they often aren’t. When I ate crepes from a street vendor in Tel Aviv, they were about the same thickness as the ones I make, and they were not thin as paper. Relax, your crepes are not too thick.

    You’ll probably mess up a couple of the crepes when you make a batch. So what? I’ve made lots of crepes, and I still mess up at least one per batch. Sprinkle some sugar on it and enjoy it as a snack. Don’t let it worry you.

    If you’re making enough crepes to serve a lot of people, there are three easy ways to handle it. First, you can stick the crepes on a plate in a barely warm (200°F) oven, where they’ll stay warm until you are ready to assemble them. Second, you can serve them as you make them. When serving family on a busy night, it’s sometimes okay if people eat them as they are served. Third, it’s not a big deal if the crepes cool down a little bit before you eat. If the filling is warm, it makes up for it.

    Although crepes are fairly easy to make, there are devices now on the market to simplify the process even further. These are crepe makers and they come in a variety styles, sizes and capabilities.

    Now, what is the difference between a crepe pan and a crepe maker? A crepe pan is essentially a shallow, steel frying pan or a griddle, which heats quickly and bakes the crepe, under some supervision, of course. The electric crepe maker does most of the work as far as cooking the crepes is concerned. It signals you as to when the temperature is just right for cooking crepes, as well as when the crepe is cooked.

    Rest assured that however you want to get into the crepe making process we, at J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment and Kitchen Emporium have the knowledgeable people and the equipment you will need to get started. Do not hesitate to call or shoot us a question on the web site.

    Thanks for reading,

    Chef Phil

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  8. CHEF’S TIP: COOKING TIME FOR STANDING RIB ROAST

    April 26, 2011 by Daniel

    Thank you for the question Nancy,

    First thing that we have to understand is that any chart or recipe giving cooking times is based on the premise that the meat is at ROOM TEMPERATURE, so allow the meat to set out for at least 1 hour.

    After you have prepared the roast with your chosen spices, coat the roast with the seasonings, put it in a preheated 450 degree oven,
    let it roast at that temperature for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 25 minutes/pound for RARE or 28 minutes/ pound for MEDIUM RARE. To insure against over cooking, I would start checking the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer about 15-20 minutes before the time is up. You will be looking for an internal temp of 125-130 degrees. When you reach that temp, pull it out of the oven, put an aluminum “tent” on it and let it rest. Two things will happen, 1) carry over cooking will take the temperature up another 10-12 degrees due to residual heat in the roast, and 2) the juices will settle back into the meat so you won’t lose the flavorful juices when you carve this “king of the roasts”

    I hope this answers your question, and enjoy your roast !

    Chef Phil

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  9. RESPONSE TO CYNTHIA

    March 16, 2011 by Daniel

    Cynthia,

    Thank you for a very interesting question.

    Assuming that you saw the “about me” tab on the web site you already know that professional cheffing was my second career that began in my mid 40s. Not knowing your age for sure I am going to go on the assumption that this is perhaps your first choice for a vocation. With that in mind, I will quote my high school guidance counselor, “never underestimate the value of a good education”, now with the help of 20/20 hindsight I realize how right he was.

    Now the question arises, how do I get this good education? Do I get it through experience in the field, or do I go the formal training route? I was lucky in that I had a little of both. I had good exposure to the chef’s world by growing up in a restaurant setting with a very well-trained French chef who, when time (and temperament) allowed, would put up with the “whys” of a 12 year old kid on a daily basis. I guess what I really learned from Max was that I wanted to become a chef. Unfortunately, I would not get that chance for another 30+ years.

    I have worked for and with “chefs” that have had no formal training and they could cook circles around others that have gone to culinary schools. I once wrote a letter of recommendation for a co-worker and he would not accept it because I referred to him as a “chef” and he had not gone to culinary college. I had to explain to him that he was a graduate of the “Culinary College of Hard Knocks”.

    When I chose to enter culinary school, I was following a passion, that is the first criteria of a chef, you must have that inner feeling that you can be the next great entity in the culinary world. Culinary school is an expensive investment, my 15 months in Baltimore and Dublin, Ireland were just shy of $35,000. Do I think I got my money’s worth….most definitely. Although age and physical problems caught up with me and I retired from active cheffing and teaching some years back I feel that I quelled that inner passion to MY satisfaction.

    So I guess the bottom line is, how soon do you want to be making the money that everyone thinks chefs make? Five to six years as a line cook, as opposed to 12-24 months in a culinary arts program? That is a question that only you can answer. I will say that a chef’s life can be very demanding of ones time and that being in good physical shape will help a great deal. The rewards, they are the best, not just for the money but the looks on people’s faces as they enjoy a fine meal at your hands.

    Whatever your decision, Cynthia, I wish you the best, and DO NOT let anyone tell you that women have no place in the professional kitchen. In fact, four of my chef instructors were female, and giving it a little thought right now, I feel I learned the most from two of them.

    Any other question please do not hesitate to ask .

    Thanks again for the inquiry.

    Phil Clark, C.W.C., C.C.I.

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  10. A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT ST. PATRICK’S DAY

    March 9, 2011 by Daniel

    About Saint Patrick’s Day

    Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.  In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is both a holy day and a national holiday.  Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland as he was the one who brought Christianity to the Irish.

    According to legend, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain about God.  The shamrock, which looks like clover, has three leaves on each stem.  Saint Patrick told the people that the shamrock was like the idea of the Trinity – that in the one God there are three divine beings:  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The shamrock was sacred to the Druids, so Saint Patrick’s use of it in explaining the trinity was very wise.

    Although it began in Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world.  People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities.

    Saint Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated with a parade.  The one in Dublin, Ireland is known to some as the Irish Mardi Gras.  But the one in New York City is actually one of the biggest.  It lasts for hours.  Two Irish wolfhounds, the mascots of the New York National Guard infantry regiment the “Fighting 69th”, always lead the parade.  More than one hundred bands and a hundred thousand marchers follow the wolfhounds in the parade.

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