Re:VacMouseketeers POST HERE!!!!

Wow. You hit my top three in terms of food.

I haven’t had time to really get into charcuterie, but it’s easy and quick to make a great duck prosciutto, and I’ve got lots of that. I’ve got about 40 lb of raw duck breast in various freezers in the area, with a plan to perfect a duck breast confit because duck legs are very hard to get. And the bones will make a very good glace, consomme, or stock.

I mention this because I use drybag to make the duck “prosciutto”. And it is simple and great.

I think the “perfect storm” for a great steak is to start with the most _flavorful_ steak, and use dry aging and sous vide to concentrate the flavor and give it the tenderness you want.

I find that I’ve got less and less use for an actual grill, because I cook the steak sous vide, and then pan-sear it to finish. I’m almost afraid that I’ll find a substitute for the smoker and never have to keep an eye on things, ever. Wouldn’t that be an awful thing?

I forgot to mention — Ron, I do feel a little fortunate and a little bad about having a devoted fridge for dry-aging, but (1) the unit I’m using sells for about $150 at Sam’s Club and (2) I figure that if I’ve got the thing, I should use it – run some side-by-side or other experiments and report to the group what I’ve learned. Based on the success of the “round top round” project, I plan to hit Sam’s Club to compare aged Sirloin to aged Ribeye.

Monday – friends over – duck “prosciutto” and (sadly, only one-week) dry-aged ribeye for dinner.