Condemnation

comdemnation
 

comdemnation

Dont’ ever waster your money here. So pricey and culinaristic sounding but… but…OMG! Trying to imitate the THEN Tropical Hut (not now ha?-coz now is worst). Patty was bombarded with loaf bread soaked in full cream milk thus resulting in a creation so milky (not creamy) crumbling each time bitten-lacking the bit flesh-toughness of real beef. You will scout for the patty itself as it is topped with plenty of ek-ek. Bacon was basted with either honey or inverted brown sugar that it came out to be like “turon” (fried wrapped banana sweetened with brown sugar). Lacks the smokey-salty-meaty pleasure of a bacon.
The marinated fries was ok. Coffee swirl? AYAW! So mahal lahat ala namang dapat i-mahal. (I don’t like. Pricey but I don’t taste a bit to demand such a price)
Clue: in the Philippines’ posh commercial community called BGC.

 

 

CONDEMNATION: Another Burger House

 

It really pains me that many of “us” “happy eaters”, while paying the right higher amount, are served with food where raw materials are the ones used by LOW COST equivalent.
A good example is: for almost 95% similarity, the raw mats used in the production of “those P20.00 1+1 roadside burgerans” are also used in the processing of
“one of the most publicized, adored and really fast-sprouting burger houses”.
The 2 main garnishings absent in the low cost one are: fried bacon and lettuce. And patronizers of this joint taste ONLY these 2 items and claim…very good,
tasty, yummy…WHAT? What is yummy? The bacon, lettuce & the garnishings or the patty itself?

Questions: Why adorn patties with mountainous “ek-ek”? Can’t they be delegated to as “sides”? Are you covering up something in the patty?
“Extenders” galore sum up the ingredients in the high cost patty. From hydrated TVP to chicken MDM (Mechanically Deboned Meat of chicken) to tapioca starch. WHEW! this is up-front robbery.
What to do: when you’re served with burger that you’ve paid a wealth to enjoy…separate the patty from the bun and all the garnishings and the dressings. Bite…just bite into the patty and examine the aroma + flavor well. Does it have that “ango”? (the distinct smell of beef flesh) Have you bitten some “tough flesh” of beef?
If you get a plain smelling patty (no “ango”) and the texture is very well ground-no bits or chunks-and a bit bouncy (“ibalibag nyo sa lamesa”-slap it unto table top)…pag matalbog (should it be bouncy)…WOW, you might be eating the ones that are sold by giant burger chains which will cost you a lowly P65/complete meal.
This is libelous. I won’t tell you. Best is: next time you plan to eat in any of those burger joints email me. I will tell you what they use for raw mats.
I know. It’s my line.

Update: October 09, 2015, now, ALL branches are closed.

 

 

Few things about recipes

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HEAVENLY CRISPY.

NO DOUBLE FRYING…Ultra crispy outside heavenly tender and juicy inside.     Indulge in the “marinade mix” that catapulted  this ChiQ-Juan to its ultra crunchy creation.

No mega dusting of flour or starch. Just the right amount incorporated into its breading blend applied post marination. The blend of ingredients in its breading made possible the crispness despite single frying.


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Further…to attain “real crunchiness” (whether for chicken, pork & beef)
NOT DUSTING WITH STARCH OR FLOUR then frying. This is the height of
“simplistic approach” to cooking, a “no-brainer” system tantamount to “cheating” consumers.While depending on the meat raw mat to be used to come-up with “a masterpiece” with desired crunchiness, marinade mix (spices, food-grade cures or  phosphate binders, flavor enhancers, condiments and the liquid to be used) greatly contributes to crispy end product. Adding to such is the time table on how many “aging days” are actually needed for desired result. Shorter or longer will give negative outcome and/or “taste overshadow”.Equally important are: the type of oil to be used (kind plus its boiling and smoking points), temp when to fry, when to retrieve and rest and where to store post frying-bearing in mind how long MUST be the HOLDING period before serving. WHEW!!! It’s really a “thinking system”.  In my coming INGREDIENTS SPECIALIZATION INSTITUTE you will learn the right & proper ingredients mix to use in any recipe you desire plus the technologically-chronological system of processing or cooking exuding desired aroma, taste, texture at much lower cost than the “BARA-BARA approach” (blindfolded addition of whatever spices, herbs and ingredients that come into mind or  what our hands can instanly reach)

Cure & Phosphate
WRONG COOKING PROCEDURE.
Filipino cooks’/chefs’/housepeople’s (majority but NOT ALL) wrong way of salting fried red-up eggs.
They DUMP…literally dump…salt in any part of egg that their salt-laden fingers have aimed.
And so, that part becomes SOOOOOOOOO salty while other parts retain bland-ness. PWEH!
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Filipino Food Myth.
After resting for more hours than normal and usual, with wifey dashed to our favorite place,
Macapagal Avenue, to satisfy cravings for Filipino “inihaw” (grilled) and “sabaw”(soup recipe).
Pangs (my wife) marketed for “liempo” (pork belly) & “ulo ng maya-maya” (head of Red Snapper)
for plain salted & peppered grilling and “sinigang sa miso” (tamarind-flavored soya paste soup) respectively.
“Eh anak ng 74 na malanding tipaklong, yung “maya-maya” ay dehins tinanggalan ng “KALISKIS”.
Pag-subo mo, sasabit sa ngala-ngala mo kaliskis. Di mo tuloy ma-enjoy yung fish.
Tamaan kayo ng kidlat”
(In English, whew, the cooking establishment, to the hatred of 74 grasshopper whores, did not de-scale the fish that each time you bite into it…scales fill your palate & entire mouth).
You really won’t enjoy savoring the dish. May you be hit by angry lightning) Why? Ano dahilan nyo at kapag fish na “sinigang” o “inihaw” ay dapat may “kaliskis”?
What? What? Gagalitin ako eh.
(In English, again, whew, why is it that when you cook “sinigang” or grilled pork, scales are not removed. Why? What? You drive me angry)
Don’t you know a better grilling technique?
Just oil the grill bars and/or lay fish at griller ONLY when coal is fiery red.
But when it comes to “sinigang”, here, there is NO reason whatsoever. De-scale the fish… my God.

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               Re-Heating Food

Re-heating your favorite “sinigang” or “asim soup”, REFRAIN from engaging it via microwave oven. Check previous posts on what “sinigang” is – or which kids like to call “asim soup”.
Reasons:
1. Moisture of food is “absorbed till dried-up” by the microwave that the former tender meat becomes “rubbery” afterwards. Should you wish to pursue via this medium, sprinkle few drops of water or marinade or what have you before microwaving.
2.  Acid is absorbed by the system that after microwaving your “sinigang” or “paksiw” (vinegared fish), acidity is reduced to 1/3. To preserve original taste, reheat by suitable pan or use appropriate container then shelve unto oven toaster and reheat for few minutes at medium temp.


  SUMPTUOUS FOOD IS NOT PLAIN INVENTION.
It is the “accurate & proper harmony of ingredients and flavors used in precise technological production sequence
to come up with desired taste-not of the maker but that of the patrons”.
In short, you, your loved ones and friends are not your “clients”.
Fact of life is: they will not come to your restaurant, café, bar, joint etc. always. Most of the time, they are not the paying clients.
You will find real and comebacking customers if your concoctions are enjoyably approved by them.
Test your recipes with people you don’t know. Collate their comments sent through “anonymous emails” (and you know the reason why…)
If your batting average is high, chances are, your masterpiece will make it.

Create Your Own Spicy Chix Wings

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CREATE YOUR OWN “SPICY CHIX WINGS”
(DEEP FRIED WINGS BATHED WITH ULTRA PIQUANT SAUCE)
Philippine setting on a Friday, past 5:00pm (post work hours),
traffic snarls everywhere…bad idea to spend onset of weekend
in usual crowded habitués.
More so afterwards, to travel amidst aggravated monstrous traffic
due to heavy downpour flooding most areas.
Just go home, I convinced myself, to which I nodded yes.
Spend the night with wifee, sip my fave beer
and make it push through to my tummy this simple concoction.
Super yummy where hot sauce blend rounded off wings’ taste.

spicy wings picture

Spicy Chix Wings
Prep time Cook time Total time
1 hour 10 mins 1 hour 10 mins

Cooking medium: deep frying pan or a deep fryer, small casserole, big bowl, tongs

Special instruction(s): if you ain’t “spicy-tongued”, be ready with cold sweet beverage.

NOTE: used oil can be re-used for 2-3 more times for sautéing or frying. Just refrigerate.

Ingredients
  • 6 pieces fully cleaned wings, tips cut, wingette separated from drummet.
  • Marinated in enough tap water with 15 grams salt for 1 hour.
  • PIQUANT SAUCE:
  • 500 ml. soya or palm oil
  • 60 ml. tomato catsup
  • 80 ml. Tabasco-Red OR 100 ml. Sriracha hot sauce
  • 20 ml. pineapple juice
  • 10 grams brown sugar
  • 3 grams corn starch
  • 10 grams dried chili flakes for additional flavor & garnish
Instructions
  1. In a small casserole, heat and consistently whisk catsup, hot sauce, pineapple juice, corn starch and sugar.
  2. When a bit viscous remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Heat oil in deep frying pan or in deep fryer. Drain well marinated wings and deep fry for 5-7 minutes.
  4. Tongs out fried wings unto the bowl and pour your “ultra piquant sauce”. Give some tossing and tumbling to let sauce adhere to all sides of wings.
  5. Tongs out unto your serving plate, drizzled with some chili pepper flakes. DONE.
  6. Using your bare hands, enjoy the night with your loved one.
DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.
3.3.3077

All Lean Bottom Round Steak-My Experiment

beef

ALL-LEAN BOTTOM ROUND STEAK-MY EXPERIMENT

(98% LEAN ROUND EXPERIMENTED FOR TOUGHNESS)
A “non-enzyme meat tenderizer” has been requested of me to create.
Hurriedly, braving the dusts, I summoned my notes from far back 70’s
and a “ seasoned tenderizer” was formulated.
Decided to utilize one of the leanest and toughest parts of beef cut,
that round was hereby experimented on.
Why round? Being right at upper part of cattle’s legs,
round, more so the bottom section, absorbs all the impact done by cattle’s leg movements.
Muscles are thereby formed …flesh or protein becomes leaner-tougher.
I need to check tenderizer’s efficacy, meat flavor absorption and bite-friendliness.
Pardon for not mentioning the formulation for said “seasoned tenderizer”.
Reason is proprietary.
But simple recipe for round steak is expounded.
Check the results.

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round-steak picture

All Lean Bottom Round Steak-My Experiment
Prep time Cook time Total time
30 mins 15 mins 45 mins
Ingredients
  • MEAT:
  • ½ kilo beef round (better if you can choose the bottom part) make 2 portions
  • SEASONING:
  • 1 portion all sides rubbed with: (do this)
  • a. 8 grams salt (any)
  • b. 3 grams ground black pepper
  • Set aside for 15 minutes.
  • Another portion soaked in: (don’t do this)
  • a. 250 ml. tap water
  • b. 5 grams Joax Ingredients’ Seasoned Tenderizer (not available as of yet)
  • Marinate this portion for 15 minutes. Set aside.
  • STEAK NEEDS:
  • ¼ of a bar of butter (salted or not is ok)
  • 30 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • GARNISH:
  • 6 pieces quail eggs, rinsed well
  • 6 pieces skin-on baby potatoes, fully scrubbed and tap water rinsed<
  • 5 grams salt dissolved in enough tap water in casserole to cover eggs and potatoes.
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced thinly
  • NOTE:
  • The OPTIONAL “Himalayan Rock Salt” garnish in the picture were used to sprinkle unto veggies for exotic saltiness.
Instructions
  1. In casserole pour in salted water, eggs and potatoes. Boil for 10 minutes.
  2. Continue boiling for next 5 minutes to have crunchy skin-on potatoes.Scoop out. Set aside.
  3. Heat flat pan on medium. Melt butter and add in EVOO. Scatter to all sides.
  4. Lay steak portions on different parts to determine plain salted with “tenderized” one.
  5. Cook steak (all portions) 2 minutes each side.
  6. DONE. Garnish. Bite to test friendliness.
Note

Guess I have to dip meat a bit longer in tenderizing solution for much much more friendlier bite. Next time.

DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.
3.3.3077