Debbie
608 posts
Mar 21, 2005
10:09 AM
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Hi,
I made the Maryland Stuffed Ham. It was GREAT! PDG (Pretty Darn Good). The 'ham' was juicy. After I moved it to a casserole dish and put it in the fridge, broth still came out of it. I suppose I could have used that broth for the gravy but I didn't. I made the 'ham' gravy too. I like it. We just ate the stuffed ham and gravy with a side salad last night. I will make the Potato Gallette tonight and have it with the leftover ham and gravy.
A new idea for seitan in claypot cookers that I did:
One thing I did different with cooking this roast with the claypot cooker was I tied the ham with strings (horizontally) in 4 places. I didn't tie it tightly and left a space (loosely) around the uncooked roast. I thought that the seitan hold the shape better instead of free-form and flattened after it expanded. Next time I make a giant stuffed roast again, I will try to wrap it with a cheese cloth and tie it with more strings, may be in 6 places to hold the shape. What do you think about this?
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Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
Last Edited Debbie on 21-Mar-2005 10:11 AM
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
885 posts
Mar 21, 2005
10:22 AM
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That's a great idea, Debbie! Did it help the shape?
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"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
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Debbie
609 posts
Mar 21, 2005
10:38 AM
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Yes, it did but I was too afraid to tie it too tight since I was experimenting. So the shape formed to the diameter of my strings. I will tie it a bit tighter next time and do it in 6 places instead of 4.
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Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
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Søren
145 posts
Mar 21, 2005
1:44 PM
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Hi Bryanna & Debbie,
just wanted to let you know that my ham also turned out delicious even after being thrown to the kitchen floor :-/ The green filling was very strong tasting and remained juicy even after the long cooking time. What a great idea to try to string it, Debbie, I also found it a bit hard to keep it together when stuffing it, and I made two smaller ones instead of one large. Did you use all the stuffing, Debbie? I thought the portion was huge :-)
Another thing, Bryanna, I've seen in many recipes by other cooks that green vegetables like spinach, parsley, kale etc. should never be reheated due to the risk that it can produce nitrite. Is that a myth? I've never been so worried myself, but Bjarne actually reminded me to ask you.
Finally, I was curious which kind of soy cheese you used on your Mexican Breakfast Casserole. I tried Tofutti Mozzarella for the first time but did notice it sort of disappearing like you described in one past Newsletter.
Søren
Last Edited Søren on 21-Mar-2005 1:44 PM
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Val
32 posts
Mar 21, 2005
1:50 PM
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Søren, Debbie & Bryanna,
All this talk about ham has made me decide to try it out this coming weekend. It will make a nice Easter dinner! yay! Will let you guys know how it comes out.
Debbie, I'd like to try your idea of using string and cheesecloth, but I wonder if it could be dangerous to do that in a regular oven ?? Should I just use the string ?
Søren I took your advice and ordered Bryanna's cookbooks (all of them). I hope they get here before the weekend! Can't wait to try the holiday recipes!
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Val
Last Edited Val on 21-Mar-2005 1:53 PM
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Debbie
611 posts
Mar 21, 2005
2:09 PM
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Søren,
Yes, I use all of the filling in the ham. Yes, it become so BIG. That's how I came up with the string idea to tie it. It is a good idea to divide it into 2 loaves, however. But tying it with strings is, I think, great anyway. I am able to lift the roast using the strings as a leverage. I use strong COTTON strings. I should have use 6 strings though.
Val,
You may want to use the strings first if this is your first time making seitan. I will try the cheese cloth and let you guys know next time. It should not be dangerous using cotton strings because chef that cooks meat use them to tie roast too.
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Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
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Dori
205 posts
Mar 22, 2005
9:10 AM
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I have used cheesecloth for making seitan keilbasa into logs. I don't tie it up or anything, I just use enough to wrap each log, just enough to cover. I know the log will double in size, but consider that by the time it does the seitan is cooked enouigh that the logs will not stick together AND I would want the cheesecloth to loosen at that time to allow for the expansion.
Using it for a stuffed roast - I think I may try this. Sounds like a wonderful way to keep it together! I would probably start by making the cheesecloth long enough to wrap go around the roast two and a half times and not tie it up. This would allow it to slowly unwrap itself and yet there would be enough cloth around the expanding roast that it would take a pretty good tug to start coming undone - this might keep it tight enough to hold it together through cooking and expansion. All the filling should be held in becasue the cheesecloth would still be wrapped completely around the roast while the roast is being removed from the pot(since enough was allowed for it to double in size plus more).
Soren, did you say your roast was rescued from the floor?
I once saw a string "turkey lifter". A cheesecloth wrapped roast with a string turkey lifter would make it a breeze to get out of the pot. It might save lively roasts from flying away.
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"To cook is to create. And to create well...is an act of integrity, and faith." - author unknown
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kourtney
40 posts
Mar 22, 2005
9:38 AM
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I've used cheesecloth in making Tofu Kofu turkey http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/deb_thanksgiving_print.htm, although that was boiled rather than baked. It worked fine. I don't think it would be a fire hazard, because the cooking broth should keep it moist.
Last Edited kourtney on 22-Mar-2005 9:39 AM
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
886 posts
Mar 22, 2005
11:44 AM
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What a bunch of smart cooks! I can't wait to try these ideas! About re-cooking greens-- I will have to look into hat, but I doubt that it is a serious problem!
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"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
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