What have you eaten today? (Low carb forum)

[Goonergal]

Oh my! Just had the best ever slow roast pork belly. Found a recipe which suggested wrapping the meat (but not the rind) in foil during cooking, to keep it moist and almost confit it. This was a fatty piece but boy did it work. Meat was meltingly tender and the crackling salty and crisp. Shame it was such a small piece!

 

[Antje77]

Oh my! Just had the best ever slow roast pork belly. Found a recipe which suggested wrapping the meat (but not the rind) in foil during cooking, to keep it moist and almost confit it. This was a fatty piece but boy did it work. Meat was meltingly tender and the crackling salty and crisp. Shame it was such a small piece!

Mind telling me exactly how you did it? I've never slow roasted anything, it's just not something which is often done here, and skin on pork belly can only be bought if you pre-order. So I'll need the version for absolute dummies!

 

[Goonergal]

Mind telling me exactly how you did it? I've never slow roasted anything, it's just not something which is often done here, and skin on pork belly can only be bought if you pre-order. So I'll need the version for absolute dummies!

Sure. Steps were:

- I let the skin/rind get firm by leaving the meat uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. It was pre-scored, but this recipe suggests scoring isn’t necessary.
- Then while the oven warmed up (I set it to gas mark 3), I rubbed the meat - skin and flesh with a little extra virgin olive oil, then salted and left to come to room temperature.
- Next wrapped the flesh in foil - I didn’t use 2 pieces of foil as in the recipe (below), as this was so small, I was able to make 1 piece into a ‘box’.
- Then into a baking dish and into the oven.
- Checked after 1.5 hours - foil needs to be tightened as the meat shrinks.
- After 2 hours (might need longer if the joint is larger than mine), I turned the oven up to gas mark 8 to crisp the crackling. Left it about 20-25 minutes.

This piece was evenly sized. The recipe suggests using foil to ‘prop up’ the smaller end if the joint is taller at one end than the other.

This is the recipe - there’s a video!

https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-slow-roasted-pork-belly/

 

[Antje77]

This is the recipe - there’s a video!

Perfectly explained, will talk to my butcher next week and have put in my CMT!

 

[Antje77]

After 2 hours (might need longer if the joint is larger than mine), I turned the oven up to gas mark 8 to crisp the crackling. Left it about 20-25 minutes.

Did you unpack it from the foil before turning up the oven? The recipe says to do so, but if you didn't I won't either, much easier to leave it on and yours looks perfect to me!

 

[Goonergal]

Did you unpack it from the foil before turning up the oven? The recipe says to do so, but if you didn't I won't either, much easier to leave it on and yours looks perfect to me!

No, I didn’t - it was even and I wanted to keep it moist. Make sure you get a nice, fatty piece

 

[Antje77]

Make sure you get a nice, fatty piece

Of course I will!

 

[Antje77]

Quick question:
I wanted to eat boeuf bourguignon I still had in the freezer, so I took it out and put it on the countertop at around noon.
It's still a frozen block now.
So what do I do? The internet says to let it thaw by itself, but that would mean eating something else today. Should I do that or can I slowly heat it from frozen?

 

[Alexandra100]

eating something else today. Should I do that or can I slowly heat it from frozen?

How many portions does the stew represent? If just one, microwaving shouldn't take too long. If multiple, IMO you would be in for a lot of time and effort repeatedly taking it in and out after brief bursts and smashing it with a spoon to avoid having a dried up outside and a still frozen inside. I am too lazy for this and would settle for eating something else tonight. However, even eating it frozen would do you no harm, unless you broke a tooth on an icycle.

 

[Antje77]

How many portions does the stew represent? If just one, microwaving shouldn't take too long. If multiple, IMO you would be in for a lot of time and effort repeatedly taking it in and out after brief bursts and smashing it with a spoon to avoid having a dried up outside and a still frozen inside. I am too lazy for this and would settle for eating something else tonight. However, even eating it frozen would do you no harm, unless you broke a tooth on an icycle.

Multiple, but I was thinking just slowly heating it the old fashioned way, no microwaving, just leaving it on a very low heat source for an hour or so.
I'll watch out for icycles though!

 

[Goonergal]

Quick question:
I wanted to eat boeuf bourguignon I still had in the freezer, so I took it out and put it on the countertop at around noon.
It's still a frozen block now.
So what do I do? The internet says to let it thaw by itself, but that would mean eating something else today. Should I do that or can I slowly heat it from frozen?

I’d slowly heat it. If it’s wrapped in plastic, a short burst under the hot tap might help.

 

[Antje77]

Thanks, both of you!
Will eat it tonight, with sauerkraut added this time instead of cauliflower mash.

 

[MrsA2]

Slowly heating it, amd making sure its hot all the way through will work. Shame its only for 1, I'm thinking of sharing, just a toss up between yours @Antje77 and @Goonergal
Both are making my mouth water

A cooking day for me too replenishing the freezer. 2 new to me recipes : pizza wheels (but I'd do a sweet version next time) and biscotti, which are so good I've eaten half already. I'll put the recipes in my cmt in a minute

 

[Annb]

Multiple, but I was thinking just slowly heating it the old fashioned way, no microwaving, just leaving it on a very low heat source for an hour or so.
I'll watch out for icycles though!

I've done that too, Antje. You may need a little water in the pan to start it off, just so that the beef doesn't scorch before the gravy defrosts. Any extra water will evaporate in the heating process. It would only take a little water.

 

[DJC3]

Another vote from me for heating gently in a pan with a little water @Antje77 I hope you get to eat it tonight.
@Goonergal that pork looks SO good, I’ll get some belly pork this week.
Today I’ve been lazy and hungry
B- Fried eggs, Gouda, spinach.
L- salami, cheese, Mayo, lettuce in SLC roll. DGF cake.
D- Smoked haddock in creamy tomato&red pepper sauce with broccoli and a DGF biscuit.
Somewhere along the line I finished off the jar of almond butter too. I am not buying it again!

 

[Goonergal]

Somewhere along the line I finished off the jar of almond butter too. I am not buying it again!

Edited to add emoji I thought I’d added first time around!

 

[shelley262]

Better day today - managed to fast up to one o clock ie my more regular pattern
Lunch three eggs scrambled in butter with one hm lc buttered roll followed by yoghurt and a few raspberries
Dinner chicken curry with cauliflower rice and glass of soda water and gin followed by lc blondie with cream just had decaff coffee with a reward of one square of 90% chocolate

 

[maglil55]

Hi thanks I will buy some next time I go out sorry took to long to get back to you my partner and 4 kids all have covid I’m poorly to but mines negative I will deffo give them a try once I’m better thanks

Hopefully it's mild. I feel for you. We all had itvover Christmas/New Year but it was mild. Just like a nasty cold.

 

[maglil55]

Monday 10 January - worst day yet with BGs bed 11.6 FBG 8.9. Youngest out of Covid prison and back to school. Son is way past end of quarantine but still testing positive and they are convinced it is dead virus the test is picking up. The rest of us are all negative.

B. TAG and a slice of SLC toast with egg mayo.
L. Nothing
D. Still eating that rare M&S sirloin from yesterday and had it with salad stuff today. It was a big sirloin! Monday and I had another Gin and zero lemonade.

 

[MrsA2]

and biscotti, which are so good I've eaten half already. I'll put the recipes in my cmt in a

Sorry, can't get the recipe into cmt yet. Want to make a few tweaks first