Food

Totally agree. Mrs 'pone made "ratatouille" this week. I dislike ratatouille at the best of times and I loathe under cooked home made ratatouille.

A load of roughly chopped vegetables and a can of tomatoes half-heartedly cooked till they go rubbery in metallic tasting tomato paste and grey water runs out of them and onto your plate. Urgh.

She was out last night and I was scheduled to eat leftovers which I improved immeasurably by savagely cooking for another 90 mins till it reduced, thickened and mushed up a bit. Ate it as a sauce on chicken wrapped in bacon (as also using up leftovers) and it was pretty passable.

But yeah. I hate under cooked ratatouille.

Pho weekend ahoy.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/feb/04/how-to-make-the-perfect-beef-pho

Do I buy a pressure cooker then?

is that a trick question?

Made it loads recently. Fattening up nicely.

I'll be making a big batch of beef stock for pho this weekend... Can't wait!

nope

The deli near the Italian Church at Oval.

Aubergene.....

Get a stainless steel one, or look at an instant pot.

Ta very much

Is anodised one any diff/better?

The stainless ones are stronger, the aluminium ones aren't as strong as the stainless ones and can misshape it the valve sticks. Get a stainless one with an aluminium disk at the bottom for decent heat distribution.

That's good - Anytime I go to a decent butcher (ginger pig/turner and george) I always ask for a few beef bones & trimmings then make up a batch of beef stock and freeze it. trick is just time I find now, so I always want to have a pot of beef stock on call.

I did a pho with beef shin + cheek and using courgette instead of noodles the other week and it was excellent

That's good - Anytime I go to a decent butcher (ginger pig/turner and george) I always ask for a few beef bones & trimmings then make up a batch of beef stock and freeze it. trick is just time I find now, so I always want to have a pot of beef stock on call.

I did a pho with beef shin + cheek and using courgette instead of noodles the other week and it was excellent

Or cut in half and score the open surface, cover with a mixture of miso paste, soy, mirin and sesame oil and cook in the oven.

I'm still looking for a good pressure cooker. They just don't seem popular here in Holland...

Will do. Getting a 5lt one. Mainly for broths and the fact that I can be less organised with slow cooking recipes. Missus is in India atm and they are dirt cheap there. £20-ish.

How do you make broth sans pressure cooker? I've tried hob and slow cooker it never gets that 'dense' IYKWIM. My benchmark is Tonkotsu ramen.

Try France, they love them, available in every hypermarket I have been to.

Get a western brand that you can get parts for as you'll be replacing seals once a year.

My benchmark is Tonkotsu ramen.

tasty tasty benchmark....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/321962125596?adgroupid=13585920426&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=pla-131843269746&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&googleloc=9046006&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80

A pressure cooker pretty much speeds up the operation, I never said I didn't use one though. But I've made great broth without one - you just have to focus on getting as much flavour/gelatine out of the meat and bones

Ordered. Thanks for pro tips guys!

boat dwelling childhood memories of far too many meals ladled out of an aluminium pressure cooker, one of these > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pressure-Cooker-/381533268014?hash=item58d527a82e:g:wYcAAOSwpzdWq2kG