On Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 1:05:07 AM UTC-10, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7:26:24 PM UTC-5, Jill McQuown wrote:
> > On 11/11/2018 6:09 PM, notbob wrote:
> > >
> > > I see a lotta French and Italian recipes that demand skimming.Â* Me?
> > > ....I got questions.
> > >
> > > Like, why.Â* Fer French food, it seems to be a "clarify the broth" issue.
> > > Same with Italian dishes.
> > >
> > > OTOH, not my experience.Â* For instance, if I "skim" a pot o' Minestone,
> > > the "skimming" seems to eliminate anything suspended in olive oil.
> > > Thyme, etc.
> > >
> > > Same with Red Beans (sans rice).Â* I getta lotta "crud" floating on the
> > > top.Â* Should I skim it?Â* Typically, I scrape the sides where the spices
> > > (thyme, Creole mix, etc) seem to collect, as the liquid boils down.Â* If
> > > I skim it, there go the spices.
> > >
> > > I usta have an all brass/copper skimmer, but I sold it on ebay.Â* Now, I
> > > jes use a large spoon.Â* Works jes as well.Â*
> > >
> > > nb
> >
> > I'm not sure I undersand your questions. I skim broth/stock to remove
> > excess fat. I don't use a special tool to do it. I chill the broth in
> > the refrigerator, let the fat rise to the top. It solidifies then I use
> > a deep spoon to discard it. No special tool required.
> >
> > If I don't want herbs or peppercorns in the stock I use a tea-ball to
> > season it. Easily removable.
> >
> > Jill
>
> People who are very serious about making clear, clean-tasting broth or
> stock skim the protein foam that rises to the top during simmering.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

When braising pork, I don't bother to skim. I'll just boil the pork for 20 minutes or so and then dump the water out and rinse the pork. Then I continue with fresh water. It's kind of a Japanese/Okinawan thing.