blake murphy > wrote:

> On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:14:07 -0500, Sqwertz >
> wrote:
>
>>Somebody mentioned velveting, but I've always just used baking soda.
>>1/2tsp per lb of beef or pork sliced across the grain.
>>
>>They actually sell a special soda water at the Asian stores for just
>>this purpose. A waste of money considering the price of baking soda...
>
> i've been meaning to try this. do you rinse? do you add anything as
> flavoring? at the same time, or afterwards?

Rinsing is unnecessary. You cannot taste the baking soda and the
sodium content is negligible. You only use a little bit.

I wet the meat down with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine and
sometimes cornstarch, and then spread it out and shake a light
dusting of baking soda over it. Then mix it up again and let it sit
for 15-20 minutes.

-sw

Michael > wrote:

> Corn flour, or what you call corn starch is certainly very widely used in
> Asian recipes to tenderize meat and has the bonus of thickening the final
> sauce too.

Corn starch does nothing to tenderize meat.

-sw

notbob > wrote:

> On 2008-07-31, Sheldon > wrote:
>
>> Forget baking soda....
>
> Yeah, I ignored that one right outta the gate.

It's what the Chinese restaurants use, and for good reason.
You can ignore it, but you're missing out.

The fact that Sheldon disagrees with it is proof enough that it
works.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:
> notbob > wrote:
>
>> On 2008-07-31, Sheldon > wrote:
>>
>>> Forget baking soda....
>> Yeah, I ignored that one right outta the gate.
>
> It's what the Chinese restaurants use, and for good reason.
> You can ignore it, but you're missing out.

You are very wise. I've used baking soda myself and will testify that it
changes the texture of the meat and that it's how the Chinese do it.
Personally, it funks it out a little too much for me - I prefer the meat
to resemble meat so I use cornstarch as a sort of semi-dry rub before
frying.

>
> The fact that Sheldon disagrees with it is proof enough that it
> works.
>
> -sw

On Jul 31, 4:40*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
>
> You are very wise. I've used baking soda myself and will testify that it
> changes the texture of the meat and that it's how the Chinese do it.
> Personally, it funks it out a little too much for me - I prefer the meat
> to resemble meat ....

It's inaccurate to say it's how "the Chinese do it." It's restaurant
managers/cooks who use cheap tough meat who "do it", so they can
afford to offer cheap food to their customers. It's usually Chinese
owners, Mexican cooks, and anglo customers. The Chinese, Mexican and
anglo cooks who use good ingredients don't need to "do it" and don't
like the negative effects of it. -aem

aem wrote:

> It's inaccurate to say it's how "the Chinese do it." It's restaurant
> managers/cooks who use cheap tough meat who "do it", so they can
> afford to offer cheap food to their customers. It's usually Chinese
> owners, Mexican cooks, and anglo customers. The Chinese, Mexican and
> anglo cooks who use good ingredients don't need to "do it" and don't
> like the negative effects of it. -aem


Well, you're the expert so I'll take your word for it. However, in my
world, I tend to like cheap Chinese food so that's where I'm coming
from. Please don't take this to mean the I like bad Chinese food. I
don't much care for expensive Chinese food unless someone else is paying
for it...

BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal muscle
tissue?

aem > wrote:

> On Jul 31, 4:40*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
>>
>> You are very wise. I've used baking soda myself and will testify that it
>> changes the texture of the meat and that it's how the Chinese do it.
>> Personally, it funks it out a little too much for me - I prefer the meat
>> to resemble meat ....
>
> It's inaccurate to say it's how "the Chinese do it." It's restaurant
> managers/cooks who use cheap tough meat who "do it", so they can
> afford to offer cheap food to their customers. It's usually Chinese
> owners, Mexican cooks, and anglo customers. The Chinese, Mexican and
> anglo cooks who use good ingredients don't need to "do it" and don't
> like the negative effects of it.

It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
ridiculous. It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
prize much more than Americans.

Get your nose down out of the air before a fly gets up there.

-sw

dsi1 > wrote:

> aem wrote:
>
>> It's inaccurate to say it's how "the Chinese do it." It's restaurant
>> managers/cooks who use cheap tough meat who "do it", so they can
>> afford to offer cheap food to their customers. It's usually Chinese
>> owners, Mexican cooks, and anglo customers. The Chinese, Mexican and
>> anglo cooks who use good ingredients don't need to "do it" and don't
>> like the negative effects of it. -aem
>
> Well, you're the expert so I'll take your word for it.

She just plays one on Usenet.

I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.

Now if I could just finagle my way into a few Vietnamese kitchens
I'd be even happier.

> BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal
> muscle tissue?

One would assume that the alkaline would negate some of the vitamin
C content of any vegetables cooked with the meat, but that happens
with many combinations of foods/flavors. I don't think it'd affect
the meat, though.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:
> dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> aem wrote:
>>
>>> It's inaccurate to say it's how "the Chinese do it." It's restaurant
>>> managers/cooks who use cheap tough meat who "do it", so they can
>>> afford to offer cheap food to their customers. It's usually Chinese
>>> owners, Mexican cooks, and anglo customers. The Chinese, Mexican and
>>> anglo cooks who use good ingredients don't need to "do it" and don't
>>> like the negative effects of it. -aem
>> Well, you're the expert so I'll take your word for it.
>
> She just plays one on Usenet.
>
> I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
> moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
> cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.

Not to butter you up or anything, but you're looking wiser by the post. :-)

Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda. It must really
hurt the Chinese cooks in the US to have to refrain from using MSG. Good
thing I have no such restraint - it's just my little cooking secret. :-)

>
> Now if I could just finagle my way into a few Vietnamese kitchens
> I'd be even happier.
>
>> BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal
>> muscle tissue?
>
> One would assume that the alkaline would negate some of the vitamin
> C content of any vegetables cooked with the meat, but that happens
> with many combinations of foods/flavors. I don't think it'd affect
> the meat, though.
>
> -sw

dsi1 > wrote:

>Sqwertz wrote:

>> I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
>> moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
>> cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.

>Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
>that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
>would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
>as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.

Once in the southbay I went to a lunch truck and bought a
carne asada burrito. The lunch truck was operated by a
Chinese individual. There was something odd about the burrito
which took me a while to discerne, although the burrito
seemed to have the typical carne asada burrito ingredients
and seasoning. Then it dawned upon me that the beef had
been velvetted. Very strange!! Not my preference for
a burrito.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>>> I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
>>> moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
>>> cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.
>
>> Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
>> that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
>> would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
>> as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.
>
> Once in the southbay I went to a lunch truck and bought a
> carne asada burrito. The lunch truck was operated by a
> Chinese individual. There was something odd about the burrito
> which took me a while to discerne, although the burrito
> seemed to have the typical carne asada burrito ingredients
> and seasoning. Then it dawned upon me that the beef had
> been velvetted. Very strange!! Not my preference for
> a burrito.
>
> Steve

Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
OTOH, I could go for some Chinese food wrapped in a tortilla. Of course,
it has to be adversed as such so as not to shock. How about "Jose Wong's
Chinese Burritos?" :-)

dsi1 wrote:

> Steve Pope wrote:
>> dsi1 > wrote:
>>
>>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>>> I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
>>>> moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
>>>> cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.
>>
>>> Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
>>> that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
>>> would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
>>> as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.
>>
>> Once in the southbay I went to a lunch truck and bought a
>> carne asada burrito. The lunch truck was operated by a
>> Chinese individual. There was something odd about the burrito
>> which took me a while to discerne, although the burrito
>> seemed to have the typical carne asada burrito ingredients
>> and seasoning. Then it dawned upon me that the beef had
>> been velvetted. Very strange!! Not my preference for
>> a burrito.
>>
>> Steve
>
> Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
> OTOH, I could go for some Chinese food wrapped in a tortilla. Of course,
> it has to be adversed as such so as not to shock. How about "Jose Wong's
> Chinese Burritos?" :-)

My fave neiborhood nonchain Chinese place just went south. I called them
the other day for a delivery, and they're phones had been disconnected. A
drive-by a couple of days later showed the windows all covered with paper
and there was a sign saying "Coming Soon - [some name] Kosher Chinese
Restaurant".

So much for the kung pao pork and the fried prawns.


--
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Killing all posts from Google Groups
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On Jul 31, 5:53*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
>
> Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
> that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
> would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
> as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.

jYou're an idiot. You write as though the use of baking soda were
accepted in good Chinese food. It isn't. Your equally ignorant
friend should go back and ask the cooks he claims to have met whether
they would use it if instead they bought good meat.

> It must really
> hurt the Chinese cooks in the US to have to refrain from using MSG.

And there you go again. What in the world makes you thing they don't
use msg? If you don't see a disclaimer on the menu, which occurs
infrequently in the cheap restaurants you like, you can bet they're
still using it. As they should, afaic.
>
> >> BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal
> >> muscle tissue?
>
I assume you omitted "what" : You haven't tasted it? You haven't
noticed the difference between mushiness and nicely seared firm
texture? You haven't seen that slimy flourescence? If you can't
perceive the difference, and don't care about it, then it doesn't
matter. Use baking soda to your heart's content. -aem

My fault, that was a bit ambiguous. It doesn't 'break down' the meat like
adding an acid would. I mean the result is more tender meat.

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:44:40 +1000, "Michael"
> > wrote:
>
>>Corn flour, or what you call corn starch is certainly very widely used in
>>Asian recipes to tenderize meat and has the bonus of thickening the final
>>sauce too.
>>
>
> i thought corn starch in the marinade was to allow the other
> ingredients to adhere a bit and give a better 'char,' not so much to
> tenderize.
>
> your pal,
> blake

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> dsi1 wrote:
>
>> Steve Pope wrote:
>>> dsi1 > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>>
>>>>> I, OTOH, have spoken with and know several owners and cooks at
>>>>> moderate to slightly upscale Chinese restaurants. Who use quality
>>>>> cuts of beef (even tenderloin) and baking soda.
>>>
>>>> Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
>>>> that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
>>>> would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
>>>> as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.
>>>
>>> Once in the southbay I went to a lunch truck and bought a
>>> carne asada burrito. The lunch truck was operated by a
>>> Chinese individual. There was something odd about the burrito
>>> which took me a while to discerne, although the burrito
>>> seemed to have the typical carne asada burrito ingredients
>>> and seasoning. Then it dawned upon me that the beef had
>>> been velvetted. Very strange!! Not my preference for
>>> a burrito.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>
>> Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
>> OTOH, I could go for some Chinese food wrapped in a tortilla. Of course,
>> it has to be adversed as such so as not to shock. How about "Jose Wong's
>> Chinese Burritos?" :-)
>
> My fave neiborhood nonchain Chinese place just went south. I called them

PS I know how to spell "neighborhood".

> the other day for a delivery, and they're phones had been disconnected.
> A drive-by a couple of days later showed the windows all covered with
> paper and there was a sign saying "Coming Soon - [some name] Kosher
> Chinese Restaurant".
>
> So much for the kung pao pork and the fried prawns.

--
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Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> Once in the southbay I went to a lunch truck and bought a
> carne asada burrito. The lunch truck was operated by a
> Chinese individual. There was something odd about the burrito
> which took me a while to discerne, although the burrito
> seemed to have the typical carne asada burrito ingredients
> and seasoning. Then it dawned upon me that the beef had
> been velvetted. Very strange!! Not my preference for
> a burrito.

But at least he was trying to produce a value-added
differentiation from the crowd.

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
> ridiculous. It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
> prize much more than Americans.

Yes, shark's fin soup and bird's nest soup are
primarily regarded for their texture, not flavor.
And these are among the most highly prized
dishes in Chinese cuisine.

Mark Thorson wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>> It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
>> ridiculous. It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
>> prize much more than Americans.
>
> Yes, shark's fin soup and bird's nest soup are

Hey!

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Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > Sqwertz wrote:
> >>
> >> It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
> >> ridiculous. It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
> >> prize much more than Americans.
> >
> > Yes, shark's fin soup and bird's nest soup are
>
> Hey!

We got your number, sharky!

Mark Thorson wrote:

> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>>
>> Mark Thorson wrote:
>>
>> > Sqwertz wrote:
>> >>
>> >> It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
>> >> ridiculous. It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
>> >> prize much more than Americans.
>> >
>> > Yes, shark's fin soup and bird's nest soup are
>>
>> Hey!
>
> We got your number, sharky!

All your surfer are belong to us.


--
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Killing all posts from Google Groups
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On Jul 31, 5:40*pm, aem > wrote:
> On Jul 31, 5:53*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
> > that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
> > would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
> > as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.
>
> jYou're an idiot. *You write as though the use of baking soda were
> accepted in good Chinese food. *It isn't. *Your equally ignorant
> friend should go back and ask the cooks he claims to have met whether
> they would use it if instead they bought good meat.
>
> > It must really
> > hurt the Chinese cooks in the US to have to refrain from using MSG.
>
> And there you go again. *What in the world makes you thing they don't
> use msg? *If you don't see a disclaimer on the menu, which occurs
> infrequently in the cheap restaurants you like, you can bet they're
> still using it. *As they should, afaic.
>
> > >> BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal
> > >> muscle tissue?
>
> I assume you omitted "what" : *You haven't tasted it? *You haven't
> noticed the difference between mushiness and nicely seared firm
> texture? *You haven't seen that slimy flourescence? *If you can't
> perceive the difference, and don't care about it, then it doesn't
> matter. *Use baking soda to your heart's content. * * * -aem

Ohhh so mad, sorry pal... I'll stick you on my easy target list! :-)

On Jul 31, 6:32*pm, Blinky the Shark > wrote:
> Mark Thorson wrote:
> > Sqwertz wrote:
>
> >> It's not used to used to cover up cheap cuts of meat - that's just
> >> ridiculous. *It's done for texture - something that the Chinese
> >> prize much more than Americans.
>
> > Yes, shark's fin soup and bird's nest soup are
>
> Hey!
>
> --
> Blinky
> Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:http://improve-usenet.org
> Need a new news feed? *http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

Hey Blinky, even though you seem to know yer stuff, I have a couple of
issues with you.

1) One of your pals bit one of our humans a couple of days ago while
swimming. I suppose that goes without saying since it's tough to get
bitten by a shark while bicycling or playing canasta. The woman was
bitten on her hand and survived but please get the word out that
humans are not really that tasty as far as swimming creatures go.
Better to stick with squids and turtles and seals. BTW, I had some
squid this evening. Freaky little baby squid less that an inch long.
Really cute food. Fried tempura style. The squid was so small that the
batter had to be among the most delicate batter of all batters. I
enjoy miniature foods, they make me feel like Godzilla or the Jolly
Green Giant. Heck, I guess humans might be tasty too if they were the
size of peanuts and fried and salted. We also had yummy sushi although
those were just regular size. Unfortunately, I was culturally
insensitive and used hashi. Tough beans! The Japanese also like to
shove the whole thing in their mouth too but there's no way that I
would do that given the size of my pie hole and delicate nature.

2) The free newserver on motzarella.org is pretty spotty. Currently,
it's dead. I'm now using GG. I feel like such a luzer...

Thanks for any help you can give in these matters. Ciao!

On 2008-08-01, dsi1 > wrote:

> Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.

Naw. CA is such a melting pot, anything goes. One of the best burger
joints I ever patronized was owned by a Korean family that bought out a fish
market and never quite made it back to fish. Killer burgers. Look in the
window of a Stix chain restaurant (Chinese food) and Mexicans are manning
the woks. OTOH, Mexicans are the backbone of the CA food industry. Despite
that, there are plenty of really lousy Mex food.

nb

On 2008-08-01, Blinky the Shark > wrote:

> All your surfer are belong to us.

LOL...

nb

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:17:11 GMT, notbob > wrote:

>On 2008-08-01, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
>
>Naw. CA is such a melting pot, anything goes. One of the best burger
>joints I ever patronized was owned by a Korean family that bought out a fish
>market and never quite made it back to fish. Killer burgers. Look in the
>window of a Stix chain restaurant (Chinese food) and Mexicans are manning
>the woks.

You'll find Mexicans in many Chicago pizza joint kitchens too.

>OTOH, Mexicans are the backbone of the CA food industry.

It's not just CA. In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain speaks of that.

Lou

Sqwertz wrote:
> notbob wrote:
> > Sheldon wrote:
>
> >> Forget baking soda....
>
> > Yeah, I ignored that one right outta the gate.
>
> It's what the Chinese restaurants use.

It's what the Chincano restaurants use in texASS... baking soda... and
they tenderize BBQ with Preparation H.

On Aug 1, 4:17*am, notbob > wrote:
> On 2008-08-01, dsi1 > wrote:
>
> > Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
>
> Naw. *CA is such a melting pot, anything goes. *One of the best burger
> joints I ever patronized was owned by a Korean family that bought out a fish
> market and never quite made it back to fish. *Killer burgers. *Look in the
> window of a Stix chain restaurant (Chinese food) and Mexicans are manning
> the woks. *OTOH, Mexicans are the backbone of the CA food industry. *Despite
> that, there are plenty of really lousy Mex food.
>
> nb

I have seen that what you say is so, and it don't matter to me what
the guys in the back look like, however, it's a shock to order Mexican
and get fusion. I'm game for fusion anyday but have to know what I'm
getting into beforehand.

My father once ordered saimin in a Chinese restaurant in Sweden. Why
he would do such a thing is not known to me. He must have been
desperate and friendly with the staff. The Filipino cook assured him
that he knew what he wanted but my dad was disappointed/shocked/amused
when he got spaghetti in chicken soup!

On 2008-08-01, dsi1 > wrote:

> I have seen that what you say is so, and it don't matter to me what
> the guys in the back look like, however, it's a shock to order Mexican
> and get fusion. I'm game for fusion anyday but have to know what I'm
> getting into beforehand.

Hee hee...

Went to a semi-upscale Mex "restaurant" chain in the next town over for
lunch. A buffet! Cool. I should have suspected something when I saw the
line was presided over by a couple world-weary ol' black geezers. Sho
nuff... every single Mexican dish has an unmistakeable Southern BBQ twang to
it. Not a good fusion.

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2008-08-01, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> Sounds a bit dangerous to try to sell a non-spec burrito in California.
>
> Naw. CA is such a melting pot, anything goes. One of the best burger
> joints I ever patronized was owned by a Korean family that bought out a fish
> market and never quite made it back to fish. Killer burgers. Look in the
> window of a Stix chain restaurant (Chinese food) and Mexicans are manning

I'm glad that's not Styx, or they might be serving Food From Hell.


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On 2008-08-01, Blinky the Shark > wrote:

> I'm glad that's not Styx, or they might be serving Food From Hell.

Just might be. I get nervous when I see Mexicans making my Chinese dish.
Not that I should. They make all my other fave cuisines. It's just that I
expect to see a Chinese person making my Chinese dish. Even Safeway has
Chinese ppl in their deli. I'd probably be just as freaked seeing a Chinese
person driving a tacqueria.

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2008-08-01, Blinky the Shark > wrote:
>
>> I'm glad that's not Styx, or they might be serving Food From Hell.
>
> Just might be. I get nervous when I see Mexicans making my Chinese dish.
> Not that I should. They make all my other fave cuisines. It's just that I
> expect to see a Chinese person making my Chinese dish. Even Safeway has
> Chinese ppl in their deli. I'd probably be just as freaked seeing a Chinese
> person driving a tacqueria.

And you should be, the way they drive.


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notbob wrote:

> Hee hee...
>
> Went to a semi-upscale Mex "restaurant" chain in the next town over for
> lunch. A buffet! Cool. I should have suspected something when I saw the
> line was presided over by a couple world-weary ol' black geezers. Sho
> nuff... every single Mexican dish has an unmistakeable Southern BBQ twang to
> it. Not a good fusion.
>
> nb

Wish I was younger and was able to get excited by a buffet like in the
old days. Nowdays, the thought of massive quantiles of food might make
me ill. :-(

Sorry to hear that it was not good. I like Mex & BBQ a lot.

My little fusion dish is a stuffed poblano fried in a battered spring
roll wrapper. It's not much of a fusion but I ain't that creative. OTOH,
I suppose most of my cooking is a *******ization of different cuisines.
I'll put ketchup in teriyaki sauce and spam in fried rice. I have no
problem with changing an Okinawan dish of shoyu pork into Filipino pork
adobo or some mixture of the two. My cooking's not fusion - mostly I
follow the long and honorable tradition of experienced non-professional
cooks: using what I got and what I know.

I hope you have a great lunch today. I'm having some instant coffee and
microwave oatmeal. You probably think I'm kidding - you would be wrong.
:-)

dsi1 wrote:
>
> notbob wrote:
>
> > Went to a semi-upscale Mex "restaurant" chain in the next town over for
> > lunch. A buffet! Cool. I should have suspected something when I saw the
> > line was presided over by a couple world-weary ol' black geezers. Sho
> > nuff... every single Mexican dish has an unmistakeable Southern BBQ twang
> > to it. Not a good fusion.
>
> Wish I was younger and was able to get excited by a buffet like in the
> old days. Nowdays, the thought of massive quantiles of food might make
> me ill. :-(

Me, too. Since losing 40 pounds about 5 years ago
and keeping it off, I can't imagine eating at one of
those places. (Except for family gatherings at
Thanksgiving and Christmas.) The way I see it,
I'm subsidizing those other people who are like
pigs at a trough. I prefer restaurants that charge
high prices for small portions. :-)

Mark Thorson wrote:

>
> Me, too. Since losing 40 pounds about 5 years ago
> and keeping it off, I can't imagine eating at one of
> those places. (Except for family gatherings at
> Thanksgiving and Christmas.) The way I see it,
> I'm subsidizing those other people who are like
> pigs at a trough. I prefer restaurants that charge
> high prices for small portions. :-)

I'll bet your experience is similar to mine. I suddenly lost my appetite
in my mid-forties and started eating half the portions in my plate. That
was about 10 years ago and I have lost some 30 pounds and it seems my
stomach has shrunk since I can no longer eat much at a sitting. Due to
the slowing down of business, I tend to sit around all day feeling
depressed so my weight has gone up by 5 pounds. I promised my doc to
lose 5 lbs in the next few months hence the coffee oatmeal lunch. Boy,
it's a dirt cheap meal!

Unfortunately for my wife, she has been eating my excess food which
oddly enough, means she eats 3X what I do - with predictable results. :-)

Michael wrote:
>
> My fault, that was a bit ambiguous. It doesn't 'break down' the meat like
> adding an acid would. I mean the result is more tender meat.

Which result can only be achieved by . . . ?

Breaking down the structure of the meat, of course.

dsi1 wrote:

> notbob wrote:
>
>> Hee hee...
>>
>> Went to a semi-upscale Mex "restaurant" chain in the next town over for
>> lunch. A buffet! Cool. I should have suspected something when I saw the
>> line was presided over by a couple world-weary ol' black geezers. Sho
>> nuff... every single Mexican dish has an unmistakeable Southern BBQ twang to
>> it. Not a good fusion.
>>
>> nb
>
> Wish I was younger and was able to get excited by a buffet like in the
> old days. Nowdays, the thought of massive quantiles of food might make
> me ill. :-(

Can't you get the variety the buffet offers via small quantities of
different dishes? You don't have to eat half a meal of each of eleven
things.


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Sheldon wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
>> notbob wrote:
>>> Sheldon wrote:
>>>> Forget baking soda....
>>> Yeah, I ignored that one right outta the gate.
>> It's what the Chinese restaurants use.
>
> It's what the Chincano restaurants use in texASS... baking soda... and
> they tenderize BBQ with Preparation H.

Please continue to poke fun at me but that won't change the truth.
That's how the cooks in my small part of the world do it. It is expected
that they cook in this way. All the bitching and snide remarks in the
world about how it's low class won't change that. Sorry.

Rest assured that I won't do this myself. The last time I did was as a
teen learning to cook many years ago. I do not recommend anybody use
baking soda or not use baking soda - what you do in your kitchen is your
business.

I have great respect for the Chinese cooks in my town. You however, are
free to come over here and make snide remarks about how low class this
practice is to their faces. Just get ready to run - they are freaking
experts with their cleavers. :-)

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> Can't you get the variety the buffet offers via small quantities of
> different dishes? You don't have to eat half a meal of each of eleven
> things.
>
>

My last all-you-can-eat experience was at a salad bar. My skinny Chinese
friends think I'm a weenie cause their plate was piled up considerably
higher than mine. In fact, they remarked at the flatness of my plate. I
went back for some really great chunks of pineapple and some sweet green
substance that I still haven't been able to identify. I left feeling
bloated and in a daze but I'm glad I got to eat pineapple. My main
problem is that I don't care much for subsidizing other people's meals.
What can I say? I'm cheap. :-)

dsi1 wrote:

> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
>> Can't you get the variety the buffet offers via small quantities of
>> different dishes? You don't have to eat half a meal of each of eleven
>> things.
>>
>>
>
> My last all-you-can-eat experience was at a salad bar. My skinny Chinese
> friends think I'm a weenie cause their plate was piled up considerably
> higher than mine. In fact, they remarked at the flatness of my plate. I
> went back for some really great chunks of pineapple and some sweet green
> substance that I still haven't been able to identify. I left feeling
> bloated and in a daze but I'm glad I got to eat pineapple. My main
> problem is that I don't care much for subsidizing other people's meals.
> What can I say? I'm cheap. :-)

Going to another place and paying the same amount for less food costs you
less?


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Blinky the Shark wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>
>> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>>
>>> Can't you get the variety the buffet offers via small quantities of
>>> different dishes? You don't have to eat half a meal of each of eleven
>>> things.
>>>
>>>
>> My last all-you-can-eat experience was at a salad bar. My skinny Chinese
>> friends think I'm a weenie cause their plate was piled up considerably
>> higher than mine. In fact, they remarked at the flatness of my plate. I
>> went back for some really great chunks of pineapple and some sweet green
>> substance that I still haven't been able to identify. I left feeling
>> bloated and in a daze but I'm glad I got to eat pineapple. My main
>> problem is that I don't care much for subsidizing other people's meals.
>> What can I say? I'm cheap. :-)
>
> Going to another place and paying the same amount for less food costs you
> less?
>
>

Believe it or not, I could very easily find a joint and eat and leave
bloated and dazed for a lot less than that $13 plate of pineapple, green
substance and some other greens. I did love the pineapple but $13 for
some pineapple is probably not being very frugal. Heck, I can get a
grilled steak and a soft drink for $6 - now that's a deal!