How to cook like Heston

hotcookie101

tessie_bear wrote: »

tbh i dont think it is safe to eat them pink....i think its ok with steak because the inside has always been inside and couldnt have come into contact with anything...burgers on the other hand are mince so the centre could have come into contact with germs etc....that said if oh is here to tell the tale they must be ok

If you have good quality fresh mince it is perfectly safe to cook burgers rare or medium rare. I wouldn't do it with tesco mince, but if you mince it yourself or your butcher minces it for you fresh (or it has just been minced that morning and you trust your butcher!) then I like nothing better than a burger still pink in the middle

MandM90

tessie_bear wrote: »

tbh i dont think it is safe to eat them pink....i think its ok with steak because the inside has always been inside and couldnt have come into contact with anything...burgers on the other hand are mince so the centre could have come into contact with germs etc....that said if oh is here to tell the tale they must be ok

In France you can choose how your burger is cooked and their 'well done' often comes pink, if not with a little blood running out. If the mince has been minced in the kitchen, it won't have been on the 'outside' for long, and will probably be covered in a fridge.

I'm sure it's perfectly safe. Many people eat all sorts of things completely raw; you just have to know what you're doing. That said, I'm one of those awful people that braves the snide comments from the waiter and orders everything so well done it's nearly cremated :eek:

bearcub

Can't abide the man. He's really a scientist, not a chef, and treats food as if it's one huge scientific experiment. I know cooking is 'science' to a certain extent, but he takes a lot of it to ridiculous extremes.

HelenYorkshire

I missed one critical moment I think - I tuned in late. I was at the bit where he was saying you didn't need an egg to bind the burger together - what had he done instead?
I like his "playing" - but I like seeing why things work, or not, and maybe it will help me

freyasmum

I like Heston, some of his dishes are a bit out there, but the science of why things happen is precisely the bit that fascinates me. and if it gets people thinking about food, then it's not a bad thing really?

I do think channel four must've made him tame himself down a bit - must be to appease the complainers! - but I did still enjoy the show.

HelenYorkshire wrote: »

I like his "playing" - but I like seeing why things work, or not, and maybe it will help me

He salted the meat, rolled it into the big sausage shape (going WITH the grain of the meat so that it was tender) and let it sit in the fridge for a while.

Justamum

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Also to make your own burgers you have to mince your own meat etc

My mum used to always do this when we were growing up. She wouldn't buy burgers, and refused to buy butcher's mince, so she'd buy the meat and mince it with her Kenwood Chef.

I haven't watched this programme. Having seen some of his other programmes I didn't fancy learning how to make things such as chocolate coated minced mice pate on a stick :rotfl:

Justamum

raphanius wrote: »

i much preferred the program after - the fabulous baker brothers *i think i'm in love but don't know which brother to choose*:rotfl:

I watched this programme too - the one who is the baker did another programme a while back on how to make the perfect loaf, or something along those lines. He ended up making the Shepherd Loaf, which you can buy from his bakery - if you can spare about £20 for one loaf :eek:

Anyway I remember at the time thinking he was a bit of a dish - definitely the better looking of the two brothers. So if you can't choose I'll have the baker, you have the butcher

Justamum

tessie_bear wrote: »

burgers on the other hand are mince so the centre could have come into contact with germs etc....that said if oh is here to tell the tale they must be ok

But steak tartare is just raw mince with a raw egg on top, so presumably it would be ok to eat if the burger was a bit pink in the middle.

meritaten

I am not a fan of Heston - anyone who can make cooking chips complicated is not to my mind a good 'chef'. I watched a previous series of Hestons recipes and it was more like Open University - Science 101!
I am a great fan of the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid!). I like Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater and even (sometimes) the Barefoot Contessa!

Catmom

I didnt see all the programme but OH did, and used the steak cooking method tonight - I can honestly say it was the nicest, most succulent steak I have ever had:j
Some of Hestons things are a bit "out there" but its always good to see different things I guess.....