Topic: beef / lamb cuts and precooking

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have a strange feeling that squid might be one of those meats that softens twice, and goes hard/rubbery in between.  I have /never/ cooked squid for more than a few minutes at absolute most; as soon as it turns translucent and starts to curl, I take it out and serve it, at which point it is deliciously tender.

** Phil.

[Gav Iscon]

I have a strange feeling that squid might be one of those meats that softens twice, and goes hard/rubbery in between.  I have /never/ cooked squid for more than a few minutes at absolute most; as soon as it turns translucent and starts to curl, I take it out and serve it, at which point it is deliciously tender.

** Phil.

Aye, I had to have a good think about squid in a curry. I think its lovely (along with most other food) and done nicely its definitely not the battered rubber bands you get in Benidorm. I've got a Slow Cooked Squid in Spicy tomato sauce to try from that Italian bloke whose name escapes me of the TV. Plus if you get it at sainsburys, its expensive.

[goncalo]

The concept of squid as battered squid (I like the "rubber band", as in some places its what you get) is quite uncommon in my country (or was when I lived there) and seems to be quite common in Ireland, UK and US. I am not a big fan of fish or its smell. The only way for me to eat squid was if the sea/fishy taste would be sublime, so my granny/mother would boil it in tomato sauce for a long period. Their recipe is extremely simple:

1 large onion sliced thinly into a sauce pan
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 packets of tomato pulp
1 bag of frozen/clean squid

Add onions and olive oil and heat until the onions start to go golden
Add the tomato
Add the squid
boil for approx. 45 mins on medium heat, mix/scrape now and then as the onion may stick to the bottom.

Now, the squid was indeed very tender, not rubbery at all, but the flavours didn't infuse fully. Not to the same depth of flavour that my mom/granny can get. I decided not to cook the madras sauce tonight and let squid infuse the flavours just by being dipped into the sauce.

[curryhell]

I'm planning on making squid madras tonight! Has anyone any tips for how to pre-cook squid?

Hardly BIR, or am i in the wrong place??

[goncalo]

I'm planning on making squid madras tonight! Has anyone any tips for how to pre-cook squid?

Hardly BIR, or am i in the wrong place??

It's not BIR indeed, but it's a type of meat that requires precooking as it takes too long for flavours to infuse

The recipe above is just an attempt at a "precooking method" to try and remove as much fish flavor as possible that has been used by my family to make pukka squid. I wanted to change this thread topic to meat/fish instead of leaving it at beef/lamb. I will however do a madras BIR today to go with the squid.

[Secret Santa]

Hardly BIR, or am i in the wrong place??

It's hardly the first time we've strayed from the BIR format. Personally I just never thought I'd see squid and madras in the same sentence!  ;D

[DalPuri]

My sister once had a potato croquette korma from a TA up north.  ;D

What difference does it make if a BIR or forum member wants to use a different main ingredient?
There's more to curry than just chicken or lamb. 

[vindapoo]

Where lamb is listed I'd put money its 99% mutton instead. More flavour and cheaper.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Where lamb is listed I'd put money its 99% mutton instead. More flavour and cheaper.

I agree about the flavour, but not about the cheapness.  Because of the low demand for mutton it is not widely available, and where it is sold, frequently commands a premium price.

** Phil.

[Kashmiri Bob]

Prefer mutton myself.  Good deal on the lamb here though.  Large portion. 10 % discount on takeaway as well.

 

Rob