Sorry for confusion - no interest at mo on the curry offering

Interest is in whole joints ie leg or for me shoulder with minimal seasoning.

This is english cooking at it's best.

I currently keep the foil on for the whole time ie 4 to 5 hrs. I've even tried 6 hrs. The 4 hrs seems optimum.

Not sure on what depth of liquid. Currently add not a lot say half inch or 1/4 cover and top up if needed. Should this be higher say 3/4 cover.

Some real good help (commis, naga, mickdabass) Not sure which will deliver and think I will need to try all out.

I think I've read the options as:
1) leave the foil off towards end of cooking and turn up heat from the 140 to max say 220c for ~10 mins
2) pan fry before putting in the oven (then quickly caramelise)
3) use additional spicing to help the darkening ie oil, sea salt, black pepper 
4) the tandoor or maybe smoking is my biggest nightmare as I don't have facilities. I did not sense a smoke taste but never tasted smoked meat. I don't think tandoor would give the tenderness unless heat turned low which certainly could work ie produce the blackness

I think these suggestions might well do it. The problem I saw is that the natural instinct is to colour at the end but the meat falls apart at this stage and can't really be handled.

Ps raan sounds good for me but under instruction from the family on this one.

Much appreciate the help

parker21,

good to hear from you sir.

not seen the video and got entranced by the look and sound of the pan. still loving my pan. this looks like a larger version of my zaal omelet pan. brill for garlic tarka not for curry - too prone black debris.

on the vindaloo will give it a try - the recipe proportions are new to me and worth looking at. i think i would call it a no1 vindaloo though ie a hot madras.

i'm specifically looking to darken the dish ie via a missing ingredient. am thinking black caremelised onion. another thought i had was perhaps to add in some chef garam. also i guess but dont like but prompted by SS to over fry the spice or maybe even just the chilli powder.

very best wishes

Tender lamb joint - what's best method

I slow cook lamb quite often which turns out pretty good (foil covered watered roasting tin 4 hrs 140C)

Recently had similar out but another step up. 

Question is how.

Only observation being that the restaurant version looked well cooked on the outside amost blackened. The meat inside was tender and moist.

Whatever caused the blackening seemed to add the difference

Any thoughts on how to make this step up appreciated.

Ps for info pots were salad halved, boiled and cooled then wok fried in a little oil till browned adding chilli flakes, salt, garlic and a herb late on (parsley, I'm using marjoram)

Steamed carrot in butter and this all adds up to delicious

bigboaby1,

Am well pleased you are posting and hope you realise your efforts are valued even if not by the non vocal crowd. its a count to 10 strategy that needs adopting.

I somehow missed you're posts 1st time round. A member recommended your posts to me just recently and was gutted you were no longer posting.

Read the lot I think 110. Absolutely 100% spot on for me - loved reading them - facinating.

I'm not convinced there is a huge difference between what I know and the Glasgow offering. I've not tasted and only going off the video ie recipe. Yes a difference but not so great that others cant learn from.

I now see your info as an essential point of call in the same way as KD and a few cro posters ie CBM and H4ppy-chris.

Very best wishes,

jerry

Quote from: chewytikka on August 09, 2014, 02:41 PM
MA, not a dessert M8

Maybe send some to JerryM and make his day! ;D

Normally Yes. just had a bad week on the oilly stuff "basic base". on a serious note i must admit i'm even more twitchy on oil than ever before. i started out thinking red oil (saffron), felt dark oil "brown" was naff (rajver). then came across yellow oil (my take) and felt it was far superior.

from the basic base work i've had to change my mind on dark oil. i've yet to put the basic base work into what i know ie yellow oil. keep me going for years.

for clarification i only refer to input or dish frying oil "re claimed" - no matter what finished dish oil is always red.

a real subject on it's own never mind bhaji oil or garlic tarka

it's easy to overlook this principle in the rush to get base on the go.

it even works in favour of speed too.

this crept up on a search to understand how heat destroys flavour. have subsequently only rough chopped veg for base.

given further prompt by DalPuri now going to adopt a cut in half strategy for onion, carrot etc

Dalpuri,

amazing how posts can go under the radar.

yes for sure 100% on this one. it's a famous turning point i believe in French cooking some years ago.

in a nut shell for me for base don't dice or anywhere near. i rough cut the onion (in half then thk slice 3 cut max).

i have seen BIR video with onion whole. given what i've seen in my recent 5 hr work i going to adopt just cutting in half. same for carrot lengthways.

appreciate the prompt.

Donald,

Much appreciate the detail help on this.

The x2 coating is something I must try.

I've settled on using breast chunks and only use heavy White pepper for spice.

Would steaming bone meat in a pan work.

Any details of the mix you use would be appreciated. Sounds like we have most of what's needed in our curry stock

A further thought prompted by madrasandy's trials.

In contrast to this 5 hr cooking for a mashed base my norm is to adopt the Shortest base cook time.

When i kicked off a search for best BIR a while ago Axe gave me good pointers. One of which got me onto the concept that heat destroys flavour.

In short I tried out how much I could shorten the norm 3 hr base. I ended up at just under 2 hrs. Stage 1 split into 1 hr dense veg, 30 mins light veg and flavours. Stage 2 after blend reduced from 1 hr to 20 mins.

I also use low flame ie slow simmer ie not boil as standard for stage 1 and a light boil for stage 2 (so I can still skim the scum)

Quote from: rshome123 on August 06, 2014, 10:41 PM
? Or is that your expectation that you need something else to achieve the flavour expected which also darkens the dish ?

Sorry I should have been clearer.  The above is my current thought.

Trouble is I don't know. Andy and  secret Santa could be right.

The frying the spice like secret Santa says is something I know. It did cross my mind. I always aim to under cook the spice - just from experimenting in the past.

What put me off trying it is the BE comment that toilet trouble comes from not cooking out the chilli - this being my recollection although not intent cooking it myself.

I also felt some ingredient is still missing. Something simple hence thought of caramelised onion. I just could not think of other ingredient that BIR already have to hand and cheap.

The recipe so far is big step forward. I feel with decent base and ultimately naga to up the heat to lip burn will get very close.

I think green chilli amount needs to go up to. Loved the finger chilli taste. Feel more Ginger is another key element.

Ps Richard am not aiming for the local restaurant vindaloo. This version is from midlands and never seen it elsewhere in uk (all tend to be red / orange).

Cooking the spice might just be it and worth try on next go. It would be my aim ultimately in anycase to avoid the chilli morning effect.