in the East Bay area Berkeley Bowl is the far better choice for red meat than Whole Foods. WF overprices cuts like flank (19.99lb) and never/rarely has cuts like butcher, hanger, flat iron or shank. Get 2-4 lbs of butcher steak, break it down, portion it, freeze it. Costs b/t 10.99 to 12.99 #meatsky
Today cemented that I must bring my leftover fowl up to room temperature and mix them into the hot foods at the end. I’m one of the ppl who can taste meat oxidation in chicken and turkey and it’s worse when actually reheated. www.seriouseats.com/what-is-warm... #cooksky #foodsky #meatsky
Same pot of chicken stock ingredients at 90 mins into simmering in a pot. Broth color developing, visible rich fat, lemons, herbs breaking down, chicken pieces, etc
90 mins into stock simmering away. Developing great flavor #ChickenStock #Foodsky #Cooksky #CheapEats #Meatsky
Pot showing chicken carcass + bright red frozen chicken organs reserved before roasting the whole chicken, golden/brown chicken skin that didn’t get eaten (some does), leeks, parsley and cilantro covered in water.
To the bits in image 1 this image shows the addition of the following added to the pot: rosemary, sage, yellow little tomatoes, lemon wedges, yellow and cream colored carrots, celery
pot stirred showing color popping from lemons, leeks, cilantro and parsley
pot of chicken stock changing colors again as simmering starts
Fresh chicken stock simmering away with whole chicken carcass + two add’l legs /thighs and drumsticks + organs and the rest of the bits. Nice to have a larger batch with some dish tonight as we only had chicken once so for from this past whole fowl. #Cooksky #Foodsky #Meatsky #CheapEats
Pot whole chicken was brined in sitting in the sink to the right with huge scissor handles sticking out, spatchcocked chicken splayed flat on cutting board with handle of orange knife showing
sheet pan with orange carrots, cabbage, quartered lemon (leeks under chicken) and spatchcocked chicken that has butter and seasoning on the skin, to the left is empty butter container with blue silicone brush over butter container.
Dinner tonight is late because we slept late after evacuating our building twice around 1 a.m. & 2 p.m. (someone was 🚬), but the brined and spatchcocked chicken is roasting at 450F right now. Dislike having cooking mechanism at bottom of oven #Cooksky #Foodsky #BrinedChicken #Meatsky #CheapEats
Now I want to find recipes that repurpose fat retained from pork butt roasts and beef shank braises #cooksky #foodsky #meatsky. Reply here if you have any!! 😇
There was a snafu with the oven going off before the braise needed to pop in so the braise was 2 hr at ~ 275F cook, this experience cemented that I want my braises in this oven to basically be at 250F for the meat sizes we cook…my advice, never do 300F for anything 3 lbs or less. #cooksky #meatsky
Selfie of me (woman) after hot/humid indoor run (making me puffy-faced with stuffy sinus rx). Treadmill blurred out in the background, flushed red freckled face, dark pink running tank sweaty at the neckline and knotted at the waist, showing slight midriff, top of blue/black running shorts.
Applefitness alternate view of run dashboard, Saturday 20 December 2025, 4:22 (16:22), 41:52 continuous run time, 7.18 km run distance, Heart rate range graphic, 142 bpm hr average, HR range from 71 bpm to 158 bpm. Pace range graphic, 5’50” avg pace, 6’16” to 5’17” fartlek pacing, Cadence range graphic, 174spm average cadence, 166spm - 183spm range.
picture frame with 6 thumbnail images related to preparing braised beef shank. From left to right on each of two rows: 1. butcher paper wrapped meat labeled with ~ 2.5 lbs beef shank at $5.99/lbs (best MP) 2. two beef shanks that I slid a couple times on the side and hand tied to prevent curling during cooking on a cutting board with raw garlic 3. searing beef shanks in dutch oven 4, searing sides of shanks in dutch oven 5. showing the braise building - veg/onion dice, garlic, beef broth, red wine 6. Seared off beef shank resting on a white plate while braising liquid is built
Image with 6 thumbnail images for braised beef shank, a riff on sweet potato mash incorporating veg dice and crème fraich Thumbnails 1-3: two large beef shanks in dutch oven after braising showing tied herbs added before going in the oven, trying to get the image color right 4. Sweet potato rough mash simmered with carrots, celery, broth, wine not used in the braise as braising liquid came up too high on shanks 5. hubby’s neat plate (large bright green pasta bowl) with rough sweet potato/veg mash and chunks of braised beef shank 6. my messy plate (large light pink pasta bowl) reusing the mash bowl with rough sweet potato/veg mash and chunks of braised beef shank
#5KADay 559 #running treadmill 🌧️ fartlek while shanks braised away. ~ 7.2 km, 5’50” avg/pace, 41:52, last two treadmill runs feels like something in R shoe is cutting my big toe when🏃♀️fast, dinner fuel - 2nd attempt at beef shank better #Runchat #Runsky #cooksky #foodsky #meatsky
perfectly gold and brown ~ 2.5 lb 3 hr 250F chunk of boneless boston butt pork roast, thermometer sticking out reads 195.6F (and went up to 205F) in braising liquid of apple cider, tamari, apple cider vinegar, fresh thyme, fresh garlic, fresh onion, coriander, salt, pepper, bay leaves in a dutch oven braiser with the top off. The meat was slathered on all sides with a mixture of salt and brown sugar the day before and wrapped in cling film for ~ 18 hrs. Before cooking it was wiped off with a paper towel and fresh ground pepper was added to all sides after sitting out of the fridge for 1 hr, then it was seared, braise built and then put in the oven at 250F.
Image shows a container of 1 head chopped cabbage, 1 cup of post-braise liquid reserved to the side and the rest of it on the stove in the cast iron braiser. (While the pork was tented the cabbage went into the braiser with apple segments and I brought to a simmer and put in the oven at 170F with lid on until dinner time ~ 90 mins)
fall apart boneless pork shoulder on cutting boardas I took off the subpar Whole Foods netting that had the fat cap on the side rather than the top and my added kitchen twine as I have learned the Whole Foods tied meats always come apart during braising
One of our plated dinner servings of succulent braised pork pieces served along braised cabbage and braised 1/8 apple wedges cut into ~ 1/16 after braising with a golden brown reduction braising liquid served in a large orange pasta bowl with a large stainless steel spork.
Here’s how the boneless pork shoulder turned out. After I tented the pork, I braised napa cabbage and an apple split into 8ths. It was delicious and Ashby got his puppy portion too. I’ll find recipes for using the fat, and braising liquid separately from the leftover meat. #cooksky #meatsky #foodsky
A rack of baby backs all seasoned up for the smoker.
I don't do ribs often because the cost/pain in the as factor vs something like pork butt isn't worth it. Today I felt like smoking some baby back ribs.
#MeatSky #Smoking
green beans and green cabbage combined in high rimmed skillet (after each was par boiled and shocked in cold water and rested over kitchen towel)
green beans and cabbage simmering away in high-walled skillet with umami mushroom seasoning, olive oil, and soy. (finished with fresh squeezed lemon after cooking). Beside the grilled bone in steak resting on a rimmed baking sheet.
Vivid sautéed green beans and green cabbage 🥬 plated on white plates with rims.
All of the vivid green beans and cabbage 🥬 plated with sauté sauce and a portion of steak on each of the white plates too. (We finished all our vegetables and leftover meat went in the fridge.)
Dinner earlier this week. Needed to use more hidden vegetables…errant green beans and half a head of cabbage. I par boiled each veg separately, using the boil for the beans on the cabbage, then sautéed them off with umami seasoning, soy, lemon and olive oil. Grilled steak #Meatsky #foodsky #Cooksky
Morning #MeatSky 🚿 👣🧼
clean pot with braised beef shank and it’s strained braising liquid with a pair of tongs in view
the dirty or rather used up braising pot with the now cooked vegetables, herb bundle, and a little remaining liquid from braising liquid or resting vegetables, atop stove. Vegetables include carrots, onion, celery, may also spot bay leaves and garlic cloves.
Braised beef shank - Long story short, the oven light went out, I separated everything after a 3 hr braise and dropped the temp down to 275F one hour in to make sure there was no over cooking. Thursday cooking is officially shortened. #meatsky #foodsky #cooksky
I’ll check the braising liquid level hourly- or sooner - to see if more moisture needs to be added. I did a lot of research…..i suggest folks take note that the top beef shank braises had max oven temp at 300F and all said to limit the pan liquid so meat isn’t fully covered. #meatsky #cooksky
two tied beef shanks seasoned and dusted with seasoned paleo/gluten free mixed flour on a green cutting board also showing smashed garlic cloves and a wooden cooking spoon.
Ingredients out on the counter. Prepped chopped carrots, celery, onion all in containers. Peeled garlic, tied mixed fresh herbs, dried bay leaves (i prefer fresh but that’s what I had to buy at trader joe’s in October after move), tomato paste, salt, pepper, red wine, beef stock concentrate, olive oil (we refill that container with a different brand from an aluminum container), grain-free flour mix by Red Mill. Other random kitchen items/food in the background.
Seared bone in beef shank in a large deep pan in a braising liquid with carrots, celery, onion, herbs, garlic. A braise doesn’t cover the meat, americans often do riffs on the “coddle” or stew where the meat is fully covered in liquid, but the steam that builds can often make meat tough.
Showing the oven digital temp display set to 295 in case this new oven runs hot as I don’t have an oven proof thermometer right now. Braising liquid/veg in pot within photo.
I’m haven’t decided on tonight’s dinner yet, but a slow, low long braise of beef shanks are now in the oven for tomorrow. The shanks wanted to escape their ties during the sear so the color is a bit sad, but for quality cook the tie up is important. #Cooksky #foodsky #meatsky
Grilled bone in steak and grill charred orange carrots with green tips left on.
How last night’s dinner turned out for whole food eating #foodsky #cooksky #meatsky ~ 20oz bone in steak for two + 🐶 and split roast carrots (not peeled, washed only).
two seasoned pork chops on a wire rack with fresh courgette split and seasoned with herbs and olive oil and cut fresh red/orange bell pepper
two grilled seasoned pork chops on a rimmed baking sheet with grilled split courgette and red/orange bell pepper
Monday’s dinner was chops and courgettes and bell pepper. We do a light dry brine on chops in the morning. Whole food eating, #meatsky #foodsky #cooksky
~ 20 oz bone in seasoned raw steak, raw carrots split lengthwise with olive oil, on a sheet tray
Tonight’s dinner - steak for two and split whole raw carrots - on a tray coming up to temp. Whole food cooking. #Meatsky #Foodsky This is a variation of what we do when I’m not doing a whole brine chicken roast and repurposing chicken & stock in diverse dishes.
Whole roast chicken on rack in skillet with perfect gold/orange/browned skin, all atop a conventional electric stove. (Chicken was in a 24 hr home made brine first, cavity stuffed with fresh cilantro, skin brushed lightly with butter then pepper and light salt, wings and legs trussed) ~ 4 lb chicken using supports 4-6 meals plus some for the 🐶
homemade 3 hr chicken stock ingredients in large pot on the stove. Fresh herbs (thyme, etc), lemon, garlic, ginger, purple onion, can’t see the celery, or purple & orange carrots, water, chicken organs from the freezer, retained bones/carcass, skin and drippings.
Bowls of a japanese style chicken noodle + bokchoy in large orange hued pasta bowls. After the stock was made, I cooked noodles, I used about 2 cups of stock to make a broth with miso and other ingredients, and I steamed up the bokchoy in the stock, adding the green tips last.
About 5 cups of remaining broth in containers. The darker hue comes from the purple carrots used in the stock, which is why I had leftover purple carrots, sometimes I don’t want pink/purple cooked dishes.
In our new locale/home in Cali, we did our first whole brined roasted chicken late last week plus chicken stock (w/purple 🥕) yesterday, using about 2 cups of the stock to make an amazing riff on japanese chicken soup with bokchoy. #Cooksky #Meatsky Love resourceful & healthy cooking for family
Chicken stock before celery and 🍋 are in - fresh herbs, dried peppers, fresh garlic, shallots, carrots, frozen chicken organs (red blob in upper mid of pic), chicken carcass, some chicken skin, all in a pot.
Cut of used lemons in cutting board
Chicken stock simmering away with everything in, liquid is starting to gather yellow/gold color before 20 mins in - fresh herbs, dried peppers, fresh garlic, shallots, carrots, chicken organs/innards, chicken carcass, some chicken skin, all in a pot.
Get those lemons 🍋 in there! Close call. Adding citrus last week made for the best stock I’ve ever made. #Cooksky #foodsky #meatsky we use the resulting broth and fume with riffs on pasta dishes b/c my New England hubby isn’t in to soups, granted he loves my seafood stews. Dreaming of the coast.
And here’s the continuation of how we are as ethical as possible and as “waste not, want not as possible” as we give thanks to the ~ 4 lb bird #meatsky #cooksky #Food & thanks to the home cooks that helped with the chicken stock/fumet ideas 🥰 bsky.app/profile/squi...
Pork belly!!!!
Cubed and seasoned pork belly!!!
I liked that Jamaican jerk flavored bacon I had so much in Jersey City that I'm going to try to make some jerk pork belly burnt ends.
#MeatSky #Smoking #OldGuyShit
