Comments on: The Basics: Demi-Glace

By: TFL

TFL — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:00:24 +0000

The location in Atlanta for the bones was NY Butcher Shoppe: http://www.nybutcher.net/

Some warehouse clubs will have these, also in the frozen section.

If you can not find true veal bones in retail stores, ask your favorite restaurant operator to order for you. ALL food service supply companies carry these either fresh or frozen.

TheFoodList.org

By: Sarea

Sarea — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:37:33 +0000

Wow, what a conundrum, but I think I’ve worked it out. You’re of course right that the original came out around 1991, but I guess there were a couple other editions since then. The most recent one was published Sept. 2008, which makes sense as it tracks with when you said you got yours. I think the link to your Amazon page for this book goes to one of the older editions though, which is why I thought that was the one you had. Mystery solved! I just love cookbooks, take them to bed with me, and I can’t wait for this one!

By: petermarcus

petermarcus — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:57:46 +0000

Allie, Susie, Deborah — I’ve had a hard time finding veal bones, but I hear it is easier in two directions: the midwest part of the US has them because that tends to be where the cattle is raised, and the larger cities tend to have them because they have a population that can support buying them. I have found a few online mail-order places, too, so try a Google search!

Michael — I was grasping for an analogy. I’ve heard recipes mention rubber-like qualities, but there’s a wide variation in that. Hockey pucks? Tires? Superballs? To me, it was like a stress ball, minus the fact that it tends to melt at body temperature. There are (ahem) analogies to silicon enhancements as well, but I’m a techie and was trying for something fairly PG

fastfeasts — On Roswell Road, just inside the Perimeter in Sandy Spring, there’s a restaurant called Food 101 (awesome place). It’s north of Piedmont, but south of 285 on the east side of Roswell. Next door to Food 101 in the same shopping center is a trendy butcher place…”NY Butcher Deli” or something like that. It wasn’t there last time I was in Atlanta, but I found it coming out of Food 101. They had a bunch in the freezer. They say they get them in waves, they either have them, or they don’t, but check back in a couple weeks.

Katharine — Yes, I’ve done that with stock and demi. The only problem is the hygiene. If you let it sit warm, it’ll start to grow the local bacterial culture almost immediately while it sits between 70 and 140 degrees. If you ice-bath it and refrigerate it, then yep, you can do it all week if you want. Before you’re done, make sure it hits at least 180 degrees for a couple minutes to sterilize before the final freeze/fridge.

Sarea — The updated one is the one I have. I bought it maybe 2 years ago, and it seems to me I read a forward or something that it had been updated since the original (1991-ish). I know what you mean — look at “Joy of Cooking”. The original had all sorts of from-scratch cooking, then it was revised in the 80s and 90s (to make a sheet cake — take one box of cake mix…) then it suddenly went back to the older recipes, from scratch. Peterson is a pro, though. His book is a wonderful history of sauces. It can be a bit dense, but every time I page through it, I learn something new.

By: Sarea

Sarea — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:22:05 +0000

Hi Peter… me again with another question! It may not have been in this post, but in another post or posts you mention one of your favorite cookbooks, Sauces by James Peterson. Did you know that there’s a revised/updated version of that book out there? If so, have you perused it/compared it with the original? I’m wondering whether to buy a used copy of the original book or get the new one. It’s important because often a chef will “update” their cookbook and either a) barely make any significant changes; or b) change it for the worse — making it too simplistic or whatever. Newer doesn’t necessarily mean better, so if you have an opinion here I was curious to see what it was, since you’re probably very familiar with the original.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:14:51 +0000

I live in San Francisco so I am sure I can get my hands on some veal bones. I can and have purchased demi at several specialty groceries here, but it is expensive, so I’d like to try this out. My question is can I split the 20 hour cooking time? I have a gas cooktop and am not to keen on leaving the house or going to sleep with the gas going.
Thanks.

By: fastfeasts

fastfeasts — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:55:30 +0000

You bought the bones at a butcher in Atlanta…do you remember which one? Thanks..

By: Michael [KyotoFoodie]

Michael [KyotoFoodie] — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:16:20 +0000

Wow! Now this is beauty! It becomes the texture of squeeze-stress-balls? Interesting!

Very easy to understand, thanks!

By: Artemas

Artemas — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:21:42 +0000

Beautiful pictorial and clear instructions. Thank you.

By: deborah P.S.

deborah P.S. — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:52:26 +0000

I’m off to try and find veal bones…

By: Susie @ Hick Chick

Susie @ Hick Chick — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:27:33 +0000

Wonderful tutorial and information! I’m sure I’m never going to be able to find veal bones (after all I am a “hick”), but , man I wish I could!