The gelatin is entirely from the wings in this case but I’m not above adding it if it seems like texture will improve. Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote about adding gelatin to improve pan sauces a few years back (and spoke about it recently on his now daily POV cooking videos) but I think that’s just one application.
One of the advantages of gelatin is that it’s thermoreversible (which is just a ten dollar way of saying gelatin will remelt with heat). This is contrast to things like starch in gravy which gets pasty after refrigerating. I’ve been trying to use this feature of gelatin in applications like below where the gravy for a shepherd’s pie is a mix of starch and gelatin. Not only will it have good texture even after reheating from the fridge, it also makes certain aspects of cooking easier.
Sorry for the symposium on starch and gelatin, it’s a bit of a hobby horse of mine at the moment. I’m under no illusion I invented these uses- starch and gelatin are some of the most traditional hydrocolloids there are, I just think there are some uses that haven’t 100% entered common knowledge.
Finally made it down the Monsieur Marcels and discovered that their Mercato listings online are pretty darn accurate! I went to go what once a big selection of Rancho Gordo and sadly they had just a few varieties left… Not pictured here are the Chickpeas and the Cassoulet beans…
RG Mexican Hot Chocolate. This is our house hot chocolate. We also use it to make Rick Bayless’ Mexican Chocolate and Pecan Pie Bars (Which we also spike with Kahlua)…
I saw in the post above that it’s going to another a month or so until RG is able to have a stable stock again. I don’t blame them at all as this rush to buy could not have been forseen and Heirloom product is limited by its nature. But I am glad to have another thing to look forward to on the othe side…
Hi @WireMonkey - A few questions. Is the gelatin texture anything like gravy made w/cornstarch? Doesn’t the “starchy” flour gravy also liquefy when reheated? And your Shepherd’s Pie looks delicious. What made the lines on top?
I went to MM this week too and saw the RG stock. Like you, the worker said under normal circumstances that section of shelves would be completely filled w/RG products. I didn’t get beans because I still have a lot or the salt you love because I literally have 6 different kinds of salt, right now. But I remembered you like RG Salsa and the only thing I found with the word “salsa” was this…
Hi @TheCookie! Thanks re: the picture! To answer your questions in order
The original gelatin stock isn’t really much like gravy- it’s basically meat jello of greater or lesser viscosity. I posted this video because I thought it illustrated that really well in slow motion. Plus it’s kind of funny. Once it’s cooked in the beans it does have a texture somewhat akin to gravy but a little less clingy and heavy.
I have seen starchy gravies that melt after cold storage but more often I find myself frustrated by the texture. Frequently when I look at gravy the next day (especially thicker gravies) or stir fries thickened with a lot of cornstarch I find that they are 1) semi solid and 2) upon reheating still retain most of that jiggly texture rather than getting their original liquid form back. That seems to be in line with typical retrogradation (which is not implicitly a bad thing but not what I want for sauces).
If that’s not your experience, I’d certainly like to hear how you make gravy because I love the stuff and it being different the next day drives me bonkers!
I made the lines with a fork- that’s actually a cauliflower mash and I wanted to show that it can have the texture and browning you get from a traditional potato mash topping. Among other things it helps to increase the surface area by running the tines of a fork through to make grooves or piping the mash on in rows, peaks, etc.
Okay, I get it. It’s already in the stock before being added to the sauce or gravy. Good learning.
Cornstarch, I loathe cornstarch in gravy. Imo cornstarch is great with soy sauce, vinegars, sugar, etc. for coating & shellacking. But for gravy I go with a roux.
Looking forward to forking or piping my next Shepherd’s Pie to get that crispier top.
Alubia Blancas (yea! one of my favs)
Flageloet (not one of my favs)
Flor de Mayo (yea! another fav)
Good Mother Stallard (Bean Club fav, I’m on the fence with it)
White Lima Beans (new to me, they’re big beans)
Black Caviar Lentils (super yea! love these things)
Mexican Oregano
It’s a good box, lots of possibilities. I cooked some of the lentils for dinner tonight. Thinking I may do the Flor de Mayos over the weekend with some pork and (raw) salsa verde.
I ordered a bunch of beans 2 weeks ago and they are being delivered on Thursday. Not too long of a wait but they were our of a lot of beans I wanted like pinto, flor de mayo and others. I added lentils for the first time but I was running very low on beans.
This is one of my favorite beans. The texture is creamy. The flavor is mild, slight nuttiness, reminds me more of a white bean than a pink bean. Adapts well to different flavors. Not a particular hearty bean.
Rancho Gordo just dropped new Moro Beans! They had run out even before C19 caused folks to start stockpiling. Think the prettier, more delicious sister of the pinto & black beans - flavor, texture, rich broth!
