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[side_show]

So what your saying is that food-like substances can be used to substitute for food?  I don't know if I've ever tasted a McRib sandwich.  I don't think I have, though the opportunity is pretty much open.  It's quite low on the list of things I'd ever choose to eat.  In fact, given the choice to eat a McRib or not eat at all, even if quite hungry,   I'd still likely choose not to eat a McRib.  The faux bones really creep me out for some reason.

Today I substituted what were labelled as "colossal prawns" for shrimp in a red curry stew.  Prawns larger than the size of a human thumb are truly a thing of beauty.  Needless to say, it was successful.  I sort of think that's an upgrade rather than a substitution though.

Sad news: due to being sort of overwhelmed with things, I forgot about the once beautiful package steak on the bottom shelf of the fridge.  $15 worth of steak turned greenish grey and slimy and tossed in the garbage is pretty tragic.

[pmcd9]

Sad news: due to being sort of overwhelmed with things, I forgot about the once beautiful package steak on the bottom shelf of the fridge.  $15 worth of steak turned greenish grey and slimy and tossed in the garbage is pretty tragic.

I had a turkey go bad in the refrigerator.  I had to throw 15 pounds of meat in the bin.  I hated to do that.

As for the McRib, I had one back when they were a new thing, back in the 70s.  I didn't think it was terrible, but it wasn't something I ever wanted again.  But I really hate the bullshit fake limited time only thing that McDonalds does.  What I hate even more is that I've known people too fuck*ng stupid to realize that it's a fake thing.  That McDonalds is not going to take the McRib away forever, that it's always going to come back.

[theinevitable]

What I've heard is that the McRib uses enough pork trimmings that the price of pork trimmings goes up really rapidly once they reintroduce it (since Americans eat a lot more chicken than pork). This conveniently fits into their marketing scheme.

I am starting to worry that the many lbs of (real) ribs in my freezer have somehow become freezer burnt. It shouldn't matter, right? Since you cook ribs for so long at such high temperatures? I'd like to think that that means any freezer effect on their texture will not be too noticeable.

[Arachno-capitalist]

Re:sideshow
I'm not harshing the Mcrib, but no one can deny it is one blatantly weird thing.

Re:Inev
I've encountered freezer burn and (probably like you) know people in the food service industry, it is okay for food things.

[jay-ell]

I think my pork chops are freezer burnt, I'm going to trim off the burnt bits and serve them in a stir-fry.

On Sunday I was all prepared to make a ragout recipe that is usually simmered on the stovetop for 2 hours, but since I had to take my kids to hockey practice, I did it in the crock pot for 4 hours instead. It was fabulous, and when we came back in all chilly from the ice rink, the scent of beef and wine pervaded the whole house. Does changing a recipe's cooking method count as a good-ass substitution?

[AugustWest]

Freezer burned meat won't hurt you, but it doesn't taste good. 

I like McRibs.  It's one of the two McDonald's foods that I can actually stand (Egg McMuffin's the other).  Although lately I"ve been eating these:

[Carlos del Vaca]

Yeah, if I have freezer burned meat I will cook it in something heavily sauced, or in a braise or other preparation where you cook the hell out of it.

[theinevitable]

yeah, that is what I was thinking. Cooking ribs is basically cooking them so long that the meat is breaking down anyway, right?

[jay-ell]

Mine are just barely freezer burnt, just on one edge, but I decided to throw them all in the crock pot with some prepared spaghetti sauce and call it "pork cacciatore."

[wombat]

You don't even need a straw, just suck the air out of the last bit of the opening before you close it all the way.

[CortJstr]

I've never had a McRib. But I have had my school cafeteria's version. A knock-off McRib. Terrifying.

[jay-ell]

I have one of those fancy ziplock hand-vacuum pump things, and the ever-so-slightly freezer burnt chops were in one of those special bags with all the air sucked out. Either they'd been in the freezer a little longer than usual, or the bag had some kind of microscopic tear.

Either way, they did just fine in the slow cooker slathered in tomato sauce. Not one of my best recipes, but not bad for a salvage job.

[theinevitable]

yeah, I would LOVE a slow-cooker. I think some people (Ebert) basically use a rice cooker as one, but I haven't tried that yet.

These ribs are still in the packaging they were in at the store. Rookie mistake, I guess.

[CortJstr]

My rice cooker has a "slow cooker" setting but I think ti's way too hot. My mom used to cook italian sausage in tomato sauce all day. I tried that in my rice cooker. After like an hour I used a probe thermometer in the sausage to see how it was doing and it was 212 in the center. I'm no slow cooker expert but that seems too hot to me.

[jay-ell]

Dudes, go to Target and get yourself one of these. It is under $20, there is really no excuse not to have one. If $20 is too much of a stretch, put it on your Christmas list; moms and girlfriends love to buy kitchen appliances for the men in their lives.

I have three slow cookers, one of them is this same model and it is the one I use absolutely the most. It's just right for 2 - 4 people, or for cooking up a big batch of something and then freezing the leftovers for quick dinners later. There are cheaper ones, but they sometimes don't have all 3 settings you need (high, low, and warm). When you've got your cooker, come back here and we will start a thread with slow cooker recipes for you.

Do you know what is wonderful? Prepping food before you go to work in the morning and arriving home to the wonderful aroma of a slow-cooked meal just waiting for you to grab a plate and dive in. Truly, truly, this is a thing you can live without, but why would you want to?  

(Edit: I just fixed your link.)