Asiatic Water Buffalo. Anybody out there who wants to come along for the ride?

[moikel]

It turned out pretty good. Would soak it for longer next time to balance the fact that its not simmered as per makers intentions. Mix was 5 star but need to be on guard about heat if using fresh garlic.  Dont want that burnt/bitter  taste. Stock & steam good option.,Thanks cowgirl

.In fridge now lunch tomorrow.Would leave salt out of rub or back it off a bit. Theres a pork cut here that they now call scotch fillet used to be neck. Got my you beauty brining needle today so might have a shot at a smoked german style pork neck,apple cider /vinegar ,mustard seed,juniper berry feel as a further tune up before the big jump to buffalo. They are from raw in cure with nitrates so I might benefit from a lesson on  3lb of pork neck before 13pound of water buffalo. Thanks for input

 

[Bearcarver]

Nice Job Moikel !!!

Looks Great !!

Thanks,

Bear

 

[meateater]

Moikel, that looks great. I'd grab that if you looked away. 

 

[alaskanbear]

Outstounding sir!!  

Rich

 

[moikel]

Alaska Bear I am fascinated by the salmon you do 

.I eat it every chance I get when Im in Canada,love that Indian candy. We have great fish down here but different. This pastrami thing is interesting,that basturma mix I  put together is an adaption of a rub that goes on air dried beef. It will need some tweaking but its who knows 500 years old. Maybe more. The water buffalo is coming ,got my brining injector needle now,going out to get a 2nd fridge,actually 3rd fridge now. This smoking is addictive. Thanks for the

 

[moikel]

Buffalo ordered 2x topsides coming thursday

Learning curve already begun, got a cheap fridge on w/e.Product called total cure from butchers supply,even found a great old fashioned grocers scale in my travels. Clearing the decks,stay tuned for buffalo basturma/pastrami.

 

[moikel]

Monster fish downunder was just on cable.Nothing to do with smoking but an American fish biologist called Zeb Hogan got acquainted with Murray Cod.He was fishing with people I  knew,fishing in waters I fished as a kid with my late father.The Murrumbidgee River,big water in Aboriginal,all around my home town Narrandera ,place of the frill neck lizard clan in Warudguri dialect. The river that ran past the family farm,Nostalgia is a powerful thing. If you see it on cable its only 50 minutes. Water buffalo coming soon.

 

[Bearcarver]

Monster fish downunder was just on cable.Nothing to do with smoking but an American fish biologist called Zeb Hogan got acquainted with Murray Cod.He was fishing with people I  knew,fishing in waters I fished as a kid with my late father.The Murrumbidgee River,big water in Aboriginal,all around my home town Narrandera ,place of the frill neck lizard clan in Warudguri dialect. The river that ran past the family farm,Nostalgia is a powerful thing. If you see it on cable its only 50 minutes. Water buffalo coming soon.

I can't help it, every time I read one of your great posts, I think of Crocodile Dundee (one of my favorites) !!!

Thanks,

Bear

 

[moikel]

Im a big soft city boy now,but its funny how you see something that reminds you of life in the bush. That big fish show was so good just watched it again on the +2 channel. I learnt a lot about stuff from being around real "bushies",way more in tune to nature than me . City life can be a bit monochromatic you can take the boy out of the country but you cant take the country out of the boy.

 

[moikel]

Water buffalo has landed. What did I  learn today as per Dave Womack .I learnt that its the Nepalese community that drives the demand in Sydney for buff They make curry,samosa's,dumplings ,shish kebab & a version of jerky called Sukuti. Hindu's cant eat cows but can eat buffalo,so its popular right through Sth India. Egyptians eat it others in Asia will eat it if its Ha"lal. It turns up in Chinese cookery as a beef substitute but its been pulling a plough so its all about slow braise.Charming ,smiling Nepalese guys who delivered it wished me luck

Its lean really lean. So I  need to think it through. Ive put one entire topside into cure,put nitrates product" total cure ".salt,brown sugar,beer ,coriander seed,black pepper.salt water. Im keeping it simple .I will jazz it up at later stage/.I gave it a trim of sinew but left fat alone theres so little of it! I injected cure with you beauty brining needle.  I  figure I  leave it for a week,soak it in fresh water for 12 hours to =ize then rub it with my version of basterma which was a big hit already with  family of Greek -Egyptian girl at work.Topside 2 will go in deep freeze until I  come up with something,masterstock or maybe an Indonesian beef rendang,or really slow curry with coconut  . Dont know yet. Photos held up by computer glitch hope to post soon. Any suggestions as to what I  do most appreciated.

 

[moikel]

OK  here it is,about 10-11 lb.See what I  mean about lean,Ill freeze 3 bits until I get a handle on it as a product or maybe 2 bits & try out a Northern Chinese hotpot.

 

[moikel]

Never was the patient type I dying to find out what this tastes like. So Im going to smoke one this w/e. Ill marinate it now,red wine,garlic,pepper,bit of balsamic vinegar, thyme,bay leaf,orange peel.At least overnight,drain it pat it dry,rub it with cracked pepper,some mustard maybe,stud it with a bits of spring garlic then wrap it in caul fat.Put it in low & slow over some hickory,baste it with marinade & just see where that takes me. Might serve it with a hot salad of roasted beets,red onions,garlic,+goatsheese,& walnuts.Bit of balsamic vinegar dressing.I took my butcher buddy some smoked spanish mackeral so Im in good books. Dig around in cellar & find biggest,meanest bottle of shiraz have it sunday night to fortify me for the working week

 

[terry colwell]

I like the color of the meat, its that DARK RED that Im always looking for. I seen them chunks on your cutting board and the first thing that popped into my head was ,,,BEEF JERKY...lol

 

[moikel]

The Nepalese make a jerky out of it,I have not tried  to make jerky out of anything.If about the colour of the meat then kangaroo or even emu would be first choice. Kangaroo is in supermarkets here but its super lean,tricky to serve unless you eat your meat rare.

 

[moikel]

Caul fat wrapped around it,marinated for 24 hours. Ready for smoker later today.

 

[moikel]

 

[moikel]

Having a few computer glitches here.meant to post this one first. Its tender,sweet flavoured topside afterall. It would work as a Nth Chinese hotpot,an Indonesian rendang or even a French daube or Italian straccatto (pot roast) .Pastrami/basterma still the new frontier.

 

[terry colwell]

Man that looks good!!!!

 

[SmokinAl]

That looks absolutely delicious!

 

[moikel]

It did taste delicious ,pretty tender for topside as well. Im going to have it again tonight ,cold. Always a good test,bit of mustard not much else to try & get a better handle on the flavour. I think the caul fat,crepinette in french? helped,it melts away to just about nothing & has no real flavour itself but does a great job of keeping things from drying out. I figure I  might use it again when I  try to do pastrami/basterma to stop the fresh garlic in the crust/rub from burning. My butcher is happy to give it to me as long as I  keep bringing him smoked spanish mackeral. Gotta love that barter economy. 

It went well with a big old shiraz I dug out ,bit too well opened 2nd bottle or was it  a 3rd,but also celebrating Australia beating New Zealand in the Rugby.