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Do bay leaves actually do anything?

Do bay leaves actually do anything?

+ pork belly, chopped italian subs, and a broth framework

Keith McBrayer & Ethan Chlebowski
September 17, 2023

Good morning…The reader photo submission contest has been fierce! Shoutout to today’s winner Himanshu V. for turning a simple focaccia into artwork!

Just reply to send in your best homemade food photos for a chance at glory…we pick the best submissions (photo and food quality considered) for the dinner winner podium.

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Crispy pork belly

This recipe is great for cooking ahead of time and using throughout the week. Skin-on pork belly lets you get a super crisp chicharron-like crust that contrasts against super tender, juicy meat.

Pork belly ingredients

2-4 lb pork belly section, skin on
Salt

Serving options

In a taco or bao bun
Lettuce wraps
In a sandwich
On ramen

Instructions:

1) Dry brine overnight: Generously sprinkle all sides of the pork with salt. Set skin side up on a wire rack, and let dry brine uncovered for 12-24 hours. This will season the cut and dry out the skin.

2) Slow roast: Add the pork belly to a similarly sized baking pan. Optionally wrap the sides (not the top skin) in foil, to keep the meat from drying out. Roast for 2-3 hours at 135°C/275°F or until the meat is completely tender, and remove from the oven.

3) Crisp up the skin: Turn the oven up to 240°C/465°F. Dry off the skin, and optionally brush or pour over any rendered fat onto the skin. Blast in the oven for 20-35 minutes until the skin puffs and crisps up.

Watch carefully so the skin doesn't go too far and burn.

4) Serve: Let it rest for at least an hour before slicing. Serve on your desired form factor.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

Do bay leaves do anything?

Have you ever wondered if bay leaves actually do anything?

The short answer is yes. But there are 2 caveats:

1) If your bay leaves are old, they won’t make much of a difference.

Bay leaves primarily add aroma to a dish, which changes how we perceive the flavor of what we eat.
After 6 months or a year, most of the aromas will be gone, depending on storage.
Smell bay leaves to test. If they still have a noticeable aroma, they should work.

2) Bay leaves are best activated by heat, which releases trapped aromas within the herb.

They don’t work well if added at the end of cooking or used in a cold dish.
They work best in cooked soups, stocks, or rice dishes.

Adding bay leaves to broth is an easy way to up the flavor with complex aromas. Here’s how we’ve been using our bay leaves:

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Stock/broth framework

What’s the difference between broth and stock?:

Stock is generally made from bones, resulting in a thicker, more gelatinous product. Broth is generally made with meat flesh or just vegetables for a thinner, cleaner-flavored liquid.

Confusingly, this means bone broth is technically a stock.
They can be used interchangeably in recipes, although stock will add a richer mouthfeel.

This is a loose framework…ratios are by approximate volume and not exact at all. Use more of whatever ingredients and flavors you want to be more pronounced.

Stock/broth components

4 parts water
2 parts meat, bones, or vegetable scraps
1 part aromatic base: alliums & aromatic vegetables (like onions, garlic, scallions, carrots, celery, etc.)
1/8 part spices & flavor adjusters: bay leaves, whole dried spices, ginger slices, mushrooms, etc

Instructions

Optional first step: Roast or sear the meat, bones, and any aromatic vegetables until deeply browned.

This gets you a darker, sweeter, and more savory broth.
For a cleaner flavored broth, use unroasted meat and vegetables.

1) Add all components to a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, and then back the heat off until it is barely bubbling.

2) Simmer for as long as you want, between 1-8 hours. The longer you go, the stronger the flavors and the more gelatinous the end product will be. If the liquid reduces too much, you can add more water as needed to prevent burning.

3) Strain into containers and optionally freeze for later use.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Chopped Italian subs

Q: Why is everyone chopping up their sandwich fillings?

A: A year ago (as covered by an early newsletter) our social media feeds were infiltrated by the grinder sandwich, the East Coast-style sub that even Kylie Jenner was making.

This summer, the viral sub-sandwich trend has evolved: people are taking the fillings of an Italian sub and chopping them up before adding them to the bread.

Why are people doing this?

Surprisingly, the tactic makes sense on a culinary level.

1) Chopping the ingredients improves texture & consistency. While it may seem weird, there’s a reason why chicken, egg, and tuna salad sandwiches are so popular:

Each bite is perfectly seasoned, and you can taste all ingredients simultaneously.
The chopping can be taken too far, however — you want to keep the individual ingredients visible and not make the texture too homogenous.

2) Chopping everything together ensures each bite is properly lubricated with mayo, oil, or vinegar, which enhances our perception of the ingredients.

This also prevents dry sandwich bites, which is a reason home sandwiches often fall flat.

Even if chopped fillings aren’t your thing, here are Ethan’s top 3 tips for making a foolproof sub at home.

READER Q&A 🧠

Butterflying chicken breasts

Image: Culinary Hill

Question: What’s the best way to thin out a chicken breast? - Jim H

Answer: Thinning out a chicken breast is key to cooking it quickly and evenly — for more info, check out the deep dive on the science of juicy chicken breast.

Here are some options to thin out a bulbous chicken breast:

1) You can butterfly it by carefully cutting the breast open as if opening a book — with the laying flat, run a knife parallel to the cutting board almost all the way through the meat, but stop before you cut all the way through.

Then, open the breast up and cut/score any lumpy parts until flat.

2) Instead of making the fussy butterfly cut — just slide the knife all the way through to make 2 separate thin pieces.

3) Pound out a whole breast to a uniform thickness with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan.

Just put it in a freezer bag or cling wrap beforehand to keep everything clean.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Focaccia fine art

This week’s dinner winner is Himanshu V., who prepared a beautiful focaccia bread using Ethan’s recipe. Nicely done.

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.