6 min read.

Good morning. If you’re from the southern U.S., you’ll be familiar with today’s Frito pie recipe. In other parts of the country, it’s also known as a “walking taco.”

• Indeed, it’s the ultimate portable meal to be enjoyed at a fair or tailgate.

• It also happens to be a great summer backyard meal for hosting: you don’t even need to provide plates; guests can serve themselves right in their own Frito bag!

• If you want to learn more, here’s a short piece on its origins.

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Frito pie

Frito Pie Components

• Individual Frito corn chip bags

• Chili of choice (and lots of it — warmed and ready to go)

  • Buy or make your favorite regional version. Recipe options will be in the Shopping List below.

• Grated cheddar cheese (or queso/melted nacho cheese)

• Optional garnishes: sour cream, sliced jalapenos, diced white onion, or sliced scallions

Instructions

Open the bag: Either open & roll down the top seam of the bag, or lay it flat and slice it open down the middle.

Fill & enjoy: Ladle in a healthy dose of chili, top with cheese and your garnishes of choice, and eat standing with a plastic fork or spoon for the full Frito fair experience.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

Is real vanilla worth it?

Can you get away with just buying imitation vanilla instead of the real (& quite expensive) extract?

Turns out, you sometimes can. Check out the video for all of the taste tests, but here is the general conclusion:

For cooked/baked applications → Imitation vanilla is fine.

• In pancakes, cookies, cakes, etc, it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between vanillas after they’ve been exposed to heat.

In raw applications → Real vanilla extract or beans is worth it.

• In frostings, ice cream, egg nog, whipped cream, etc, you can taste a difference. The nuance of real vanilla comes through, and imitation products give off an artificial and cloying flavor after a few bites.

If you pick up some authentic vanilla, a great way to appreciate the flavor is to make homemade ice cream this summer:

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Homemade ice cream framework

A starting point for a classic French custard base. Adjust the sweetness levels with the sugar, and the richness with the milk or cream fat content or proportions.

Ice Cream Base Ratios (by volume)

• 1 part granulated white sugar

• 1/2 part egg yolks*

• 2 parts heavy cream

• 2 parts whole milk

• Flavor additions of choice, like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry

  • Vanilla guidelines: Use about 1/2 tsp (3 g) extract for every cup in the mix, or 1 whole vanilla bean per 5-6 cups of total volume.

*There are about 6 egg yolks in 1/2 cup of liquid.

Vanilla Ice Cream Instructions

1. Combine mixture: In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Then whisk in milk and cream until smooth. Transfer to a sauce pot and set over low heat.

2. Set the custard: Stir constantly and slowly bring the mixture up to 175°F (79°C), checking frequently with a thermometer. The mixture should lightly thicken by this point and coat a spoon. If not, hold at this temperature (don’t let it go much higher) and whisk for a few more minutes.

3. Add the flavoring: Let the mixture chill, then add the vanilla beans or paste. Adding the vanilla now, instead of before the cooking process, means you’ll preserve the nuanced aromas and flavors. If using other flavors, add those now.

4. Churn & freeze: Use a prepped ice cream maker or alternative churning method to set the chilled custard base into ice cream.

Don’t have an ice cream maker? No problem.

• Try churning in a gallon bag, or using the bowl & mixer method.

• This sweet custard base can be used for a lot more than just ice cream: thicken further for a creme anglaise, or add spices and brandy to drink it as eggnog!

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Plant-based meats

Were plant-based meats a fad, or are they around to stick?

Plant-based products like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger only became widely accessible a few years ago — and they’ve made quite a splash in popular culture and social media.

Is the plant based-meat industry still growing?

• In 2019, Beyond Meat had the most successful stock market debut of any company since the 2008 financial crisis, and later that year, the Impossible Whopper landed on every Burger King menu in the country.

• However, the promising plant-based market slowed down with sluggish 2022 sales, although it’s predicted to keep growing long term.

Why the plateau?

• Plant-based options are often more expensive than animal meat, making them hard to compete with general food inflation prices.

• The health & environmental benefits still seem to be under public debate.

The plant-based meat market signals a consumer base focused on alternative options. Reply to let us know your take on meatless products!

READER Q&A 🧠

Steaks on stainless steel

Question: “When cooking steaks in my carbon steel pan or griddle, the crust is nothing to write home about. But tonight, I decided to give my stainless steel pan a go, and I immediately got a beautiful, textbook crust. Is that weird?” - Tony M

Answer: The difference might have come from the "grippy" nature of stainless steel vs the non-stick qualities of your carbon steel pans.

In Tony's situation, the stainless pan might have “grabbed” onto the steak for the first bit of cooking and thus had better direct contact with the meat for longer, which led to a better sear.

• With stainless steel, proteins adhere and stick to the surface of the pan naturally — and release conveniently when enough browning has happened to break the metal-protein bonds.

• In a nonstick or slick (well-seasoned) carbon steel pan, proteins simply won’t adhere in the same way to the hot surface, and you’ll get uneven browning unless you apply pressure or weight to flatten and manually keep the protein in even contact with the pan.

Next time you’re looking for a textbook crust on a steak — consider reaching for the stainless steel. Alternatively, use weights or a spatula to press down the steak for better contact and crust development on pans with slicker surfaces.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Gram’s buns

This week’s dinner winner is Jeromie P., who made Ethan’s grandmother’s bread rolls. Nicely done, Jeromie!

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

MORE YUMMY CONTENT 🍽️

A Read: 2023 Food & Drink Trends Report​

In a Minute or Less: Why Tuna Salad Rocks​

What We’re Watching: Using Coffee in Cocktails​

Food Science: Thom Kha Soup Framework​

Upgrade Your Feeds: Connect with Ethan everywhere​

READY TO SHOP? 🛒

​✅ Shopping List 7/16​

SPONSORED BY: PICKLED ONION CLUB​

Behind-the-scenes podcast

Every month, the Pickled Onion Club drops 2 exclusive podcast episodes. Hosted by Ethan and the team, you’ll hear in-depth video discussions, community Q&As, behind-the-scenes insights, taste tests, and more.

This week Ethan discussed how he came up with the video “Why I cook meat straight from the freezer,” which recently crossed 1 million views.

Click here for the first 5 minutes of the discussion.

Want to support this newsletter & get the full-length podcast? Check out the community here.