So let me just say that as many of you know I was pretty sure that conquering the chicken butchering was going to be my biggest obstacle. And although not a lot of women can admit when they are wrong I am one that can. So let me just say I WAS WRONG!! For some reason watching the demo of the lamb leg dissection made me pretty darn green. I don't know if it just looked too much like a lamb, had too much fat, tendons and bones or if I just wasn't feeling well that day. But whatever it was it was not my favorite!!




The rest of the class, thankfully, went really well. The highlight being the creme brulee torch. I was definitely a little afraid of it at first as I had visions of being the first student to set her chefs coat on fire, however once I had that torch in my hand, all was right with the world. It was the huge industrial size torch and I pretty much wanted to play with it all day. However, my Mom did teach me how to share, so I did my creme brulee and passed it on like I was supposed to. But my birthday is in August and I want a torch!!


I was actually really surprised by how easy creme brulee was to make. I always just assumed that since it was on fancy restaurant menus it would be challenging, over complicated and disastrous for me to attempt. However, it truly is just a custard that is baked in a water bath and then you sprinkle it with sugar and torch. If you are unfamiliar with water baths, you just put the ramekins in a cookie sheet with slightly higher sides, fill the sheet with water about half way up the ramekin and let it bake with the water. The water bath just adds moisture to the oven which eliminates cracks in such things as custards or cheesecakes.

Now here are a few pork, veal and lamb tidbits that I acquired this week:

• When cooking lamb you do not want to keep most of the fat on the cut of meat as it has a very strong taste.
• Fell is a paper like outside covering on pork. It is also referred to as silver skin and you do want to remove it.
• The anatomy and cuts on a pork, veal and lamb are very similar and so they are butchered in very much the same way. 
• Always butcher meat cold cause it is firm and easier to cut.
• When cutting meat use a boning knife and always use the point of the knife as your guide.