Brisket tough every time

[keith157]

Good luck and wild boar as well,

[robgunby]

Well it was certainly less tough than I've made before. A lot less. Still not quite fork tender, but very good nonetheless. Mrs G was pleased at least! I took it to 195 F, having foiled it with some jus at 150 F.

The boar / mangalitsa leg was a little disappointing. I cooked it to 200 F and pulled it. It was tender and moist, but didn't have the wonderful mouthfeel of slow cooked shoulder. I think the distinct leg flavour (even more gamey on this boar) would have been done a better service by simply roasting in the oven with crackling, and served up with apple sauce. Hey ho! A lesson learned - cheapo pork shoulder is much better than expensive leg!

[keith157]

Leg doesn't have the amount of connective tissue and fat to enable it to pull properly, be it piggy, lambie or boar.

[robgunby]

Late update on this - it pulled perfectly, despite the lack of connective tissue. Just wasn't as pleasing as shoulder when it came to eating. My butcher maintains that any piece of meat will shred if cooked long and slow enough.

[keith157]

Late update on this - it pulled perfectly, despite the lack of connective tissue. Just wasn't as pleasing as shoulder when it came to eating. My butcher maintains that any piece of meat will shred if cooked long and slow enough.

Yes I've had Chinese CRISPY duck before long slow cooked

[robgunby]

At the risk of going completely off topic you've just reminded me of a recipe I have been meaning to try for crispy duck, which I might try for a starter on Christmas day.

It involves marinading the duck in rice wine and seasoning overnight, then begin separating the skin as if to stuff the bird, but instead, then inflating it by blowing into it. The separation causes the skin to crisp incredibly when the bird is roasted, whilst the rendering fat marinates the flesh better thanks to the separation too. Apparently the "proper" way to serve it is without the flesh - just the skin, saving the flesh for soups, noodles etc. Omanomnom.....

[keith157]

Yes and in London's Chinatown in the late 70's you could see young boys with bicycle pumps doing that job in the back of the kitchens. I'm sure that they would have been clean and sterile of course...................