This post is dedicated to my sweet first born child. Whom I adore not more not less than my other kids. But she loves to experiment with food in the kitchen; and when say experiment… I mean it! she enjoys the gastronomy style of it! Not even count that she shows to be stubborn even when following a recipe, for which she loves to change them and for which the existance of this post; to learn how to use the vinegars and to pair them with what she is making.
Original post is from my former blog, and I am transferring today, of course I will be editing my writing so it would not look the same. So if you would like to check on my English writing progress, check out the former blog!
Is the year 2014, my oldest little girl is 19, about to turn 20. This last year and a half she has been living away from home. Avid and curious cook she has become and she is intrigue with little kitchen mysteries that I thought everyone knew for just default. I was brought up in a different scenario, a place were cooking happens since you wake up until dinner time, and I don’t mean a hotel, lol. I mean a Peruvian home were now that I think about it… it pretty much sounds like an Inn; with breakfast, lunch, tea-time, and dinner included.
As Bianca enjoys cooking without recipes and uses her knowledge, (she reads a recipe to understand the recipe, but she likes things her way, and even if I explained, she likes to change it and make them better), for that reason she has asked several times please explain “Which vinegar to use for each food preparation”, so here it is, I will say something though: this post is not based in text books, but more in my experience on cooking, because some people pair their vinegar in a different way than me; but I know she likes her mama’s way !!! and her question did implied “How you do it?”
The most common vinegar are the red and white wine vinegar, those should always be in your home. After that you should always have a balsamic, a rice vinegar and an apple cider vinegar. The rest vinegars are really optional and replaceable. There is also the cheap distilled white, but I do not really like it, because it’s acidity is high, though is good to keep a bottle, as it makes up for a good aid in pickling and good cleaning/disinfectant.
Red Wine Vinegar; is a great choice when using:
- Red onions
- To make escabeches
- As a finishing to a red meat dish
- to make a salad dressing that will accompany a red meat. (1-2-3 Vinaigrette) 1 part ingredient. 2 part acidity, 3 part oil
- To marinate heart beef, hearts in general, liver, and other cow and poultry inside parts
- To quick marinade red meat; but please do not forget what I always say… do not marinade meats with vinegar, only a splash on the last 15-30 minutes
Red Wine Vinegar; is a great choice when using:
- White onions
- To make escabeches
- to make a salad dressing that will accompany a poultry meat. (1-2-3 Vinaigrette) 1 part ingredient. 2 part acidity, 3 part oil
- To quick marinade poultry; but please, more than before, do not forget what I always say… do not marinade meats with vinegar, the acidity of vinegar will break the tissues of poultry very fast only a splash on the last 15-30 minutes. Never overnight this type of marinades and if you do?! at least don’t do breasts, they will come out dry!
Apple Cider Vinegar; and make sure it says “With the Mother”:
- Drink to your health! a little cap-lid brings great benefits
- To pickle vegetables like cauliflower and carrots
- to make a salad dressing when the salad ingredients include fresh fruit. (1-2-3 Vinaigrette) 1 part ingredient. 2 part acidity, 3 part oil
- To make the sweet Christmas salad that daddy love! Mamamama fruit salad!
- To quick marinade pork; but please, same as before, do not forget what I always say… do not marinade meats with vinegar, the acidity of vinegar will break the tissues very fast. Only a splash on the last 15-30 minutes.
- The best BBQ sauce needs apple cider vinegar, remember is a “sweet vinegar”. JUST LIKE YOU my sweet darling girl!!!
Rice Vinegar; and make sure it is traditionally brewed and natural, not season, never season
- More and more I use this vinegar.
- Original brewed from the fermentation of sake.
- The first reference of rice vinegar happens in Japan in the years 1600 from the need and to be use to preserve the rice without refrigeration.
- I like this brand or any brand that certifies Non GMO
- The low and delicate acidity of this vinegar, makes it great for delicate salads that are using light colored greens!
- It is delicate enough that you can use it to finish and to hint your dish with acidity at the end.
- Pair with all your Asian cooking needs. Sweet and Sour anyone; specially if you do not have tamarind; restaurants usually will use an off brand of rice vinegars in theirs.
- Try to find, but is hard, a rice vinegar like the original one made from the sake in a complete natural way.
- and just in case, Asian slows, sushi, stir-fries, etc!
Balsamic Vinegar
- First of all, I am still learning and understanding this vinegar.
- Second, the brand matters! while the preparations allows to add caramelize flavoring, it is better if it has none or little.
- It comes from the must (the grapes leftover after making wine) it is cooked and ferment in wood barrels.
- It has a great wooden flavor with acidity. A bad one will have a sour taste with no sweet notes.
- You can find, regular balsamic, reduction of balsamic by cooking(called glaze), and aged balsamic glaze (this one is the best, balsamic naturally concentrates into a thicker liquid inside the barrels)
- Uses: dressings for salads that have mushrooms, fruits, beef, chicken pork, because it enhances flavor you can really try it on anything.
- At home I have three, the glaze, the natural glaze, and if cooking I use the regular one.
- Your mama adds it at the end of marinara to balance the acidity of tomato.
Well my girl, these are some of my basic ideas on how I cook our food, ask when you try to use a new vinegar, there are so many around; but always use your taste buds. I heard of a beer vinegar that I am dying to get my hands on it!!! Beer goes awesome with sausages, so I will look into German recipes to use that one, maybe even the sauerkraut!!
There you go, I hope it helps you. With Love, your Mom.
Chef Freyka's Kitchen 