Cubed Ham/Bacon (Read 415 times)

mab411


Proboscis Colossus

    Debated putting this in Health and Nutrition, but I think it would fit in a little more here...

     

    I want to try a recipe that calls for "4 ounces slab bacon or smoked ham, cubed."

     

    Talked to the butchers - or at least, the people behind the counter - at the biggest fresh foods/whole foods-type store in the area, and they didn't have that.  At least, not cubed small enough that I think this recipe is calling for (in the picture, looks like about 1/4-1/2-inch cubes).  The head butcher said he might be able to do a custom job for me, but that kind of talk makes me think I may have the wrong idea of what I need.

     

    I'm obviously pretty new to cooking.

     

    So, later, I'll try to see if this recipe is on the internet anywhere where I can link to it (it's out of Runner's World), but in the meantime, does anyone know exactly what I'm talking about, and what I need to ask them to do?

    "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

      You buy ham. Then you take a knife and cut it into cubes. Same thing you'd do if the recipe said "diced red pepper". You'd dice it. Or chopped onion. You'd chop 'em. It's a DIY job man. You can do this.

      Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
      We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

        Then you take a knife

         

        Wait. So you're saying we're allowed to use tools? Okay, wow, that changes everything.

        Runners run


        Latent Runner

          Debated putting this in Health and Nutrition, but I think it would fit in a little more here...

           

          I want to try a recipe that calls for "4 ounces slab bacon or smoked ham, cubed."

           

          Talked to the butchers - or at least, the people behind the counter - at the biggest fresh foods/whole foods-type store in the area, and they didn't have that.  At least, not cubed small enough that I think this recipe is calling for (in the picture, looks like about 1/4-1/2-inch cubes).  The head butcher said he might be able to do a custom job for me, but that kind of talk makes me think I may have the wrong idea of what I need.

           

          I'm obviously pretty new to cooking.

           

          So, later, I'll try to see if this recipe is on the internet anywhere where I can link to it (it's out of Runner's World), but in the meantime, does anyone know exactly what I'm talking about, and what I need to ask them to do?

           

          My local meat market keeps rashers of bacon from which they can cut slices from paper thin to nice and thick.  I suspect most specialty meat markets are no different, just go in and ask for a 1" slice; you'll be good to go.  Smile

          Fat old man PRs:

          • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
          • 2-mile: 13:49
          • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
          • 5-Mile: 37:24
          • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
          • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
          • Half Marathon: 1:42:13
          Slo


            Suddenly the pre-diced ham in the nice little convenient vacuum packed wrapper makes sense. About three times the price as a Ham steak but hey...you don't need a knife!

            TeaOlive


            old woman w/hobby

              You buy ham. Then you take a knife and cut it into cubes. Same thing you'd do if the recipe said "diced red pepper". You'd dice it. Or chopped onion. You'd chop 'em. It's a DIY job man. You can do this.

              This.

               

               

              Or you can usually find cubed ham vacuum packed somewhere near the cold cuts

              or packaged ham slices.

              steph  

               

               


              Latent Runner

                Maybe I'm just a food snob, but any recipe which calls for cubed bacon or cubed smoked ham will ONLY get cubed uncured/smoked bacon in my kitchen; the flavor is that much better.

                Fat old man PRs:

                • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                • 2-mile: 13:49
                • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                • 5-Mile: 37:24
                • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                • Half Marathon: 1:42:13
                mab411


                Proboscis Colossus

                  Like I said, people, I'm pretty new to cooking.  Undecided

                   

                  My first thought when I saw that ingredient was that I'd probably do exactly what Gville Kevin said, then I remembered my experience cutting up a raw chicken breast into strips for fajitas awhile back.  Believe it or not, it did not go well, so I decided I'd rather buy it already cubed.

                   

                  The chicken fajita failing seemed to be that I couldn't...what's the best way to put this...I couldn't get the chicken breast to stay still enough for me to get any precision on the cuts.  Kept rolling around when I'd press down with the knife, and I ended up with...well, I ended up with "strips" that were more cubes than strips, so I guess I just need to try my hand at fajita bacon strips.  Which doesn't sound too bad, actually.

                   

                  I could be that the knife wasn't sharp enough, but I dunno...I don't know what metric I could use to describe sharpness, but it's my sharpest knife.

                  "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people


                  A Saucy Wench

                    Ham is pre cooked so it is really easy to cube, not like raw chicken (which you can make easier to cube/slice if you stick it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes - partially frozen chicken won't have the chewy strings that wont cut)  Get a ham steak, seriously.

                    I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                     

                    "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                    DaBurger


                      first rule of cooking, precision is overrated.

                      Know thyself.

                       

                      Slo


                         

                         

                        The chicken fajita failing seemed to be that I couldn't...what's the best way to put this...I couldn't get the chicken breast to stay still enough for me to get any precision on the cuts.  Kept rolling around when I'd press down with the knife, and I ended up with...well, I ended up with "strips" that were more cubes than strips, so I guess I just need to try my hand at fajita bacon strips.  Which doesn't sound too bad, actually.

                         

                        Pound out the chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Season and cook until 2/3rds done. (raw center). Then slice...and always have a sharp knife.

                         

                        To avoid making a mess I place the breast between two peices of saran wrap.

                        zoom-zoom


                        rectumdamnnearkilledem

                          To avoid making a mess I place the breast between two peices of saran wrap.

                           

                          We're still talking about chicken, right…?

                          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                               ~ Sarah Kay

                          Slo


                             

                            We're still talking about chicken, right…?

                            Slo


                              Big grin


                              #artbydmcbride

                                not the sharpest knife in the drawer?  Get a Ginzu knife....they sell them late at night on TV

                                 

                                Runners run