A "poor person hack"

Back in the 90s I had duck at a Chinese restaurant, really enjoyed it. I tried to fix duck at home, it was a greasy disaster.
I haven't had lamb but a couple times, enjoyed it though, and would like to fix it myself. I might have to find a local source as the supermarket doesn't carry lamb
 

Jazzy1 said:
Not really a hack but I ask myself "are you buying this because you want it or because you need it"? Lots of times, I realize I don't really need it as much as I want it. Therefore, I wait 3 days before making a decision. If I have forgotten about the item after the 3 day wait, then I really didn't need it.
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In my defence they were only 98 cents.

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I first bought one. Buying it I thought: Doesn't he need a friend? Don't be so childish. One is fine. Showed my son. We need more don't we? Yes we do! I bought 13 of em lol.
 
Nathan said:
Back in the 90s I had duck at a Chinese restaurant, really enjoyed it. I tried to fix duck at home, it was a greasy disaster.
I haven't had lamb but a couple times, enjoyed it though, and would like to fix it myself. I might have to find a local source as the supermarket doesn't carry lamb
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Lamb is a very common if expensive meat here, all supermarkets sell it..

The trick with Duck is to prick the skin all over with a fork... cook it on a rack.. and then drain the fat off half way through cooking..

To save me typing it all out.. here's a video




with lamb, do the same and check a youtbe video.... but remember if you get a tougher joint,, like leg or shoulder, it will need long cooking.. chops and steaks need much shorter cooking.. serve it with mint/ cranberry or apple sauce...
 
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I don't know. Coming from depression era parents and growing up poor I just live a lot of things that I don't consider hacks.
My Mom was a wonder with leftovers and I inherited that.

We put our "garbage" in used emptied plastic bags like shredded cheese bags and at the end of the day I put it in the garage freezer. That way we take out the trash less by pushing it down until completely full. We only travel to the trash/recycle place along with other trips. We always try to combine trips.
I try to only buy toiletries or condiments, etc. in bottles that can be turned upside down when nearing empty.
I recycle lots of throw aways.

I'm known to buy "new" thrift clothing and tailor it into something I can use.
Lots of little things.
I use a small binder clip to hang my brillo pad up behind my sponge caddy. It stays dry and lasts a long time.
I make a lot of my own bug sprays and cleaners.
 
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Tommy said:
Skinless chicken breast has the highest protein to calorie ratio of any common meat. White fish like haddock and cod are second. I think of these as "smart man's meals". :)
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I eat fish several times a week.. night before last I had fish pie which contained Smoked Haddock, salmon, & cod...

In my fridge right now I have Hot Smoked trout....


I eat chicken often.. probably once a week... but it's classed as a poor man's meal now due to intensive breeding...
 
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Jazzy1 said:
Not really a hack but I ask myself "are you buying this because you want it or because you need it"? Lots of times, I realize I don't really need it as much as I want it. Therefore, I wait 3 days before making a decision. If I have forgotten about the item after the 3 day wait, then I really didn't need it.
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If I see something on-line that appeals to me, I will bookmark it. Now and then I go through the bookmarks and wonder why I wanted it in the first place.
 
Ronni said:
If I need to stretch hamburger meat, or if a recipe calls for a filler, instead of crackers or breadcrumbs I’ll use oatmeal.

I keep my in-use SOS pad in the freezer so it doesn’t rust.

When my plastic shower curtain liner starts getting dingy, I run it through the wash with my white towels and a bit of bleach, then hang it back up on the shower rod to dry
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I didn't know that about SOS pads. Thanks for the tip.
 
Dead battery in a VW bug. Park on a downhill slope and the road being clear for about 25 yards. Hop in turn the key on, hop back out push the car forward fast with the open door and steering wheel. Get to a gallop, jump back in put it in 2nd gear ,pop the clutch...wah la. Car going...yea. :)
 
hollydolly said:
Lamb is a very cmmon if expensive meat here, all supermarkets sell it..

The trick with Duck is to prick the skin all over with a fork... cook it on a rack.. and then drain the fat off half way through cooking..

To save me typing it all out.. here's a video




with lamb, do the same and check a youtbe video.... but remember if you get a tougher joint,, like leg or shoulder, it will need long cooking.. chops and steaks need much shorter cooking.. serve it with mint/ cranberry or apple sauce...
Click to expand...
I attended a conference in Hong Kong many years ago and we Americans were told we had to try Peking Duck. 4 of us went to a Chinese restaurant the day before because apparently that is the etiquette, and it was ready the next evening. It was one of the tastiest dishes I've ever had!

Re: chicken, we eat a lot of it in various forms. We just had a Jolibee open near us, which is pretty much fast food Filipino fried chicken with really tasty brown gravy. It fed the family when they were staying here, and we used the air fryer to heat up any left-overs. Chicken truly is a "poor person's hack" but it can be served in so many different ways.

We only have lamb when we go to our local Greek restaurant and have it in gyros. The owner is from Athens and his food is authentic!
 
hollydolly said:
Lamb is a very cmmon if expensive meat here, all supermarkets sell it..

The trick with Duck is to prick the skin all over with a fork... cook it on a rack.. and then drain the fat off half way through cooking..

To save me typing it all out.. here's a video




with lamb, do the same and check a youtbe video.... but remember if you get a tougher joint,, like leg or shoulder, it will need long cooking.. chops and steaks need much shorter cooking.. serve it with mint/ cranberry or apple sauce...
Click to expand...
drooling.jpeg
 
C50 said:
Here's for sure one of my poor person hacks.

I grew up poor and when I got hurt there was no running to the doctor or hospital, way to exspensive. One thing my dad was good at was putting in stitches to close up wounds, and he stiched me up plenty of times.

Guess what? I still put in my own stitches if I'm able. For years I used a sewing needle and thread, just like my dad used, or dental floss, or fishing string, all of which have drawbacks. These days I use actual stitch kits purchased from Amazon, and boy does the right kind of needle and string work better!

So yes, these days I have insurance and can easily afford the cost to have it done, but...I do a good job, can get it done in a few minutes and it hardly cost me anything.
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Why do you need all this stitching? I'm impressed but gee!
 
Nathan said:
@hollydolly , Amazing to watch a professional chef at work, my cooking is at such a simple level, no wonder I ruined the duck. :unsure:
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aw don't be hard on yourself, duck isn't easy unless you know what todo precisely...

I peronally only ever use Duck breast, not whole duck.. and to cook those you pretty much just have to dry the fat with a paper towel as dry as you can possibly get it this is SUPER important .... then prong or slash the fat as shown... .. but don't cut the meat beneath.. ( this video shows them adding 5 spice, but you wouldn't usually do this unless you love it ).... but its important then to sprinkle a good coating of salt all over the fat side.. seasalt, or kosher salt, is best

.. and in less than ten miutes you have the perfect tender duck breast


Quick video below...
 

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