That's a example of one of those things I can't measure in a cup without melting to liquid - butter. No idea how much a stick of it is either.

I always think of shortening as lard but a quick Google seems to suggest it is any fat solid at room temperature, so lard is a shortening but not all shortening.

I keep meaning to try smash burgers with a bit of lard. It has a stupidly high smoke point.

I really like high vinegar ketchup on cheap food.

It definitely has its place.
Edit: the cheap ketchup

I stopped at the amazing Chinese supermarket at Longstone on my drive home from work yesterday and bought some of their char siu pork that's made in-house.
Last night we had it simply with some sticky rice and pak choi, but does anyone have any good recipe ideas that use it?

You can fill baozi with them, used sliced stuff on a noodle soup or, if you have a rice cooker, you can do a ready made pot rice dish with them. Can try to find a decent recipe if any of those take your fancy.

Don't have a recipe I'm afraid. Chinese food is a mystery but my pizza game is great. No knead dough with just 1/4 teaspoon of dried yeast but 24hr slow prove. Shape it into balls, leave for an hour while it puffs up again slightly and it is the most beautiful pizza dough. Done in a dry heavy frying pan and then under a wicked hot grill. It is light with a thin crisp shell and then chewy underneath. It really is top drawer.

I  might start a pizza thread.



Pizza 2.

Yeah it's pretty good. It's very light, each pizza using probably about 120 grams of flour even though it's probs 12 inch (I eyeball it these days). Sarah and Charlie like it so much I'm required to make it once a weekend so I'm getting the practice in. It obvs doesn't have the wood smoke but the temps of base and grill are so high it tastes smoky regardless, or burnt as I like to call it. 

It looks robust but it eats really delicate. Maybe too delicate. It pops like bubble wrap when you shape the dough and isn't like any pizza I've had from most shops. Sarah and Charlie think it's the best thing but they don't appreciate the soupyness of the middle of a Paesanos pizza.

The bit in the middle is pretty thin but the crust is relatively thick, but it's mainly just air.

This is what it looks like before adding the sauce.



I'll start a thread soon because they really are great and require very little work, but you absolutely have to do the dough 24hrs before.

Those pizza's look immense SG!

Try tthe hob grill method! Hosehold ovens just don't cut the mustard. Whack the grill on full. Put the dough like above into a cold pan and add the sauce but no cheese. Put it on full burner, it'll take about 2 mins on the stovetop. When it's nearly ready it'll unstick and will move around in the pan when you shake it. I use a pallette knife to have a look underneath and you might want to turn it 180 in the pan so it crisps up more evenly and prevents hotspots, but you want it to catch a little. You should start to smell a faint whiff of burning when it's ready.

Whck it under the hot grill for a minute, getting it as close to the heat as you can, then take it out turning it 180 ahain and add the mozz, stick it back it until you see some burnt spots on the crust, maybe 2 mins. It's important to add the cheese halfway or it'll be overdone.

My grill is broken. Oven does a decent pizza though, so no bother.

Buy a new one.

I don't have a kitchen table either.