Nate-Dogg's Stupid Mayonnaise Tricks: The Mayo Sear (and Others)

 

Man'naise No Way I'm Ever Getting Tired of This Joke

Seriously, Tarver would say it at the Woodlance at least once every other day.  If you listened to the recent episode of the podcast featuring Tarver King, the baddest man alive, you're aware of how completely infectious that guy's sense of humor is, and you'll want to make stupid mayonnaise puns, too!

Anyway, this is a continuation of the deep dive into mayo I did recently.  {Eww.  -JS}  Here's the link.  We've already covered what the best mayo to buy is, and how to make your own.  Now, it's time to get into some pretty cool tricks you can do with it, including one that you probably haven't heard about.  Let's start with:

The Mayonnaise Sear

Why mayonnaise searing/roasting is awesome:

In mayonnaise, you have very small droplets of oil surrounded by yolk.  The yolk and lecithin will help adhere the oil droplets better to wet ingredients, which is most ingredients.  Remember proteins, as with most ingredients, are basically wet sponges of water (easily ⅔%  water) with some other stuff swirled in.  At it's most basic, the definition of cooking is the application of heat to food to CONTROL moisture, both exterior and interior moisture.  How can mayonnaise help with this?

Mayo is obviously thicker than oil, so you get a gel-like barrier to fill in gaps between ingredient and heat source, be they grates on a grill or pan.  This can get you better heat transfer, as opposed to a thin film from oil.  Fewer flare-ups and mess when grilling are just one advantage. Oil will obviously work fine at the task of filling in those air gaps between ingredient and heat source, connecting the thermal links, but a thicker paste can make a more consistent link.   

Because of the gel-like properties, it also significantly aids in release from hot surfaces, especially things that really like to stick to a grill, like fish or the old favorite, skinless chicken breasts.  Mayo also provides moisture retention, that is, it helps to keep ingredients from drying out.  I've also been working with it to aid in post-searing ingredients that have been cooked sous-vide with very good results. 

Water in the mayonnaise will help conduct heat faster than plain oil. The water will accelerate the heat transfer.  Another benefit of the water in the oil is that when heated, the oil deteriorates slightly, which improves browning.  It's related to why used fryer oil browns things better than new oil, because the fatty acids in the phospholipids have slightly broken down. 

Lastly, another way oil aids in browning is that the proteins in the egg yolk and any added sugars can take great color in a grill or broiler.  

All in all, the mayo sear is a decent trick to learn. 

Here's a Quick Photo Series Showing the Process on Some Sous-Vide Steaks

1) The steaks have been cooked in a bag to the desired external temperature.

2) The steaks have been brushed with a good layer of mayo.

3) The steaks are given a quick sear in a hot pan.

And 4) Look at that color!

Other Mayo Sear-Notes

As I said earlier, it works great for grilled fish!  Adding a very thin layer to fish, with a pastry brush,  is an excellent technique for grilling fish, especially delicate ones.  Anyone that's ever tried to grill a fish, especially one with the skin off, will tell you how hard this is, and the gel-like properties  will exponentially help release from the grates.

Grilled Cheese: This topic often sparks an argument as the best fat for the classic sammy, I attest that mayo works outstandingly.  I can see why the technique has a cult-like following, but the kids balk at the added, subtle tang from the mayo.  Little goddamn aristocrats.  So I stick with all butter for the kiddos.  However, if left to my own devices, I favor a combo of both mayo and butter for the rare adult grilled cheese that i’ll make.  (But here's a pro tip that's counte intuitive, the best grilled cheese technique I've found, regardless of your lipid of choice; start that bad boy in a cold pan for an ultimate cook.)  And try a dollop of mayo in your butter for badass cheesy garlic bread.

Other Mayo Tricks:

Add a tablespoon or two to lean ground meat for some much needed fat, moisture retention, and a kick start the browning on those turkey “burgers” (I know,  I know, lame...)

Add some to your marinades, they are perfect for it, being fat and acid in suspension. 

Brush some on the whole chicken and turkey that's to be roasted. 

Elotes!!!  AKA Mexican street corn.  The magic is in the mayonnaise.  (Topped off with crumbled cheese, salt, lime juice, and hot pepper.  Sounds a little weird, but don't knock it till you've tried it.)

How about baked goods?  You've probably heard of chocolate mayonnaise cake.  Yeah, it's awesome, but a topic for another day.  While i've never tried adding it to biscuit dough,  I've read that adding some works well.  It makes sense to me. Please let me know if you've ever tried it.  Maybe Jesse and I will do a blog post about it one of these days.

Want more?  I got more...

How about as a replacement for egg wash for breaded items?  Instead of a traditional flour, egg wash, and breadcrumb, rub your chicken or pork cutlets with salt and whatever seasoning you're using, then lightly coat the meat in mayonnaise.  You can let them sit (refrigerated) until you're ready to pan-fry.  Then, press the meat into breadcrumbs or whatever crunchy coating you're into.  The mayonnaise keeps the meat moist and binds the seasonings to the surface adding more flavor. It's a really good trick!

Try its as a marinade for meat or vegetables.  Start by simply mixing in fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper, or whatever.  A short 30 to 60 minute soak will do the trick, then grill em off. You get less flare-ups, and extra protein in the egg adds extra surface char, while adding sweeter flavors than you’d get with bitter acrid oil-based flare ups.  

Jesse, you got anything?  {Not much, that was pretty comprehensive.  One thing I can add is that because mayo is an emulsion, it can take fatty liquids or watery liquids as add-ins without breaking.  This is the secret to the New Orleans roast beef po'boy.  Here's how you build one.  Sear a piece of top round, before braising it till it's ready to fall apart in water mixed with Minor's beef base (we gettin' authentic up in heah, chere).  Add a bunch of garlic, sliced onions, and creole seasoning (watch the salt, Minor's base and creole seasoning are both really salty).  Once it's all cooked down, it will be sitting in this seasoned, greasy, french-onion-soup-meets-au-jus broth.  Then, take a po'boy loaf (which is a soft baguette with a light, airy crumb, and a crackly crust), and spread it with way too much mayo.  Using a slotted spoon, lift a generous amount of beef out of the gravy.  A lot will drain off, but a lot will ride along.  Put this down in the mayo, and top it with shredded iceberg lettuce, thick slices of ripe roma tomato, and dill pickle chips.  Wrap it all in a newspaper, and don't eat this wearing a shirt or tie you like.  What happens, is the mayo co-mingles with the pan gravy, and it becomes this magic, runny, creamy sauce that's more than the some of its parts.  Without the mayo, you have a sloppy sandwich on wet bread (which is the principle Chicago Italian beef runs on, not necessarily a bad thing).  With the mayo, you have a sandwich that will hold it's shape just long enough to eat it, if you hustle.  Hope this helps.  -JS}

One More Recipe, Just Because: Cornell Chicken!!

For this one, I gotta credit Dr. Bob Baker (1921 - 2006)  Professor of Food Science, Cornell U.

Most people outside of western New York have never heard of Cornell Chicken.  It’s basically a simple barbecued chicken recipe, that uses emulsified vinaigrette to help protect the chicken from the intense heat of the grill.  I often use mayonnaise instead of emulsifying the oil and vinegar as directed in the OG recipe; it's essentially the same premise. 

The original recipe/technique was invented and made famous by Dr. Baker in the 1940’s at the New York State Fair (where the original is still served every year).  It's a tip-of-the-cap to one of my favorite food scientists, who specialized in poultry.  Ever hear of a chicken nugget?  Yeah, that was mostly him.  Anyway, he discovered that the magic is in the egg emulsion, providing protection and moisture retention . It has become a western New York favorite at firehouses and backyards for over 50 years.  

Funny story, my wife’s maiden name is Cornell and the majority of her life she thought it was her family’s recipe.  {Classic.  I always have people ask me if Seattle Sutton's diet replacement meals have anything to do with me.  At least Steph had an imaginary affiliation with something I might actually want to try sometime...  -JS}  Years ago, when we still lived in W.N.Y., she came over for a cookout at my family’s house, that day my dad made Cornell chicken.  Very confused, she asked “you guys make Cornell chicken too?”  We all had had had a pretty good laugh, and she was pretty embarrassed.  But when I told her Dad he laughed his ass off, apparently it was a trick he had been playing on her for years.  She was not amused.  {Wow, I can imagine...  -JS}

Note: preferably start the day before, but you can do it all in one day if you need to.

This is easily enough brine and marinade for 24 each chicken thighs or legs or both if you're not driving.  Of course, you can use whole 8 cut chicken if you like the breasts.  I urge you to consider keeping it on the bone and skin on…. But if you insist, boneless skinless works too. 

The Brine

212g (1 1/8th Cup) sugar
170g (1cup) salt
1800g (about 2 quarts) cold water

In a small sachet, combine

4 each fresh bay leaf 
1 each  star anise
12 each fennel seeds
12 each black pepper corns
6 each cloves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 each fresh sage leaves
½ each sprig fresh rosemary
zest of 1 lemon

Whisk and completely dissolve the salt and sugar in the water.
Add the sachet and the ¼ cut chicken and completely submerge.
Place in the refrigerator for one hour.
Transfer to the refrigerator until chicken is finished brining.
(Brine step is optional, but i think it makes a big difference.)

While the chicken is brining; make the marinade:

The Marinade:

440g (2cups) apple cider vinegar
200g (1cup) Duke's mayonaise
22g (2 tablespoons) Franks Red Hot sauce
14g (1tablesppon + 1 teaspoon) Old Bay Seasoning
14g (1tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) granulated garlic
10g (1 tablespoon) onion powder
6g ( 2 teaspoons) celery seed
3g (1 teaspoon) smoked paprika
3g (1 teaspoon) ground black pepper
½ sprig rosemary, chopped 1 teaspoon)
10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped (1 teaspoon)
10 leaves fresh sage, chopped (1teaspoon)

In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients together.  
Remove the chicken from the brine. Do not rinse. 
Pour the marinade on to the chicken and marinade for 4 - 6 hours. 24 hours is ideal.
Stir and tumble the chicken periodically.  Ziplock bags work best.  YEAH Ziplocks!
Prepare a 2 zone (indirect) fire in a charcoal grill (that's a hot fire, with a cool zone off to one side).
Remove the chicken from the marinade & reserve the marinade.
Start the chicken, skin-side down, over the hot zone.
When it begins to color, move to the chicken to the indirect (cool) zone of the grill, and brush with the marinade.

Cover the grill and cook the thighs to approx. 165F, occasionally flipping and brushing with the marinade as needed. This will take approx 30 - 45 min.

STOP USING THE MARINADE (it's raw chicken juice, so you can't be adding it in the final stages, or you won't have time to cook the cooties off.)

Now, systematically move the chicken thighs back to the hot zone of the grill to thermalize the exterior, re-crisp the skin, and slightly char.

Move the thighs back to the indirect zones as needed, and continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 180F. 

Serve warm.

You can skip the grill if you prefer and roast them in the oven as well.

**Food safety is a temperature, NOT a color!  Always use a thermometer… and remember my fellow nerds, temperature is a measure of speed, not heat…. More on that later!**