Technique of the Week

Technique of the Week. Gracias Senor Food Truck.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Neil Savedra. You're listening to kfi EM six
forty The fore Report on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
You got a show to do. Kfi AM six forty
live everywhere on the iHeartRadio App. Hey everybody, it's the
four Report, all Things Food, beverage and beyond. I am
your well fed host, Neil Savedra. How do you do?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
What?

Speaker 1 (00:23):
A day to day? A lot to get to Today?
We're dedicating today to a lot of the businesses that
were victims of the fires in January. You have both
there in Altadena and in Pacific Palisades, and some of
them had to back out last minute because of circumstances.
We're going to continue to do this and remind you

(00:45):
that when the big headlines are gone, that people are
still struggling to put their lives back together, not only
those that lost a home, but those that lost businesses
or patronage because you know, it changed the ecosystem. So
we're going to be getting into that. I wanted to
talk about a couple of methods of cooking that are

(01:05):
less known. There are methods that if you're like a
big time home cook and you're always behind the stovetop
or the oven that you might know these, but maybe
you haven't worked on them before. Maybe they aren't something
that you've done yourself. So when you are cooking with souvve'ed,

(01:29):
which has become much more known than it was in
the past. When I first got into it, these souvied
immersion circulators were twelve hundred and fifteen hundred dollars. Now
you can get them for a hundred bucks. And the
technology is probably more advanced in a lot of ways.

(01:50):
But for those of you have heard about it but
haven't used it, or maybe got one as a gift
and hasn't haven't really used it, don't know what to
use it for. Souvied simply means under pressure. The technique
involves vacuum cealing food in a plastic bag and then
you cook it in a water bath, but at a
precise temperature. So basically you're poaching, but it's in a

(02:13):
bag very very highly controlled temperature. In this case, you're
looking within a I don't know, a tenth of a
degree or something very precise. It's known for producing incredibly
tender and evenly cooked results, especially with proteins like meats, fish,
chicken can be fantastic, but there's techniques. Otherwise you don't

(02:37):
do it right, or you do it for too long
or the wrong temperature. Chicken could come out rubbery or mushy.
It's kind of weird, but essentially it's this way. When
we cook with heat, dry heat, we're pushing that heat
into the food. And that's why when you cook a
steak and you say medium or other, they say, okay,
that's going to be a warm pink center or a

(02:58):
warm red center and you go okay, and that means
that the whole steak is not medium rare. The center
is because the heat has to push from the outside
to the inside, right, So five hundred degrees whatever you
have the oven on, or if you're grilling, whatever it is,
is pushing that heat into the center. Because the center

(03:21):
has is the last thing to cook. And that's really
the temperature that you're getting in the center, not around.
It's stradations of you know, strata of different temperatures. That
way well with souv it stays at a low temperature
for longer periods of time, and that way kills the bacteria,

(03:43):
but isn't overcooking. Now it comes out like a brand
new baby. It's not pretty once you take it out
of that package because it's been vacuum sealed and it
doesn't have any browning. And then you take it out
of that and then you seer it off to finish
it off. You get the mayard reaction there and all
that brown goodness. Brown food is good food, and then
it's sweet perfection and it's a magical thing. But it

(04:09):
does take some learning. There's a bit of a learning
curve learning the temperatures and the times properly. But a
lot of restaurants use this because you can hold a
steak that means you can keep it in there all
day at rare or medium rare, and if somebody says,

(04:29):
you know, I'd like one medium, you just grill it
a little longer, or if they want it medium rare,
you just sear it off very quickly. And so when
your steak comes quickly at a restaurant off it's times,
it's because they're prepping them souv and they won't overcook
because the temperature is low. It will never go above

(04:50):
the temperature that you have it in. So if you
have it in a one hundred and thirty five degree bath.
It's never going to go above medium rare. It can't physically,
so it's kind of crazy. It's a really neat process.
More to come. Techniques that maybe you're not using at
the house been around for a long time, a little
lesser known techniques on Technique of the Week today, So

(05:12):
go nowhere. It's the Fork Report on Neils Vidra KFI
AM six forty heard everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nilsavedra on demand
from KFI AM six forty.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Hey, everybody, Happy Saturday to you. I am thrilled to
be with you, Nil Savadri. Here in the Fork Report,
we're redoing the yard. We're getting a bunch of you know,
plants and stuff. Looks like a jungle because they're not
planted yet. They're just all out there. God bless the
folks at Armstrong Garden Center. Not a sponsor, not a

(05:50):
paid plug or anything like that, but they were incredibly helpful,
just wonderfully helpful and had a good time picking them out.
So it just made me up to you know, the
happiness of looking out in the backyard and seeing all
these plants, even though they're not planted yet so alrighty,
So we're talking for the technique of the Week about
a couple of techniques that maybe you're not aware of

(06:12):
or don't use as much. One, and I hope I
pronounce this properly, is uh in puppyl in poppilote m.
That's what I'm going with. I think it's franche like quasthle,
like if you're having a quaffle. But it basically means,

(06:32):
you know, like envelope, and so you're putting it in
a pouch. It's a pouch, and you can do it
with foil, you can do it with parchment paper. And
basically it's part dry heat in a way because you're
putting it into the oven, and then it's part wet
cooking because it's gonna steam itself as well. I do

(06:55):
chicken like this, a chicken breast. One of the easy
ways to do this for me, Gosh is a single man.
I did this all the time. I would come home,
I'd throw a chicken breast in parchment, I'd throw in gosh.
I think craft has them a bunch of different you know,
they have these dressings like garlic, herb or something. I'd

(07:17):
dump some of that in there. I'd fold it up
into a pouch or into an envelope of sorts, throw
it in three hundred and fifty degrees for like thirty
five minutes or something, and pull it out and it'd
be perfectly tender, and it'd be sitting cooking in that
And it's about as easy as you can get. You
can throw it on you know, rice, peelof, You can

(07:38):
throw it on anything and you're good to go. Put
a side of of veggies there, and that's one of
my favorite ways to cook. But I always just call
it packet cooking or envelope cooking. So the real term
is in beloatay, somebody's gonna scream at me for that.

(07:58):
P A p I l l ote sorry, you talk
prettier than I do. Bain marie or you call a
double boiler is one of those things. It's a technique
where food is cooked in a water bath, ensuring even
heat distribution, but it's done in a container. That's how
you melt chocolate as well. This is when you don't

(08:20):
want to do heavy damage. It's also a way to
keep something warm. When you have those chafing dishes they
use that similar the warm water below, which keeps actual
flames from touching and putting hotspots. It even keeps things even.
And lastly, red cooking, which is a strange name for

(08:41):
Chinese stewing because you think communism red. That's not what
it is. It's a slow braising technique where where the
food's braised in a red colored sauce and creates this
very tender and lovely, low and slow type cooking to it.
So these are just some things I want to share
with you that we're a little different, that maybe you're
not doing right now, but can up your game a

(09:03):
little bit or add a little something to your palette
there for cooking. All right, much more to come go
nowhere Fork Report. I'm Nil Savedra, KFI AM six forty.
Let's get the latest news now in the KFI twenty
four hour newsroom.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
Happy to be with you. Handle just got his big
green egg delivered. It's like a giddy like a schoolgirl
running around. His wife, Lindsay just sent me pictures. It's ridiculous. Anyways,
we're dedicating this show to the businesses the restaurants and

(09:45):
the like that have been victimized by the fires. And yes,
there are people that lost their homes and our heart
goes out to them. But with that is an ecosystem,
an ecosystem that works from the bottom up. And that
means what I've said over and over before that going

(10:06):
out to eat, buying food from local vendors is the
cornerstone of economy in any town, especially in the Southland.
So that means anything dealing with hospitality is a big deal.
And so Kayla has helped along with friends of the

(10:27):
show to look for people. In this case, it came
from a listener and we love connecting with people. So
we're going to want to introduce you to Rudy. Rudy
is the owner of Gracia signor Man. Look at you

(10:49):
and welcome to the show. Hi for having me. It's
our pleasure. Now. Kayla was telling anybody that's been affected
that's coming on the show, that's this is for you,
not for us. It's very common for people to bring food.
We didn't ask, we were hoping nobody would, but you did.
And I ask this at the beginning, that we pay

(11:11):
for it. I know a lot of people come on
the show, and it's kind of an exchange. We taste
the food and it makes total sense, but in this
case we really we thank you for bringing it, and
we're excited, trust me to get into those burritos. But
in this case, we really want to take care of you.
So I just wanted to really thank you in a
time when you guys are I find your footing.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
I completely appreciate it, and I'm incredibly grateful and thankful.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
But this is kind of like what we do.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
We well, that's food, you know, you share it. Food
makes people happy. And and for me to be able
to provide some nourishment for someone something that I know
it's going to be delicious, that you're gonna love, that's
going to make me feel comforted.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Are you saying I'm getting too thin? Are you worried?
Seriously worried about this thought? That's very kind. I'm saying
that I do it.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
We do it from from the bottom of our hearts
with with great respect and gratitude for what you're doing,
for for wanting to help us. And and if if
you go to anywhere, any cook, any any restaurant, any
people who works in the hospitality world, this is who
we are. We we nourish people and we do it

(12:22):
with all the heart. So if you if you could
take my food and enjoy it place, that's very kind.
That's that's all I asked.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
It doesn't it never gets all, does it to see
somebody eat your food for the first time?

Speaker 2 (12:35):
Ever?

Speaker 1 (12:37):
Where tell us a little bit about the beginnings of
your truck, and then we'll get to where you are today.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
So I actually started the truck with the with the
goal of going to school. I was working for for
a company before having the truck, but I was a
non documented students, so I couldn't get financial aid and
I couldn't really I couldn't get another job because I

(13:10):
required legal documentation. But then when Obama created the DACA program,
I was able to leave my other job, and I
thought that was like, that was like the freedom that
I wanted, that I needed, and it did provide a
path for me to be able to do other stuff,
but nothing like once I got out of that, out

(13:30):
of that job, I couldn't get another job that paid
enough for me to go to school. So I went
to the drawing board and I started trying to think
of ideas of what I could do to to pay
for my education because you know, I don't come from
like a wealthy family. My mom, you know, all her
life she's worked cleaning like office buildings or like stuff

(13:54):
like that, so she didn't really make a lot of
money to pay for my school with no financial aid.
So for me to go to school, I needed to
find a way to make you know, enough money to
not only support me, but be able to pay for
my education. So I when I started the truck, it

(14:15):
was when trucks started getting really you know, trying to
get popular, and you know, I thought it was gonna
be an easy, an easy, uh an easy it is
sent to success, but actually was very tough.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
For the first two three.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Years, I wasn't really making a lot of money, so
I did put put school on posts. But eventually I
built a rapport, I built a client base in the Palisades,
and I was able to pay for school. I finished
my degree in business administration from CALC to LA So

(14:53):
that wouldn't have been able, That wouldn't have been possible
if I didn't have my business. That allowed me a
little more freedom or financial freedom, more like just freedom
in general.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
When did you start cooking? I started cooking out four
years old. Actually, my grandma.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
She the first thing she showed me how to cook
was like scrambled eggs and uh and bacon uh. And
that was my first time I cooked I so she
showed me. The next time I tried to do it on
my own, she wasn't with me. So I just I
remember like putting a bunch of pots with like water
all around the kitchen just in case I dropped something.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
And I started bringing the kitchen. I was like, there's
something that happens. I'm just gonna Yes, I've always been
a cautious individuals. You got pots of lot before you
even cook anything. Hey, and you couldn't have been poor
poor if you're putting bacon in there, because it's like
Oevo's Conweni's is the story maybe, I mean like that's
the first everywhere we laugh about it. You throw some

(15:51):
hot dogs in there, and it's like the best meal
in the whole world. All right, hag tyg. We're gonna
talk more with Rudy when we come back. You can
find out more at now are you pronouncing the s
in both? Are you saying grassia signor or grassi? Okay? Yeah,
uh so you can go find them on the web

(16:13):
at g R A C I A S just single
S Single. As for the Instagram handle E n O
R dot com. It's the Fork Report on Neil Vadra
k f I AM six forty heard everywhere on the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savadra on
demand from KFI A M six forty.

Speaker 1 (16:36):
This is the Fork Report. Happy Saturday to you. A
little rainy out there, but it's kind of a nice
little change. Reminds us that there's still some a little
springish rain out there, but a great day to be
eating with friends and family after the the holiday of Easter. Today,

(16:58):
we're kind of looking in to the people that were
affected by the fires in a different way. We've heard
about the rebuilding, which is still kind of a mess,
lets be honest, they're trying to tighten that up in
city hall. And yet there's people that may not have
lost their homes or even their business in the same way,
in the same sense, meaning that it's not ashes. However,

(17:18):
it has changed the ecosystems out there in a lot
of places in Altadena in Pacific Palisades are looking to
find their audience again who you know their customers there
that are dealing with these things as well. So we're
talking to Rudy from Gracias signor a food truck and

(17:41):
where can people find you now?

Speaker 2 (17:43):
So right now we're we're doing We're still doing Todays
in the physic palaces. We're mainly focused in Brentwood on
San Vicente between Montana and Bundy from ten to two thirty.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
Holysh smokes, just burrito is crazy? Now? Is that your
main focus is breakfast burritos?

Speaker 2 (18:04):
No, that's just like that's just like what a lot
of people really enjoy. But we started the truck like
focusing on our tacos. We had handmade pressed her teas,
everything fresh made the day of and that was our
main focus. But a lot of people really enjoy a
breakfast Britosh.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
This is for how many people? Just the one that's
just the one? Oh my gosh, Like, how heavy is
that burrito? I mean tacos, the tacos. I didn't even
know there were tacos.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
I wasn't going to tell you, but there are tacos
and they are phenomenal tacos. There are actually no tacos
Kayler Rose, not Lie I'll share the tacos.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
I'll bring you a taco. Robin. Oh, listen to how
you put out. She is the other one we you know.
So m Rudy comes in. Bear's his entire heart about
the power of feeding people, and you're hoarding. You took
them for yourself. I was going to add, you showed

(19:11):
people who you are today, kyleb. You showed them who
you are. If you taste the tacos, you'd understand. Yeah,
because this burrito is insane. Now this one is with
with both beef and with bacon in it. So tell
me how many. I mean, you brought a butt ton
of food. So tell me about these burritos, and then

(19:33):
about your menu. What would you like to know everything?
I want to know what's in these burritos? What you
know what's your best seller? All right?

Speaker 2 (19:41):
So, like I said, the breakast bridos are one of
the more popular items are menu just I think I
think the reason why that is is just you're just
so comforting and you can you know, there's there's no
wrong time for breakfast. So they're delicious, they're comforting, and
they're just packed with flavor. They they'll definitely fill you up.

(20:04):
So we try to keep things very simple. Just make
sure that you know, our eggs are like silky soft delicious.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
Your ratios are on point. Yeah, that's super important for
a breakfast brito to me and the taco and everything else.
But getting those ratios right where you get a bite
of everything and you have like a mild heat going
just basic, and then you've got three sauces that you
can up the ante if you want, in any direction

(20:35):
for more flavor. And I like that because sometimes I'm
in the mood for heat and sometimes I'm just not.
And on its own, it's got a great little pepper
heat to it. And I dig that that I can
up that if I want, or I can keep it
in that mode.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
We always sell people that our saucers are mainly for flavor.
It's not too late burnered.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, for heat's sake. I've never understood that. You know,
people go, you know, they just want to burn your
tongue or something like that. Hey, you know what, can
is it possible maybe to move our next guest a
little bit, just to move things around a little bit?
Can you guys stick around? Of course he talks more.
All right, great, we're talking to Rudy from Grassia Signor.

(21:18):
It's a food truck. They can find you can find
you on social media as well, Right Book, Instagram, Facebook,
all of that Grassia Signor and the food. I can't
wait to dive into those tacos as well. But your
breakfast burritos are bomb, man, They're very very good. All right,
stick around. More to come. It's the Fork Report on
Neil Spadri KFI AM six forty heard everywhere on the

(21:41):
iHeartRadio app. You've been listening to the Fork Report. You
can always hear us live on KFI AM six forty
two to five pm on Saturday, and anytime on demand
on the iHeartRadio app