Browning, Seasoning, Thickening Powders

[PeterAustin]

Hello,

I am trying to find the Argentinan equivilent of something like BISTO (browning, seasoning, thickening in one).

I'm not trying to make gravy or stuffing from a packet. It's an ingredient for a homecooking recipe that requires it (or something like it).

Is there anything like this in the city of Buenos Aires?
If not, what might you suggest to be a good alternative?

For thickening, my gf suggests, maicena / cornstarch, but that still leaves me at a loss of what to use for the browning (maybe seasoning...).
(she is a vegetarian since before learning to cook, so knows little of meat flavour enhancers).

Thanks!

Pete

 

[Girino]

You could use balsamic cream (not vinegar) to give dark brown color. Of course it depends on the dish you are trying to prepare. The other option I could think of is to fry margarina with flour (or starch or maizena), it turns out light brown (don't overdo!). Or use soy sauce.

For sweet, I'd use brown sugar caramelized.

Today I visited Barrio Chino and they have tried to recuperate the area: they paved the road, painted sidewalk delimiters, re-did entire supermarkets with tons of stuff including a lot of powders and rare stuff. You might get lucky there!

 

[PeterAustin]

Hi - there was some stuff in one of the markets near me that I think will do:

Alicante seasoning packs for meat and veg, knorr meat stock cubes, onion salt and some maizena - i'll mix it all with bit of baking soda and chuck it in a pot together, soak in stock and let to dry - maybe it will make granules like this.

I want to mix it in with ground beef for English style cottage pie gravy.

Local place had something called English Sauce, but it was 80$...
It could be like daddy's/brown sauce, or it could be... idk... I'll wait for someone else to take the risk

Hopefully find some Worcester sauce tomorrow... Pretty sure I have seen them stock it in Casa China.
I think it was quite expensive, but it will be worth it!

I've not seen bisto granules around there, but most of the big food places in Barrio Chino have too many chicken feet, cow placentas and pig's brains lying around the shop for me to want to spend too much time in them

The other day, there was some politician in Barrio Chino with a film crew - he was from the old party, I think - maybe it's something to do with what you said, Serafina..?

Thanks very much for the recommendations - I'll try out balsamic cream some time with some beefburgers or something

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

Flour?

Is BITSO a british thing? I've never heard of it before.

 

[PeterAustin]

Yes, RodolfoWalsh - they are dehydrated stock with thickener.

BISTO stands for, Browning Instant Stock Thickener (in) One.

Lots of people use it in the UK as a gravy additive for quick gravy - mix into the vegetable water and meat juice, et voila.
it's used in lots of sauces and things, too, and comes in many flavour varieties.
I have also seen it in stores in Australia.

Posh people use the jelly stock cubes these days - Bisto is very salty and people don't like a lot of salt in their diets, because it means they get more heart disease from all the macdonald's burgers and fries.
Too much (too thick) is not nice to eat, and will go... kinda spunky... which isn't a pleasant gravy texture.

 

[PeterAustin]

Just to let you know, the English sauce (Kenko, Molho Ingles) was only 30$ at some store called natural flavour - It's a pretty close flavour to worcester(shire) sauce.
It's also vegetarian, and about $100 less expensive than the import lee and perrins.

Good stuff.

 

[mjohnstone]

Worcester sauce can be found in most supermarkets.

Best ingredient I've found for my recipes is Google ;-)
http://saucepankids.com/index.php/2012/07/real-gravy-no-bisto-recipe/

 

[PeterAustin]

Found some condimento para carnes from alicante that is an unusal mix, and some nice la campagnola pure concentrado de tomate - with the salsa inglesa, Argentine tomillo and condimento, it is different to traditional cottage pie flavour... It tastes similar enough to be like home, but different enough to remember it's not

Nice colour, too.

 

[Aleina Dee]

For future projects try a brown roux recipe. You will never miss Bisto again.