Not being ‘touchy’ in the slightest.
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So far as both me and my wife’s physique these days it’s a case “ou sont les neiges d’antan”. We tend to avoid mirrors as well.
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I brown the meat in bits about twice the size of my thumb put them in the heated slow-cooker and put it on low as soon as it is simmering, then leave it for 4 or 5 hours or even more. Same principle as when I make baked beans - if I do it in the morning before going off to work then I come home to something delicious and (even better) ready! In the oven I might bung it in at lunchtime and it’ll be ready in the evening. Pressure cooker (least favoured method) about an hour and a half. I find the cocotte minute often ends up being too liquid.
Dry aging is very straightforward but you do need to fully understand the process, otherwise it could be dangerous or even carcinogenic. My bible is Tuan’s Smoking Curing and Drying which surprisingly for me at least, is in UK english. However, there’s also lots of good info on Utube, albeit mainly from the US where there are additional meat hygene problems.
I also feel much the same about Butler sinks in “modern” kitchens, chalk paints and buffet doors glazed with chicken wire netting (so vrai you know). Oh and interior decorators who call themselves interior designers.
Not guilty, your honour -
Basically, I think we’re both sufficiently mature to have built up decent sized collections of well-founded prejudices…
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Hello,
Just to say many thanks to the people who took the time & trouble to suggest various cooking methods! I’m still a bit undecided but it’s now between a slow cooker or halogen. Would anyone like to share the make they would recommend?
regards
Beth
Just to add as well, if anyone is thinking about hobs - go induction,. It is life changing! And soooo easy to clean too 
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certainly for me with a pacemaker… could kill me if I got too close 
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That is interesting you feel like that. I was SO excited when we got ours - I believed all the pap about it being just as responsive as gas etc and I never really loved it, yes cleaning was a bit easier (until something got burnt on then needs a scrape with a blade). I was so thrilled when I got a new gas hob to replace it as I was so fed up but sad as I’d really wanted to love the induction. I’d say go and try a friends and see if you like it!
You’d hate my kitchen then 
although the wire is on an old little armoire thing not a new one and I haven’t got a butlers sink (as not been able to find one I want yet and not redone the kitchen yet!) but hope to!
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Ours (ikea) is way more responsive than gas and now when I occasionally use gas at my parents it seems caveman like!
We’re drifting off the subject (yet again!) - but don’t some of us live out in beautiful rural france. And don’t some of us suffer from electricity black-outs - when everything goes totally dark. At such times I’m extremely grateful to have a gos hob; at least with the 4 burners on we have heat; then we can find out where the torches are so we have some light.
I would be very unhappy to be totally electric in french countryside - something to bear in mind ?
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I have a gas bbq for such eventualities.
We’ve got a gas hob for similar reasons… 
We got a “cheap” halogen cooker from Costco (I think🤔), No idea of the make, but I did look for a more expensive/known brand but couldn’t find one
Gas hob for us out in the boonies
Peter B - in the living room ? !! Where do you keep the bbq - and find it on a dark, cold, winter’s night ? !!
That’s interesting, perhaps I had a ‘dud’! I can’t remember what brand it was but it was a main sort of brand not a cheapy. Maybe I’ll try cooking on one again if I ever get the chance to actually visit people again
Normal conversation Anne!
This was honestly another large reason we swapped back as we often have black outs here and it gives us security that we can still cook dinner. It depends what area you are in , I’ve spoken to others who have lived here for years and never had a black out, we have them numerous times every winter (I think due to living where there are lots of trees that come down on lines).
But, it’s not ‘pap’ (unless of course you’ve an outage - which we get maybe once every one or two years). Induction is more responsive than gas because there’s less residual heat and you’re warned about it (apropos warning - do gas hobs have meters to show how much gas you’ve got left?). Lastly, you don’t have to worry about trying to balance a light pan on an often badly designed and insufficiently supportive gas hob support.
Prior to becoming a total convert, I elected for halogen over gas because I imagined (or hoped I’d live long enough) that there’d be a time when I wouldn’t be able to carry a gas cylinder up from the road to our kitchen.
Nevertheless, a few years back we visited a maison de maitre on the causses de Quercy where the owner had installed a hoist with an electric winch to do that sort of job. Hope I’ll be around long enough to use a similar solution for our log deliveries.
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It’s outside and under cover on the terrace for normal use but it can be put in the garage if it’s too inclement.
Any port in a storm !
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