Cooking Tips that you know about

[Mrmyke709]

Share 'em.

Mine...if you're deep frying some batter coated shrimp or fish, lightly coat them in rice flour first. Some folks use corn starch, but the rice flour works great.

 

[hookem2102]

Never fry bacon naked.

 

[flyingdoggystyle]

You always cook better while consuming cookin' sauce. Yours may vary, but mine is jack and coke. Key: about equal parts each.

 

[S197HQQKEM]

Don't boil brisket and cover it in sauce and call it BBQ.

 

[TexasHooch]

Take the pizza out of the box before you put it in the oven.

 

[scottsins]

when a dish calls for fresh herbs, especially sauces, add them at the very end, mere moments from finishing. You do not want to really cook the herbs, especially fresh basil in a pasta sauce.

 

[Macanudo]

Don't eat peanut butter naked on a couch.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

With experience, a good steak can be tested (somewhat) for done-ness by picking it up with tongs & giving it a wiggle. Less wiggle = more done. Be sure to stop before it's a black slab of charcoal.

Once under fire, a smoke box should only be opened for 2 things:

-Inserting food.
-Removing food.

 

[GakFoo]

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[austingirl25]

Add some sugar and fennel/anise seed to marinara sauce. It really adds something special.

 

[Ankf00]

w/ basmati rice, add a tbsp or so of butter, helps it stick together a bit, but not too much

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Thickening agents ie roux, cornstarch, flour etc, only reach their full thickening power when the product you're using them in reaches a boil.

 

[K-Man]

when saute'ing, heat the pan before you add the oil

if you burn the garlic, throw it out and start over

clean as you go is the sign of a pro

don't be afraid to get your hands dirty (my #1 rule in life)

 

[BrûléeOrange]

1. If your fried egg turning skills are not up to par and you don't want that yolk broken, just finish it off under the broiler instead of attempting that flip. (excellent technique while nursing a hangover)

2. Easy hash browns: leftover baked potato (cut up just out of the refrigerator while cold) browns quite quickly and easily as the potato is already cooked.

3. Tongs are one of your best friends in the kitchen.

 

[Mistadobalina]

To get more juice outta lemons/limes, you can do one of 2 things.
1) microwave em for 20 seconds
2) press roll them against the counter

On the grill, when cooking meat, do one of the two so it doesn't stick
1) rub the fat side of the meat against the grill before putting it on
2) put olive oil on a towel and wipe the grill before slappin on the meat.

 

[brntorng]

"Fry" bacon on the broiler pan in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes. Perfect every time.

 

[brntorng]

More: Brining chicken and turkey before roasting or grilling keeps the white meat from getting dry and bland.

If you have a convection oven, learn how to use it.

 

[Swiffert]

bacon the sausage.

 

[Mrmyke709]

But my heart hurts...

The sugar in the marinara is a good idea, It balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.

 

[Mrmyke709]

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[Luke Duke]

What if I have a baby arm?

 

[CBT]

add bacon

 

[jt09]

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[Summerof79]

1) Panko Bread crumbs- best breading on the market bar none

2) EXOPAT best thing EVER for baking. Cookies, biscuits, breads. crisp bottoms and chewy soft insides without sticking.

iB-uIbCvkPjGM:http://www.chefscatalog.com/img/products/285x285/94374_285.jpg[/IMG]

3) Remote thermometer with probe and alarm

others worth a mention are silicone cooking forms, silicone tongs and spatulas than can handle 400+ degrees and not scratch up your pots and pans, and never EVER cook a beef tenderloin past medium rare!

 

[Fanny McLonghorn]

Pick a saturday and spend it drinking beer and making chicken stock. It's best if you use a couple of cut-up whole chickens, because around noon you can remove the meat from the bones, throw the bones back in, and then use the meat for a nice lunch like chicken salad or something. At night, you can make something else like chicken enchiladas with all of the extremely moist chicken that you have.

Reduce the chicken stock as long as you can, and you will be able to filter and freeze it in baggies or ice cubes for later. The frozen stock can be used for so many things. Of course soups and sauces are so much better with homemade stock, but you can also just cook your rice or pasta or couscous in it.

 

[Mrmyke709]

Good idea, Fanny.
We use stock in our couscous, it is so good, I have to fight my daughter to get any.
I have 3 bags of panko crumbs in my pantry. They are great in crab cakes.

 

[Ankf00]

never made stock before, but I was planning to w/ the whole chicken I'm roasting tonight, what's this filtering business? cheesecloth?

 

[natethehorn]

Just when you think you have the right amount of garlic, add some more.

 

[Fanny McLonghorn]

Cheesecloth works great, but I never have any. Last time I just filtered it twice, once through a strainer type device to get the big chunks, then a second time through the same straining device lined with a couple of paper towels. Not ideal, but it worked in a pinch.

There's an interesting method to making stock I've heard of recently, it is basically just putting the chicken/chicken bones in the water and throwing the whole thing in a 200 degree oven for like eight hours, then taking it out and putting it on the stove so you can add vegetables and, eventually, herbs. This sounds pretty nice since it can be tricky finding that simmering heat with such a huge pot of ****.

I'll probably try it some time and report.

 

[LazyEngineer]

ALWAYS cut fajitas and brisket against the grain.

Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt makes even crappy food taste good. Cheap powdered black pepper and iodized salt can make even good food taste cheap and crappy.

Take the extra time to make real sauces. Real Alfredo, Hollandaise, Pesto, etc are not that hard to make and quick and delicious.

Everyone should grow their own tomatoes. I don't care if you live in an apartment and have to grow them in pots. I grew 45 pounds of tomatoes off my deck this year. They make all the difference on a BLT, roast beef sandwich, simple tomato and basil pasta sauce, or even a tomato salad.

Pick out heavy limes with a thin skin for your margaritas. They will have the most juice and are usually less sour / bitter.

A vacu-sealer is a smoker's best friend. Nothing like heating up a pack of ribs or brisket in January.

Coffee should taste like coffee - not hazelnuts or cinnamon.