What basic cooking technique have you learned that you use all the time? in Nothing But Recipes Forum

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What basic cooking technique have you learned that you use all the time?

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XPModel	What basic cooking technique have you learned that you use all the time?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1158 January 29, 2012 6:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Like most who post on this board I enjoy cooking shit up. Started a long time ago and have evolved over the years. When I first started my motto was if it took longer to prepare than to eat I wasn't interested. Over time I've evolved and have picked up some tips and techniques that seem to work for me. Among them for example is nicely browning the chicken when starting my chicken etouffee and jumbolaya. I often also use Alton Browns technique for steaks (cast iron skillet, heated in a 500 degree oven, sear the steaks in the scorching hot pan for 30-40 seconds on each side and finish in the oven). I also have discovered that an enameled cast iron dutch oven is perfect for pot roasts, beef burgundy and stews and other dishes that can be cooked long and slow in the oven to get deep flavor and tender results. How about you guys: any specific techniques that you use often to get the results you desire? Care to share?
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Pointerpride102.muskieville		#1	[-]
Posts: 8670 January 30, 2012 1:54 PM Stalker of ThisCharmingFan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Grilling. I love to grill and feel I'm pretty damn good at it. Also, I now only use bone in skin on chicken breasts. I think they taste a lot better and stay a lot juicier. I like the cast iron skillet steaks as well, but I think they are a little better over a charcoal grill. Smoking food is great. Cast iron anything is great. I like the cast iron dutch ovens, but I again use charcoal rather than the oven.
ricecloud9		#2	[-]
Posts: 4581 January 30, 2012 2:26 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Brining. Pretty much all pork or chicken I cook I do some type of brine (or rub) beforehand to ensure a juicier or tastier meat. ricecloud9
Chester		#3	[-]
Posts: 1470 January 30, 2012 5:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ricecloud9 wrote: Brining. Pretty much all pork or chicken I cook I do some type of brine (or rub) beforehand to ensure a juicier or tastier meat. This. I used to do it with just whole turkey or chicken, but now i'll brine pretty much anything not beef. I also think brining makes it more difficult to overcook meat, which is nice when multi-tasking. I've also been using bacon fat in place of olive/canola oil.
XPModel		#4	[-]
Posts: 1158 January 30, 2012 6:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Familiar with the concept of brining but not so much with the actual techniques. Any tips or instructions on how to do it?
Pointerpride102.muskieville		#5	[-]
Posts: 8670 January 30, 2012 6:10 PM Stalker of ThisCharmingFan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	XPModel wrote: Familiar with the concept of brining but not so much with the actual techniques. Any tips or instructions on how to do it? It is really quite simple. Just google brining and you'll get a bunch of articles. Some people only add salt and brown sugar. I go all in with spices, fresh herbs and other juices.
noshbygosh		#6	[-]
Posts: 2363 January 31, 2012 1:58 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Lesson learned the hard way about cooking with broccoli and broccoli rabe. Par boil in salt water is always recommended when not using the stuff as a stand-alone. Boil broccoli for about 3.5 minutes before throwing in the skillet, wok, etc. Boil the broccoli rabe for about 1 minute before throwing in the skillet, wok, etc. ****************** "Goldie: The only mascot who's been spayed." Monsignor, November 15, 2007
Bbeerslayer		#7	[-]
Posts: 430 January 31, 2012 11:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I like stir frys, soups and stews kind of a thing. That steak recipe scares me. Sounds like a good way to blow up the kitchen!
ricecloud9		#8	[-]
Posts: 4581 February 1, 2012 3:12 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bbeerslayer wrote: I like stir frys, soups and stews kind of a thing. That steak recipe scares me. Sounds like a good way to blow up the kitchen! You're more in danger of burning your hand than blowing up the kitchen with the steak recipe... Remember a pan out of the oven is hot. ricecloud9
ricecloud9		#9	[-]
Posts: 4581 February 1, 2012 3:25 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	XPModel wrote: Familiar with the concept of brining but not so much with the actual techniques. Any tips or instructions on how to do it? General rule I use for chicken if bone-in and skin-on is 1/4 cup table salt per quart of water and let it brine 30-60 minutes. For pork (or skinless, boneless chicken) I cut it down to 2 Tbsp table salt per quart of water. Pork chops and tenderloins under a pound let it go for an hour. Larger, whole loin roasts (3+ pounds) close to 2 hours. You can also brine shrimp, although I like half sugar and half salt in that case. 15-30 minutes. When done with the brine, rinse the meat in clean water and pat dry with paper towels. I also use the non-iodized table salt for brining. ricecloud9
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TheMonsignor		#10	[-]
Posts: 7082 February 1, 2012 7:35 AM Phil King "200 lbs, dripping wet" Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't know who Alton Brown is, but we use the hot pan method for cooking larger sizes of pork or beef tenderloin. Heat the pan in 500 degree oven and plop that lightly oiled and seasoned loin on the pan. Cook 12-15 minutes and turn it over for another 12-15 minutes. Done. Serve that with an oil, orange, and cilantro sauce. Bless the Badgers.
Plazasauce		#11	[-]
Posts: 266 February 1, 2012 2:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The Frau and I have taken a bundle of cooking classes - mostly for the fun of it. But one time we took a Sichuan class and the instructor practically blew up the room frying up hot peppers. Lots of tears- But his instruction was that when frying hot peppers you control the heat by how black the peppers get (from red obviously). Once fully black you can't get any more heat out of them. So armed with that knowledge, I usually fry up a couple three peppers in the oil I use for popping popcorn until the peppers are good and black. Makes for a good salt and pepper popcorn. Even better when you pop in bacon grease, but that is a discussion for another board.
TristansShadow		#12	[-]
Posts: 7740 February 2, 2012 2:47 PM Chef Ameche Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	At this point I believe I am repeating myslef, but the #1 thing most serious home cooks can do to improve their own cooking is to start making their own stock.
Danofiveo		#13	[-]
Posts: 12733 February 2, 2012 3:15 PM Gobbz's biggest fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Don't use any jarred sauces, salsas, gravy, etc...especially pasta sauce/carrettiera sauce/marinara. Total garbage that costs too much, has too much sodium and other insidious ingredients, with few exceptions. Yes, make your own stock and make your own sauces, too! p.s. if you want to pay me $10 a jar (like Rao's pasta sauce, which is at least edible), I will make you as much as you want! Minnesota is Native-American for BAD AT FOOTBALL...
SaundersBucky		#14	[-]
Posts: 16943 February 2, 2012 11:20 PM Buckyville's Fiscal Cliff Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm not sure I use any basic techniques; most are acidic.
LeviBooth		#15	[-]
Posts: 10836 February 3, 2012 1:49 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The truth of making one's own stock is a terrible reality. It is just so much better in every respect...
RichInBunlyGoodness		#16	[-]
Posts: 5043 February 3, 2012 2:19 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buy good quality (Pennzey's or better) whole spices; lightly toast in a skillet on med heat until fragrant, then grind. Mortar and pestle when you want some texture or you want to strain out the spices from something like Chai; otherwise use a dedicated coffee grinder with detachable stainless cup as a spice grinder. Chilis also should be purchased dried, whole, toasted, stems and seeds removed, then ground. Also, don't buy rubs or spices with salt included, like onion salt or garlic salt. Get granulated onion, not onion salt.
XPModel	This reminds me of another one that I "learned" recently for Chili.	#17	[-]
Posts: 1158 February 3, 2012 10:46 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	RichInBunlyGoodness wrote: Buy good quality (Pennzey's or better) whole spices; lightly toast in a skillet on med heat until fragrant, then grind. Mortar and pestle when you want some texture or you want to strain out the spices from something like chili; otherwise use a dedicated coffee grinder with detachable stainless cup as a spice grinder. Chili's also should be purchased dried, whole, toasted, stems and seeds removed, then ground. Also, don't buy rubs or spices with salt included, like onion salt or garlic salt. Get granulated onion, not onion salt. I know Chili is another of those dishes that everyone makes a bit different and every-ones is the best. But it was just recently that I started to use whole dried chilies reconstituted in boiling water and then ground to a paste in the food processor for the chili flavor. I ashamed to admit that prior to that I was using bought chili powder. The difference in taste is amazing. I typically use three - 5 different types of chilies.
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What basic cooking technique have you learned that you use all the time?

What basic cooking technique have you learned that you use all the time?