One cool thing about cooking is no longer how experienced of a chef you are, you can always pick up new tricks and tips to improve your skills. So Redditor purelyinvesting asked, “What’s an underrated cooking tip that more people need to know?” Here’s what people said.
1.
“Learning to let meat rest after cooking. I used to cut into steak or chicken immediately, and it was always dry. The moment I started letting it sit for a few minutes, everything changed.”
2.
“I make a lot of roasted veggies. Once, I tried adding a squirt of lime juice before roasting. Game changer.”
3.
“We did Hello Fresh for a while, and almost every recipe had citrus zest in it, like lemon or orange. That was my takeaway from that experience. Put lemon zest in everything.”
4.
“Fat makes everything taste better.”
5.
“If you’re baking with raisins, say for cinnamon raisin bread or bread pudding, put the raisins in a tiny bit of bourbon in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, cover and turn off the heat. They will plump up as you do whatever else needs to get done. Then, use them as usual in the recipe. It really makes them a magical addition.”
6.
“Read through the recipe first and prepare all your ingredients before starting.”
7.
“Add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to whatever you’re cooking. It brightens it up and balances out the flavors. If you get the right balance of fat-salty-acid-umami, your food is almost guaranteed to be delicious.”
8.
“Dry out your meat in the fridge before cooking it for at least 24 hours. Put it on a wire rack over a quarter or half sheet, uncovered. Fish, chicken, steak, pork. It’ll sear better and have much more pronounced flavor.”
9.
“Only keep fresh herbs in the fridge for three or four days. After a few days, loosely roll herbs in some paper towel, put them in a paper bag, and let them slowly dry out in a cool dry place. Not only will you get to use all the herbs, but they will continue to taste fresh for a very long time.”
10.
“Anticipate that you may need to triple the time that some recipes advise it takes to caramelize onions. Time is not the measure. Color and texture are.”
11.
“Use an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is actually at the temperature you set the dial to. This saves you from a lot of under and overcooked meals.”
12.
“Salt as you cook: You’ll use less, and it’ll be more evenly distributed than if you only salt at the table.”
13.
“When making baked pasta dishes, under cook your noodles by a few minutes when boiling. That way, they don’t get soggy in the baking stage.”
14.
“Cooking time on recipes is not always accurate. Don’t be surprised when the recipe says 20 minutes, but it actually takes an hour with prep and different oven/stove types.”
15.
“I always say salt as soon as possible and pepper as late as possible. Pepper can turn bitter over time. There’s an exception to this rule, though: When you’re reducing any broth, it’s better to be precautious salting and adjusting later on.”
17.
“Braise your meats! It’s so easy. Braising lets the oven do the work, it’s always a wow factor, the kitchen smells amazing, and it’s a cost-effective way to make cheaper cuts delicious. The leftovers get even better.”
18.
“Browning ground beef doesn’t mean greying it; it means cooking it past the point where all the water has evaporated, and the beef actually starts to brown in the fat that remains.”
19.
“Pumpkin purée makes a great soup or stew thickener and adds nutrients. It’s also great in oatmeal and smoothies.”
20.
Any standard dish from a tray full of roast veggies to roast chicken looks a lot fancier if you finish it with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and even some chopped nuts. Throw some lemon wedges next to it for good measure. The first bite is with the eye.”
21.
“Add a bit of fresh mint to salads. It’s like adding salt to sweet things. It boosts it in such an incredible and balanced way.”
22.
“My mind was blown when I realized you can file the burnt parts off toast with another piece of toast, and I think everyone needs to know this.”
23.
“Years ago, I remember seeing a blurb that said if your dish is ‘missing something,’ it’s probably acid of some sort. It’s a very often overlooked ingredient. I was making sausage and peppers for years, then one day, I discovered a recipe that used wine, something I’d never added to it, and I’ll never go back. Something as simple as some mustard in a cup o’ noodles was enough to convince me the theory is correct.”
Do you have something to add? What’s an underrated tip that made a huge difference for you as a home cook? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
