What are the best practices you’ve learned to save time or make a meal better.

  • Margot Robbie@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    To get a good sear on a steak in a pan, the pan doesn’t have to be super hot, you just have to make sure the contact surfaces are as dry as possible.

    If your stew tastes like it’s missing something, it’s bay leaf.

    Don’t buy hyperspecialized tools for cooking if you can use more generalized tool for the task with the same amount of effort. You can do a lot with a good chef’s knife.

    Cut through greasiness with a bit of acid.

    Adding a little bit of sugar, but not so much you can taste the sweetness, to otherwise salty dishes will mellow out and enhance the flavor of the dish.

    • Konman72@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Can you give more details on searing the steak? I get a good sear in some spots, usually on the rim of the steak. The middle turns out greyish-brown sometimes.

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Sure. First, cast iron pan is a must, since it has a high heat capacity because of its weight.

        Your issue is the uneven distribution of heat, so use enough oil is important, at least as much to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.

        Second thing is salt, if you salt it too early, it’s going to absorb the water from the meat and create wet spots, which would be steamed instead of seared. Dryness is the key here, you either want to salt the steak immediately before adding it to the shimmering oil, or you can salt it and leave it uncovered in the fridge for a couple of hours for the it to dry off.