Food & Drinks Cooking Techniques

Cooking Tips and Techniques for Easier Cooking

best cooking tips and techniques

As the New Year starts, many of us are vowing to cook more, eat healthily, get more homemade dinners on the table. We start looking for healthy recipes, load up on some whole food ingredients, and set New Year resolutions. But maybe not all the terminology is as familiar as it could be. The definition of a few cooking methods might escape us. What does saute mean? What do you mean by braised? Excellent questions? Here are some quick-cooking tips and techniques that will make cooking simple and enjoyable.

As there are so many cooking techniques, we often get confused while choosing the right cooking technique. To get rid of this confusion, you must first understand what the different types of cooking methods are. So, without wasting any more time, let us dive into the essential cooking tips and techniques.

Popular Cooking Tips and Techniques

How to get the right steak?

If you are one of those who takes a meat piece out of the fridge or freezer and then cook it directly on the grill, it is time to learn the mistakes of your ways. For getting the best-tasting steak, it is much better to take it out of the cold and allow it to sit for an hour or two before heating it. If you start cooking the steak when it reaches room temperature, it will cook more evenly. Yes, it may take too much time, but the difference you will observe is worth it!

Preparing scrambled eggs in the microwave

Take a mug and spray some nonstick spray. Crack a couple of eggs inside. Top it with a splash of water or milk, sprinkle with some pepper and salt, then mix it using a fork. Microwave this at an interval of 30 seconds, stirring after each, for a total of 90 seconds and you can serve 12 grams of protein-filled breakfast.  

Poach too many eggs at a time using a muffin tin

This is one of the interesting cooking tips and techniques, especially for those who want to poach too many eggs at a time. If you are among those who prefer runny yolks, then you must try this option. You must fill each muffin cup with a tablespoon of water, then crack an egg in each of them. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 13 minutes for setting the whites and yolks. This is perfect for adding a family-sized batch of avocado toasts or Benedicts.

How to prepare tasty juicy meat?

Have you ever thought about how restaurant chefs get their pork and chicken chops to have that perfect and tasty juice? The answer is simple: they soak it. No, bringing is not only meant for turkeys! Soaking the meat cold saltwater fills it with rich flavor along with a juicy texture even before you start cooking it. Brining also helps to keep your pork or chicken from getting dried and offers protection against overcooking.

Using an egg slicer for cutting fruits and vegetables evenly

This small kitchen tool is not just for cutting hard-boiled eggs. Try to slice strawberries, mushrooms, kiwis, and more into even thickness in a single swoop.

Not able to peel boiled eggs properly? Use vinegar

This is one of the common cooking techniques that most of us know. Adding a dash of vinegar to egg poaching water helps thicken the white part. But did you know that adding a dash of vinegar to the water while boiling eggs helps the shell come out easily? Yes, one or two drops of vinegar can make the egg peeling process super simple and fast.

Cut dough into different shapes using a pizza cutter

Many times, you might have wanted to cut dough into different shapes but failed to do so. Now, you can solve this problem by using a pizza cutter. A pizza blade can be wheeled through a sheet of bread or pastry dough with ease, saving you the expenses of purchasing shaped cutters or having to play around, twizzling the point of a knife into different strange angles.

Do not be scared to put salt

Culinary students learn fast not to be stingy when it comes to salt. If you find that your food tastes bland, then there is a chance that it probably needs more salt. If you are doubtful to increase your salt addition, use this method to avoid using too much salt. Garnish your food with salt continuously while cooking, rather than putting too much salt at the beginning. Sprinkle some salt from high so that it will be distributed evenly.

Creating a perfectly shaped burger patty

This simple tip will help you to improve your hamburger game- and it takes less than 10 seconds. First, toss the patty down on your cutting board so that the bubbles go out. Then, press a shape into the center of the patty. These two simple actions avoid the patty from puffing up in the middle and make a nicely shaped, even burger. This also keeps the burger from bubbling when you cook it.

Preparing a clear broth

The trick to making the tastiest and clearest chicken broth involves a lot of chicken and too much patience. Take your chicken bones and meat, if you are using them, cook them in a small amount of water for around 3 hours. Cook on a low heat and ensure to remove any suds that float on the top. Or This will make the stock tastier and clearer. Do not add your vegetables instantly, wait to add them after an hour or two. For the clearest broth, you must strain the liquid using cheesecloth.

How to prepare perfectly curated fish

The answer is heating. This is one of the simplest cooking tips and techniques. You cannot produce a perfectly seared piece of fish without using a piping hot pan. If you are planning to cook a sear, then you must bring on high levels of heat. Also, make sure you do not overcrowd the pan while searing; that could reduce the heat and avoid your fish from creating that succulent brown crust. Keeping the pan hot and nice also avoids pieces of the fish from sticking to the pan when you turn it over; when cold, the proteins in the fish are likely to stick to the metal.

The only reason for using nonstick pans

They sound good, but they are not going to produce the best foods. If you are cooking something in which you want some type of crust, like fish or meat, then you must avoid using your nonstick pan. Nonstick pans produce a different type of heat. It is not quite as hot; it does not make things crispy as it is safeguarding things from the heat below. The nonstick coating acts as a barrier between the heat and food, which can avoid it from developing that rich and crispy texture. Do not toss your nonstick pan together, though- it is great for making pancakes, eggs, and French toast.

Store missing place inside a muffin tin

Cutting and dicing ingredients before starting cooking is a tried-and-true chef strategy so that you can stick to the recipe timeline- and avoid overcooking or undercooking any component. Read the entire recipe and prepare the ingredients as per the instructions. As every item is recipe-ready, keep it inside a muffin tin cavity. Once it is completed, carry the tin from the cutting board to your cooking area and you are all set for a quick-fire challenge.

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