I’ve been subjected lately to a cavalcade of online posts about ‘Kitchen Mistakes’. They all say pretty much the same thing. Like one food blogger does the topic, and a host of others copy it. But I think there’s still merit in mentioning some of the key issues…
Don’t crowd the pan! The proper way to brown meat is to cook it
quickly, with none of the pieces touching. If you crowd the
pan, you’ll end up poaching it, not caramelizing it!
We’ve all done things while cooking that we later wish we hadn’t. Most of those mistakes have become’ teaching moments’, and we’ve never made them again. But there asre some kitchen practices that many folks still get caught on. And I think it’s time to weed out the REAL issues from the trivial ones…
Mise en place
One thing I learned in culinary school is that all pro chefs simplify and accelerate their cooking tasks by practicing the French tradition of mise en place. The phrase literally means ‘put in its place’.
But its culinary meaning is a little different. It refers to measuring out and preparing ingredients for your recipe so they’re ready to add as you go along. It’s not only aggravating to have to stop in the middle of a recipe to dice an onion. It’s also dangerous, as delays in the process may lead to overcooking of the ingredients already on the heat. And it makes the whole exercise seem cumbersome and tedious.
All the TV chefs do it! Why shouldn’t you?
Storing produce in the fridge
This one has been front and centre online, lately. The rule you should follow is, if it’s not in a refrigerated display at the store, don’t put it in the fridge when you get it home.
I’ve known some folks who – until I gently corrected them – were putting tomatoes, oranges, bananas, onions and even potatoes in the fridge! At the very least you’re suppressing their flavours. And if you expected your tomatoes to ripen further after you get them home, they just won’t in the fridge. There’s also a chance you’ll damage some of the delicate nutrients in soft fruits and leafy greens.
Don’t crowd the pan
This is a mistake even I still make oj occasion, when I’m in a hurry. But you should take the time to sear your meat – browning it before finish-cooking – to create a flavourful caramelized crust. This is especially important when making something like a hearty beef stew, Boeuf Bourguignon or Noodles Romanoff. The browen on the meat and the bottom of the pan gives the sauce its rich colour and flavour!
All fresh foods contain water which comes out during cooking. And if the pan is too crowded (i.e.- pieces of food are touching) the water can’t evaporate as steam quickly enough, and you end up poaching the food rather than searing or frying it. Adding too much food to the pan all at once will also drop the temperature, making the desired results problematic.
Don’t cook meat straight from the fridge
You may overcook or burn the surface of a thick cut of any meat before it’s done in the centre! Let your meat come to room temperature. It takes about half an hour for a thick steak. Less for stew meat or ground meat.
You should also dry the surface of your meats before adding to the pre-heated pan to ensure the production of lots of delicious, brown caramelization. Same goes for baking or roasting. DO you put potatoes in around the roast? They’ll come out beautifully browned and flavourful, too!
Buying pre-ground black pepper
The black ‘crusty’ kkin on black pepper is what gives it its mottled black colour when ground. And contributes to its bold flavour. But if you buy pre-ground black pepper, the skin has been breached – who knows how long ago! And from that moment, the product has been losing its primary, characteristic flavour and piquant nuances.
A pepper grinder is a good investment, if you want to get the most out your pepper purchases. And whole peppercorns may be cheaper than pre-ground pepper – side by side, in the same aisle, at the same store.
Buying pre-shredded cheese
Pre-shredded cheese is a real convenience. Who enjoys the chore of shredding their own, from the block – even if they have a food processor to help? It speeds up pizza and taco construction considerably. But you may have noticed that the pre-shredded cheese you get at the supermarket – even the stuff in resealable bags, is often dry-ish. And once you’ve opened the bag, it gets even dryer, faster. That’s a sure way to destroy its flavour and meltability.
It’s a double whammy: You already pay a premium for any cheese, these days. You pay even more for the pre-shredded stuff. And you’re getting an inferior product!
My take
The foregoing are just a few important kitchen practices you should be employing, to get the most out of your culinary investments.
We’ll pass along more of these essential but often veiled tips-that-should-be-habits in the future…
~ Maggie J.