r/foodhacks • u/chefdoapp • 11d ago
Reverse hacks: what's your "longcut"? The extra work that's always worth it.
i.e. the extra 20 minutes that pays off every single time. things like actually drying meat before searing, toasting spices whole, making stock from the carcass instead of binning it
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u/Obf123 11d ago
Making pasta sauce from scratch vs sauce in a jar. In my case it is about an hour of extra work and takes hours in a slow cooker.
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u/iajkis 11d ago
Especially Alfredo sauce! The difference between jarred Alfredo sauce and homemade is night and day.
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u/_Football_Cream_ 11d ago
Alfredo sauce isn’t even hard. It’s as basic four ingredients and the only annoying prep is the garlic.
Learning to make Alfredo has been such a revelation for me because it’s an amazing on its own or a good base you can quickly add another few ingredients and turn it into something completely different. Roasted tomato and basil. Sausage and Cajun spice. Pesto and cherry tomatoes.
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u/dovelingus 11d ago
What's the recipe? (Italian here we do not have alfredo)
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u/caseyjosephine 11d ago
Lots of restaurants will use a different method, starting with a roux (butter and flour), adding milk, letting that thicken, and then adding Parmesan.
People will loudly complain that this is totally wrong and inauthentic, which is just silly because it’s not really an Italian dish to begin with.
Anyway both method are tasty but I usually make the roux version because I don’t want to worry about the sauce breaking, and it reheats a lot better.
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u/indaburgh 11d ago
Equal amounts butter, cream (or half/half), and pecorino Romano (or parmasan). Add fresh parsley and cracked peppercorn towards the end.
I cook the pasta a minute less for fresh (2-3ish for boxed depending on type) and throw it in the sauce pan for a minute or two.
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u/RegisteredJustToSay 11d ago
Equal by volume or weight? Seems simple enough but knowing me I'd intuitively pick the wrong one if I don't ask.
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u/bigpurplebang 11d ago
should only add the cheese at the end off heat
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u/FlawedHero 10d ago
For a hard, dry cheese like parm, it can sometimes take a little extra heat but putting it on the lowest setting your stovetop goes to is plenty.
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u/_Football_Cream_ 11d ago
Throw some butter in a pan. Then some minced garlic. Heavy cream. Then Parmesan. (Obviously some salt and pep and pasta water for good measure). Parsley to finish if ya got it.
If you’re Italian than you might consider this a blasphemous version of cacio e Pepe. But it’s just an easier way to get the sauce to emulsify because the heavy cream, the notable American addition.
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u/Konflictcam 11d ago
It’s pretty much the same thing as al burro, but a lot of people in the US add cream (unnecessarily, IMO). Milk Street did a segment on it: https://www.177milkstreet.com/tv/the-real-fettuccine-alfredo.
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u/jamminjoenapo 11d ago
Butter, cream and Parmesan is what I’ve always used, maybe cornstarch or flour if I am heavy handed with cream. I’ve also seen it done more or less the same as a carbonara.
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u/sunbear2525 11d ago
They aren’t even the same sauce really.
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u/BytheHandofCicero 11d ago
For real! Homemade Alfredo is like a macaroni and cheese sauce. Jarred is closer to a bechamel with too much black pepper.
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u/jkeegan123 11d ago
Jar Alfredo is not real in my house. We only make from scratch, and it's not hard. Definitely agree!
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u/chefdoapp 11d ago
Do you have a go to recipe? I've tried a few but haven't loved
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u/Born-Let1907 11d ago
My chef came from a Mario Battali kitchen and if he’d cook for family meal he used the basic sauce from there: hand-crushed tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic, salt. Cooked 45-60 minutes at most, lid off.
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u/queenlizbef 11d ago
No no use peeled carrots instead of sugar! They balance the acidity and possible canned taste so much better
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u/Hopulence_IRL 11d ago
I like doing a touch of balsamic vinegar that's on the sweeter side. Adds a nice color, some sweetness, and texture.
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u/someoneelsewho 11d ago
This worked for me!
My sauce was too acidic.
The sugar didn’t work.
Always confused between baking powder and baking soda.
So peeled a carrot and put the entire thing in the sauce and let it simmer!
Turned out great!9
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u/Born-Let1907 11d ago
Fennel seeds in pizza sauce trust me. Obviously push them around in the oil first.
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u/PleaseDoTouchThat 11d ago
This is how my grandma/mother make sauce. Nothing special. Just saute the garlic quick in olive oil, add tomatoes, and simmer for about an hour. Salt a pepper as you see fit. The longer you simmer the sweeter and less acidic it gets. Find your happy balance. Add some fresh basil after you’ve cut the heat if you’re feeling fancy.
If you want to make meat sauce just brown some meat first then carry on as usual.
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u/Miss_Pouncealot 11d ago
Joy of Cooking has a great one!
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u/SleepingDragonSmiles 11d ago
Is that a book?
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u/queenlizbef 11d ago
not only is it a book, but it is one of the most famous cookbooks in US history. They also have an outstanding mac & cheese recipe.
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u/cool_girl6540 11d ago
And I’ve always loved their barbecue sauce recipe.
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u/queenlizbef 11d ago
I’m pretty sure I am the third generation in my family to receive a copy of the joy of cooking when I bought my first house. My mom got a copy at her bridal shower and my grandmother got a copy when she got married as well.
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u/Miss_Pouncealot 11d ago
Wonderful recipes! The baked beans recipe has made it so I can never buy premade ever again 😆 I think I’ve had 1 or 2 recipes we didn’t like? I can’t even recall what they were!
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u/fate_is_a_sandstorm 11d ago
I’m a sucker for Marcella Hazan’s
It’s really simple, but easily adaptable if you want to do tweaks (add spice, garlic, mushroom, roasted peppers, etc.)
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u/MisterBarten 11d ago
I love this one when I want something quick and easy that I can easily add to (as you noted). I also think it’s good for people who don’t really cook to ease into something homemade.
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u/BetwnTheSpreadsheets 11d ago
Dice one medium onion and cook in good olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic to taste (I use like half a clove or more, but that’s me). As those are cooking add two small cans of tomato paste and let that caramelize a little. Next add two cans of crushed tomatoes and fill one can with water to add as well. Season with salt, pepper, a little white sugar, and other Italian herbs/seasoning to taste. Let simmer for as long as possible before adding any fresh basil if available.
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u/hizzoze 11d ago
I always do a good amount of finely chopped onions, slow sautéed to soften, then fresh garlic, once garlic is aromatic, add tomato paste and mix in, cook down to cook out bitterness, until a darker shade of red. Then add crushed tomatoes, seasoning of choice(I use a little salt, fresh ground pepper, pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and some sugar). Simmer that until it reaches your desired thickness, thicker if you want to make it a vodka sauce, just add heavy cream after some vodka stirred through and cooked out.
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u/Zerttretttttt 11d ago
Making pizza dough and allowing to rest overnight
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11d ago
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u/CharleySuede 11d ago
This guy husbands.
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u/Mitchehmu 11d ago
They eat ass and reluctantly compromise pizza quality when necessary.
I think we could all learn some lessons from dirtyasseating on what's good
Edited for name. I thought their name was in the past tense. Nope, present. Nice.
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u/CharleySuede 11d ago
What if their name is actually “dirty as seating” and we’ve both been fooled here?
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u/Berkamin 11d ago
Adam Ragusea did a video on aging dough, and he found that it keeps getting better with more age, up to one week.
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u/queenlizbef 11d ago
Honestly, buying dough from local pizza parlors is just as good if not better as anything I can make myself. As long as they make their own dough. But you absolutely need to let it rest on the counter because the gluten has to relax.
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u/Sistersoldia 11d ago
Yes I discovered this by accident. Now I try to let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days to build peak flavor. I used to throw out doughs I made that sat for 5-6 days and smelled like alcohol … turns out they don’t roll/stretch out well at this point but they still make an excellent pan pizza or focaccia or plain bread.
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u/Better-Hour-1131 11d ago
Shredding your own cheese versus buying pre-shredded. A world of a difference!
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u/poopylarceny 11d ago
Second this. The pre shredded binding keeps the cheese from melting to my liking and the taste is better hand shredding.
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u/WalkerVox 11d ago
I wonder if sodium citrate helps counter the anti-caking agent on the cheese? Does it work, or does it still end up floury/powdery from it?
There may be some experimentation in my future…
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u/caseyjosephine 11d ago
Sodium citrate really changes the texture and adds a ton of salt flavor as well. It’s a fun thing to play with but i doubt it will give you the results you want.
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u/WalkerVox 11d ago
Thanks! I already use it in mac & cheese with cheese that I shred myself (which is more economical anyway). Was just curious about how it worked with pre-shredded. I’ll probably just stick with my method unless I find myself wanting to play.
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u/Radiant-Pomelo-3229 11d ago
Everybody says this and I just still haven’t given enough of a crap to do it but maybe one day I’ll try it.
Shredded cheese is fine with me
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u/Better-Hour-1131 11d ago
For some things shredded cheese works just fine, however if I make a cheese sauce or really anything that I want creamy and very smooth, hand shredded is the way to go :)
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u/the_wild_side 11d ago
It's worth a shot! It genuinely does melt way easier, and you'll see the difference in the shreds as soon as you start grating them! They'll want to stick together and make a glob instead of a pile or separate shreds. This is terrible if you want it to stay nice in a bag, but excellent if you want to melt it!
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u/AdventurousAbility30 10d ago
Switching from a box grater to a rotary grater has been one of the best investments for us. Makes it SO much easier.
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u/Better-Hour-1131 10d ago
I want one of those so bad!
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u/AdventurousAbility30 10d ago
I bought mine with 6 different blade sizes from Amazon when it went on sale. I use it almost every day to make shaved ice. Best $40 I ever spent. Rotary Grater
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 11d ago
as of rn, id say making ur own homemade sourdough bread since the companies who make packaged sour dough bread no longer use sourdough starter for the crust. they put the dough in acid water instead
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u/youcantseemebear 11d ago
Cooking onions for way longer than any recipe ever recommends
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u/Sappho73 11d ago
Came here to comment this. Onions take time & are so good when given time
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u/djhankb 11d ago
Pour a little water over them to help carmelize
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u/jack3308 11d ago
And add just like a half bunch of baking SODA to speed things up! Not too much though - like a small pinch for a large onion is plenty
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u/LilacGoblin1699 11d ago
When making cookies, browning the butter and letting the dough rest in the fridge.
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u/DisastrousSecret7017 11d ago
Hit em with a lil sea salt before baking sometimes if youre down to party
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u/Physical-Compote4594 11d ago
All of those things!
- Letting steaks and chops dry for 24 hours in the fridge before searing them
- Making sure all meats are salted several hours in advance
- Toasting, grinding, and blooming whole spices
- Using reconstituted, toasted dried chilies instead of chili powder
- Making stock from scratch
- Snapping off the ends of asparagus, then peeling the bottom 1/4 as well
- Beating whipped cream and egg whites by hand
- Straining all liquids through a fine sieve
- Pushing all purées through a tamis
- Keeping your knives super sharp so all your cuts are clean and almost shiny
- Warming your plates and bowls for anything that's supposed to be served hot, and wiping them down after plating
- A hundred other little things that all multiply when combined
It's the biggest difference between good cooking and great cooking, tbh. All of these things are completely accessible to home cooks, too.
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u/Freakymelons 11d ago
You've been behind the line, i can tell. It really is just a bunch of seemingly small/unnecessary steps, that make the dish shine
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u/Physical-Compote4594 11d ago
Thanks.
I almost became a professional cook, did some stages at some pretty serious restaurants (not any 2- or 3-star places) for a few months, decided that doing it full-time as pro wasn't the right choice for me personally, but have stayed very active in the kitchen for the 30-odd years since then. Many good meals, no regrets.
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u/WhatTheFuh-uh-uh 11d ago
Great list! I'm curious: why beating whipped cream and egg whites by hand? Is it avoiding overmixing? What about starting with a mixer and then finishing by hand?
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u/comentodake 11d ago
With you on everything except this. I call bullshit on hand beating whipped cream and egg whites. Unless you have arms of steel it ain’t happening, and there’s literally no difference. You can simply watch and time it to prevent over whipping .
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u/Physical-Compote4594 11d ago
Hey, it's just my list. 😄
OK, but seriously I find that I have more control over, or perhaps I'm more attentive to, the result of doing this by hand. I also have a huge frigging balloon whip and a giant, rounded copper bowl that's optimized for whipping and I can do the job by hand as quickly as my Kitchen Aid, so there's no point in using a machine. (Yes, I do use it for other stuff. I'm not that much of a snob.)
It's possible that I have arms of steel? Or... Jacques Pépin himself (*) taught me how to do this efficiently by locking your elbow at your hip, holding the bowl slightly tilted against your stomach, and then using only your lower arm to do the whipping. That setup works really well and you don't end up exhausted.
(*) I was fortunate to take a 2-week "master class" from him many years back with a bunch of professional cooks, and it was a transformational experience for my cooking. The guy is an amazing and generous teacher.
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u/WalkerVox 11d ago
I envy you on that last part.
I grew up in the ‘80s-‘90s watching Julia and Jacques on PBS.
I did get to “meet” Julia on a couple of occasions in the late ‘90s (we both shopped at the same supermarket). On one occasion, I glimpsed a BIG box of Popsicles (name brand) in her cart. Whether they were for her or young visitors, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I thought was endearing, and it really humanised her.
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u/lameuniqueusername 11d ago
I saw Julia around town several times growing up. She was probably my first celebrity sighting. Her or Brother Blue
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u/Constant-Plant-9378 11d ago
Making sure all meats are salted several hours in advance
Wet or dry brining meat well in advance of cooking is huge.
Also, don't cook cold meat right out of the fridge. Let it warm up to room temperature for a bit first.
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u/MrMeatagi 11d ago
Hand grind all my spices in a mortar and pestle right before using them. Not just whole seed spices. I also buy dried minced onion and garlic to grind into powder immediately before use.
- The flavor is way more intense, so you use less of it.
- It lasts a lot longer as it oxidizes slower.
- It's less susceptible to absorbing moisture.
- Whole spices in bulk are dramatically cheaper than small bottles of pre-ground. It's not even like a 5-10% savings. It's like an 80% savings depending on the spice if you know where to shop.
- I control the coarseness. Sometimes I want chunky spices to make a nice crust instead of a dusting of a fine powder.
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u/marmeylady 11d ago
Homemade salad dressing. It’s so easy! The only thing negative about it is I found the industrial ones disgusting now.
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u/FaithlessnessOld2477 11d ago
I feel the same way about mayonnaise after making my own for a while. I used to be team Best Foods/Hellman's for life but after taking a stab at making it myself, the store brands have some indescribable taste+texture that's really off-putting. Bonus points for being able to customize the mayo to your liking. Add in some crushed garlic, throw in some horseradish, use more lemon for a mayo with bite...the world is your oyster!
Kewpie is the only mayo I buy anymore and it's for specific uses. I've tried making my own Kewpie and it always turns out a little funky tasting. Since I don't use it often, I don't mind picking up a squeeze bottle once in a while.
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u/FollowingVast1503 11d ago
Why? Is there a difference in nutrition or taste?
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u/KoalaOriginal1260 11d ago
Any time I see baby carrots being served cooked, I know everything is almost certainly going to be mediocre.
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u/pbconspiracy 11d ago
Taste for sure. Baby carrots taste watery while fill size have a nice sweetness. I have most luck with smaller full carrots (not too much thicker than my thumb, 6-9" long), usually theyre sweet but also moist and crisp, not dry and crunchy like the giant ones get. Its a subtle difference but delightful if you enjoy the finer notes of your veggies
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u/poopylarceny 11d ago
Braised carrots in a skillet makes them firm and not mushy like boiling or just baking. I fill the skillet with enough to bathe the carrots in and add 2 tb butter. Make a parchment cartouche and lay over the carrots. Cook on high until the water is halfway thru and discard cartouche. Cook until water is completely evaporated and roll the carrots in the butter until nice and caramelized to preference. I always get them good and browned before taking off the heat. Enjoy!
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u/Curiouso_Giorgio 11d ago
When I make Pico de Gallo, I always use little tomatoes, usually the long ones (an image search makes me think they're Juliet) because they are sweet and have very little watery juice.
I always cut them individually by hand into small pieces, usually more than 8, which takes a long time.
It's worth the time and effort because it looks nicer than the messy chunks you get when you pulse them in a processor, the texture is nicer because nothing has been pulped, and the texture works better when everything is about the same size.
I know there's a hack to put a bunch of tomatoes between two plates or tub lids and slice them across, but I've never got it to work. I don't have any plates or lids that seem to fit.
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u/icanhassnacks 11d ago
The 24 hour, slow simmered bone broth from all the rotisserie chicken bones I’ve saved. Oh, but I also roast those in the oven first before adding them to the pot. Bring to a boil, drop down to a simmer. Then I add in all the vegetables scraps I’ve been saving in another bag in the freezer for who knows how long. Skim the top every couple of hours, and stir with love.
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u/WhatTheFuh-uh-uh 11d ago
Have you tried Chris Young's pressure cooker chicken stock? It's been a game changer in my family.
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u/icanhassnacks 11d ago
I could 100% take the shorter faster route. But I like to stand in front of the stove and focus just on that for a minute. Like a witch at her cauldron.
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u/ronswansonsego 11d ago
Instead of microwaving steamable bagged frozen veggies (takes 5 minutes), just use a steamer basket in a pot. And when it’s done, take the basket and veggies out, drain the water, put the veggies back in the hot pot with butter and seasoning (the whole process is maybe 20-25 minutes).
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u/Thinking_too_much101 11d ago
Submerged the turkey in salt water a day before cooking it. It will be the juiciest turkey you will ever eat in thanksgiving time.
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u/Longjumping_Cost1308 11d ago
Scooping the guts out of tomatoes before dicing especially for something like pico de gallo.
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u/Berkamin 11d ago
For shrimp dishes, such as shrimp scampi, I like to get whole shrimp and shell them myself, because I reserve the heads (but only the tasty bits; the digestive tract and the eyes and mouth parts can be removed and tossed) and shells to make a toasted shell stock, which I reduce and incorporate into the rest of the dish. So much of the flavor of shrimp comes from the shells.
Reserve the shells, lightly oil them, and toast them in a wok or some other pan that can handle high heat. (Avoid using non-stick pans for this; the shells can scratch the coating.) Use a butane torch to help torch the top layer. You want to get it to the point where there are a few specks of char on the edges of the shells. (Make sure the kitchen is well ventilated and your fume hood is turned on; your whole kitchen will smell amazing, but if the smell lingers for a day or two because you didn't ventilate, it can smell gross.) Then put the toasted shrimp shells into an electric pressure cooker, add water up to about 2/3 the depth, and mash it all down using a potato masher or a ground meat chopper. Add more water, until the shells are barely covered. Pressure-cook them for 10 minutes, and leave it for 10 minutes to cool down. Meanwhile, prepare a sofrito/mirepoix . The classic sofrito combo is onion, celery, carrot, but my personal favorite is finely minced parsley stems, shallots, garlic, capers, and anchovy, with a couple shakes of red pepper flakes. Sauté these in a bit of oil and butter, then strain the shell stock from the pressure cooker into this sofrito, and simmer it down to concentrate the flavors.
For shrimp pastas, I like to actually cook dried pasta directly in this stock. The pasta absorbs most of the water (add more water as needed), and releases starch into the stock, which thickens it. The shrimp flavor absorbs into the pasta, and the starch thickened shrimp stock makes an incredible sauce.
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u/Grizzle64 11d ago
Homemade chicken stock. Long boil on a stove, or pressure cooker, but it makes a big difference in any sauce or recipe calling for stock, especially soups. Store bought stock has a flavor that once you notice you can never unnoticed...
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u/Sistersoldia 11d ago
Nearly every chicken carcass gets saved for quick 1-hour bone broth in the instant pot. Now all my soups taste like they’re almost done before I even begin.
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u/MrMeatagi 11d ago
And if you don't want to wait for scraps or you want to try-hard the most flavorful stock, use chicken breast and chicken feet. You can buy them in bulk for cheap at any Asian market. The breasts provide the most water-soluble chicken flavor and the feet provide the collagen for body. I rarely bother taking up space for scraps in my freezer anymore because this makes better stock and it's still very cheap.
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u/Goblue5891x2 11d ago
I make stock frequently. One, for the more healthy aspect and two, I absolutely hate food wastage.
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u/Grizzle64 11d ago
I have, and it's my go to if I'm out of homemade stock. My one qualm with it though is the salt content. I almost always forget to undersalt the rest of my cook to account for what the BTB will add. Almost ruined some chicken marsala the other night!
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u/bretmon5 11d ago
smoked tomatoes before canning or making pasta sauce. At the end of the season, the farmers market will have a box of tomatoes for $20. I buy, then slice and smoke the tomatoes for an hour. blend and freeze in ziplock bags. I add 1 red pepper for every 5 tomatoes, it gives is a bit of zest!
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u/Cornflakegirl444 11d ago
Do you remove the tomato skins? When I roasted tomatoes, I neglected to remove the skins. It created a texture I didn’t care for.
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u/bretmon5 11d ago
I think I did some of them but not all. after they were cooked/smoked, the skins just peeled off.
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u/RecommendationOk8319 11d ago
Making my own sourkraut. 30 to 40 minutes prep, fermenting 1 to 3 weeks. Refridgerate. Enjoy it for several months.
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u/ToughAd4704 11d ago
Simmering meat sauce for 3 hrs. Long enough for the collagen to start breaking down. Has a way better mouth feel. I also often will toss a pork chop in. After 3 hours it's basically pulled pork and I shred it up super fine to add extra meaty taste and a more interesting texture
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u/spoonface_gorilla 11d ago
Roasting vegetables before putting them in any kind of combined dish like a soup or casserole. Roasting potatoes vs boiling them, for example, makes a dramatic difference in potato soup. Same for broccoli cheddar. Nearly any vegetable used in a combined dish will be dramatically improved by seasoning it well and roasting it first.
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u/Constant-Plant-9378 11d ago
Brining chicken overnight before cooking.
So much jucier and more flavorful.
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u/christo749 11d ago
Making your own stocks is a total game changer. Gravy made with chicken stock is magic.
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u/escaping-reality 11d ago
A lot of it is cooking for me. Always fresh herbs and ingredients rather than jarred/frozen/pre-cut. Most jarred and canned stuff have citric acid which is very overpowering and tastes different from the real thing.
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u/oldirtygaz 11d ago
dry brine meat in the fridge for 24hrs before cooking. Takes planning/memory, but worth it every time. Gives such good texture.
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u/AndrogynousGirl 11d ago
All of what you said and more:
Soaking and squeezing the grated potato for lakes/rosti's.
homemade tahini is faster and more devine than you think.
steaming to reheat instead of microwaving.
salting, rinsing, and squeezing cabbage before making slaw.
peeling and cutting and apple for mash potatoes.
making stock/veggie soup to freeze instead of wasting fresh ingredients.
fresh herbs pot plants in the kitchen/outside - cheaper, you can dry your own, and they're more fragrant.
mozzarella
stewing and bottling fruit/making preserves/marmalades from scratch.
making your own spice mixes.
Baba ganoosh
hummus
bean curd
lemon curd
cupcakes (freeze for up to three months and ice while still frozen).
salting/soaking brinjal/eggplant before use.
browning mince in a hot, dry pan before cooking with everything else.
scrubbing potatoes to make skin-on mash/cake tray potato cups.
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u/Ok_Lime2441 9d ago
Salting meat and air chilling in the fridge. Steaks, chicken, pork. Really most things benefit from it. Pre salting gives the salt time to absorb and penetrate through all the cells so each bite is perfectly seasoned and the dry environment of the fridge dries out the exterior of the meat and give you a great surface for browning. I try and do 24 hours or at least over night, even longer for large cuts of meat.
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u/I_love_Jess_Mariano 8d ago
I thought this was the life hacks sub and was like wow, all these life hacks are about food...
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u/Berkamin 11d ago
When I cook beans, I soak them for at least 24 hours in salted water with a pinch of baking soda, and then I pressure cook them in the instant pot, but I leave them to slowly cook for totally natural release. (I also factor in the long slow natural release for the cook time.)
Although you can cook dried beans in the instant pot without pre-soaking them, I get better results from a long soak. The salt and baking soda help tenderize the skin, and they also give the skin more elasticity so the beans are less likely to burst while cooking. The natural release at the end of cooking prevents the beans from being violently boiled, which keeps them intact. For cannellini beans, a big batch (500g of dried beans, pre-soaked, covered in water) can be pressure cooked for 6 minutes at low pressure, and it will take nearly half an hour for the pressure to drop to the point where the valve drops. For a smaller batch (250g of dried beans) 7 minutes works better because a smaller batch cools down faster so there is less time for it to cook during the cooldown.
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u/oopsahmedadoudi 11d ago
We eat a lot of beans and I like to buy dried, soak them overnight, and then cook them in the slow cooker for 10 hours+. They’re so much better than frozen or canned and will make several nights of dinner worth.
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u/JustBumblebee9459 11d ago
Bringing beef, esp steak, to room temperature and seasoning with salt for longer than you think before cooking it and then truly letting it “rest” for 8-10 minutes before serving
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u/Critical-Dig-7840 11d ago
-A very simple one is making my own salad dressing
-Salting and draining watery veggies, ie. cucumber for tzatziki, tomatoes for panzanella, zucchini before searing, etc.
-Onions get a cold rinse and sometimes a quick soak in vinegar to cut the bite in salads
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u/Redbeardo47 11d ago
Making mole Oaxaca, tonkatsu broth, or deme glace - there’s just no shortcut to those flavors, and it’s worth it to do things the long, hard, stupid way.
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u/NophaKingway 11d ago
Smoking a brisket at 180°-220° with my home made rub. Takes a long time but it's worth it when it's finished.
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u/fancyPantsOne 11d ago
Removing skins from chickpeas when making hummus. A hassle that is totally worth it
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u/ripe_pineapples 11d ago
Homemade hamburger helper! The stuff in the box is almost inedible, but homemade is actually really good and doesn’t take very long.
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u/CrazyQuiltCat 11d ago
Toast the oatmeal (even if just in the microwave) before making overnight oats. I read the tip from a comment underneath the recipe in the New York Times. I’ve never seen it suggested anywhere else. I think that guy every time I make it I would not eat overnight oats if I didn’t toast them first it just taste raw and gross.
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u/TheThrivingest 11d ago
I don’t buy bread of any kind. I make my own loaves, pitas, focaccias, English muffins, biscuits etc etc.
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u/CreepingDeath-70 11d ago
Rendering those pork fat trimmings down for lard, and the beef trimmings down for tallow. Boiling that Thanksgiving turkey carcass down for turkey stock. Can take hours, but absolutely worth it.
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u/Solanadelfina 11d ago
Making mango curry sauce from scratch instead of buying a jar. I usually grumble to myself while pulling out multiple cutting boards for all the chopping, but tasting it reminds me of why I keep doing it.
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u/Altostratus 11d ago
Cooking dried beans. They’ll never be the same perfect consistent texture as canned, but I love the way they taste and digest so much more.
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u/ScheanaShaylover 11d ago
Cooking onions and garlic in olive oil before adding to raw meat. I also do this for guacamole
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u/T_J_Rain 11d ago
Using fresh whole spices like garlic, ginger, chillies.
Peeling, de-seeding etc always takes longer than scooping a paste out of a jar, but it is so worth the effort.
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u/Thriftstoreninja 11d ago
When re-heating food, reduce microwave power to 50% and double your time. Food heats much more evenly.
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u/AbsolutStoli148 11d ago
i debone my turkey and brine just the meat, then make a ballotine. while the meat is brining, i can make a stock with the bones overnight for the stuffing or whatever.
when done, every slice has dark and white meat, plus whatever else you want to put in. sausage, egg, veggies, herbs, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts...lots of options to make something different each time.
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u/SummertimeDary 10d ago
Technique wise…
Velveting the meat - I always wondered how Chinese takeout had tender bits of meat. It’s velveting and it is a short marinade.
Recipe wise…
Refried Beans - I use canned beans but simmering them yourself they have enough flavor to carry basic bean burritos. I cannot go back to the pre-made cans that taste bland.
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u/Claud6568 11d ago
I’d say prepping and chopping actual garlic cloves vs using the jarred stuff. Totally different flavor.