Why do I need to soak wooden skewers?
Why do I need to soak wooden skewers?
So that they don't burn.
When making kebabs or satays, you need to soak wooden skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes to keep them from igniting right there on the grill. Metal skewers don't need to be soaked, of course, but they do get (and stay) very hot.
We prefer to use bamboo skewers because they're inexpensive, they hold up well and are easy to handle right off the grill. Bamboo skewers can go straight into the garbage can or right into the fire.
A croque-monsieur is a hot ham-and-cheese sandwich popularized in France after it was first served in a Parisian café in the early 20th century.
Still popular in cafés, bars, bistros and kitchens across France, it consists of thinly sliced Gruyère cheese and lean sliced ham placed on buttered bread, which may be covered in a cheesy Béchamel sauce and broiled in the oven au gratin (or, more rarely, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs before pan-frying in butter). Sometimes the sandwich is topped with a tomato slice and other cheeses and meats can be substituted; add a fried egg, and you've got a croque-madame.
Related: What is a gratin?
Broiling is a cooking method in which food is cooked directly under high heat. Scallops or steak can be cooked under the broiler, giving them a nice caramelized crust and a juicy interior. (A broiler is also called a salamander in a professional kitchen, and is often a small, separate heat source where dishes—especially those made with cream—are given a final blast of heat before serving.
Grilling is often used as a synonym for broiling, though when we use the verb "to grill" in America, we technically mean that the food is cooked over a direct heat source, rather than under. Barbecuing, on the other hand, generally refers to cooking food over indirect heat.
To confuse matters, our British and Australian friends refer to what we call broiling as grilling; hence the term "grilled cheese," which in the U.K., is generally made open-faced and heated under a broiler, not fried in a pan in the American fashion.
Recipe: Broiled Salmon With Miso (Cookthink)
Recipe: Broiled Chicken With An Indian Spice Rub (Cookthink)
What's the point of resting meat before cutting it?
What's the point of resting meat before cutting it?
Letting cooked meat rest before you cut into it can be patience-trying for the hungry carnivore. But it's worth it for a number of reasons.
High heat makes muscle proteins in the meat contract, pushing juices toward the center. If you allow your meat to relax -- anywhere from 5 minutes for a steak to around 40 for a turkey -- liquid that has been pushed out of tightened meat cells is able to circulate and be reabsorbed, making the meat more tender. This also means the juice will stay in the meat, not run all over your cutting board or plate. It also helps even out the temperature of the meat.
Remove your cooked meat and place it on a wooden cutting board (or, as some chefs insist, on a wire rack above a plate to capture juices, which allows air to circulate on its underside, preventing it from becoming soggy). You can also loosely tent the meat with foil; again, be careful not to wrap it too tightly, lest you lock in the moisture and lose your crisp crust.
Note: The internal temperature of meat rises while it rests, due to the residual heat from the oven. So invest in a digital, instant-read meat thermometer and get in the habit of pulling your meat out before it's done to your liking.
Recipe: Roast Leg Of Lamb With Garlic And Rosemary (Cookthink)
Reference: Does searing meat really seal in moisture? (Cookthink)
Reference: Do I need a digital, instant-read meat thermometer? (Cookthink)
An Argentine condiment used to accompany grilled steak and other meats, chimichurri is a pesto-like sauce made from onions, garlic, parsley, dried oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, oil and vinegar. It is best made fresh, but it is also occasionally available in dehydrated and bottled versions.
Legend has it that chimichurri was invented by a traveling Brit of some sort, its odd name a bastardization of possible inventors Jimmy McCurry, Jimmy Curry or James C. Hurray. Now a popular accompaniment throughout Latin America, it is often called the ketchup of Argentina.
Recipe: Chimichurri Marinade (Cookthink)
Recipe: Grilled Flat-Iron Steak With Chimichurri Sauce (Kalyn's Kitchen)
Be sure to get your oysters (and all seafood) from a reliable fishmonger. If you don't have one, check your local supermarket -- many larger ones have excellent fish departments. Occasionally, busy seafood restaurants may also have an adjoining market open to the public.
When choosing oysters, rely on your senses:
Smell: Fresh oysters should smell like sea water; crisp and briny and not at all fishy. Pre-shucked oysters should have no ammonia smell.
Sight: Oysters should be kept on ice, in a well-drained refrigerated case. The shells should be mostly closed and should close tightly when tapped with a finger.
Touch: The oyster shells should be scratchy and may have barnacles; avoid oysters with lots of algae, seaweed or mossy patches, as these may have been kept in a tank with poor water circulation.
Taste: If you're lucky enough to be able to taste-test the oysters, check for levels of brininess and adjust your recipe accordingly.
In the United States, fish sellers are required by law to keep the delivery tags from shipments of fresh seafood. Ask to see the tags; they give the dates of shipment and delivery, so you'll know how long the oysters were in transit, how long they have been on display, and their source.
Reference: How to shuck an oyster (Cookthink)
Reference: What is an oyster knife? (Cookthink)
Most of the juiciness in meat is actually water, but the sensation of juiciness happens on two fronts.
The first comes from actual moisture held in meat fibers that is released when the fibers are broken during chewing.
The secondary perception of juiciness is due to saliva flow that is stimulated by the presence of fat in the mouth. That is why a well-marbled meat will taste juicy even when it has been cooked relatively dry, while a bite of veal (too young to be thickly marbled) may start out moist and tender, but will dry out in the mouth before it’s swallowed.
One of the things that makes meat taste succulent is what is known as “marbling.”
When an animal eats more calories than it needs, the excess is stored in specialized fat-storing tissue that surrounds the muscles and organs. If the animal continues to eat to excess, eventually that tissue becomes over-filled, and the overflow is rerouted directly into the organs and muscles themselves.
This intramuscular fat is called marbling, and though it does not serve the health of the animal, it works wonders for the taste of its meat.
Marbling tenderizes meat in two ways. First, it stretches the connective tissue into thin sheets, making it more likely to soften during cooking. More importantly, it isolates one muscle fiber from another, helping them to separate into tiny easily chewed packets.
Unlike surface fat, which bastes only the outside of a meat, marbled fat melts into the fibers individually, spreading its flavor impact into every bite. In addition to being flavorful itself, fat is essential for the perception of all aromatic flavors, so marbling helps carry the impact of sauces and seasoning on the meat to the palate.
What's the point of bringing meat to room temperature before cooking?
What's the point of bringing meat to room temperature before cooking?
When you're cooking meat that's been stored in the refrigerator, remember to bring it to room temperature (usually about 30 minutes) before subjecting it to the heat of the oven, stove or grill.
If you stick a cold dense piece of meat in a hot pan or oven, you risk drying out the exterior of the meat before you've given the inside a chance to cook through.
If you want your meat to cook evenly, do yourself a favor and let it come to room temperature first. If for some reason you can't, then as a last resort, reduce the heat to allow it to cook more slowly without drying out.
Many people think that sweetbreads are culinary code for calves' brains.
But the term sweetbreads is actually a benign-sounding pseudonym for the paired thymus glands and pancreas of milk-fed veal or calves. (You can also find inferior pork or lamb sweetbreads if you look hard enough.) The rounder pancreas gland near the heart is more prized than the tubular thymus throat gland. The pancreas gland has a more delicate flavor and smoother texture.
If you're shopping for sweetbreads, be sure that they're still snow white, fleshy and firm to the touch. Rinse them in several changes of acidulated water before using. Once you get them home, don't keep them for more than 24 hours in the refrigerator. Sweetbreads are normally blanched, refreshed in cold water and cooled before being braised, poached, sautéed, fried, broiled or blended into a soufflé, pâté or filling.
Black pudding is the polite term for a charcuterie otherwise known as blood sausage or boudin noir, a dark-colored European and Russian sausage made primarily from pig's blood and fat bound up inside a pig's intestine, that is believed to have been invented by the ancient Greeks.
A number of flavorings can be added to the black pudding mixture, from onions to brandy, eggs, milk, spinach, cream, breadcrumbs, apples, prunes, raisins and herbs. The Scottish mix in blood-absorbing oatmeal or barley. The French boudin noir is fried or broiled and usually served with apples or mashed potatoes. Germans enjoy it with a side of hot potato salad, and the British and Irish serve it with bacon and potatoes.
