This will be a good one that we can all learn from!
We’re about to learn some useful cooking tips from folks who are well-trained in the art of cooking. And these aren’t even the tips they learned in culinary school.
These are pointers they learned from years of experience and now they’re passing them on to us!
Are you ready to get smart?
Let’s learn about some helpful cooking tips from AskReddit users.
1. Nice and easy.
“Keep it simple.
Something with 3-4 ingredients that go really well together is better than something with 12 ingredients that clash with each other.”
2. Salt it up.
“Salt early, salt late.
Adding salt at different points in cooking dramatically affects results.”
3. Don’t even bother.
“There’s literally no point, and even a health hazard, to “rinse” pre-cut chicken and salmon.”
4. Be mindful of this.
“Electric stoves are much hotter than gas.
A high setting on gas will get you a nice sear, but the same on electric will burn.
It’s not something to worry about in the kitchen, but definitely at home.”
5. Avoid the lumps.
“Always use cold water to mix with flour or cornstarch to make your gravy.
It won’t get lumpy.”
6. Avoid at all costs.
“Please don’t buy pre-marinated meats in butchers and grocery stores.
They’re usually older cuts of meat being ‘rescued’ with a marinade to cover the unfreshness and smell.”
7. Do it yourself.
“Make your own stock.
Save the parts of veggies you didn’t use like ends of onions, inners of peppers, and chicken bones in a ziplock in the freezer. Just make sure you don’t put anything bitter like cabbage or brocolli in. Also never put lemon rind in, it will make it super bitter and inedible.
Sweet things like carrots or squash are a must, even pieces of apples are delicious. And I always make sure to put in some celery. Put it all straight from freezer bag to pot, cover with water, throw in a few bay leaves and salt and pepper and simmer for like two hours.
I always try to have chicken stock on hand… so much better than store bought broth, and you control the sodium. Your soups will never be the same. Also delicious to use to cook rice.”
8. A touch of heat.
“A few drops of a hot sauce like Crystal or a fish sauce can be unrecognizable in a vinaigrette, dip or sauce but it can take it to otherworldly levels.
A touch of heat, umami, sugar or acid can turn a flat dish into something people crave. Little drops, add more.
Stop when you taste it and start salivating.”
9. A good tip.
“Using scissors to cut things.
Cherry tomatoes, dough, pizza, some cuts of meat, veggies….
So much faster, less to clean up and way cleaner cuts.”
10. Everything has a home.
“You’ll move faster if you maintain the saying of ‘Everything has a home, and if it’s not in my hand, it’s in its home.’ This way, you can rely on everything being exactly in its place.
Also, stay clean. Not just by wiping up crumbs after you use a cutting board (keep a sanitized towel nearby for a quick wipe and it’ll become second nature), but by always keeping ‘landing spaces’ clear.
You go faster when your space is flexible, and that only happens if you stay clean.”
11. Save it.
“Save. bacon. fat.
Filter cooled, but still liquid bacon fat through a paper towel into a coffee mug or similar heat resistant container. It stays fresh uncovered in the fridge for months. Use it anywhere you’d use butter, lard, or oil to infuse a bacon flavor.
This will obviously make the best gravy, but the pro tip is to use bacon fat instead of butter or olive oil to saute veggies, especially leafy stuff like kale, spinach, or greens.”
12. Working with MSG.
“Culinary school never teaches you to use premade seasoning powders (Knorr stock powder etc) or MSG.
It is essential for certain food businesses. By the way MSG reduces the amount of salt you have to use so in a way it is healthy.
In Culinary school, MSG is never talked about or used and I ended up having to learn how to use MSG (how much to use in my recipe) when I opened my business.”
13. Just like an assembly line.
“Work like an assembly line.
Cut all the ends off, then peel everything, then split everything, then slice. Having 500 veggies to chop will take so long if you do each, from beginning to end, individually.
When you change jobs or motions or tools, you slow down to recalibrate. The less you change actions, the faster you can get.”
Okay, now it’s your turn!
In the comments, share some food tips that you think will help us out in the kitchen.
Thanks in advance!
