Novice cooks need lots of cooking tips to help them in the kitchen and even the most experienced cooks could always use a little extra help. Here are some of my favorite cooking tips, which you may know or may be new to you. So for come top cooking tips, read on.
Always leave the bone in when you roast a meat joint if you can. Not only does the bone have a lot of flavor which will ensure the meat it really tasty, but the bone actually helps to transfer the heat throughout the roast, making cooking more even and reducing the cooking time.
Never overload the pan with food if you are sauteing food. This is because moisture will get trapped between the foodstuffs and your food will end up being steamed (and soggy) instead of sauteed (and crisp).
For the same reason, make sure you remove excess water from ground meat before pan frying, by blotting with a kitchen towel. If you don't your meat will steam rather than sear in the frying pan and the texture of your dish will be ruined.
If you like to cook with a grill, make sure that the it is hot before you put the meat onto it. If you don't, rather than having those attractive sear markings, your meat will stick to the grill. Not great! And if you have a counter top grill, make sure you use as non-stick spray!
If you want to add more flavor to soups, stews and mashed potatoes, used beef or chicken stock instead of plain water. And because you can do so much with chicken and beef stocks, always make big portions up when you have the opportunity. You should aim to make enough for whatever you need it for now, AND have enough left to freeze some for another day's cooking. Always allow your stock to cool before freezing it. This will allow any excess fat in it to congeal so you can remove it.
Always prepare as much of the meal's ingredients as you can in advance if you want to stay organized. Do all of the prep work the night before if you are cooking a big meal for guests. Always work out when you need to begin cooking each part of the meal by starting with the deadline to finish and calculating backwards. This will ensure that your meat and vegetables are ready at the same time - and remember to let the meat "rest" before carving or it will bleed meat juices which are best kept inside the joint!
If you are stir frying, prep your meat by slicing it into thin strip on the bias. This will give you the largest surface area for best and quickest cooking. However it is difficult to do. To make it easier, pop your meat into the freezer until solid (not frozen). Then, with a sharp knife, cut at 45 degrees across the grain of the meat. Perfect!
Remember, it is easy to learn new cooking tips and skills. You just need to want to! Use these tips to help you.