15 Professional Cooking Shortcuts That Home Cooks Don't Know
A comprehensive list of 15 cooking shortcuts used by professional chefs, published by Quartz, reveals techniques that improve flavor, consistency, and efficiency in home kitchens. The article emphasizes that these methods are not about speed but about sequencing and habit, such as dry brining meat the night before, salting pasta water until it tastes like the sea, reserving starchy pasta water for sauces, building pan sauces from fond, finishing dishes with acid, resting meat before cutting, using a thermometer for doneness, setting up mise en place, making compound butter ahead, blanching and shocking vegetables, reverse searing thick steaks, freezing herbs in olive oil, using kitchen shears, thickening sauces with a slurry, and honing knives regularly. Each technique is explained with specific details, such as the ideal salt ratio for dry brining (three-quarters of a teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat) and the recommended internal temperatures for poultry (165°F), pork (145°F), and beef (125-135°F). The article stresses that these shortcuts require no special equipment and can be easily integrated into weekly routines. It also highlights the importance of sequencing, like salting meat before leaving for work, and the role of carry-over cooking in achieving perfect doneness. The piece is aimed at home cooks seeking to elevate their cooking by adopting professional habits.
Key facts
- Dry brining meat the night before improves seasoning and texture.
- Pasta water should be salted until it tastes like the sea, using one to two tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon.
- Reserving a cup of starchy pasta water helps emulsify sauces.
- Pan sauces can be built from fond left after searing meat.
- Finishing dishes with a splash of acid brightens flavors.
- Resting meat before slicing keeps juices distributed.
- Using an instant-read thermometer ensures accurate doneness.
- Mise en place, prepping all ingredients before cooking, reduces chaos.
- Compound butter can be made ahead and frozen for months.
- Blanching and shocking vegetables preserves color and texture.
- Reverse searing thick steaks produces even doneness and a better crust.
- Freezing herbs in olive oil preserves them for months.
- Kitchen shears are versatile for tasks like jointing chicken and snipping herbs.
- A slurry of starch and cold water thickens sauces quickly without lumps.
- Honing a knife regularly keeps it sharp and safer.
Entities
Institutions
- Quartz
Sources
- Quartz —