Basic cooking rules

[Kingdaddy]

Here is one of mine, chime in with yours or disagree with others...

1 The larger and thicker the meat the lower and slower you cook it. Thin cuts get done fast and hot, that includes ribs.

[Andy M.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingdaddy Here is one of mine, chime in with yours or disagree with others... 1 The larger and thicker the meat the lower and slower you cook it. Thin cuts get done fast and hot, that includes ribs.

Good idea for a thread.

I have to take exception to your post though.

I would qualify your statement to address different cuts of meat.

Your statement would be true for different sized pieces from the same primal cut. e.g. a filet mignon and a chateau briand both cut from the tenderloin.

I would not cook ribs hot and fast as the meat is tough and needs to be ''tenderized'' by low and slow cooking that will break down connective tissues.

Another example is tenderloin vs. chuck. The tender tenderloin can be cooked hot and fast and yields a tender juicy oven roast. The chuck cut, on the other hand, is tough and requires longer cooking times at lower temperatures to tenderize. That's why it's more commonly used for pot roasts and stews.

...and these are a couple of my cooking rules.

[spork]

As an amateur cook, this discussion thread could be a DC gold mine for me. So, I will toss in my own, at the risk of being totally lame, rule...

2. Add vegetables in order of their water content.

It's one reason why roots go first, and leafy herbs go last. How to know their respective water content? Try microwaving and see how much they shrink.

[Selkie]

Don't over cook seafood, particularly shellfish. Clams, oysters and shrimp generally only need 3 minutes (or less) to cook to ideal texture, whether steaming, sauteeing, boiling or frying.

Don't under cook fish, testing it to be certain it's flaky, but cooked all of the way through the thickest portion before removing it from the heat.

[danpeikes]

don't cook with wine you wouldn't drink

[CharlieD]

Taste before serving.

[PattY1]

Cooking is a ART, Backing is a Science.

[Hoot]

One of my rules is when adapting or creating a new recipe, write down what you are doing, just in case it turns out good. That way you can recreate it. I know many folks don't follow recipes and I often don't, but there has been a time or two that I wish I could remember what I did. 'Course it may be I am getting that "Old Timer's" disease.

[bigdaddy3k]

Pasta a rice are like flavor sponges. Add some flavor to the water you use to prepare them!

[GB]

Don't believe all the rules you have heard without knowing the "why" behind them. For instance, the alcohol does not cook out and potatoes do not save something from being too salty.