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.]

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.

 

[spork]

Just to get this one out of the way for additional member contributions: "There are no rules."

 

[Selkie]

A land without rules leads to chaos, and a land in chaos leads to a state of anarchy, and in the case of culinary arts, anarchy will quite probably lead to either the trash can (along with your hard earned money and a waste of time and effort), or a trip to the hospital. Whoever coined the phrase, "Rules were meant to be broken" most likely ended up on the gallows.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

A land without rules leads to chaos, and a land in chaos leads to a state of anarchy,

I have a brochure from a travel agency for this trip! You gotta get a LOT of shots.

 

[Kingdaddy]

I always grill the veggies separate from the meat until their nearly done, just a rule of mine.

 

[Andy M.]

I always grill the veggies separate from the meat until their nearly done, just a rule of mine.

I have the same rule for kebobs. Meat on different skewers from the veggies because they cook at different times.

 

[The kitchen sink]

Ramen noodles are forbidden in my kitchen.

 

[larry_stewart]

If making a limited amount of pasta sauce, and are planning to mix the sauce and pasta together, ad the pasta to the sauce a little at a time until u get the desired sauce/pasta ratio. If you add all your sauce to too much pasta, you've got yourself a problem.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Ramen noodles are forbidden in my kitchen.

Thats a shame as most people use them wrong. Think of them as a soup base then go from there.

 

[yourstrulyewalani]

I have three.

When in doubt throw it out.

And dont be afraid to use a thermometer for your meat. Especially pork & chicken.

Never feel bad for not following directions. We would have no new ideas if we all did things the same way. And if you mess up, at least you know what NOT to do next time lol.

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

Read a new or rarely used recipe twice before preparation starts.