a thread full of my cooking misconceptions.

[miokomioko]

Peppercorn crusted salmon = Mmmmmmmmmm~

Also, pepper is one of my favorite flavors, so I'm all for putting fresh crushed black pepper on just about everything. Obviously that's a personal taste, though. Salt... almost everything should have a dash of it, but usually no more than that.

One of the biggest problems with those pre-made, bottled "seasonings" are that their first ingredient is always salt, which makes a vast majority of them complete shit by default. My dad is a sad panda because he finally ran out of this long-since-discontinued McCormick's "creole" seasoning. It had no salt in it at all, and it was fucking bomb on barbecued chicken. Which is one of the few meats that I'm usually OK with seasoning. Good beef is a no-no.

[vagus]

The secret to silky beef that you get from chinese stir fry is to soak the meat in baking soda + water. Make sure you rinse all of it off before you cook or it'll taste bitter. Thin slices then pan sear.

[Kerberoz]

-baking soda
+lye

[Daydreamer]

no thanks lol not everything needs salt.

Such as? Again remember, adding salt doesn't have to mean it tastes salty.

[Talus]

Common misconception: you can do something as well as a professionally-trained chef. LOL

Another common misconception: you should use the same knife some celebrity chef uses. When it comes to a knife, you have to try them out, and see what feels comfortable in your hand. Some people swear by German knives like Wusthof or Henckels, or Japanese knives like Misono, Mac or Shun, or Italian, or French.. and so on. Try them, see what feels comfortable that you can afford and that you will actually use. It will depend on the size of your hands, your needs and what you prefer. If you don't feel comfortable using a knife but you ordered it without trying or bought it without trying because Celebrity Chef! uses it, you're stupid.

[Siniroth]

I fucking love putting salt on my Honey Nut Cheerios

[Daydreamer]

I fucking love putting salt on my Honey Nut Cheerios

...that already has salt in it.

[Kerberoz]

Another common misconception: you should use the same knife some celebrity chef uses. When it comes to a knife, you have to try them out, and see what feels comfortable in your hand. Some people swear by German knives like Wusthof or Henckels, or Japanese knives like Misono, Mac or Shun, or Italian, or French.. and so on. Try them, see what feels comfortable that you can afford and that you will actually use. It will depend on the size of your hands, your needs and what you prefer. If you don't feel comfortable using a knife but you ordered it without trying or bought it without trying because Celebrity Chef! uses it, you're stupid.

Expanding on this: any knife "sets" are for idiots. You only need one good, well-maintained chef's knife, and the rest can be Walmart crap for all the difference it will make.

[Daydreamer]

Expanding on this: any knife "sets" are for idiots. You only need one good, well-maintained chef's knife, and the rest can be Walmart crap for all the difference it will make.

Though a good quality paring knife also has it's uses.

[Siniroth]

...that already has salt in it.

Could you really not tell I was completely joking just by the choice of product?

[Daydreamer]

Considering how some people are on these forums, and how I can't hear your tone of voice on the interwebs, nope. I could see someone legitimately trying to say that as a retort to my salt comment.

Whoops!

[Odesseiron]

Man, I've been eating steaks/burgers everything medium well for as long as I can remember. I've tried stuff less cooked. I just don't like it. It has nothing to do with some snobby sense of taste, or not knowing better, or whatever you dumbasses are posting in this thread. It's your fucking mouth. Put whatever you want in it. I prefer a more well cooked steak. Still plenty of flavor to me without it making a mess all over my plate. Most everyone I know except for a rare few eat everthing medium well or more. I guess we're all idiots. My grandpa (RIP) up until this year was about the only one in the family that would have stuff rare. I guess he was the only smart person I have ever known

Also; yeah sure steaks are just fine and plenty flavorful without any kind of sauce, but give me fucking A1 bold & spicy any day. I don't care if that "ruins" the taste of it to you. To me, that stuff tastes fantastic. I will smother my steak in that. Usually will do half with/half without sauce. But if I don't use that stuff, I'll at least use a horseradish peppercorn coating, or something like that. I like extra flavor. Go whine about it.

One last thing, I don't care. I would not touch that thing Wop posted a couple pages back with a fucking stick. Shit looks nasty. Yep, uncultured american swine, and proud of it.

[miokomioko]

I like extra flavor.

The thing is, you're only tasting the A1. You're replacing the flavor, not enhancing or adding "extra flavor." You might as well just marinade tofu in the shit and eat that.

[Plow]

eat everthing medium well or more. I guess we're all idiots.

Pretty much, yeah. Although there's one caveat, that is... only if you're actually paying for good steaks.

If you're going to cook shit medium well you may as well just buy flat irons, you're wasting your money cooking anything good past medium.

[Ksandra]

Pretty much, yeah. Although there's one caveat, that is... only if you're actually paying for good steaks.

If you're going to cook shit medium well you may as well just buy flat irons, you're wasting your money cooking anything good past medium.

tbh I think that comes down to what you're used to. I get different steaks a lot and it taste different to me. And from the same places no less.

The thing is, you're only tasting the A1.

As for sauces, I have to say I agree that sometimes the steak needs nothing, but sometimes it's nice to have that extra something. I'm actually not a fan of A1 sauce, BUT the jack daniels steak you get at TGIF is delicious. and I totally pour that shit all over it. And no it's not just tasting the sauce. It's tasting the sauce with the steak. That'd be like saying might as well put mustard and ketchup on some bread 'cause you won't taste the burger.

[Odesseiron]

The thing is, you're only tasting the A1. You're replacing the flavor, not enhancing or adding "extra flavor." You might as well just marinade tofu in the shit and eat that.

Yeah okay. I've had tofu plenty of times (though not in A1) and if anyone thinks it's remotely whatever they're trying to make it taste like and think it is, well I'm sorry, but you're the stupid one here. As I said, I usually do half and half.

Pretty much, yeah. Although there's one caveat, that is... only if you're actually paying for good steaks.

If you're going to cook shit medium well you may as well just buy flat irons, you're wasting your money cooking anything good past medium.

We're not out buying expensive ass filet mignons. We eat stuff from Stew Leonards. Fairly priced good meat. Also, I've had shitty steaks cooked medium well, and I've great steaks medium well. There is definitely a difference. We're talking opinion here on someone's taste.

Looks like Ksandra and I are on about the same page here. I guess we're both uncultured swine. /shrug

[Plow]

tbh I think that comes down to what you're used to. I get different steaks a lot and it taste different to me. And from the same places no less.



As for sauces, I have to say I agree that sometimes the steak needs nothing, but sometimes it's nice to have that extra something. I'm actually not a fan of A1 sauce, BUT the jack daniels steak you get at TGIF is delicious. and I totally pour that shit all over it. And no it's not just tasting the sauce. It's tasting the sauce with the steak. That'd be like saying might as well put mustard and ketchup on some bread 'cause you won't taste the burger.

I know people that would say that lol, especially about good sandwiches. My ex's grandpa owned a pork sandwich shop, kind of famous in KC (Tenderloin Grill), was mostly for the tenderloins but also had snouts and shit, and burgers and whatnot. If you put anything other than the hot sauce on it he considered it ruined. They'd give me shit for putting cheese on, lol.

[Plow]

We're not out buying expensive ass filet mignons. We eat stuff from Stew Leonards. Fairly priced good meat. Also, I've had shitty steaks cooked medium well, and I've great steaks medium well. There is definitely a difference. We're talking opinion here on someone's taste.

Looks like Ksandra and I are on about the same page here. I guess we're both uncultured swine. /shrug

At medium well, chuck steaks will taste better than ribeyes or strips of the same quality beef.

This isn't some cultured vs whatever you think we're calling you issue, the fact of the matter is that if you want your shit brown all the way through, you get a thin cut from areas that aren't as expensive (due to which is popular as well as which there's more of) so you're not overcooking it and wasting your money on good cuts you're not getting any benefit from.

[miokomioko]

Yeah okay. I've had tofu plenty of times (though not in A1) and if anyone thinks it's remotely whatever they're trying to make it taste like and think it is, well I'm sorry, but you're the stupid one here. As I said, I usually do half and half.

lol. I think you officially missed the point. Yes, tofu is extremely weak in the flavor department and generally tastes like whatever it soaks in.

Ksandra, I'm not going to lie, I like the occasional "steak sauce." However, I would only put it on cheap, overcooked meat. The ketchup/mustard comment is taking the example to the extreme, but yes, potent, tart, vinegary sauces can and will completely dominate whatever you put it on. Yeah, you're getting some sort of meaty texture and whatnot, but unless you're sparing with the condiments and haven't burned the meat, you're generally not going to actually taste the flavors of the meat.

Again, this whole topic keeps getting yanked out of context. If you buy shit meat, you are more than welcome to do anything to it, and drown it in sauces because that's what it's best for... that was the point to the beef shoulder being used in the beef bourguignon recipe, cheap, fatty, etc. On the other hand, if you're getting a fucking thick cut of beautifuly marbled filet mignon, you're an idiot for having it cooked past medium or covering it with sauce because then it's going to taste the same as if you ordered some dirt cheap beef neck and did the same thing to it.

[Uzor]

Imo salt is the only thing that should go on every single thing you make. Savory/sweet/whatever. Salting, when done right, makes things taste more like themselves. Pepper, does not, it makes it taste...like pepper, which doesn't have to be a bad thing, but again, may not always be what you want.

Well, yes and no. Salt should only be used to enhance flavors, not to replace it (by adding too much salt). Not everything requires salt to taste good, though.