To choose a good steak, pick USDA Prime or Choice, look for fine white flecks of marbling spread through the lean, and buy a cut at least 1 inch thick. The meat should be firm and cherry red (purple-red if vacuum sealed), sitting in a cold, intact package with little or no liquid.
Cooking Times
Substitutes
Kitchen Tools
A smooth honing steel doesn't sharpen; it pushes a bent edge back into line. Grooved and ceramic rods remove a little metal, but only a stone fixes a dull edge.
Yes, if you slice a lot and always use a cut-resistant glove or a hand guard that grips. Set it up right and slow down on the last few inches of each item.
Chunks usually mean an air pocket over the blade. Add liquid first, use at least 1/4 cup per cup of solids, start on low, then ramp up to high speed.
Techniques
Measurements & ConversionsOne stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, 1/2 cup, 4 ounces or about 113 grams. Here is how to read the wrapper, measure from a block or tub, and handle melted butter.
Picking Produce
Pick a ripe watermelon by finding a creamy yellow field spot, a melon heavy for its size, and a firm, even rind. It won't ripen after picking, so choose well.
A ripe honeydew has a creamy yellow rind, a slightly waxy or tacky feel, a blossom end that gives a little and a sweet smell. Green-white and fuzzy means picked early.
Quick Bites
Food Storage
