Some people love to cook, but unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with culinary prowess. As a beginning chef, you may find yourself falling for these common cooking mistakes. Have no fear, because there are easy ways to fix these mistakes that will bring your cooking from that of a novice to a seasoned home chef!
Over-Marinating Meat
It’s possible to over-marinate meat. Letting your meat sit too long in acid breaks down the proteins and ruins the texture. A good rule of thumb is to mix your acid, like citrus juice or vinegar, with oil in a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. Keep the marinating time to an hour or two at most so that the meat doesn’t get mealy.
Cutting Meat Too Soon
As juicy and tempting as it looks, don’t slice into your steak right as soon as it’s done cooking. After it leaves the heat, let the meat sit for about ten minutes. That resting time gives the delicious juices time to redistribute so that when you do cut into it, they stay in the meat instead of going all over the cutting board.
Overcooking Vegetables
Overcooked greens have too often deterred many potential vegetable fans. If your vegetables do end up overcooked, give them a dip in ice water to stop the cooking process and help them firm up.
Overcrowding the Pan
Not having enough space in your pan will cause your food to steam and become mushy instead of browning and crisping properly. When sautéing, frying, or roasting, try not to let your food touch and always give it plenty of space. If you need to, try cooking in smaller batches at a time instead.
Cooking with the wrong oils
Different oils serve different purposes, but it’s a common mistake for people to think that one oil will fit all their uses. Some are better for high heat cooking, some are better for medium-heat cooking, and then there are some that are used for finishing food. For high heat cooking, like frying, only use oils with a high smoke point and a neutral flavor like peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable (soybean) oil. Mild flavored oils, including olive, avocado, safflower, and sesame oils are best for medium-heat cooking like roasting and searing. Finishing oils are meant to add flavor to your dishes and can be as light as extra-virgin olive oil or as aromatic as truffle oil.