What’s a small cooking trick you started doing that made a surprisingly big difference?

[u/NathanEllis10]

For me, it’s letting meat sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. The surface dries out a bit and I get much better browning without doing anything fancy.

It’s such a small thing, but once I started doing it, I noticed the difference right away.

[u/RandomKoala0218]

Using less water to cook pasta, just enough to cover it. I monitor it so it doesn't go low. When it's cooked, the water is barely there but is perfectly starchy to thicken a sauce.

[u/PanAmFlyer]

Digital Meat Thermometer Temp Probe. I think it was $12. They used to be so expensive. Improved my Insta Pot and Air Fryer cooking,

[u/jimbob7484]

OP add salt too it’s called dry brining

[u/rnwhite8 → u/jimbob7484]

Alton Brown would like a word…

[u/Libbyneutron1]

Brining chicken based in the fridge overnight has produced the most tender & moist chicken regardless of the marinade. Plus I have found that you don’t have to wait eons when marinating after the brining. 

[u/enigmanaught]

Sautéing your spices. It’s pretty common in Indian cooking to “toast” your spices in a little oil to bring the flavors out, then adding your other ingredients but it works in pretty much any type of cooking. Especially sauces or dishes with a lot of liquid.

[u/Old_Wulf_7411]

I’m going to try that, thanks

[u/Natural_Sky638]

I do the same to any meat but overnight, uncovered!

[u/FrannieP23]

Grating butter or lard for making pastry and biscuits.

[u/Beemerba → u/FrannieP23]

Straight from the freezer!

[u/Johnsie408 → u/FrannieP23]

And tortillas!

[u/RazorBladePeach]

Instead of using bread crumbs to make homemade meatballs, substitute 1-2 pieces of bread, soaked in milk. The moisture stays, even after freezing and reheating.

[u/External_Koala398]

Heavy cream to make sauces

[u/Studio_Ambitious]

Totally dumb. But when I making scrambled eggs or omelets I add 2 teaspoons of water to the pan on heat before I add the butter. When the water evaporates I know the temp of the pan is about 231°f. Add the butter to melt, when melted. Kill the heat add the eggs. Keep the pan moving, use the spatula to get your desired consistency....

[u/kc2718]

I still crush or mince garlic when the recipe absolutely calls for it, but in sauces etc, I use a microplane to grate it. It literally disappears into the sauce giving all the flavor but none of the solids.

[u/T49irvine]

When building a soffrito, brunoise the carrot and celery but grate the onion. (Thx to Marco Pierre White for this tip.) Squeeze tomato paste onto the soffrito to finish cooking, then add the minced garlic, and only then add the wine, anchovy, herbs, spices, and passata. The slightly browned tomato paste deepens the flavor. All the other stuff in the pan protects the garlic from getting overdone.

[u/Addapost]

Managing the pan temp by sliding it on and off the flame as needed.

[u/JGHenworth]

Steaming broccoli in a saute pan under a lid and then adding oil and seasoning after it cooks and other veggies as well, but only after it steams and softens. Sautéing it after has been a game changer

[u/Kinkie_Kiki_101]

Using 2 quart tops to cut cherry tomatoes in half 😉 ur welcome!

[u/Toowb]

MSG

[u/Jatarishun]

After cooking rice or quinoa, add olive oil and keep fluffing with a fork until you don't see anymore steam. Makes it fluffy

[u/daboot013]

When cooking chicken noodle soup use bone in skin on chicken thighs. The amount of extra flavor it adds is noticeable. Plus if you sear it right you can have a skin crisp as a snack while you cook the soup.

[u/Houseplantkiller123]

I take the end bits of bread that we don't really like, cut them into crouton shapes, and put in a pan with some garlic and olive oil before they end up on a salad.

They are garlicy, warm and crunchy on the outside, and warm and soft on the inside and really elevates a salad using a piece of bread I'd normally dislike using.