2006-11-07 00:16:54 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
My mom never taught me how to cook. She kicked me and my brothers out of the kitchen because she didn't call us to eat. When I moved out at 18, I could barely cook Kraft mac and cheese. I just bough a couple cook books and played with them. Friends from work gave me tips. I can't cook from recipes in my head like alot of people can. But if you give me a recipe, I can make anything from scratch, and every bit of it is really good. I just like trying new recipes all the time. I love "playing" in the kitchen. But because I am a working mom, I don't always have time.
2006-11-07 01:31:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try steaming instead of direct heat. Also you may find that a marinade helps. One thing that is a good way to seal the flavor with beef is to sear it initially, then turn the heat down or move to a second pan that is already warm (not hot) to finish cooking.
With chicken you may find that it is better to boil it first, with garlic, onions, etc in the water. This will add flavor and will keep the chicken moist during the initial cooking.
Try to avoid cooking chicken in the oven if at all possible. It seems difficult at first to cook chicken on the stovetop, but it isn't that hard once you have the right pan.
I suspect your pans are the biggest part of the problem.
2006-11-07 08:28:18 · answer #2 · answered by Wire Tapped 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Practice, practice, practice. Beef and chicken can be helped by tenderizing them. Pound them thin, cook the chicken slowly, the beef can be cooked on a higher heat and will require less time cooking. Experiment with seasoning. Thyme, rosemary and lemon works well with chicken. Stronger flavors for beef like cajun or garlic. You can marinate both meats, using italian dressing is an easy way. In time it willl come naturally,you just need to find a few good recipes and perfect them. I have confidence in you!
2006-11-07 08:50:12 · answer #3 · answered by professor grey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends mostly on how much you cook it. Eg in a frying pan you need to make sure the pan is really hot first and a small amount of oil is very hot. Then put in your meat and cook it quickly until it is just cooked. If you overcook it - then it will become tough. (Be careful as well on what meat you are buying. Some tougher types like casserole or blade steak are best cooking in the oven as a casserole type recipie for a long time to get really tender - not frying.
As for chicken - we always use chicken thighs instead of breast. It is always more tender. (And often cheaper too)
As for flavour - you can either use chicken salt or often we make up our own marinade - soy sauce, garlic and oyster sauce. Then either place in marinade in fridge for hour or more. Or just baste when cooking.
Hope that helps!
2006-11-07 08:24:09 · answer #4 · answered by Nic 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try cooking it a lot slower ,if i cook my meat quick like a stew or even steak it can become a little chewy.I make a beautiful red wine beef stew ,it takes about 4 hrs and i just use chuck steak ,but WOW when done it is so soft its unbelievable
2006-11-07 08:28:13 · answer #5 · answered by lakersfanatic132 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be a few things
If you are using cheaper (tougher) cuts of meat, preparation is everything. These you should cook slowly for a good length of time on low heat. This will melt the fat in them and make them more tender.
If you are using higher quality cuts of meat, then tenderness shouldn't be as much of a problem and they are likely being overcooked.
2006-11-07 08:24:18 · answer #6 · answered by nikirr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well with like chicken as something to it like chicken soup in a baking pan and add veggies with the beef it is like hamburgs add a egg and then add you sauce and then make them into your patties or you could also steam them which cooks be water or the last resort is syrup reg and put it in with a little water and that moistens all meat or you can put them in you sauce and let them sit over night the basic concept is not to put them in a dry pan or oven with out a base that cooks all the moisture out of them
2006-11-07 08:29:37 · answer #7 · answered by darkangel19942003 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when I cook a joint of meat, I always put a little water in the bottom of tray that they're being cooked in, this really helps to stop them from drying out!
2006-11-07 08:32:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You just need some basic "technique" knowledge. Usually these tidbits are not in recipes. Email me about a specific type of dish and I can elaborate and help you very simply.
2006-11-07 08:20:02 · answer #9 · answered by Norm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
youll not learn it overnight. constant experience in cooking makes you better everytime you cook. here are some easy to prepare recipes.. http://recipescorner.blogspot.com/
2006-11-07 08:50:04 · answer #10 · answered by andrew007 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋