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On average, our wood-fired oven runs at 700ºF—hard conditions for the home cook to replicate—so we’ve adapted many of our wood-fired recipes to work in conventional ovens (though, unfortunately, a conventional oven won’t provide you with the smoky flavor of burning wood). For some recipes, especially pizza, we recommend using a baking stone to better simulate the conditions of a wood-fired oven.

REDUCING

Reducing means simmering a liquid until evaporation thickens it; the resulting concentrate will have a much more intense flavor. To reduce, simmer the liquid over medium to medium-low heat. Doing so will allow impurities to rise to the surface, making them easy to skim off with a ladle or brush. Reducing also increases the viscosity of the liquid, giving it a richer mouth feel.

RENDERING

Rendering refers to removing a meat’s fat by cooking the meat slowly over low heat. Doing so gets rid of excess grease while leaving the meat brown and crisp. Rendering is most commonly used with bacon, pancetta, duck skin, and pork fatback—all of which are considered flavorful fats, since once they’ve been rendered they can be reused for sautéing, frying, or making confit.

SAUTÉING

Sautéing means cooking food in a pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of fat. The word comes from the French sauter, meaning “to jump”—which refers to how you stir the pan’s contents by jerking the pan back and forth and flipping the food quickly in the air. Sautéing is fast; you’re trying to achieve a nice color while maintaining a moist interior and fresh flavor. If you’re looking for a fast way to prepare food, it’s an excellent choice.

SEASONING

Salt and pepper brighten the natural flavors of foods without disguising them, and while we’ll often add other herbs and spices to our recipes, they’re always our first steps.

We use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Kosher salt is large-grained and additive-free—but be aware that the size of its flakes makes it less dense, so you might find yourself using more salt than you would initially think is necessary. Black peppercorns, native to India and Indonesia, add subtle heat and a hint of sweetness to savory dishes. Freshly ground black peppercorns have far more flavor than the preground pepper in jars that you find at the grocery store—a statement that holds true for most spices.

It takes a while to learn how to season food to your liking, especially when you’re adjusting it before you can actually taste the dish (such as when you’re dealing with raw meat). We find that inexperienced cooks tend to under-season, and then start over-seasoning as they learn to appreciate what salt and pepper do to food. But don’t worry: one day, it just clicks and you learn what “salt and pepper to taste” looks like on a raw steak.

To help speed your learning process, here are some guidelines:

Seasoning meat and fish: Season heavily right before searing, pan-frying, roasting, broiling, or grilling.

Seasoning salads: Season your salad dressing before tossing it with the greens. Then taste the dressed greens and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Seasoning before toasting or roasting: We like to coat nuts and bread slices with a bit of oil and season them lightly with salt before toasting them. The same concept applies to certain vegetables, like roasted asparagus. You can always add more salt once they’re out of the oven.

Seasoning as you go: Throughout our recipes, you’ll notice that we recommend seasoning each of the components as you go—this is the best way to fully develop the flavors of ingredients that are added to a recipe in different stages. Exercise caution though, and be aware that the amounts of salt and pepper will add up in the final dish. Once all the components come together, taste the preparation as a whole and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Photographs by Kodiak Greenwood

Resources

BIG SUR INSPIRATIONS

Terry Prince’s “Hide Sandals” and Rachel Moody’s beadwork are available from their website.