High Flavor, Low Labor_ Reinventing Weeknight Cooking - J. M. Hirsch [2]
This most often is done to create a pan sauce. Sauté some meat and veggies, then transfer them to a plate. The skillet goes back on the heat, you toss in some liquid, scrape up the yummy bits, then add cornstarch to thicken it. Add seasonings and you’ve got an insanely flavorful pan sauce.
This trick also can be used with stews and chili. I usually brown some onions, seasonings, and meat, then splash in some liquid without removing the other ingredients. Once I’ve scraped up the tasty bits, then I continue with the recipe.
The liquid can be anything. White wine is common, but beer, cider (hard or otherwise), red wine, chicken or beef broth, water, or juices work. Try to select a liquid that complements the other ingredients, such as red wine with beef or beer in a chili.
Salting
Not as obvious as it sounds. Most people don’t appreciate the power of salt to elevate simple flavors. For a quick demo, make a fruit smoothie. Taste it, then buzz in a pinch of salt and take another sip. You’ll never taste the salt, but the flavors of the fruit come alive. This is true for nearly any dish. Just be sure to taste as you cook, especially when the recipe includes already salty ingredients, such as Parmesan or prosciutto.
And unless your doctor has warned you off all salt, don’t sweat it. Americans eat too much salt, but little of it comes from what’s added during home cooking or at the table. Most of the excess comes from processed food, which can contain astronomical amounts of sodium.
Searing
The principle is the same as broiling, but it involves thicker cuts of meat and is done in a pan on top of the stove. Meat is seared by browning it briefly on all sides in a very hot pan. The meat then is transferred to the oven to cook the insides slowly at a lower temperature.
Temperature
This is more an awareness than a technique. Few foods taste their best when ice cold, even beer. Cheeses, for example, are at their peak flavor closer to room temperature. This also is true for salads and most fruits and vegetables, dips, salsas, cured meats, and olives. Cold dulls flavor. Other than ice cream, don’t serve things (including most drinks) directly from the refrigerator. Twenty minutes at room temperature can make a huge difference in flavor.
THE STUFF TO BUY
Physically and emotionally, bland foods just don’t satisfy. If they did, we’d all be content stuffing ourselves with tofu. Hold your breath for that one.
We crave assertive foods—rich chocolate cakes, savory chilies and sauces, sharp cheeses, bright, citrusy desserts. These flavors comfort and satisfy.
Getting those flavors to the table, and fast, is the essence of blunt force cooking. And it doesn’t require any special skills or hours at the stove. It’s just a matter of taking good raw ingredients, adding intensely flavorful stuff, then eating.
As with any style of cooking, a stocked pantry makes on-the-fly blunt force cooking easier. These are my go-to ingredients.
COMMON
These are ingredients most people already have, but that often are underappreciated for the powerhouse effect they can have on flavor.
Cinnamon
In the U.S., cinnamon makes us think of sweets and baked goods. In the rest of the world, it’s a savory seasoning that shows up in meat rubs, vegetable stews, and curries, as well as sprinkled over grains, such as couscous. And with good reason. Cinnamon imparts a mellow, delicious warmth and aroma. Try a little in your next batch of chili. Or combine it with garlic powder, cumin, and salt for an awesome steak or chicken rub.
Citrus Juice and Zest
Citrus effortlessly brightens and sharpens flavors. The juices are best in marinades, dressings, sauces, even soups (try a splash in chicken and tomato soups). The zest (the thin outer layer of colorful skin, not the white pith beneath it) is great