I don’t really do hacks, I’ve already got too many tricks in my bag to learn new ones, but tips, those I can give. My first and biggest is this:
Find a semi complicated stew recipe and make it till you rock it out. Then make it until you understand every step and why you have to go through it. You don’t have to do it every night, try once a week. Why a stew? Because it will teach you a lot of the basis of great cooking:
- Knife skills. Chopping veg and cutting meat
- Deglazing a pan. Great for adding flavors
- Heat regulation. When to use high (searing meat), when medium (sauté veggies), and low (simmering sauce)
- Seasoning. When, how.
- What simmering does to a sauce. With and without a lid on the pot.
- Don’t want to simmer? Then learn the braise.
- Vegetables. They are more delicate than meat and require being added at a different time.
- Rice. I like serving stews with rice. This is important to learn how to make.
You master the stew, it’s your first big step to being a great home cook.