Common mistakes made in the kitchen: find out which ones are best avoided
When we potter around the kitchen, we usually stick to our habits and never ask ourselves if there is a better, more efficient way to do things. Sometimes, the alternatives only focus on greater efficiency but do not affect the success of the dishes we prepare. That said, there are definitely some common mistakes we should avoid in order not to ruin our preparations and compromise the safety (and hygiene) of our dishes.
Below we indicate some precautions you can take that can make a big difference in your kitchen:
We all know that we need to rinse vegetables thoroughly before cooking or seasoning them, but not everyone knows that simply running tap water over them is often not enough. Therefore, if it is not a matter of washing lettuce (and similar) in a centrifuge, you need to use your hands - and in some cases even a brush - to be sure that the vegetables are properly cleaned of any potentially harmful substances.
Defrosting food (especially meat): many people do this simply by taking the food out of the freezer and leaving it to defrost at room temperature. Even when the food is covered, this practice is not recommended: it is best to keep defrosting food inside the refrigerator. It will take a little more time, but the risk of contamination drops dramatically.
When we have to put dehydrated fruit into dishes - especially cakes - we should never forget to put them in water for a few minutes to rehydrate them. Then it dry them off with absorbent paper or clean tea towels. Only then should the fruit be mixed into the dough. This way, the taste and texture, will be much improved.
Back to meat: when you have to marinate meat, it is best not to do this for too long. It is recommended not to exceed 20 minutes of marination. After 20 minutes, the acidic ingredients often found in marinades (lemon, vinegar and the like) end up ruining the texture of the meat instead of making it more tender. And if you want to add spices before browning or searing pieces of meat in a pan, then it is best to sprinkle them on the meat first, wait 15 or 20 minutes (dabbing any excess moisture away using absorbent paper) and then move on to doing the cooking : in this way the spices will not get too wet from the cooking juices and the flavor will be more intense.
If you need to tenderize the meat, then do so by covering the meat with a sheet of parchment paper or clean food paper, so that the tenderizer does not come into contact with the meat itself.
Enjoy your meal!
