Cook's Illustrated Video Podcast

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Spicy Italian-Style...
13 Views
12:00:00 03/24/09

To bring the bold ingredients that characterize this dish together in a weeknight Italian meal, we first needed to balance the flavors. Since the overall dish is s...

Spicy Italian-Style Chicken with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions—...

Added 03/24/09
13 Views

Spicy Italian-Style Chicken with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions—Scarpariello

[LESS INFO] 13 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 03/24/09
To bring the bold ingredients that characterize this dish together in a weeknight Italian meal, we first needed to balance the flavors. Since the overall dish is so spicy, we replaced hot Italian sausage with sweet and reduced the amount of hot cherry peppers. For streamlined preparation, we chose split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts that could easily be cut into halves or thirds to speed up cooking time. Our final technique was to sauté the sausage and chicken, reserving a little of the fat, which we used to cook the vegetables. We then nestled the chicken and sausages in the vegetables to finish cooking in the oven, which kept the chicken skin crisp. All that was needed was some vinegar and parsley to thicken and brighten the sauce.

Perfecting Pear Crisp
4 Views
12:00:00 01/22/09

The challenge when making a pear crisp is striking a balance between a crunchy topping and a soft—but not mushy—filling. We found that choosing the right pear was ...

Perfecting Pear Crisp

Added 01/22/09
4 Views

Perfecting Pear Crisp

[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 01/22/09
The challenge when making a pear crisp is striking a balance between a crunchy topping and a soft—but not mushy—filling. We found that choosing the right pear was important; the strongest were ripe yet firm Bartlett pears, which retain their shape when baked. To compensate for all the liquid, we added cornstarch mixed with lemon juice. But even with the thickened juice, our standard fruit crisp topping washed down into the filling. A streusel-type topping, made by incorporating melted butter into the flour, kept its crunchiness; the melted butter helped bind the flour to the other topping ingredients.

The Problem with Th...
5 Views
12:00:00 10/27/08

Pan-searing a thick-cut steak (a steak almost as thick as it is wide) presents a unique challenge: How to keep the perimeter from overcooking while the very center...

The Problem with Thick-Cut Steaks

Added 10/27/08
5 Views

The Problem with Thick-Cut Steaks

[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 10/27/08
Pan-searing a thick-cut steak (a steak almost as thick as it is wide) presents a unique challenge: How to keep the perimeter from overcooking while the very center of the steak reaches the desired temperature. We found that the key was to start with dry meat. We moved the steaks straight from the fridge into a 275-degree oven, which not only warmed them to 95 degrees but also dried the meat thoroughly. At this temperature, when the steak met the hot skillet, it developed a beautiful brown crust in less than four minutes, while the rest of the meat stayed pink, juicy, and tender.

Fluffy Yellow Layer...
21 Views
12:00:00 09/15/08

We wanted a frosted yellow layer cake with an ethereal texture and the great flavor of natural ingredients. Chiffon cakes are especially weightless, springy, and m...

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake

Added 09/15/08
21 Views

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake

[LESS INFO] 21 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 09/15/08
We wanted a frosted yellow layer cake with an ethereal texture and the great flavor of natural ingredients. Chiffon cakes are especially weightless, springy, and moist. But unlike butter cakes, they are too light to stand up to a slathering of frosting. We decided to blend the two types of cake. Adapting a chiffon technique (using a large quantity of whipped egg whites to get a high volume and light texture) to combine the ingredients from our butter cake recipe worked beautifully, creating a light, porous cake that was hefty enough to hold the frosting’s weight. But the cake lacked moistness and some tenderness. Using a combination of fats kept the butter flavor intact while improving moistness. For extra tenderness, we increased the sugar and substituted buttermilk for milk.

Grilled Stuffed Por...
5 Views
12:00:00 09/08/08

Center-cut pork loin is an especially lean cut, making it difficult to cook without drying out. To solve this problem, we started with a short and wide roast, more...

Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin

Added 09/08/08
5 Views

Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin

[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 09/08/08
Center-cut pork loin is an especially lean cut, making it difficult to cook without drying out. To solve this problem, we started with a short and wide roast, more square than cylindrical. This shape only required four straight, short cuts to open to a long, flat sheet that was easy to fill and roll up. For the stuffing, we needed deep flavor to counter the pork's rather bland taste and a texture thick enough to stay put. Poaching fruit, especially apples and cranberries, in a blend of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and spices developed a filling with the dense, chewy consistency we wanted. And this process had an added bonus—we had ample poaching liquid left, which could be reduced to a glaze.

Beef and Vegetable ...
3 Views
12:00:00 09/01/08

The right pan is a nonstick skillet. Its flat shape allows the entire surface to stay hot enough to achieve a good sear. The correct technique is a combination of ...

Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fries

Added 09/01/08
3 Views

Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fries

[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 09/01/08
The right pan is a nonstick skillet. Its flat shape allows the entire surface to stay hot enough to achieve a good sear. The correct technique is a combination of rules, starting with the right cut of meat. We like flank, sirloin tip, or blade steaks, which we freeze for about 20 minutes before cooking—freezing the steaks firms the meat enough so that a knife slides easily through it.

Barbecued Beef Brisket
3 Views
12:00:00 08/25/08

Barbecued brisket with slow-cooked pit-barbecue flavor almost always calls for a backyard smoker, but most people don't have this specialized equipment at home. Ou...

Barbecued Beef Brisket

Added 08/25/08
3 Views

Barbecued Beef Brisket

[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 08/25/08
Barbecued brisket with slow-cooked pit-barbecue flavor almost always calls for a backyard smoker, but most people don't have this specialized equipment at home. Our technique produced a long-lasting fire in a conventional grill, and retained enough heat over six hours to render the brisket perfectly tender.

Korean Grilled Shor...
22 Views
12:00:00 08/18/08

We wanted crusty, browned meat that had a barbecued char but was nonetheless tender. Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most essential step. To cu...

Korean Grilled Short Ribs—Kalbi

Added 08/18/08
22 Views

Korean Grilled Short Ribs—Kalbi

[LESS INFO] 22 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 08/18/08
We wanted crusty, browned meat that had a barbecued char but was nonetheless tender. Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most essential step. To cut English-style short ribs (the cut most widely available in markets), we fabricated four slices from each rib, evening them out with a quick pounding. The marinade was also critical—pear puree proved to be a secret ingredient. The pear balanced the acidity of the rice vinegar, adding sweetness and a fruit flavor. We got the intense heat we needed to properly char the meat by creating a modified two-level fire, which also allowed us to move the meat to the cooler side when flare-ups occurred.

Rustic Plum Cake
6 Views
12:00:00 08/11/08

We wanted an easy-to-make cake with a hefty plum presence. After initial testing, we settled on the concept of a creamed cake batter spread in a springform pan, to...

Rustic Plum Cake

Added 08/11/08
6 Views

Rustic Plum Cake

[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 08/11/08
We wanted an easy-to-make cake with a hefty plum presence. After initial testing, we settled on the concept of a creamed cake batter spread in a springform pan, topped with plums, and baked. To create a moist cake that was strong enough to hold the plums aloft, we replaced some of the flour with almonds. As for the fruit, we liked Italian plums that are especially well-suited for baking, but found their season too short to be practical. Poaching common supermarket plums in a few tablespoons of jam and brandy, as well as their own juice, sufficiently heightened their flavor and kept them moist, even after a spell in the oven.

Perfecting Pasta Ca...
7 Views
12:00:00 08/04/08

The tomatoes, pasta, and basil in this simple recipe didn't pose many challenges, at least compared to the cheese. In every recipe we tried, the cheese clumped int...

Perfecting Pasta Caprese

Added 08/04/08
7 Views

Perfecting Pasta Caprese

[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 08/04/08
The tomatoes, pasta, and basil in this simple recipe didn't pose many challenges, at least compared to the cheese. In every recipe we tried, the cheese clumped into a softball-sized wad in the bottom of the pasta bowl. These tangles of mozzarella were difficult to chew, much less swallow. We found the solution in the freezer. Dicing supermarket cheese and placing it in the freezer for a few minutes before combining it with the hot pasta allowed the cheese to soften but kept it from fully melting (and turning chewy) during cooking.

Rethinking Grilled ...
10 Views
12:00:00 07/28/08

Our grilled chicken breasts had to be moist, tender, and able to stand on their own flavor-wise. We discovered that placing the breasts on the cooler side of the g...

Rethinking Grilled Chicken Breasts

Added 07/28/08
10 Views

Rethinking Grilled Chicken Breasts

[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 07/28/08
Our grilled chicken breasts had to be moist, tender, and able to stand on their own flavor-wise. We discovered that placing the breasts on the cooler side of the grill and covering them with a disposable pan trapped the heat and kept the breasts moist while cooking. A quick sear afterward on the hot part of the grill gave them color and true grilled flavor. Wanting even more flavor, we soaked the breasts in a homemade garlic and lemon marinade. Then, after the breasts cooked, we used the marinade ingredients to create a simple sauce.

Better Shrimp Salad
5 Views
12:00:00 07/21/08

We wanted perfectly cooked shrimp without the extra work of grilling, roasting, or sautéing. And we needed to coat them with the perfect deli-style dressing—someth...

Better Shrimp Salad

Added 07/21/08
5 Views

Better Shrimp Salad

[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 07/21/08
We wanted perfectly cooked shrimp without the extra work of grilling, roasting, or sautéing. And we needed to coat them with the perfect deli-style dressing—something creamy that wouldn't mask the shrimp or drown out the other ingredients. Using a technique practiced in the 1970s by French chef Michel Guérard, we started cooking our shrimp in a cold court-bouillon (typically white wine, lemon juice, herbs, spices, and water; we left out the wine), then heating the shrimp and liquid to just a near simmer. Because we started them in cold liquid and minimized their cooking time, the shrimp absorbed the poaching flavors and stayed firm and tender. In the dressing, we kept the traditional mayonnaise, but reduced the amount to just 1/4 cup. With less mayo, we were able to add variety to the salads with fresh herbs, oranges and even chipotle chiles.

The Best Blueberry ...
2 Views
12:00:00 07/14/08

We wanted to bring together all the best qualities we found in American versions of scones: the sweetness of a coffeehouse confection; the moist freshness of a muf...

The Best Blueberry Scones

Added 07/14/08
2 Views

The Best Blueberry Scones

[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 07/14/08
We wanted to bring together all the best qualities we found in American versions of scones: the sweetness of a coffeehouse confection; the moist freshness of a muffin; and the super-flaky crumb of a good biscuit. Taking a couple of hints from puff pastry, we found that the key to scones with light, flaky layers was to freeze the butter to keep it cold as it was being cut into the flour.

Grill-Roasted Corni...
2 Views
12:00:00 07/07/08

Our first tests produced either crisp skin at the price of overcooked breast meat or properly cooked meat covered with spotty patches of browned and flabby skin. W...

Grill-Roasted Cornish Game Hens

Added 07/07/08
2 Views

Grill-Roasted Cornish Game Hens

[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 07/07/08
Our first tests produced either crisp skin at the price of overcooked breast meat or properly cooked meat covered with spotty patches of browned and flabby skin. We wanted to deliver smoky flavor, extra crisp skin, and moist meat and found that the key was to butterfly the birds. By butterflying the birds we kept all of the skin on one side, which meant it crisped more quickly when placed facing the heat. Butterflying also produced a uniformly thick bird, which promoted even cooking. To secure the legs to the body to keep the skin from tearing, we developed a special skewering method that stabilized the legs, made it easier to fit the birds on a grill grate, and created an attractive presentation. Finally, a seven-ingredient rub gave the hens a sweet and savory complexity (not to mention a gorgeous mahogany hue) and helped crisp the skin even further. Our quick glaze of ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce provided the crowning touch.

Perfecting Oven-Roa...
4 Views
12:00:00 04/28/08

Roasting a salmon fillet can create a brown exterior, but often at the price of a dry, overcooked interior. A hybrid roasting solution is the answer. Preheat the o...

Perfecting Oven-Roasted Salmon

Added 04/28/08
4 Views

Perfecting Oven-Roasted Salmon

[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 04/28/08
Roasting a salmon fillet can create a brown exterior, but often at the price of a dry, overcooked interior. A hybrid roasting solution is the answer. Preheat the oven to an extra-high 500 degrees, but reduce it to a very low 275 degrees just before placing the fish in the oven. The initial blast of high heat firms the exterior of the salmon, helping render some of the excess fat. The salmon gently cooks as the oven temperature slowly drops, keeping the meat moist and succulent while some of the remaining fat is eliminated through several slits made in the skin.

Thin and Crispy Oat...
0 Views
12:00:00 04/21/08

We wanted to adjust the standard oatmeal cookie ingredients to create a crispy, delicate cookie that allowed the simple flavor of buttery oats to really stand out....

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

Added 04/21/08
0 Views

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 12:00:00 04/21/08
We wanted to adjust the standard oatmeal cookie ingredients to create a crispy, delicate cookie that allowed the simple flavor of buttery oats to really stand out. Creating a rich butter flavor was critical, so we kept almost the same amount of butter (two sticks) as in our standard big, chewy oatmeal cookie, losing only 2 tablespoons. Fine-tuning the amount and type of leavener led to a surprising result that solved our texture and shape problems: During baking, large carbon dioxide bubbles created by large amounts of baking soda and baking powder—we doubled the amounts from the standard recipe—caused the cookies to puff up, collapse, and spread out, producing the thin, flat cookies we were looking for.

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Rethinking Grilled Chicken Breasts

Show: Cook's Illustrated Video Podcast

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Rethinking Grilled Chicken Breasts
07/28/08

Our grilled chicken breasts had to be moist, tender, and able to stand on their own flavor-wise. We discovered that placing the breasts on the cooler side of the grill and covering them with a disposable pan trapped the heat and kept the breasts moist while cooking. A quick sear afterward on the hot part of the grill gave them color and true grilled flavor. Wanting even more flavor, we soaked the breasts in a homemade garlic and lemon marinade. Then, after the breasts cooked, we used the marinade ingredients to create a simple sauce.