Knife and heat skills

The 8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Chop a salad together

   Chicken Cobb Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette · 45 min · Easy

   Next up

   You'll learn: Chop and Boil. Hard-cook eggs from a cold-water start and chop the toppings into even, bite-size pieces.

   What to notice: Keep the fingertips of the hand holding the food curled under, knuckles toward the blade. It feels slow at first and gets faster.

   Tip: Move the eggs straight into ice water when they're done. They stop cooking, and the shells come off more easily.

   I cooked this: Chicken Cobb Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Sign in to track it: Chicken Cobb Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Cook mode: Chicken Cobb Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
2. 2

   Step 2: Dice and slice for a stir-fry

   Crispy Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry · 45 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Dice, Slice and Stir-fry. Cut tofu into even cubes and vegetables into thin slices so everything cooks at the same speed in a hot pan.

   What to notice: Even pieces cook evenly. If some carrot slices are twice as thick as others, they'll still be hard when the rest are done.

   Tip: Cut every vegetable and stir the sauce before the pan goes on. A stir-fry moves too fast to chop as you go.

   I cooked this: Crispy Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry Sign in to track it: Crispy Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry Cook mode: Crispy Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry
3. 3

   Step 3: High-heat roasting

   Crispy Parmesan Lemon Roasted Broccoli · 30 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Roast and Brown. Cut florets with a flat side and roast in a hot oven until the edges are deeply browned and crisp.

   What to notice: The flat, cut sides touching the pan brown the most. Lay them face down and leave them be.

   Tip: Let the oven heat all the way before the pan goes in. A slow start gives you soft, pale broccoli.

   I cooked this: Crispy Parmesan Lemon Roasted Broccoli Sign in to track it: Crispy Parmesan Lemon Roasted Broccoli Cook mode: Crispy Parmesan Lemon Roasted Broccoli
4. 4

   Step 4: Steam in a skillet

   Lemon Almond Green Beans · 22 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Steam. Cover a skillet with a little water in it to steam beans bright green, then let the water cook off and finish with butter.

   What to notice: Take the beans off when they're bright green and still have a little snap. Dull olive-colored beans have gone too far.

   Tip: Taste a bean before you take the pan off the heat. It's the surest test there is.

   I cooked this: Lemon Almond Green Beans Sign in to track it: Lemon Almond Green Beans Cook mode: Lemon Almond Green Beans
5. 5

   Step 5: Grate and pan-fry

   Classic Crispy Potato Latkes · 55 min · Medium

   You'll learn: Grate and Pan-fry. Grate potatoes on the large holes, squeeze them dry, and shallow-fry them in hot oil until deep golden.

   What to notice: Wring the grated potato hard in a towel. The drier it is, the crisper the latkes.

   Tip: Keep finished latkes on a rack in a low oven rather than on paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.

   I cooked this: Classic Crispy Potato Latkes Sign in to track it: Classic Crispy Potato Latkes Cook mode: Classic Crispy Potato Latkes
6. 6

   Step 6: Grill and slice across the grain

   Grilled Carne Asada for a Crowd · 2 hr 37 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Marinate, Grill and Slice. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours, grill over high heat, and slice thinly across the grain.

   What to notice: Find the lines running along the meat before you cut, and slice across them, not along them. That's what makes skirt and flank tender.

   Tip: Pat the meat dry after marinating and throw the used marinade away. Dry meat chars; wet meat steams.

   I cooked this: Grilled Carne Asada for a Crowd Sign in to track it: Grilled Carne Asada for a Crowd Cook mode: Grilled Carne Asada for a Crowd
7. 7

   Step 7: Sear a steak

   Pan-Seared Butter Basted Steak · 57 min · Medium

   You'll learn: Sear and Rest. Get a cast iron pan very hot, sear without moving the meat, and rest the steak before slicing.

   What to notice: The steak is ready to flip when it releases easily and the underside has a dark crust. If it sticks, give it 30 more seconds.

   Tip: Turn on the vent fan and open a window before the steak goes in. A properly hot pan smokes.

   I cooked this: Pan-Seared Butter Basted Steak Sign in to track it: Pan-Seared Butter Basted Steak Cook mode: Pan-Seared Butter Basted Steak
8. 8

   Step 8: The long braise

   Red Wine Braised Short Ribs · 3 hr 45 min · Hard

   You'll learn: Brown, Deglaze and Braise. Brown meat in batches, deglaze with wine, then braise low and slow in the oven until it pulls from the bone.

   What to notice: The liquid should come most of the way up the ribs without covering them, so the tops brown while the rest braises.

   Tip: Use a heavy pot with a snug lid. If the lid is loose, check now and then and add a splash of broth so it doesn't run dry.

   I cooked this: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Sign in to track it: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Cook mode: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs