Do You Pat Your Meat?

I've noticed that most cooks seem to develop their own little idiosyncrasies in cooking techniques, and someone pointed out one of mine.

Whenever I am cooking meat, whether in a pan or on the BBQ, I apply salt and pepper (or other coating) ahead of time (I hold the pepper if I am searing as unlike salt, pepper will burn).

Then I flip the meat to apply it to the other side, but before I do, I pat the spices onto the meat to minimize 'fall-off' when it is flipped. Never thought anything about it - seemed to be common sense to me until someone mentioned it. And of course you have to make sure your meat is dry first or it will stick and won't get a nice crust when you cook it.

Others we use are peeling ginger with a spoon (wife uses a lot for tea etc., and a knife removes too much flesh as does a conventional peeler), and I anoint things with good olive oil like an Italian Mama - all sorts of things look better, moister and taste better with a hint of the green EVOO on them, and add a squeeze of lemon juice to sauteed mushrooms, and toast spices gently before using, and I almost always take a stroke or two with a steel on my knives before cutting (not to sharpen, as it doesn't, but to unroll the edge so it cuts better).

I wondered if others did this particular thing, and if some cooks here had other habits and what they might be. Could be some interesting techniques out there that don't make it into the cook books. Tell us your secrets!

[Jenise]

I do the same with meat, Bill, although I do apply pepper too. Never had any issue with it burning or acquiring an off-flavor because it's there. But that aside, it really comes down to, why WOULDN'T you?

Speaking of beef and olive oil, I just ordered, and paid close to $200 for, a single 10 ounce Wagyu New York strip wherein the cow was raised on olives. Think about it: OLIVES. File that under "you only go around once".

I'll have to give some thought to what I do idionsyncratically. There's probably a bunch.

I'm with the two of you when it comes to patting meat. Seems like a reasonable thing to do although I couldn't say what difference it makes. Like Jenise, I put pepper on meat before searing and haven't noticed any burning.

I'm not as consistent with the steel as I should be. I once saw a demonstration by a local butcher and that guy seemed to run his knife down the steel after nearly every cut. I tend to only do it before starting cutting something and probably about half the time then.

And Jenise - I want to hear all about the olive-fed beef! That's quite a price but I can see taking a flyer on it.

[Jenise]

I'm with Mike on the steel--I'm BAAAD about it. But I may get better--I love my new Global knife. It's the best knife I've ever had. And with only a 7" inch blade vs. the 9", it feels more balanced to my hand. I couldn't love it more--and so I'm going to be moved to take care of it. (At least, better care than I take of any other.)

While preparing corn the other night, I thought of a few things. 1) When stripping the husks? I get out a large paper grocery bag and rip it down one side to create a wide open bin that I lay on my prep counter. I peel the corn over the bag which catches husks and silk, and then it's easily rolled up for deposit in our yard waste bin, paper bag and all. Then 2) I break all the cobs in two for cooking. I find that we, and guests, are often game for another half an ear where we wouldn't necessarily take a whole second one. And 3), once the cobs are draining I melt butter in the pan and season it with salt and pepper. Now that the cobs are in smaller pieces, I can put the lid on and shake the pan to coat all the pieces in a smidge of the butter I'd use if everybody buttered their own corn. And it comes to the table ready to eat! I think I'm the only person in the world who does any of these things.

I've done the paper bag thing, though I don't have a compost heap for it to end up in; but it's a good way to keep silk from getting all over the kitchen.

My mom used to break corns up. We generally don't.

I pat the meat when applying dry rubs.

-Paul W.

We just nuke corn in the raw and then peel it afterward - and I cut it in half as a cob does both of us. We tried the boiling method which takes longer, compared it to microwaving, couldn't tell the difference (the leaves seem to keep it tender and let it steam) so always go that way.

Although I do like corn done on a BBQ, but only if it is a charcoal or wood Barbie.