Which dishes would you like to perfect?

[Caseheidi]

O.P. I have found that for a great meatloaf, use both ground beef and ground pork. You can also add ground veal. I usually start with 1lb beef, 1/2 lb pork and if you want 1/2 lb veal. I saute onion, carrots and celery, add garlic to brown, then add in my herbs (including rosemary, thyme, paprika salt and pepper to release the oils. Just keep on the heat a minute or two, then pull off to cool. Mix your meats with a large egg, about 1/2 cup butter milk, some ketchup, wostershire and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Then mix in your veggies (once cool enough so you don't burn your hands) and mix together with your hands. Form you loaf and put in a 9x13 pan. I also mix some ketchup, brown sugar and hot sauce to top the loaf. This is a really big loaf, and it tends to feed my small family for two dinners and a few few lunches.

For me, I am in the group that cannot get a moist, fall apart pot roast. I have not tried in a few years, but may take some of the suggestions here. I have done similar things, but never fully submerged the roast.

I would also like to improve my bread making. I sometimes have success, and then I fail. Sometimes I think it is the weather.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I never could make good pie crust. Awhile ago I got sick of pie crust-phobia, and decided to figure it out if I could, and give up for good if I couldn't. I tried recipe after recipe and finally found something that really works, and that doesn't involve my having to develop some kind of magic touch. It's kind of weird - you pulse the initial ingredients in a food processor until little dough clumps form. But it makes flaky pie crust that I don't worry will fail. Here's the recipe, for anyone who's interested.

BEST PIE DOUGH
FINALLY!!!
Makes 1 - 9" Pie Crust

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
½ t salt
6 T unsalted butter, very cold, cut into approximate 1/2-inch cubes
4 T cold shortening
3 - 4 tablespoons ice cold water

1. Measure 1-1/4 c flour into medium bowl. Take 2/3 c + 3 T of that flour and put it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and salt. Pulse twice to incorporate.

2. Spread butter chunks and shortening evenly over surface. Pulse until no dry flour remains and dough just begins to collect in clumps, about 25 short pulses. I've found that it's better to pulse too much than too little. You want dough clumps to form that look almost greasy rather than dry. Use a rubber spatula to spread the dough evenly around the bowl of the food processor.

3. Sprinkle with remaining flour and pulse until dough is just barely broken up, about 5 short pulses. Transfer dough to a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of water. Then using a rubber spatula, fold and press dough until it comes together into a ball. If it isn't coming together easily, sprinkle with 1 more tablespoon of water. The dough may look a little wet, which is fine, and is actually preferable to being too dry to form into a ball.

5. Form the ball into a 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling.

6. The disk of dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but at least for a couple of hours.

 

[DLgal]

I am baking. Haven't fried them in long time. I agree frying tastes better but it just so healthier other way.

Frying is pretty healthy if you use olive oil and fry at the right temperature. Very little oil should be absorbed if you do it right. You can measure how much you started with and how much you have when you are done. It should be very close to the same amount.

 

[AnnaS]

Baked pork chops - I'm getting better, but they're still sometimes a little dry. (Fine line, because I grew up very afraid to undercook pork.)

Do you bread them?

We bread them when we bake them. We used to dip them or brush a bit of oil and then bread crumbs. Now we just brush some water and then bread crumbs (with whatever seasoning you like).

Sometimes they can just be tough and yes, overcooking them can do it too. I am afraid of under cooking them too.

 

[cheryl.UK]

My challenge this spring is perfect Daal and hollandaise sauce. I like to set myself a challenge every season.

 

[HashberryOTG]

My challenge this spring is perfect Daal and hollandaise sauce. I like to set myself a challenge every season.

Dumplings.

 

[mrodgers]

Anything that is more than just tossing some seasoning on meat and throwing it on the grill with some vegetables and potato. I don't do much cooking other than that or roast in the crockpot or chili/stuffed pepper soup in the instant pot.

I don't have a nice space to cook so I don't go too elaborate. I've been wanting to make chicken Marsala, even bought imported Marsala wine for it. That would probably be my favorite dish over what I said above along with spaghetti in that mix. It's a pain with cleanup when I cook more elaborately as I don't have a dishwasher and hand washing dishes every day after a physical job gets really old.

 

[Minnesota!]

I measure everything so carefully-my sister, who is more of a 'throw it in there' type laughs at me for my precise measurements, yet her from scratch baking is wonderful. We have a temperature gauge inside the oven, too.

I am so present when baking I practically married my oven. Yet I am a lousy scratch baker.

I am the same as your sister. I barely measure, surely do not pay attention to it while it is the oven, and, overall HATE baking...but all my stuff that I do bake turns out amazing and perfect. I laugh when people talk about it being a science because mine sure is an experiment.

As far as perfecting - I just want some of my nostalgic recipes to taste like they did when the people I miss made them. My grandma's potatoes, my dad's chili, my grandma's spaghetti, etc.

 

[lovesmurfs]

My goals this year are to learn to make pasta (ravioli) and pierogi. I do have a crank pasta machine, but never really bothered to learn. Watching America's Worst Cooks and realizing it can't be THAT difficult.

 

[soccerdad72]

I'd love to learn how to make soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)