/r/AskCulinary

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A place to get that "one right answer" to your cooking questions!

Welcome to /r/AskCulinary where we provide expert guidance for your specific cooking problems to help people of all skill levels become better cooks, to increase understanding of cooking, and to share valuable culinary knowledge.


Here's our FAQ. Please check it before posting!

Here are some of our most popular discussions and a few other odds and ends. Check it too!


Keep Questions:

Specific (Have a goal in mind!)

Detailed (Include the recipe, pictures etc.)

This will ensure you get the best answers.

Please avoid requests for recipes for specific ingredients or dishes.

Prompts for general discussion or advice are discouraged outside of our official Weekly Discussion (for which we're happy to take requests). As a general rule, if you are looking for a variety of good answers, go to /r/Cooking. For the one right answer, come to /r/AskCulinary.

We're also avoiding brand recommendations or comparisons for kitchen equipment. Kitchen equipment preferences tend to be subjective and personal. Few people have enough experience with multiple brands to make useful comparisons.

We're best at:

  • Troubleshooting dishes/menus
  • Equipment questions (about specific items with specific problems)
  • Food science
  • Questions about technique

Questions about what is healthy and unhealthy are outside of the scope of this subreddit. But if you have a culinary question that takes into account some specified dietary needs, we'll do our best to help.

Food safety questions are difficult for us to answer, so please instead see USDA's topic portal, the StillTasty website, and if in doubt, throw it out.

There are also better subs for professional questions. We focus on helping home cooks here. If you have questions about the business, we will refer you to /r/chefit or /r/KitchenConfidential, and wish you luck.

If you see a wrong answer, report it. Food and cooking are subjective, but as a community, we don't want to spread bad information if we can help it.

Not sure if your post fits? Ask the mods.


Commenting:

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  • Be Respectful

In your comments please avoid:

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  • Chatter
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  • Links without Explanations

We ask that all top level (a.k.a. parent) comments responding directly the post be attempts to answer the question posed. If a post raises further questions that you'd like answers, please post them separately.

As a general rule, being wrong is not a removable offense for a comment. However, if the misinformation is dangerous or is crowding out correct information, the mods may remove it.

If a comment or post does not adhere to these guidelines, please use the "REPORT" link beneath the comment or post to notify the mods.


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/r/AskCulinary

1,072,426 Subscribers

2

Best way to cook deer backstrap

Hey askculinary, I got some frozen deer backstrap that I plan to make next week but I don't have much experience with venison. They're from a doe so they're quite small (about 2 inches in diameter, maybe even a bit less), so I'm worried about overcooking it in the oven. Is sous vide the right approach to it?

Bonus question (ingredients): I'm trying to experiment a bit and really want to get some spruce tips aroma in there. My initial idea was adding a few to the brine, but if I end up sous videing, I'm not sure if I will brine it at all, so maybe just add them to the vac bag?

Any advice would be welcome!

3 Comments
2025/02/01
12:37 UTC

0

Added too much oil to brioche dough

Hey all!

I accidentally added 85 g of oil instead of 35 g as written in the recipe for a vegan brioche. I left the dough to rise in the fridge overnight. The dough has risen but is quite oily...

I'm wondering if I would be better off adding more flour to compensate or if I should just bake as is?

For reference the recipe contains the following : 220g white flour, 35g oil, 85mL water, 75g mashed white beans, 20g sugar, 5g yeast

Thanks for any insight!

5 Comments
2025/02/01
10:39 UTC

2

Buying bulk fish online?

I’m not sure if this is a stupid question or not. So I live in the northeast US and I buy cows in 1/4 or 1/2 increments from local farms and do the same thing with pork products.

I’d really like to do this with fish like salmon or swordfish as well. Is this a thing? I don’t mind paying for shipping or more for the product but I have no idea what would be considered sustainable or a decent website. I’d be pleased if the fish would be broken down already, but it’s not a huge requirement.

Thank you again and sorry if this is a dumb question for this sub.

1 Comment
2025/02/01
08:27 UTC

3

Can I turn Red Curry paste into Panang Curry paste?

Anyone ever done it? If so howd it turn out? It's really hard to find a panang curry paste by me, even in the Asian grocery stores but me and my girl really love it. I just need to order it from now on but I want it tomorrow😂

3 Comments
2025/02/01
07:35 UTC

0

How to Reduce Bloody/Metallic Taste in Flat Iron Steak?

Hey everyone,

I finally got my hands on a flat iron steak from my local butcher, but I’m running into a problem—the meat has a really strong bloody/metallic taste. I was super excited to try this cut, but the flavor is kind of off-putting.

I’m thinking of using a marinade or maybe dry brining to help mellow out that taste. Does anyone have suggestions on how to reduce that strong iron-like flavor? Would a certain acid (like vinegar or citrus) help? Or should I try soaking it in something first?

Appreciate any tips/recipes! Thanks!

3 Comments
2025/02/01
05:54 UTC

2

White stuff behind blade of new meat slicer.

I have a new chefs choice meat slicer. I wiped it down, sliced some ribeye. When I took the blade off to clean it, there was this white pasty stuff behind it. Does anyone know what that is?

I have pictures to send if needed

7 Comments
2025/02/01
04:42 UTC

6

Why isn’t my whipping cream staying stiff?

I place heavy whipping cream, I throw it in the mixer with the whisk and I whisk it til it gets REALLY fluffy, and it’s light and thick, I add vanilla to it and it still good. But as soon as I add the powder sugar it wants to flatten out.

Thank you !

16 Comments
2025/02/01
00:33 UTC

124

Why is fish from a supermarket freezer worse than from a fish counter (also flash frozen and thawed)?

Hi,

suppose you have the same type of fish fillet, e.g. wild salmon.

Why is it that the fish from the freezer section of a supermarket is a lot worse (especially juiciness) than the fish from the same supermarket but sold from the fish counter? The fish from the counter is only recently fished ("fresh fish") but also frozen (parasites) and then thawed before offered on the counter (I asked). Yet, the one from the counter is a lot more juicy.

I'm living in Europe, and by law sashimi quality fish must be deep frozen for ~ a day. Yet, the fish quality of sashimi is A LOT better than you would get from the supermarket freezer (dry, poor quality of tissue).

Why is that? A lot longer storage time (months - years?) for "freezer" fish? More thawing and cooling periods before selling (but shouldn't happen?)? Or does it only get "bad" while transporting from the supermarket to your home?

I'm clueless.

66 Comments
2025/01/31
21:22 UTC

2

How do you defrost meat for minimal deterioration?

I am fresh off a rabbit hole of vacuum sealing and ethanol-water slurry baths on the best way to freeze meat for minimal deterioration, and I just realized: shame to go through all this trouble (or, probably, an easier subset of it) only to ruin the meat when defrosting.

So, to freeze, avoid contact with air and cool as rapidly as possible, minimizing ice crystals. Got it. What's the way to defrost, then? Similarly rapidly? Slowly and gently? Something else entirely, or nothing in particular?

4 Comments
2025/01/31
18:54 UTC

1

Increasing Yield of Grams Per Portion in a Recipe: How Does This Effect Baking Temp & Time?

Hi!

I made a post yesterday about increasing yield in a recipe for cinnamon rolls, and I am a bit confused still. Let me explain:
I am following a recipe that produces 24 rolls each weighing 63g. I would like to produce 60 rolls weighing 125g each. I computed my conversion factor, and rounded up from 4.96 to 5.

Now I need to multiply everything by 5. I am using a little less yeast like someone said to do. I am now concerned about baking temp and time to bake.

The original recipe calls for a 9x13" pan, baking 12 at 350F for 22-25 minutes.

Is there a direct way to find out how long I will have to bake these because they are bigger in size? Will I have to use a different temperature? Is it just trial and error?

3 Comments
2025/01/31
18:59 UTC

1

Reheating a large lasagna

I cooked my lasagna yesterday and want to reheat it today and serve, preferably all in one go.

It’s probably about 12x8” in size. How long, what temp, and are there any steps I need to do to retain moisture like adding water on the top before covering? This is something I read online but I don’t want it to get soggy - thanks!

2 Comments
2025/01/31
17:50 UTC

6

How do I keep crispy chicken, crispy so I can take it to work and have crispy chicken?

Chicken comes out nice and crispy, is there a way I can store it so I can take to work with me and have it be crispy, only have a microwave at work.

12 Comments
2025/01/31
16:57 UTC

1

Old Cuisinart/Robot Coupe bowl

I have a 50 year old Robot Coupe RC1a, (aka Cuisinart CFP 4 or 5). The work bowls are long out of production. Does anyone here know if any of the early Cuisinart DLC series bowls fit these models? I had read that it might be a possibility.

4 Comments
2025/01/31
14:13 UTC

1

Binding agent

Hi guys, sorry if out of topic, need help. So i'm trying to make pork tenderloin mosaic in sous vide but everytime after i finish the meat in the pan, the mosaic loses it's structure and it gets loose as it's not connected good enough. Is there a good, natural way of binding the meat to stay together in the high temperature enviroment? The google recommends me a transglutaminase powder, but it's not available in the stores where i live, or i don't know of a good provider. Thanks in advance

7 Comments
2025/01/31
13:09 UTC

71

What am I missing in regards to whipping aquafaba?

I whipped some aquafaba from 1 can of chickpeas by stabilizing it with 1/4 tsp of white vinegar (cream of tartar substitute). The texture at this point is like a really thick toothpaste foam and, even with added sugar and vanilla, it just tasted like beans.

Am I missing something here? I'm a vegan and have heard great things about this stuff for merengues, whipped cream, etc. I don't get it! How does one get close to a decent texture and taste out of this stuff??? Everything I've read says it's easy and tastes perfect...

PS: Do not introduce fat of any kind, as that will cause a chemical reaction that makes the aquafaba whip instantly collapse and begin bubbling like some manner of potion.

EDIT: Reducing the aquafaba before whipping did wonders for both taste and texture! I cannot stress enough how large of a difference that makes!

Shoutout to those who provided resources that went in-depth too. Thank you so much!

26 Comments
2025/01/31
06:22 UTC

1

Teakwood Cutting Board Shedding Wooden Hairs

I've recently gotten some teakwood cutting boards and was following the instructions on oiling. I oiled the board, letting it sit in some mineral-grade oil for 24+ hours before washing it off with soap and water. But when I sat it down to air dry, I noticed all these little "hairs" all over the board (photo). Since I'm not trying to eat small wooden hairs, what would be the next step to prep my board? Sanding? TIA

2 Comments
2025/01/31
06:15 UTC

0

Cleaning Made-In stainless clad pan of burned oil

Just used this pan a few times and really like it but cooked steaks in it the other day and was left with this difficult grease residue. I tried boiling water in the pan and then trying to scrub brush w a little liquid soap with little success. Any advice please? I read I can use Barkeeper’s Friend on these pans but not my copper wool. I’m a little at a loss as to how to bring this beautiful pan back to its shiny self. Please help.

6 Comments
2025/01/31
04:42 UTC

0

Jambalaya a bit too wet

To preface, I grew up cooking rice in a rice cooker and measuring with the finger tip method (IYKYK) Always hesitated making rice dishes...because I can't measure the way I've been taught. So...what's the rule of thumb in something like jambalaya?

11 Comments
2025/01/31
03:10 UTC

1

[mushroom ketchup] recipe questions

Hi all,

I’ve been working on a solid mushroom ketchup recipe—so far my picky teen loves it (but I haven’t told her it’s mushrooms) (colored it red with beet power which makes a deep burgundy).

I’m having trouble getting it as smooth as commercial ketchups. My blender gets it close but it’s notably pulpy. This might be an inherent difference between mushrooms and tomatoes (unable to break down as far)—or the fact that I don’t have the equipment that Heinz would use to press out larger particles. I’ve considered getting a tight sieve and trying to press it through that for the next batch.

Does anyone have ideas on how to get the texture as smooth as possible at home?

3 Comments
2025/01/31
03:05 UTC

8

How to pan fry tofu in stainless steel?

What is the sign I should look out for before pan frying my tofu? Does the beaded water trick still apply with tofu? I want to just get a nice golden brown crust with a 1cm slab of tofu.

21 Comments
2025/01/31
02:22 UTC

4

Flour help?

I started a sourdough starter about 4 days ago and have been using Organic Wholegrain Rye Flour. I'm realizing now that I will be needing more on the future since I want my bread or any baking needs to be that specific flour. Meaning, I will need to source myself a bulk load of it, rather than a small bag you can find at the grocery store.

I have googled Wholegrain Rye flour and all that comes up are: the brand i got with the same exact flour I'd need, Wholewheat Rye Flour, Whole Dark Rye Flour, Rye Flour.

Is whole dark Rye flour the same as my wholegrain rye flour? Or is wholewheat Rye flour the same??? I'm confused.

None of which I'd need. If anyone here can speak Flour and what the differences is for any of them so I know the appropriate BULK to get. I'd appreciate it. I'm going absolutely bonkers.

12 Comments
2025/01/31
01:02 UTC

5

Using wheat noodles in Thai spring rolls?

I wanted to make spring rolls for dinner since I haven't had them in a while. I'm talking about the rice paper, unfriend version.

I typically make them with coriander, carrots cucumber, vermecilli rice noodles and a protein (today I have tofu)

However, I don't have vermicelli rice noodles at the moment. I do have some ramen style noodles that are the thinnest option I have. My question is if the wheat noodle will work, or I'm better off just leaving them out?

My concern is if the wheat noodles will feel denser than the typical rice vermicelli. I don't claim to make excellent rolls that are well balanced, but I enjoy them for not being super heavy. Will wheat noodles negate that? Is it a matter of using less then? What about texture?

Bonus: can I use the rice paper as a filling?

EDIT: I'm referring to Vietnamese style spring rolls, not Thai. Sorry for the incorrect info

10 Comments
2025/01/30
23:33 UTC

3

Matsutake question

So I'm trying to make a potato and leek soup. Simple with thyme bay leaf salt pepper. But I have some matsutake mushrooms and I am interested in whether or not they would pair well with a dish like this. I've come across things saying don't use them with dairy so I was going to cook the leeks with olive oil instead of butter. But I'm wondering how it will pair with the thyme. I had these mushrooms in a hot pot in the mountains in Japan. I just loved them. They melted in your mouth. And I'm trying to find a way to use them at home without overpowering the rest of the dish. Any advice is welcome.

8 Comments
2025/01/30
22:08 UTC

1

Upscaling Recipes and Conversion Factors in Baking

Hello! I've looked this up a lot, and tried to find my answer, and now I am simply so confused. I work at a local bar, and I told them I was good at baking, so now they'd like me to bake biscuits and things for their brunch shift. Everything is going fine, my recipes are working actually, but I read something about conversion factors and now I feel like I might be doing something wrong.

For example, with my cinnamon roll recipe, I've literally just been multiplying all the ingredient amounts in the regular recipe by 6. I'm weighing everything out rather than measuring by volume, and they turn out good, but I feel like they could be better? I'm confused what the difference is by using a conversion factor, or just multiplying by batches. If the recipe makes 12 cinnamon rolls and I need a lot, around 72 , my conversion factor is 6 and I just would be timesing it by 6 anyways.

Is there something bedsides conversion factor that I'm missing? Is there a different formula to calculate how much yeast or baking powder or something I should be using? Am I dumb? LOL. I don't understand how a bigger bakery can't just make huge batches, is everyone just making one batch at a time??

Edit: I feel like I can provide more context. I am using King Arthur's "Soft Cinnamon Rolls" recipe currently. This includes a tangzhong. I have access to an industrial sized mixer and stuff.

7 Comments
2025/01/30
21:20 UTC

2

Question about black garlic

5 days ago I started my first batch of black garlic but didn’t realize I needed to wrap each garlic head individually. I loosely wrapped ~10 heads in one big piece of foil and then put plastic wrap on the underside of the rice cooker lid, plugging the thermometer hole with a small wad of paper towel.

No moisture is escaping as the condensation continues to build up and the paper towel wad is completely dry, but I’m wondering if I’ll be severely disappointed after waiting 3 weeks. Should I just let it ride as is? Should I wrap each head individually and put them back in the rice cooker? Should I just accept that I didn’t do it right and toss what I started? Any input is appreciated

4 Comments
2025/01/30
19:47 UTC

4

Freezing Soaked, Uncooked Beans

Hi all, I've overnight soaked my usual amount of black beans, only to realize I only have the ingredients on hand to make about half of what I initially wanted. Is there a way to store the other half of these prepped but uncooked beans? Thanks.

1 Comment
2025/01/30
18:23 UTC

53

If I add more baking soda than normal to my peanut brittle will it make it extra airy and therefore easier to eat?

If I add more baking soda than normal to my peanut brittle will it make it extra airy and therefore easier to eat?

21 Comments
2025/01/30
18:14 UTC

22

Cloudy/Solidified Extra Virgin Olive Oil

My house has been cold over the winter and it is somewhat solidified but more of a gel liquid than totally solid. Is it okay to use this to drizzle raw on food still or should it be heated up? (I have been doing so anyway but thought I would double check)

4 Comments
2025/01/30
15:13 UTC

1

Subbing Mexican carne seca in Feijoada?

If it’s all I can get my hands on should I sub Mexican carne seca for Brazilian in a Feijoada recipe? The recipe also suggests boneless short ribs as an alternate sub but doesn’t really describe how to do that - if I go that route should I sear and then add to the pot? Put in raw? Fully cook them first?

Olivia’s Cuisine recipe of it matters: https://www.oliviascuisine.com/feijoada-recipe/

3 Comments
2025/01/30
14:46 UTC

69

Can I soak raw in shell peanuts in a vineager based hot sauce for flavor before roasting?

I want to season in shell peanuts with a hot sauce I have.

I also want the flavor to soak through the shell into the nut, so they'll have to be pretty wet, but I also want them to be dry and crunchy at the end.

Is what i'm thinking feasible? Submerging the peanuts for a for a few hours, drying off, then roasting in the oven. Or will I just bake the shell and end up with soft peanuts inside.

9 Comments
2025/01/30
09:50 UTC

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