Among traditional cooking techniques, confit carries a certain mystique. Cooks speak with reverence about the slow-cooking process that submerges meat in generous amounts of rendered fat. The results can be sublimely rich, but it’s important not to confuse the flavor with the method.
Originally, confit was a preservation technique designed for unrefrigerated storage, in which food would be cooked slowly over a long period of time in fat.
Traditionally, meat or seafood was partially cured with salt and saltpeter (nitrates and nitrites), then simmered in oil. In the past, curing was essential. It killed dangerous anaerobic bacteria that could thrive once the meat was sealed in a barrier of solidified fat. During simmering, the meat also had to be fully submerged in oil to prevent contamination.
Once cured, cooked, and sealed, the food was protected from oxidation, bacteria, and spoilage—and safe to store for months. But a traditional confit cooking meat is usually so salty that you have to dilute the salty taste before serving, either by soaking the food in fresh water or by shredding it and mixing it with other ingredients.
This element of preservation is no longer necessary, and many cooks skip curing altogether nowadays.
The Easiest Way to Cook Confit
Though you can still cook confit with oil or pressure-cooking (try our pressure-cooked garlic confit), the easiest way to prepare a modern meat confit is sous vide. It provides a clean, reliable way to cook the meat, and the snug-fitting bag keeps the fat close to the surface of the meat as it cools after cooking. The largest difference is that confit cooked sous vide is cooked without oil—which means you don’t need a cauldron of fat for this method.
Some cooks have complained that sous vide confit lacks a certain soulfulness. They may be referring to the missing flavor of oxidation: not oxidation of the food, but oxidation of the fatty coating, which causes the nutty aromas of a traditionally aged confit. The vacuum inside the sous vide bag does prevent this slow oxidation. You can restore it, however, by aging the rendered fat before applying it or by opening the sous vide bag once the food has cooled, thus exposing the fat to air.
Does Confit Need to Be Cooked in Fat?
Confit is less about cooking in fat than you might think and more about time and temperature. In fact, oil doesn’t actually soak into the meat while it’s cooking. It only begins to seep in as the meat cools, and even then, not very much.
The moisture just beneath the surface quickly stops the oil from going deeper. In the end, fat penetrates only about a millimeter into the meat. But that’s enough, because it’s the surface fat that delivers the flavor and texture we associate with confit.
After much testing, we can say with confidence that you can achieve the same rich, decadent results using sous vide and just a coating of flavorful fat. No need for a vat of the stuff!
We know this might sound hard to believe. Many cooks are skeptical when we first tell them. But this is something you have to try yourself. Cook confit both ways and see if you can tell the difference.
We recommend starting with our turkey confit recipe, inspired by classic duck confit. Dark turkey meat is vacuum-cured with a blend of autumn herbs and duck fat, and then cooked sous vide for 24 hours. If duck fat isn’t available, butter or a neutral oil works just as well. You can also substitute duck or chicken legs. We like serving the confit alongside slices of juicy sous vide turkey breast and home jus gras.
Cooking great seafood is all about understanding what makes it unique. Fish and shellfish are naturally delicate, which means small changes in technique can make a big difference in flavor, texture, and moisture. Whether you’re preparing a perfectly cooked salmon fillet, tender mussels, or a classic lobster roll, a little science goes a long way.
In this collection, we’ve gathered our favorite guides, techniques, and recipes from our website to help you get consistently delicious results. You’ll learn why gentle cooking methods like sous vide are so effective, how simple steps like brining can transform fish, and how to bring out the best in everything from shrimp and clams to lobster and crab. Whether you’re looking to master the basics or explore new techniques, these resources will help you cook seafood with confidence.
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Cooking Fish
In this guide, you’ll learn the science behind fish anatomy, why gentle cooking matters, what makes tuna unique, and how techniques like brining can dramatically improve texture and flavor. Whether you’re cooking salmon, tuna, or delicate white fish, these principles will help you achieve consistently better results.
Perfectly cooked salmon is all about precision. This blog explores how to choose the best salmon, avoid the common mistake of overcooking, and use techniques like brining and sous vide to achieve tender, flavorful results. You’ll also find practical cooking tips, insights into different salmon varieties, and an easy low-temperature method you can try at home—even without sous vide equipment.
This salmon recipe is a fun and simple way to begin enjoying the virtues of low-temperature cooking without investing in sous vide equipment. That being said, if you have sous vide equipment, still feel free to try this out! We love to serve our salmon with sautéed asparagus and peas, or with cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and thyme.
This is one of our most popular recipes on the Modernist Cuisine site. Learn why brining is one of the simplest ways to improve the flavor, texture, and moisture of fish. In this post, you’ll discover the science behind salt’s role in cooking, how modern brine works differently from traditional methods, and an easy technique for perfectly seasoned, tender fish.
Master the art of cooking shellfish by understanding the science behind their flavor and texture. This guide explores everything from scallops, oysters, and mussels to lobster, crab, and shrimp, with practical tips for selecting the freshest shellfish, avoiding common cooking mistakes, and using precise techniques to achieve tender, flavorful results every time.
From festive holiday feasts to everyday seafood dinners, crustaceans bring exceptional flavor to the table—and choosing a high-quality shellfish is key. In this post, you’ll learn how lobsters, crabs, and other crustaceans grow, why molting affects their quality, and what signs to look for when selecting the freshest specimens. You’ll also discover the science behind their sweet flavor and distinctive aroma, and how to make the most of every shell.
Discover the rich history and comforting tradition behind shrimp and grits, from its Native American and Southern roots to a modern, flavor-packed interpretation. This post explores the story of this beloved dish, shares tips for making perfectly creamy grits with a pressure cooker, and shows how a few thoughtful techniques can elevate a classic comfort food into an unforgettable meal.
It might sound unconventional, but instead of being filled with sweets, these eggs contain savory fillings of shiitake custard and shrimp foam, topped with a bit of crab dressed with chives, lemon, and chervils. The flavors and textures of this dish are quite delicate and refreshing, which contrast the sweet, rich fillings of other egg-shaped confections. This recipe is the perfect addition to any Easter celebration.
Looking for more ways to elevate your fish and shellfish dishes? Explore Modernist Cuisine at Home, our award-winning cookbook, for innovative techniques, inspiring recipes, and practical tips to take your cooking to the next level. Browse through additional recipes found in our cookbook below.
Clams in Chowder Sauce
Modernist Cuisine at Home, p. 292
In this lighter take on the classic soup, clams are dressed in a warm, foamy sauce. For a more substantial dish that is closer to a typical chowder, we include a variation where you can add extra chowder broth and stir in some caramelized onions and some microwave-steamed fingerling potatoes cut into bite-size pieces.
We also feature variations including:
Oyster Stew variation: Diced leeks are substituted for the bacon, and oyster meats and juice for the clams.
Pistachio Clam Chowder variation: Includes an addition of our pistachio pesto.
South of France Chowder variation: Includes the addition of Rouille—a thick sauce with paprika and cayenne pepper.
Crustacean Butter
Modernist Cuisine at Home, p. 122
The shells of lobster, crab, and shrimp turn pink or red when cooked thanks to carotenes, the same family of molecules that give carrots and tomatoes their color. You can extract these fat-soluble pigments from crustacean shells (along with lots of flavor) by cooking the shells in butter, oil, or another fat—the same way you make carotene butter from carrots. Use this highly flavorful butter in place of ordinary butter to make an amazing hollandaise or beurre blanc sauce, or stir it into soups, sauces, and sautés.
Crustacean Stock
Modernist Cuisine at Home, p. 88
Anytime you find yourself with crustacean shells left over from a seafood feast, save them! Collect them in the freezer until you have enough to make stock. If you don’t have shells, use whole shrimp (with the heads on), which are relatively inexpensive and easy to find. We enjoy using this stock in our Forbidden Rice with Squid Ink and Sous Vide Clams recipe (found on page 330), our Shrimp and Grits recipe, and our Thai Soup recipe (found on page 267).
Mussels Marinière
Modernist Cuisine at Home, p. 290
Throughout France, you’ll see people sitting in bistros and brasseries feasting on bowls of sweet, tender mussels that have been cooked in wine, savory brine juices, and garlic. This classic dish is easy to overcook, however; all too often the mussels end up tough, dry, and disappointing. Cooking the mussels sous vide solves that problem.
Modernist Cuisine at Home
You can find all of these recipes and more in Modernist Cuisine at Home. Drawing on the same commitment to perfection that produced Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, this award-winning, 456-page volume applies innovative techniques to classic home dishes. Filled with helpful scientific insights, mouthwatering recipes, gorgeous photography, and step-by-step guides, Modernist Cuisine at Home makes it easy to bring dining of the highest quality to your own dinner table.
Salmon is a common favorite, but unfortunately it is frequently overcooked by both home and professional chefs. Whether you’re cooking king, coho, sockeye, steelhead, or Atlantic salmon, one rule applies: Don’t overcook it. Its proteins begin to coagulate at low temperatures, so precision is important. Sous vide cooking is ideal because it allows you to maintain just the right doneness—producing tender, custardy salmon that still tastes of the ocean. If you’ve sworn off salmon before, this method might change your mind.
First, it’s best to choose the right fish, and at the right quality. There’s a dizzying array of salmon options, but knowing a few key facts can help, such as purchasing the right fish during the right season. Salmon isn’t one fish. It’s a group of seven species, each with their own flavor, texture, and seasonality. Most begin life in fresh water, travel to the ocean to grow, and return home to spawn.
Below are some of the most common salmon eaten in the United States:
White king (ivory king): The Chinook or king salmon is one of the best-tasting salmon varieties. Its succulent, oily flesh is usually bright pink or red, but about one in 100 have white flesh. Marine biologists think that these white specimens are missing a protein that absorbs the pink pigment of the krill that are a mainstay of the salmon diet. These fish are usually in season between April and September. Regular king salmon is usually in season from May to October.
Steelhead: Technically a variety of rainbow trout, these fish are related to salmon and cook similarly. Just like salmon, they were born to live in the ocean. In season November to August.
Copper River salmon: Salmon that spawn in the Copper River in Alaska must swim upstream as far as 200 miles. They do not eat during that journey, so their bodies must store lots of energy as fat. This makes them delicious to eat! Both king salmon and the smaller sockeye and coho are harvested from the Copper River during a short catch season each year. In season May to October.
Farmed Atlantic salmon: Atlantic salmon is the most common type sold at retail. More than 95% of farmed salmon are of the Atlantic variety. Salmon are often farmed in ocean pens, and their feeding regimen and waste tend to decimate their local ecosystems; consider your options. The natural color of farmed salmon is a lighter pink than that of wild salmon; some farmed species are injected with dye to enhance their color. Tank-raised fish are the most sustainable kind of farmed salmon. Available year-round.
Tips for Cooking Great Salmon
Brine first. This seasons and firms the fish and helps prevent the unsightly white albumin from rising to the surface.
Sous vide for control. Cook salmon to a core temperature of 51 °C / 124 °F for a firmer texture, or slightly lower for something silkier.
Finish with hot butter or oil. Just a few seconds in hot fat after sous vide adds flavor and improves surface texture.
Use oil, not butter, if serving cold. Butter will congeal at cool temps, but oil keeps the fish looking and tasting appealing.
Pick high-quality fish. This is one case where sourcing really matters—whether you’re serving it raw, sous vide, or seared.
Our Sous Vide Salmon recipe is featured in Modernist Cuisine at Home on page 276. If you don’t have sous vide equipment yet—or the book—you can still get started by trying our Sous Vide Salmon in the Kitchen Sink recipe.
This salmon recipe is a fun and approachable way to start exploring the benefits of low-temperature cooking—no sous vide equipment required. A pot of water can maintain a steady temperature for up to an hour, which is more than enough time to cook fish (and even some steaks). For longer cooking times, a picnic cooler can keep water temperatures stable for up to 5 hours!
Keep in mind that the more food you add to the water bath—or the colder it is—the more the temperature will drop. To help maintain the heat, bring the food to room temperature before cooking, and use your largest pot with plenty of water.
We love serving this salmon with sautéed asparagus and peas in the spring, or with cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and thyme in the winter.
Shellfish are among the ocean’s most flavorful gifts, but cooking them well requires a bit of know-how—and an understanding of the unique biology behind each bite. In this blog, we’ll explore the different types of shellfish (from scallops to shrimp), what makes them tick, and how that affects how we cook them. We’ll also share tips on selecting the best specimens and explain why timing and temperature matter so much.
Let’s start with how shellfish work.
Understanding Shellfish Biology
Shellfish vary dramatically in anatomy, texture, and flavor, but what unites them is their adaptation to life in salty water—and how their bodies handle that salinity. Many mollusks and crustaceans rely on certain amino acids, like glycine and glycogen, to balance the salt levels of their environment. These compounds contribute sweetness and umami, which help explain the complex, savory flavors of shellfish.
The catch is that cooking can diminish these flavor compounds. When exposed to heat, some amino acids get bound up in coagulated proteins, muting their contribution to flavor. Others react to form new aromas—like the distinctive cooked shellfish smell created by aromatic sulfides.
The best cooking methods help preserve their texture and enhance flavor without losing too much of what makes shellfish so special.
Cooking Mollusks
Humans have been enjoying these shellfish for millennia, and for good reason: They’re packed with flavor and require minimal cooking when fresh.
Scallops
Scallops are mostly composed of a single muscle—the abductor—which they use to swim. This fast-twitch muscle is full of glycine and glycogen, making scallops slightly sweet and perfect for quick searing. Overcooking can ruin their tender texture, so keep it quick and hot.
Abalones
Abalones also rely on their powerful foot muscle, but theirs is packed with connective tissue. This makes them best enjoyed sliced thin and served raw or cooked very lightly. Cook them too long and they become tough and rubbery—though long, slow cooking can eventually tenderize them again.
Oysters, Mussels & Clams
With these shellfish, you eat more than just muscle but also the entrails, which are full of flavor. Oysters and mussels anchor themselves with a small, inedible foot, while clams have a siphon that filters water from buried sand beds. Smaller clams are often eaten whole, while larger varieties like geoduck are usually trimmed down to their siphon alone.
Mussels and clams typically are boiled or steamed until they open, but by then they’re overdone. For juicy mussels and clams with an intense taste, steam them briefly in white wine, then shuck them and cook them sous vide in their own juices.
Cooking Tips
All too often mussels end up tough, dry, and disappointing. Cooking the mussels sous vide solves that problem.
Forget the old rule stating any mussel that doesn’t open when cooked is bad.
A bad mussel either smells very strongly or looks dry and shriveled, so inspect them as you shuck them before cooking.
The natural juices that come out of mussels when they open are very flavorful. Chefs use mussel juice to add depth to butter sauces for fish and soups. Be sure to save any extra juices—or at least have some good bread and olive oil handy so that you don’t waste any of this precious liquid.
For example, see our Mussels Marinière recipe in Modernist Cuisine at Home on p. 290. This is a classic dish of tender muscles cooked in wine, savory brine juices, and garlic.
Safety Note
Because filter-feeding mollusks process vast quantities of water, they can also accumulate contaminants. This is why strict safety regulations exist for certain types of shellfish and why it’s important to source them carefully.
All About Crustaceans, such as Lobster, Crab, Shrimp & More
Crustaceans may resemble insects of the sea, but they’re culinary treasures—when picked and cooked properly. Lobsters, crabs, shrimp, prawns, langoustines, and crayfish all fall into this category.
The Enzyme Problem
One reason crustaceans are often cooked alive or immediately after death is because their flesh contains protein-cleaving enzymes that rapidly break down the muscle, creating a woolly or mealy texture. These enzymes are most active at 55–60 °C / 130–140 °F, so most crustaceans are cooked hotter to deactivate them quickly. But that high-heat approach often overcooks the meat. When possible, consider lower-temperature cooking methods and serve immediately to preserve that delicate texture.
How Molting Affects Quality
Crustaceans grow by molting their shells, and this timing greatly affects their eating quality. Just before molting, they shed muscle mass and fill with water to loosen the shell—this results in bland, watery meat. The best time to eat a lobster or crab is after it has molted and begun rebuilding muscle and shell. Look for a firm shell, deep coloration on the back, and a belly that’s slightly stained—not pearly white. These crustaceans will feel heavy for their size, a sign they’re full of dense, sweet muscle.
Crustacean Chemistry
The sweet aroma of cooked crustaceans comes from Maillard reactions, which typically require high heat. But because crustacean meat contains lots of sugars and amino acids, these flavor-building reactions can happen at lower-than-normal cooking temps. That’s great news for anyone interested in gentle cooking techniques. You’ll also notice their shells turn vibrant red or orange during cooking. That’s thanks to carotenoid pigments like astaxanthin, which are released when proteins in the exoskeleton are heated.
Choosing the Best Shellfish
Here’s what to look for when selecting shellfish, especially crustaceans:
Look at shell color and firmness. When crustaceans are at their prime for eating, their topsides will be deeply colored, and their bellies will take on a stained or dirty look. The shell should be firm to the touch. Crustaceans are primed for cooking when their shells have become very hard.
Compare size to weight. Crustaceans will feel heavy for their size because they are filled with dense muscle tissue, not tissue that is bloated with absorbed water. Crustaceans that are about to molt feel the lightest because their shells are partly empty.
Warning signs. Avoid crabs or lobsters with greenish shells and white bellies—they may have just molted. A pinkish rust on the underside can also be a clue that a molt is coming soon.
After you’re done feasting, save your crustacean shells in the freezer until you have enough to make Pressure-Cooked Crustacean Stock (found on page 88 of Modernist Cuisine at Home). If you don’t have any shells, use whole shrimp (with heads on), which are relatively inexpensive and easy to find.
We feature a Lobster Roll recipe in Modernist Cuisine at Home on page 288. You might think it’s hard to improve on an old-fashioned lobster roll—until you taste one made with lobster cooked with precision to attain ideal sweetness and tenderness.
One of our favorite ways to prepare lobster is cooking it sous vide; it gives us precise control over the cooking process. In this recipe, we use the sous vide method to also infuse butter with lobster shells—this adds extra flavor and color to the toasted bun. Green apples and herbs freshen the lobster salad, and infused celery and tomato leather add a Modernist twist. Don’t bother messing with a boutique hot dog bun in this New England classic—go with the usual supermarket variety. Fancier rolls detract from the lobster.
Pro tip: It’s a mistake to cook a lobster whole. One way we perfect our lobster is to cook the tail and claw meat separately, at different temperatures, sous vide.
Shrimp & Prawns
Shrimp and prawns may look alike, but they’re only distant relatives—closer in appearance than in biology. What they do share, however, is a delicate texture that deteriorates quickly once they die. Protein-cleaving enzymes in the abdomen begin breaking down the flesh soon after death, turning it mealy if not cooked in time. That’s why the best shrimp and prawns are eaten as close to the moment of harvest as possible. For true connoisseurs, the most intense flavor is found in the head; many consider it a delicacy to savor the briny, rich juices within.
Our Shrimp and Grits recipe takes advantage of these bold flavors and transforms a Southern classic into something extraordinary. We elevate the dish by pressure-cooking coarse-ground grits in Crustacean Stock to intensify the savory depth, then topping them with Redeye Gravy and a soft-cooked egg. The result is a deeply comforting bowl that blends creamy texture with umami-rich layers. For a more traditional version, seared or sous vide prawns can be added instead.
Shellfish may be diverse in form, but they share a few key cooking principles: freshness matters, temperature is crucial, and timing is everything. Whether you’re searing scallops, steaming mussels, or slow-poaching lobster, knowing the biology behind your seafood can help you preserve what makes it special.
So choose wisely, cook gently, and enjoy the briny, complex flavors that only shellfish can offer.
Cooking fish is both rewarding and a little intimidating. If you’ve ever overcooked a beautiful fillet into a dry, mealy disappointment, you’re not alone. Fish differs significantly from land animals in structure and biology—and that’s exactly why it needs to be treated differently in the kitchen.
In this blog, we’ll explore the fundamentals of how fish are built, share general tips for cooking them, and highlight what makes tuna unique.
Before you get started, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you never miss a new recipe, technique, or insight.
Understanding Fish Anatomy
Fish live a more buoyant life than terrestrial animals. Floating in water means they don’t need dense bones or strong collagen to hold themselves up, which affects everything from how their muscles are built to how their bodies react to heat. Their collagen contains fewer stabilizing cross-links, making it much weaker and quicker to break down. In the kitchen, that means fish becomes tender faster—but go too far, and it falls apart.
Fish are also mostly cold-blooded (with the notable exception of some tuna), which means their muscle proteins haven’t evolved to withstand high heat. Proteins begin to coagulate at relatively low temperatures, so cooking fish gently is key. In fact, most kinds of fish taste best when cooked at temperatures between 42 °C and 50 °C / 108 °F and 122 °F. Go higher than that, and the flesh turns dry and chalky—even if the inside would still be considered rare by meat standards.
The one exception is tuna. Tuna stands out among fish for a few key biological reasons. They swim long distances at high speeds, so their muscles are built for endurance. That gives them a high concentration of oxygen-rich red muscle fibers filled with myoglobin—similar to red meat. That’s why their flesh is darker and fattier than that of most fish.
Some species of tuna can even raise their body temperature above that of the surrounding water, which gives them extra speed and adds even more fat to their muscle, especially in the belly. This fat acts as insulation in cold water and contributes to the rich flavor we associate with high-quality tuna.
Because of these unique qualities, tuna should be treated more like red meat than delicate white fish. It holds up well to searing, grilling, or being served raw in sushi and sashimi, where precise slicing techniques bring out its best texture.
Overall, with this in mind, we recommend a few key tips when cooking fish:
Cook fish gently at low temperatures. Most fish are cold-blooded, so their muscle proteins are designed for cool environments—not heat. Fish flesh cooks at much lower temperatures than meat; the ideal internal range is 42–50 °C / 108–122 °F. Going higher dries it out and makes it mealy.
Choose the freshest fish possible. Because collagen breaks down quickly after death, fish that isn’t very fresh becomes fragile and prone to falling apart. Freshness is key for texture and flavor.
Recognize the light vs. dark muscle difference. Most of the fish’s body is made up of fast-twitch white muscle fibers used for short bursts of speed—these tend to be mild in flavor and tender. Darker muscle along the midline (the “bloodline”) contains endurance fibers, which can taste stronger and cook differently.
Slice and portion strategically. Fish can be filleted in simple or elaborate ways. Large fish like tuna are often broken down into blocks or steaks. The shape and grain of the muscle will determine the best slicing method for ideal texture, especially in raw preparations like sushi or sashimi.
Slice to control texture. For tougher or more fibrous seafood (like abalone or cuttlefish), use thin slicing or scoring to tenderize it and control the bite.
Match the cooking method to the fish. Because each species has different fat content and muscle structure, some are best suited to raw or gently cooked applications, while others handle searing or braising better. Lean white fish can dry out fast; fattier fish like tuna or salmon are more forgiving. For example:
Black cod, mackerel, and sardines benefit from dry curing for 3 hours with 7 g of salt and 5 g of sugar for every 100 g of fish.
Halibut is great when seared over banked coals on the grill.
Snapper is delicious when drizzled with spiced oil after cooking sous vide.
Tuna is great when seared quickly in brown butter after cooking sous vide. We often cook at 55 °C / 131 °F, after brining the fish first and finishing with an aromatic oil.
Brining Fish
Another incredibly helpful tip is to brine fish before cooking (especially when cooking sous vide).
Salt isn’t just a universal seasoning; it also has a powerful chemical ability to help fish and meat retain moisture during cooking, as long as it’s distributed evenly at the right concentration.
Simply coating the outside of a fish or piece of meat with salt won’t do the trick—unless you’re aiming for the distinctive flavor and firm texture of cured foods like corned beef or smoked salmon. At high concentrations, salt can actually cause muscle proteins to break down.
Brining, on the other hand, has a gentler, more widely useful effect. It involves soaking the meat in a dilute salt solution until the salt gradually permeates the tissue. The goal is a final salt concentration of about 0.5% throughout the meat—much lower than curing. The challenge is ensuring the interior is seasoned as evenly as the exterior. Without care, it’s easy to end up with uneven salt distribution.
Modernist brining, much like sous vide cooking, uses a long soak—up to 24 hours—in a slightly stronger solution to achieve even seasoning without the risk of oversalting. Brining fish this way not only seasons and firms the flesh but also helps preserve its delicate color by preventing the albumin in salmon from leaching to the surface and masking the beautiful orange-red pigment with an opaque whitish color. Make sure to cook your brined fish immediately.
Whipping siphons have transformed modern cooking, allowing chefs to craft airy foams, rapid infusions, and fizzy drinks with ease. Whether you’re looking to add a cloudlike foam to a dish, infuse fruit with flavorful syrup, or carbonate a cocktail, a whipping siphon is up to the task.
Before you get started, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you never miss a new recipe, technique, or insight.
The Science Behind Whipping Siphons
At the heart of the siphon’s magic is compressed gas. A standard whipping siphon uses gas pressure to force a soluble gas to dissolve in the liquid to be whipped. The pressure also pushes the liquid through a valve out of which the gas emerges from the solution, creating bubbles and whipping the foam.
The most common gas used is nitrous oxide (N₂O), which dissolves easily into fatty liquids and remains stable without promoting oxidation or bacterial growth. When released from the siphon, the gas expands rapidly, transforming the liquid into a light, voluminous foam.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is another option, but it’s best reserved for carbonation, since its fizzy texture and sour flavor make it less suitable for smooth, creamy foams. For most culinary uses, especially when making savory or dessert foams, nitrous oxide is the preferred choice.
Each disposable cartridge holds 8 grams of gas. For a 1-liter siphon, you’ll usually need two cartridges, especially if your liquid is low in fat or volume. You can learn more about the anatomy of the whipping siphon at the link below.
Whipping siphons unlock a surprising variety of culinary creations.
Batters: Teff injera (Modernist Bread, vol. 5:156) and tempura batter (Modernist Pizza, vol. 3:281) both benefit from the siphon’s ability to evenly aerate and lighten texture. Another example from Modernist Cuisine at Home (p. 254) is our skinless chicken wings, which uses an aerated batter to create a new spin on fried chicken (essentially a tempura chicken wing).
Sauces: Emulsified sauces like sous vide hollandaise or sabayon hold beautifully in a siphon. During service, it keeps them warm and fluffy, also less dense.
Infusions and marination: By increasing pressure inside the siphon, ingredients like herbs, spices, or fruits absorb liquids faster, infusing flavor in minutes instead of hours.
Fresh soda: Using carbon dioxide, you can carbonate juices or cocktails for fizzy, fresh drinks.
Foams: Whipping siphons were designed for aerating cream that’s high in fat. But you can foam any liquid thick enough to hold bubbles. Our Caramelized Carrot Pizza from Modernist Pizza (vol. 3:277) features a vivid coconut chutney foam made with coconut cream, mint, green chili, and cilantro. The result is an aromatic, airy topping that lifts the whole dish.
Hollandaise is famously delicate, but with a whipping siphon, it becomes far more stable. By gently cooking the egg yolks sous vide and finishing the sauce in a whipping siphon, you eliminate the stress of curdling, separating, or rushing at the last minute. The siphon keeps the hollandaise warm, smooth, and perfectly emulsified, while also giving it a light, elegant texture that’s ready to dispense whenever you are. It’s a simple upgrade that transforms a traditionally fragile sauce into a reliable, make-ahead staple. Just charge, shake, and serve.
What makes this omelet special is the whipping siphon. By transforming scrambled eggs into a light, stable foam, the siphon allows you to prepare the mixture in advance, hold it gently at temperature, and dispense perfectly aerated eggs whenever you’re ready to serve. Instead of standing over the stove and timing everything to the second, you can simply charge, shake, and pipe, leaving more time for creativity—like a striped mushroom omelet.
This recipe reimagines a Thanksgiving classic with the help of a whipping siphon. Instead of a traditional cranberry sauce, whole berries are gently cooked sous vide, then carbonated using a whipping siphon charged with carbon dioxide. The result is bright, tart cranberries that burst with delicate fizz.
This recipe will take your boozy (or booze-free) gatherings to the next level. Crisp, chocolate-dipped “buckeyes” hide a creamy hazelnut (or peanut) center studded with crackling pop rocks for a surprise with every bite. Each 20 g sphere is dipped and set for a clean shell, then frozen, which is ideal for serving alongside a warm, spiced cocktail.
But it’s the eggnog foam that is the true highlight of this exciting drink. The custard base is gently cooked sous vide, chilled completely, and then charged in a whipping siphon to achieve an airy, stable foam that can’t be matched by hand frothing. Because the base is relatively low in viscosity, the siphon is essential because it creates a light, velvety cap that floats atop coffee or tea spiked with rum or cognac. The result is a cloudlike eggnog layer that slowly mingles with the drink beneath.
Finished with freshly grated spices and served to order, these cocktails showcase the power of the whipping siphon in its ability to produce an unforgettable presentation.
Instant Infusions: Herb- and Spice-Infused Olive Oil, “Barrel-Aged” Maple Syrup, Candy Cane Vodka
With a whipping siphon, you can create bold, complex infusions that taste as though they’ve been aging for months, but in reality they came together in just minutes. These recipes create memorable, gift-worthy treats that are especially charming during the holidays, but just as perfect for dinner parties, hostess gifts, or keeping a bottle (or two) for yourself any time of year.
Beef is one of the most versatile and satisfying proteins you can cook. From juicy burgers and perfectly seared steaks to slow-braised short ribs and hearty stews, there’s something to satisfy every craving. The key is knowing which cooking techniques work best for each cut. Whether you’re planning meals for the week or have just picked up a fresh cut, explore our favorite beef recipes and expert tips below to make the most of every bite.
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Understanding Meat
If you want to cook meat well—whether that means a juicy steak or tender braised ribs—it helps to first understand what meat is, how it’s structured, and what happens when heat is applied. With that foundation, you’ll be better equipped to use simple techniques that can dramatically improve flavor and texture.
Before you get started, it helps to understand the versatility of different cuts of beef and what each one is best suited for. Knowing this can guide you at the butcher counter and help you make the most of what you already have at home. In this blog, we’ll break down popular cuts, share essential techniques and searing methods, and even debunk a few common myths along the way. Think of it as your go-to resource for cooking the perfect steak.
Of all the tougher cuts, short ribs are our favorite. While they’re often used in stews, this method is our preferred way to fully utilize the richness of this cut. We love it because it uses sous vide to cook the meat at a low temperature, allowing the collagen to break down while retaining more of its natural juices. After 72 hours, the result is incredibly tender, flavorful meat. For a quicker option, we also include a 50-minute pressure cooker alternative.
You don’t need to visit a high-end steakhouse or spend $200 a pound on ultra-marbled Wagyu from Japan to enjoy flavorful, tender beef at your next barbecue. These three tricks can turn an average steak into one that impresses.
Believe it or not, beef jus can be cooked rare. By cooking the meat sous vide at a low temperature, this jus is just as flavorful as a traditional brown beef jus, while also much brighter and more appealing in color.
Like our 72-Hour Braised Short Ribs featured earlier, this recipe uses the sous vide method to slowly cook beef short ribs to exceptional tenderness. Inspired by traditional Jewish-style short ribs—with both kosher and non-kosher variations—it’s finished with a rich beef jus and a creamy wasabi sauce for a modern twist. The result is an elegant, flavor-packed dish that’s perfect for the holidays or anytime you’re in the mood for something a little more special.
This is one of our favorite recipes on this page because it can be done almost entirely in your home oven. One of the key techniques is briefly freezing the steaks, which helps prevent the interior from overcooking.
Cuts are broadly divided into tender cuts, which are ideal for quick grilling or roasting, and tough cuts, which need braising or long, gentle cooking. Tender cuts are the priciest, but tough ones often deliver more flavor when cooked properly.
Muscles that do more work (shoulders, legs) are tough, rich in connective tissue and collagen—great for slow cooking or grinding. Muscles worked less (like the loin) are naturally tender. Belly muscles are fibrous and fatty, as they insulate the organs.
TENDER CUTS
Filet / Tenderloin The most tender and most expensive cut. Lean and fine-textured, best cooked rare to medium-rare. Some find the flavor too mild. Also known as filet mignon, Chateaubriand
New York Strip Balanced in flavor and tenderness. We recommend trimming off the silverskin and excess fat. Also known as strip steak, top loin
Rib Eye The steak version of prime rib, rib eyes win for flavor. They can be gristly near the bone, but boneless versions remove this. Also known as Delmonico steak, Spencer steak
T-Bone/Porterhouse A T-bone combines a New York strip and a filet, separated by bone. It’s large and flavorful, with the bone helping retain juices.
TOUGH CUTS
Chuck Top Blade Tough but flavorful and inexpensive. Chuck includes many muscles and lots of sinew. Best cooked sous vide for 36–48 hours. Also known as boneless chuck steak, chuck eye
Hanger & Skirt These long-grain steaks have strong flavor and a chewy texture. Cook quickly over high heat or sous vide, then slice thin against the grain. Also known as butcher’s steak, bavette
Flat Iron Cut from the shoulder, often split into two to remove sinew. Excellent flavor and very tender when cooked sous vide. Also known as top blade steak, paleron
Flank Lean, flavorful, and ideal for marinades. Best served rare to medium-rare and sliced thin. Easy to overcook. Also known as London broil
Tongue Though usually classed as offal, beef tongue is muscle. Cook it sous vide at 62 °C / 144 °F for 48 hours to break down collagen into gelatin. Properly done, it becomes incredibly tender—what we call “meat butter.”
Short Rib Our favorite cut. Short ribs are richly flavored and best cooked sous vide for 24–72 hours. They can also be braised or used in stews. Try our recipe here. Also known as flanken ribs, oven-busters
Understanding Meat Grades
The USDA grading system—prime, choice, select, standard, utility, cutter, canner—dates back to the early 20th century and was introduced in part due to public outrage after The Jungle revealed unsanitary meat practices. Though foundational, the system remains limited.
UNITED STATES
Grades are based mainly on marbling and age. Marbling, or intramuscular fat, is often used as a proxy for tenderness and flavor, though it’s not always a reliable indicator.
Prime—Excellent marbling, tender and juicy. Usually found at high-end restaurants and specialty stores.
Choice—Widely available, with modest to moderate marbling.
Select—Leaner and less tender. The lowest grade sold retail.
Cuts graded below Select typically go into processed meats.
OTHER COUNTRIES
Grading systems vary globally. Japan and Australia have developed more nuanced systems, often with better correlation to flavor and tenderness.
Premium Beef & Feeding Practices
WAGYU AND KOBE
Wagyu is beef from specific Japanese cattle breeds, renowned for extreme marbling, tenderness, and flavor. Often mistakenly called Kobe, true Wagyu comes from cattle raised across Japan and can cost over $100 per pound. Wagyu tenderloin is mild, but the rib eye and strip loin are exceptional. Because it’s so rich, Wagyu is best served medium-rare and in small portions.
Some US and Australian ranches offer “Kobe-style” beef from Wagyu-descended cattle. Though less marbled, it can still be excellent.
ANGUS
Originating in Scotland, Angus cattle produce high-quality meat. In the US, “Certified Angus Beef” is often more of a marketing term: cattle only need 51% black hides and other minimal traits to qualify. Purebred Red Angus aren’t included, while some non-Angus cattle are.
FEEDING & FINISHING
Beef prices also depend on how cattle are fed before slaughter. Grain-finished cattle are typically fed corn, soy, or barley. Corn is balanced in sugars and protein; soy adds fat and protein; alfalfa is high in protein and easy to transport.
Grass-fed beef is often marketed as higher quality, and when raised on excellent pasture, it can be—but poor-quality grass results in off-flavored meat. Labels rarely disclose the quality of the grass or finishing process, so it’s hard to judge from packaging alone.
Cooking Steak
The best way to cook steak is in two steps: gently heat the interior to your desired doneness, then sear the outside for flavor and appearance. Traditional methods try to do both at once, which demands perfect timing. We prefer cooking the interior with low heat—via sous vide, oven, or indirect grilling—and finishing with a high-heat sear for that delicious, browned crust.
When prepping, we recommend these two options:
Cure, marinade, or spice rub: Add flavor and tenderize.
Freeze exterior: Freezing just the outside lets you sear without overcooking the center.
We have two favorite cooking methods:
1. Sous Vide in a Water Bath
A controlled water bath is the most precise method and our favorite. It’s ideal for turning flavorful tough cuts into tender steaks. After cooking, sear quickly—this will cause the Maillard reaction to produce a burst of complex, savory aromas and deep, roasted flavors on the exterior surface.
If you don’t have a water bath, you can also try it in a cooler filled with hot water—the cooler helps it hold temp for several hours. This is great for cooking steak on the go, like at a tailgate or camping trip.
2. Low-Temperature Oven
Use your oven’s lowest setting to gently cook the interior, especially if you pre-freeze the outside. Pair with a probe thermometer to monitor progress. If your oven doesn’t hold a low temperature well, try the cooler/water bath method instead.
For frozen steaks, you can sear one side, flip optionally, then oven-finish.
Our favorite searing methods are deep-frying in hot oil or using a blowtorch. Alternatively, sear in a very hot pan for 30 seconds per side or on the grill.
Blowtorch: A fast, effective sear. MAPP or propylene torches are best—they burn hotter and cleaner than propane.
Deep-fry: Oil transfers heat efficiently. A quick deep-fry browns the outside without overcooking the inside.
Pan sear: Use a hot, heavy pan (like cast iron) to develop a crust. Make sure it’s hot enough to brown quickly without overcooking.
Grill or broiler: Great for finishing. To get your grill hot enough, try superheating coals with a hair dryer.
The Myth of Resting and Searing
Many people believe that letting meat rest after cooking allows juices to redistribute. This isn’t actually true.
Resting actually allows the meat’s internal temperature to stabilize and dissolved proteins slightly thicken the juices so they don’t flow out as rapidly when the meat is cut. Resting lets the surface cool slightly, reducing the pressure that pushes juices out when the meat is sliced.
Another common myth is that searing locks in juices.
Juiciness depends primarily on how much water remains trapped in the meat after cooking.Most of the water in meat is stored inside the muscle fibers, between the actin and myosin filaments. As meat heats up, these proteins begin to shrink, eventually squeezing out the water they once held. The hotter the temperature, the more water is lost.
One of the most persistent myths in cooking is that searing meat “seals in the juices.” But research—and common kitchen evidence—shows the opposite. In truth, high heat causes collagen to contract, which squeezes out more moisture, not less.
Here’s the evidence:
The sizzle. That sound is escaping juices turning to steam as they hit the hot pan. If juices were sealed in, there’d be no sizzle.
Surface droplets. The red liquid you see on cooked meat is myoglobin-rich juice from inside. A sealed crust wouldn’t let that through.
The brown pan. A cooked steak leaves behind a puddle of brown juices. They came from the meat.
The steam. That cloud rising from the steak is water vapor escaping.
Juices on the plate. Even before cutting into the meat, juices begin to pool.
That said, searing is still worth doing, because it builds flavor through the Maillard reaction—those savory, aromatic deep brown crusts that make meat delicious. Just don’t do it for moisture retention.
Regardless, if you want juicier results, focus instead on sous vide or low-temperature roasting—these methods minimize the loss of moisture by avoiding high-heat shock.
Whether you’re cooking a luxurious Wagyu rib eye or a budget-friendly hanger steak, mastering steak is about understanding your cut, choosing the right method, and using science to your advantage. Focus on controlled cooking, a great sear, and smart prep to get consistently delicious results. With the techniques in this blog, you’ll be well on your way to cooking steak like a pro.
Before it’s a steak or a roast, meat is muscle. And muscles, in a living animal, are engines of motion, structures designed to generate movement by converting chemical energy into mechanical work. Once an animal is harvested and its muscles become food, that purpose ends, but the structure and function of muscle continue to shape everything about how meat looks, feels, tastes, and cooks.
If you want to cook meat well—whether that means a juicy steak, a falling-apart braise, or a perfectly poached fish—it helps to first understand what meat really is, how it’s built, and what happens to it when heat is applied. Without this foundation, it’s easy to miss out on simple techniques that dramatically improve flavor and texture.
Today we will walk you through the basics of meat science, starting with the structure of muscle, moving into the factors that control tenderness, and ending with cooking concepts like resting and searing. Think of this as your groundwork for making better, more informed decisions at the butcher counter and in the kitchen.
Why Muscle Structure Matters
At its core, meat is made up of bundles within bundles of muscle fibers, also known as muscle cells. These bundles of muscle fibers are organized into groups aligned in the same direction—this is what gives meat its grain.
The smallest unit of muscle tissue involved in movement is the sarcomere, made up of the proteins actin and myosin. When an animal moves, myosin pulls actin strands together, shortening the muscle fibers and powering contraction. When we cook meat, those same proteins change shape and texture with heat.
Each fiber is wrapped in connective tissue, mostly collagen. Groups of fibers are bundled together into fascicles, which are wrapped in more collagen. The entire muscle is wrapped in a thick collagen sheath and connected to bone by tendons. While the collagen holds things together, it also has a major influence on meat’s texture, especially tenderness.
If you’ve ever noticed how some cuts of meat feel smoother or rougher to the touch, that’s the result of fascicle size and collagen structure. Tender cuts have finer, more delicate bundles; tougher cuts have coarser, thicker ones. And because collagen is critical to how meat behaves during cooking, knowing where it is and how it changes with heat can make a huge difference in the kitchen.
While fish follow the same structure, they have some differences. To start, the muscles found in fish are less complex because they live an easier life from a mechanical perspective: fish float through water and don’t need elaborate structures to support their weight. Another big difference is that because fish lack elaborate skeletons, their bodies are made largely of muscle. And because most of a fish’s movements are aimed at propelling it forward, nearly all of its muscles are similar in shape and size.
The individual muscles within a fish, called myotomes, are built like the muscles in land animals, with collagen sheaths surrounding the muscle fibers from end to end. Unlike land animals, the fibers don’t simply run parallel to the length of the fish. Instead, each individual muscle is folded into the shape of a W, with one muscle nestled into the next, which is what gives the flesh its zigzag look. Such geometry allows muscle contractions to create the undulatory motions that propel a fish forward so efficiently.
Fish are cold-blooded, which, when it comes to cooking, is more important than you might think. The proteins found in the muscles of most kinds of fish never evolved to tolerate warm, let alone hot, temperatures. One implication is that the proteins can become fully cooked when heated to a relatively cool temperature. At slightly higher temperatures—even those that would leave most meats rare—fish proteins become entirely coagulated, resulting in fish that’s dry and unappealing.
What Makes Meat Tender or Tough?
The biggest single factor in determining whether a piece of meat is tender or tough is what that muscle did in the animal’s life.
Muscles that get a lot of use—like shoulders, legs, and necks—are made to be strong and durable. They contain thicker muscle fibers and stronger collagen, making them tougher but also more flavorful. Muscles that aren’t used as much—like tenderloins or ribeye caps—are more delicate, with thinner fibers and weaker collagen. You can actually feel the difference when you rub the meat with the ball of your thumb: a tender cut feels fine-grained and smooth, whereas a tougher cut is noticeably coarse.
The collagen in meat starts as a tight, elastic triple-helix structure. As meat is cooked, particularly in the presence of moisture and time, collagen unwinds and breaks apart into gelatin, making the meat softer and more succulent. This is the principle behind slow braising or pressure-cooking: you’re tenderizing the meat by transforming its connective tissue into something luscious and rich.
But collagen is tough stuff, especially in older animals. It takes both heat and time to break it down. Cook meat too fast or at too high a temperature, and collagen will shrink forcefully, squeezing out moisture and making the meat dry and chewy. But cook it low and slow, and you unlock a dramatic textural shift. (Hint: This is why we love sous vide so much.)
White Meat vs. Dark Meat
As we mentioned, muscles are specialized based on their job. Some are made for quick bursts of speed (like a chicken’s breast), while others are built for endurance (like a cow’s shoulder or a duck’s legs). This distinction affects not only tenderness but also color and flavor.
Fast-twitch fibers are pale and powerful but tire quickly. They contain little myoglobin, the oxygen-storing protein that gives meat its red hue. These are found in white meats, like turkey breast or veal loin.
Slow-twitch fibers, on the other hand, are built for stamina. They’re rich in myoglobin, giving them a dark red or purple color and a deeper flavor. Muscles used constantly—like those in cattle, lamb, and wild birds—are full of slow-twitch fibers. This is what makes their meat red and often more flavorful.
In some animals, like pigs or chickens, the difference between light and dark meat is obvious. You’ll still find these variations in the muscles of cows, sheep, and wild game, but they’re harder to see. Cuts like the ribeye cap (also referred to as deckle or spinalis dorsi) contain more of these darker fibers and often have more marbling, making them especially tender and rich.
Many people believe that the red color in meat comes from blood. It doesn’t. Blood is mostly drained at slaughter. The color you see in raw meat comes from myoglobin. The more endurance a muscle needs, the more myoglobin it contains, and the darker the meat becomes.
The hue can shift depending on whether myoglobin is oxygenated (red) or deoxygenated (purple). That’s why vacuum-sealed meat often appears darker or purplish until exposed to air.
Red meats—from animals like cows, sheep, or wild game—are rich in myoglobin and slow-twitch fibers. White meats—like chicken breast or pork loin—have much less.
When it comes to fish, they mostly have light-colored muscle. These powerful fast-twitch muscle fibers allow fish to make quick getaways when faced with imminent danger. The steady swimming they do the rest of the time is powered by a much smaller amount of dark, high-endurance fibers running along their flanks near the midline of the backbone and just beneath the skin. Thus the texture and flavor of a piece of fish vary because the balance between light and dark muscle fibers differs, and this in turn depends on where the piece came from within the body of the fish.
Cooking Collagen
Tough cuts like brisket, chuck, oxtail, or shank are collagen-rich and often underused in modern kitchens. But if you know how to cook them, they can be the most rewarding.
When meat is cooked above 50 °C / 122 °F, collagen converts into gelatin, which is sometimes referred to as denaturing or hydrolysis. When meat is heated in the presence of moisture, the elastic mesh of collagen unwinds, fragments, and loosens. The result is that the formerly strong network of collagen molecules becomes deliciously soft gelatin. A second chemical reaction also occurs when meat is cooked: collagen shrinkage. Collagen shrinkage compresses bundles of muscle fibers, squeezing moisture out. This makes meat less juicy, more dense, and tougher to bite through.
This reaction kicks off when the temperature reaches 58 °C / 135 °F. By 65 °C / 149 °F more than half the collagen in a piece of meat will have shrunk, and by 85 °C / 185 °F nearly all of it will. Shrinkage happens quickly—much faster than the conversion of collagen into gelatin. If you quickly bring meat to high temperatures, it undergoes rapid collagen shrinkage and will be at its toughest. Then, slowly, the collagen-to-gelatin conversion takes place, turning the meat tender.
The trick for cooking tough cuts of meat is to ensure the collagen transforms in gelatin without drying out the meat. This usually means cooking at moderate temperatures (70–82 °C / 160–180 °F) for several hours, with plenty of moisture. Sous vide is especially useful here.
High temperatures cook faster, but they also force juices out and make the meat denser and less appealing. Low temperatures preserve moisture but require time. That’s the trade-off: time for tenderness. For us, the additional time is worth it. We like to cook tough cuts sous vide, including our Braised Short Rib recipe on page 229 of Modernist Cuisine at Home.
With tender cuts, like filet or rib eye, collagen is weak and minimal, so your main concern is not overcooking. These cuts are best cooked hot and fast or with highly controlled methods like sous vide.
The collagen in fish differs from that of terrestrial animals in two ways. First, collagen in fish muscles is a lot weaker than its counterparts on land. Because they float in water, they don’t need elaborate skeletons nor strong collagen to support their weight. Fish collagen doesn’t have a lot of stabilizing cross-links to slow its degradation, which is one reason why fish fillets or steaks that aren’t fresh are prone to falling apart. Also, fish collagen melts quickly with just a bit of heat. Normally this tenderness is a good thing; it can become off-putting if taken too far.
Fish collagen differs in other ways as well. You may have noticed distinct lines zigzagging along a fish fillet. These are collagen sheaths, called myocommata (or myosepta), that divide individual muscles. They run at an angle from the backbone to the skin and are what make swimming possible. These sheaths grow farther apart as the fish matures and each muscle gets bigger.
During cooking, the large gaps between collagen sheaths make the flesh of the fish fall apart more easily, sometimes so much as to be a problem. This is why cooked fish often comes apart in flakes. Each flake is an individual muscle, or myotome. Myotomes separate as flakes because their collagen largely dissolve during cooking.
Bringing It All Together in the Kitchen
Understanding the biology of meat is a practical guide to better cooking. Overall, we recommend:
Choosing cuts based on use. Tough cuts for long, slow cooking; tender cuts for quick, precise heat.
Recognizing muscle grain and collagen structure to anticipate texture and to plan cooking methods.
Using temperature wisely. Too hot and you lose moisture; too cool and collagen won’t break down.
Looking for darker, myoglobin-rich cuts for more flavor in terrestrial animals.
Cooks who understand the fundamental nature of muscle, how it is transformed into meat, and what happens as the temperature increases will be able to select the best strategies for preparing meat and avoid common mistakes. Your technique will improve, further empowering you to experiment and innovate.
Grilling is one of the oldest cooking methods known to humankind. Our early ancestors’ ability to harness fire fundamentally changed what it meant to eat and live, considering how much it altered the structure of our diets and possibly even our brains. It’s no surprise, then, that the allure of smoky, fire-charred food still pulls us in today. For the home cook, the grill remains one of the most powerful and evocative tools, especially in the summertime.
Explore our collection of grilling blogs, from foundational techniques to more unconventional takes like flatbread and pizza.
All About Grilling
In this blog post, we cover the basics of grilling—from how it works, to getting the most flavor from your food, to understanding the differences between charcoal and gas grilling—along with tips for avoiding common mistakes. It’s a great place to start if you’re new to grilling or want to brush up on the basics.
Every grill has a “sweet spot” where the heat is most even, helping food cook and brown consistently. If you constantly need to rotate food around the grill, your sweet spot may be too small. Learn how to identify the most effective cooking zone on your grill and why it matters for more consistent results.
Why Food Goes From Almost Done to Overdone So Quickly on the Grill
Ever tried toasting hamburger buns on the grill? They often stay pale longer than expected, then suddenly go from perfectly toasted to burnt in a matter of seconds. Click the link below to find out why that happens, the science behind the rapid browning process, and how to avoid this common grilling challenge in the future.
For a Great Summer Feast, Cook Ahead, and Bring Extra Fat
Discover tips for outdoor cooking, including safety recommendations, advice for cooking ahead, and a helpful holding-time table to keep food at its best. We also share a recipe for pressure-rendered chicken fat—a simple way to add incredible flavor to anything cooked on the grill.
There are countless foods you can cook on a grill, but meat is one of the most popular choices. In this blog, we share top tips for grilling steak, pork chops, skewers, and halibut to help you get better results every time.
Our team loves firing up the grill—even to the point of baking fresh bread on it while developing Modernist Bread. Gas, charcoal, and even infrared grills (though less common) aren’t usually the first tools you think of for baking, but they can produce excellent breads and flatbreads. Read on to learn how to make fresh naan on your grill in just a few simple steps.
Cooking outdoors isn’t just for grilling meats—pizza works beautifully on a charcoal or gas grill, too. In this guide, we break down everything you need to know to make great pizza outside, including the essential tools, the best pizza styles for grilling, and step-by-step instructions to master the technique. We also share tips for getting the most out of portable outdoor pizza ovens.
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