What is a dish you always feel you could improve on?

[Michael_in_TX]

I was thinking about this earlier today. Many things I cook I’ve got “locked down;” that is, I can’t really markedly improve it (which is different than cooking it differently).

For example, I don’t really think I could improve my grilled chicken tacos. I’ve got that dialed in. Pork chops as well. In some sense, even brisket — I’ve got my seasoning down and get consistent results in the smokers to which I have access.

The one dish for which I am always pursuing perfection and keep getting better and better at is, of all things, smoked mac & cheese with sausage.

I keep tweaking the cheeses, the ratios, and the sausage types. It gets better every time. (Pasta I have nailed down: cavatappi; there is no other.)

Another dish is Texas Chili. I made a good Texas Red, but I’ve never been completely happy with it. I keep moving forward.

What are yours?

[tenphases]

My brisket can compete with anyone's!! 40% of the time, the other 60% the majority of the flat becomes chilli

[Mosca]

Honestly, all of them. What separates my cooking from that of a real cook is consistency. I hit on about 95% of the stuff I’m good at, 80% on most of the other stuff, and 50% on new things. But a real cook is going to hit on 100% of the first two, and 95% of the last one.

The only thing I think I can nail equally to anyone else is salsa. I believe I can make a great salsa with almost anything. I believe I could make a peach-cucumber salsa with the peach on my windowsill and the cucumber in the crisper. Why not?

Edit: I just picked two things I know I have. After I posted, I decided to Google “peach cucumber salsa”, and yeah, it’s a thing. Which means I can do it without guidance.

[SheilaAnn]

Mosca is a salsa whisperer, that’s for sure 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[klflowers]

Salsa. I love salsa. I keep tinkering but I don't have it right yet. Even with the molcajete

[klflowers]

Mosca no problems with heat

[Mosca]

Then make this one. It’s only 3 ingredients plus salt and water. I do it in a blender. Once I saw and tasted this, I thought: I can change the pepper, I can add tomato, or tomatillo, or cilantro, or anything I want, and it will still be good. Stuff can be blackened on the skillet, under the broiler, over charcoal… there aren’t any rules except it has to taste good. I stopped chasing a taste. Now I make salsa, and see what it tastes like.

https://youtu.be/Cd-asIZYjeA?is=zMSifIoD3q1XxJ0c

[klflowers]

Thanks Mosca. I'll try it out. I'm like you - I have a taste in mind that I am searching for. This looks like a good start to it.

[lemayp]

For me it’s the really lean things like center cut pork chops or boneless chicken breasts. They come out ok, but I’m never happy with the results.

[Jerod Broussard]

Jaccard tenderize the breasts. Grilled and fried they are much better

[yakima]

I hit 100% on boiling water. Nothing else.

[lemayp]

Growing up, my brother put a pot of water on to make some mac and cheese. He fell asleep and we found about the top 2 inches of the pan. The rest of it and the plastic handle melted and ran into the stove coils.

[fzxdoc]

Ohmigosh, lemayp , how did you ever clean up that mess?

[lemayp]

I remember a couple weeks of fast food and then a new stove. It shorted so if you touched two spots at once you got a good zap.

[Donw]

Every time I cook and everything I cook I know I can do it better. I am my own worst critic. Always been that way, and always will be.

[RiverJeff]

+4

[SheilaAnn]

+5

[cruiseplanner1]

+6 We overthink it I believe. Others tell us how good it is and they are not patronizing us.

[Duanessmokedmeats]

The rib tips.
No problem with ribs. The tips are still a booger.
Trying again tomorrow. I have a plan.

[Mosca]

Do you make the tips separate? I don’t. I make whole spares and either cut them off at the end, or just serve the ribs with tips attached so everyone gets some of each.

[Trunkmonkey]

Everything I cook. I will always find a flaw, even when the people I'm sharing the meal with tell me it's spectacular.

[realdocBBQ]

^^^^^^Yup.

[dpearce]

+ 1

[Manxman]

Every time I cook and everything I cook I know I can do it better. I am my own worst critic. Always been that way, and always will be.

This sums it up for me. I just rely on the opinion of others and am always tweaking and fiddling with recipes and methods. I have a group of friends whose opinions I trust and will say it as it is and once I get their approval I have a definitive recipe file word document but that only contains about a dozen things including pate and ice cream!

[Purc]

For me it's Hollandaise sauce and Lasagna.

Michael_in_TX for chili have you tried adding some B's ?

[Michael_in_TX]

Nah, I save that for my stews.

[Skip]

Like a few have already mentioned...everything. I always try to figure a way to improve on my cooking results. Since there's usually only 2 of us here to cook for and we like lots of food choices that just makes it worse. Even something as simple as Pulled Pork is a protein I'm always trying to improve just a little each time I make it.

[realdocBBQ]

Another dish is Texas Chili. I made a good Texas Red, but I’ve never been completely happy with it. I keep moving forward.

Add some beans.

[Michael_in_TX]

Yall killing me here.

[fzxdoc]

Chile colorado (as opposed to Texas Red). I've been fiddling with my recipe for years to get the perfect depth of flavor and heat level.

My grandmother's shortcake for strawberries. My grandmother made it in a pie pan with lots of butter and sugar. Not biscuit-y at all. More like a dense cookie consistency. All the butter allowed it to stay together when strawberries and their syrupy sauce was spooned over a wedge of it.

Kathryn

[SheilaAnn]

Biscuits. Gosh darned biscuits.