Line Cooks Share Tips And Tricks Every Home Chef Should Know

Being a line cook may not be the most glamorous job in the kitchen, and they may do most of the work for little glory, but their on-the-job training makes them superhuman cooking machines.

Thrillist asked line cooks across the country to share their tips and tricks with the folks at home and their replies came out just right.

There are basic tips: only flip your steak or burger once while cooking to lock in flavor, always start with the dish that takes the longest to cook, and save time by microwaving potatoes.

And tricks that make life easier: use a ladle to perfectly poach an egg, always boil eggs in salt water so the shells peel easier, and use Tupperware lids to slice multiple cherry tomatoes or grapes in half fast.

Read Line Cook Secrets Every Home Chef Should Know here

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I think the number of flips on meat depends on the meat and the cook, as flipping multiple times versus a single time in some cases have different ways to mess up. For me and a thicker steak, a single flip and finishing in the oven takes less effort and gets more consistent results. If the oven is full, I'll use more flips, but it is easier to mess up the outside of the steak, as in either over cooking it from not flipping enough, or undercooking/boiling it from not cooking the outside enough. It doesn't have to do with losing too many juices, but there is more to it than aesthetics. Similarly with burgers, it depends what you put into the burger and the size/consistency if you want to flip it a bunch, or if it comes out better with a single flip.

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Bad article!
Tips like add more salt and start with the thing that takes the longest don't really require a line cooks expertise.
Also, I've read from multiple sources that the "don't flip meat" thing is false:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/07/the-food-lab-flip-your-steaks-and-burgers-multiple-times-for-better-results.html
I think it really only applies when you're trying to get the most aesthetically appealing grill marks and has nothing to do with "every time the meat is moved it loses some of that juicy flavor."

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