Cooking with Chef Mark: How to Cut Potatoes Using Bridge Grip

Chef Mark is here today to teach you how to cut potatoes with his bridge grip knife tip. Make sure to bridge over your rounded vegetables like potatoes. Once you have cut the potato in half, use the flat side on the cutting board and use the forward rocking motion with your guide hand. Slice forward and make sure to make your cuts about the same length for even cooking times. You can use this method with other rounded or awkward shaped vegetables and fruit.

Leave a knife cutting question in the comments section to improve your knife skills.

Grilling Tips for BBQ Season

Summer is upon us and with it comes barbecue grilling season. When you gather friends and family around and fire up the grill this summer, keep these handy tips in mind:

Don’t forget to preheat- Like an oven, your grill needs a little head start before you try to cook anything on it. Preheat your grill for about 15-25 minutes to ensure that the temperature will be high enough to kill any bacteria on your meats. A nicely preheated grill will keep the insides of your grillables succulent and juicy while searing the outside and improving the flavor of the meat.

Brush as you go- The best time to use your grill brush is while it’s hot, so grab your wire grill brush and go to town after you’ve preheated but before you begin grilling the current meal. Then brush again once you have finished using the grill. Simple!

Skip cooking spray- To ensure a non-stick surface, you can oil your preheated grill by rubbing a paper towel coated in vegetable oil over the rack with a pair of tongs, but whatever you do, don’t use cooking spray on a hot grill, as that can be potentially hazardous.

Practice food safety- To avoid an unfortunate food poisoning situation, watch out for cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods by using separate cutting boards and platters, and always refrigerate meats when you are marinating them.

Follow these helpful hints and you will be crowned Grill Master by your friends and family!

Grilling Tips To Avoid BBQ Disaster

1. Make sure to pre-heat your grill! Allowing time for your fire to become a steady source of heat is crucial for a near-perfect meal. This step will help to cook your food thoroughly without burning the surface. Allow about 10 min for gas grills and 30-40 min for charcoal.

2. Prepare your ingredients ahead of time. To ensure a timely success without the mess, make sure to season, shape, and cut-up any food that will be included in the grilling process. This will help eliminate running into any snags and make the whole process more relaxing and enjoyable.

3. Perfect the art of shaping burgers. Don't pack the burger meat too tight, this will result in a tough burger; instead, use a light touch to shape the patty to the shape and thickness you prefer. Just before putting it on the grill, press your thumb gently in the middle of the patty - this will eliminate the "bulge" that happens when you grill hamburgers and allow the patty to cook evenly.

4. Wait to sauce! Apply BBQ or any other sauce to your burger, steak, or chicken about 5 minutes before you want to take your food off the grill. Using the sauce during the entire grilling process increases the chance for your food to burn significantly. Instead, wait until the food is almost done, then apply the sauce of your choosing.

5. Make sure you have the right tools. This might not seem too important and the fork and knife from your kitchenware has done an ok job in the past but believe it, having the right tools makes all the difference.

6. Let your food sit after you take it off the grill. Allowing your grilled steak or burger to rest about 5-10 minutes before digging in lets the flavor really soak into the meat. Cutting into the meat right off the grill lets all the juices (basically flavor) seep out so you lose a lot of the flavor onto the plate rather than onto your taste buds.

7. Better clean up after yourself! Each and every time after you grill, you should always clean the grate of the grill off. This allows your food to step off the grill with the best flavors and a neat and clean grilling experience every time you fire that bad boy up.