Why You Should Burn Your Food (A Little Bit) | What’s Eating Dan?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- Dan shows how to push your food into a zone of prized, next-level flavor and complexity by moving beyond browning and into the world of blackening. 🔥
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One recommendation I had learned from an earlier TH-cam was that you can use onions to cover a cast iron skillet to help prevent the smoking and charring if you don’t have enough chicken cutlets. This worked well for browning short rib I can attest
The recipes mentioned above are wonderful! And I also like to char my roasted veggies - especially brussels sprouts and kale. Blackened corners and edges are especially crispy and savory.
My favourite for blackening is chicken thighs. They can be started a lower temp to render out the fat and then turned up for blackening and subsequent batches, plus they're generally thin enough to not need to be pounded. Tons of surface area, imo better texture and taste, and quicker cooking. The leftovers in the pan also make for a phenomenal sauce.
Cajun and five spice are my go to blends for blackening.
This is why I used to love my grandmas pancakes. Those slightly browned edges created a nice contrast to the softness of the interior. Many breakfast menus from restaurants miss the mark because of this.
I call the marshmallows "mini torches" because they aren't properly cooked until they ignite. Then I usually pull off the charred outer part and eat it before charring the inner part of the marshmallow. So addictive. Sometimes it never makes it to the graham cracker. 😱
But the real skill test is, can you get it totally melty, perfectly golden brown all around without starting it on fire. I spent my childhood chasing this goal 😂
Same here!😅
Once I achieved it I found I preferred it a little burned.
I like my marshmallows to look like charcoal. And I eat the burnt outer shell too :D
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I just wrote nearly the exact same comment! I am with you. Until they have caught fire, they are not properly toasting. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥💋💋🇺🇸🌸
I accidentally overcooked my last batch of granola and it’s by far the tastiest I’ve made. I just finished my granola and yogurt before watching. When I was kid I would run around with my marshmallow on fire and pretend it was the Olympic torch. It was the 70’s so safety was more lax.
...and the parents were having the munchies.
@@tswerline Now _that_ would have been a good Olympic torch.
Just in time! On my next batch I´ll immediately try the "overcooked" granola technique.
A marshmallow for s'mores isn't 'done' until the entire thing's been ignited, even if just for a couple seconds, IMO. :) Gotta have that all-around coverage of golden brown with bits of char, so when you squish it into the cracker or sandwich, the outside 'skin' cracks. Also great for hot cocoa - I like to float a couple marshmallows on top, then ignite the exposed, dry surface so the whole drink looks like it's on fire for a second or two before blowing it out. The tops are blackened but the bottoms are still 'raw', so as they roll around in the drink, the little charred bits flake off and go *really* well with the cocoa, kind of giving you the 'dark chocolate' vibe, even if you're just using a relatively plain/inexpensive cocoa or mix.
Totally agree!
Genius!
I’m not normally a fan of Marshmallows in my hot chocolate but I’ve got to say that sounds amazing. I’ll be sure to try it
Found this out when I accidentally and very slightly burned a grilled cheese years ago and discovered it was more complex and the best-tasting I'd ever made.
Dan, I cannot be happier that you have found such a fruitful and unique niche in the great jungle of Everything Food on the internet. Please keep the episodes coming, your take on the topic and your expertise in deep explanation leave us wanting for more. Thank you.
I was wondering if Dan could expand on the health implications of Pyrolysis. (Maybe a follow up video?) There is a lot of research out there linking burnt foods to carcinogenic compounds.
That was the same concern I had when I saw the title of the video. Taste-wise, I am open to "slightly burnt" food
I've been avoiding slightly burned food for the same reason.
Hello Butternut~You seem concerned about burnt foods & carcinogens & that’s natural. The odd burnt food or dessert like Creme Brûlée will be nothing to worry about love, just to reassure you. I’ve camped & cooked foods over open fires (Not gas bbq’s) for decades. Often, some meat is burnt slightly or a little more than slightly & I & my family are perfectly healthy over these 32 yrs. of cooking over open fires .💥I have a feeling you’re very health-oriented & that’s important. I’m retired & watch many, many health videos & cooking videos every day. Many of the BEST Drs. & Nutrition Experts have Learned & Now Advise “NOT” Using any Seed Or Vegetable Oils At All since 2020, Dr. Joseph MERCOLA, Dr.
Ken D. Berry in his Video “Carnivore Diet-Beginners Guide 2023” on TH-cam. I thought you may be interested. Cheers.
@rheahayes3149 Where did you get your food science degree and do your food studies?
Ohhh, you mean you didn't, and all you just posted was drivel backed by anecdotal evidence from your life?
Smh
@@Facetiously.Esoteric I’m actually working on my 2nd University degree. First degree is in Business & currently working towards an honours degree in psychology. Most unfortunate you’re offended deeply by my comments. Perhaps you could look into the causal nexus of your anger.
one of the best things I ever ate was some charred lamb in Greece. I still think about it...
You should learn how to make it. You're telling me that there's some reason you can't make your very favorite food? BS. Okay, fine... eat some rice cakes, then. See if I care. Maybe stock up on Nutriloaf. You don't deserve to eat the best thing you've ever tasted. That's just your body trying to trick you into eating something you don't like. What you really need is tofu.
i could care less than nothing what you think about anything. perhaps less than that. i care more what a bug thinks. @@hxhdfjifzirstc894
I don’t eat many s’mores but totally agree with you. You’re very talented in presenting your information. Never miss your episodes!
OK! I cannot hide it any longer. Dan, I am in love with you! With the way you brown your food, the way your mouth opens wide to take huge bites. The way you say Maillard. I want to get you alone and...have lunch with you. Please never stop brightening my day with these wonderful videos!
I couldn't have said it better myself!
tf
Yesterday, I roasted some butternut squash to make a soup for Thanksgiving appetizer. The squash got a bit too done, charred on the edges. The result was an absolutely delicious soup with a deep savory flavor combined with the sweet squash and cream.
*scorched
The best green beans are steamed until tender crisp, then fried in enough fat to cover the bottom of the pan, lightly pressing down until "scorched" .(it's okay to burn a couple, chefs snack)
Favorite fat for this is ¾ duck fat, ¼ bacon drippings.
I'd like to see this recipe on the air.
I'd suggest adding a bit of rosemary. That pretty much nullifies the carcinogens completely. There was a study that showed essentially an inverted S curve regarding carcinogens when Rosemary is added.
Love Chef Paul’s magic seasoning blends especially blackened red fish magic seasoning and his meat magic blend as well!
I appreciate this. I follows several food journals based around health and wellness, so I see a lot of "don't blacken food, it's bad for you." But come on, charring tastes good. We can all admit to that.
Honestly, at this point, somebody saying that such and such food is bad for you, is really meaningless. So many of these myths got pushed around by people who profited from whatever other food they said was "healthier than _______."
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894It's only meaningful when that individual knows something. The science will come from other fields than nutritional epidemiology, which is a pseudoscience. The other fields are biology, anthropology, evolution, biochemistry, and so on. Professor Bart Kay is an expert in nutrition, cardiovascular pathophysiology, exercise science, and statistics. He knows what he's talking about. The evidence is very clear on what we humans should be eating and not eating.
How do you have s'mores without peanut butter? It holds the chocolate in place on the graham cracker. Plus,... Reeses? 😋
I set my marshmallows on fire and let it totally blacken. I like it totally burned, not just a touch like you did. Love it.
I'm going to make an apron with the saying "Dan says to Burn it!"
I always make sure that I get the marshmallow that gets that lightly blacked edge. And if my toast is tinged with black, I slather on raspberry jam and....yumm! Might try the blackened chicken! Forgot all about this one. Thanks, Dan!
Wow-- love blackened dishes. Thanks for the great video.
When you said char, New Haven pizza came to mind. People that don't live here think that it is burned, but it isn't, just charred, and what a flavor boost.
Smores do need slightly burnt marshmallows, but the center has to be fully melted. But to truly elevate, try a Ghiridelli square, especially caramel!
I like a little char on my steak and baked potatoes on the grill.
I love a blackened pork chop. Then mushroom and onion gravy made from the drippings.
When I glaze the sugary BBQ sauce on my pork ribs it's not complete without a few edges and spots of char as the sugar bubbles and caramelizes
Best s’more hands down has to be done with a Three Musketeer bar or a peanut butter cup. I’ve also used other candy bars many are excellent but these two are winners.
I know it doesn't fit into "blackened" because the burnt part is (mostly) removed, but I can't help thinking about the magic that happens when I roast peppers. The peppers not only absorb the smoky aroma from their charred skin, but they also achieve a texture that is both tender and meaty.
I recently discovered charred cabbage and now I'm obsessed!!!
From East Texas - - - What a Joy you are, Lad!
never been a fan of smores...but i love most anything a little burnt. a charred chicken wing,a steak charred but rare and some burnt popcorn in every batch
The best smores: graham crackers smeared with creamy peanut butter, with dark chocolate, charred but not overly burnt (vegan) marshmallows. The peanut butter helps with adherence to the bottom graham cracker and just adds so much!
Im 59 years old and the best steak I've eaten in my life was blackened
The ultimate smore includes toasted coconut marshmallows, which are then toasted again over the fire.
Ultimate smore: toasted coconut marshmallows (available in season), Reese's peanut butter cups (the regular ones, the dark chocolate don't melt nicely in the smore), and *regular* graham crackers (can't stress this strongly enough, we tried every variant one can think of and it always came back to the regular ones).
I think if you have the genes that give you extra bitter-sensors, burning food can turn into a very unpleasant experience. I've got them, and you can get too far in those cases. I love caramelization, maillard, and some char DOES add something! But for the extra-bitter-tasters, it can't be a ton. My sister did not get the genes and loves the slight burnt on marshmallows, but I did! So my ideal marshmallow is a bit methodical: I keep it at a hot zone away from the fire (red coals are great for this) and rotate the skewer slowly. With good timing you achieve an extremely even golden toasting. Very picturesque, flavor is enhanced, but it doesn't go overboard. I can eat bitter things if balanced right, and there are some bitter flavors I'm more accepting of or favorable toward than others. Darker roasts of coffee are great, but I do end up adding more milk often enough. I love matcha intensely, but better quality matcha isn't that bitter (it's kind of more...umami? almost it's own flavor profile).
As for s'mores, I actually do like the chocolate to be a bit softer...but I have a small mouth and if it is hard, it becomes a difficult eating experience, lol.
Smores require dark chocolate & and well scorched marshmallow. Yum!
What are the odds that America's Test Kitchen and Chris Young both release a video about pyrolysis on the same day? It's a food science double-feature!
Thank you for sharing.
Potatoes tastes so good when burnt slightly.
Important note. The ratio of oil is the key when burning potatoes. If yoi do it with minimal oil then the potatoes dry out and become bitter, where as generous (not excessive) oil produces the best result.
Baaically any oven roasted veggies taste good when slighly burnt.
I use a butane torch to brown ground beef patties. It was a pain trying to get the browning without burning the fond on the pan. Now I get the internal of the patty up by micro-steam (tbsp or two), then when I'm ready, I heat the pan to brown the drippings while using a butane torch to brown the patty. The torch drives off the surface moisture and then you see the bits of the meet turning color then popping before browning.
Also the torch is good to hit a spoon to drive off moisture before dipping into sugar and such that might stick.
Excellent information. The scientist appreciates the detailed explanations on what is happening. Thank you!!!
Perfectly browned all over, puffy and soft inside is my favorite way to toast my marshmallows.
My favourite way to prepare potatoes is charcoal charred, either by wraping each potato ith aluminium foil and putting thm over hot coals, or simply leave them unwraped and cover them with the coals from all sides. The blackened skin produces amazing flavours, while the insides are tasty and buttery creamy. All that's left to do is break the potatoes up so they cool down faster and hit them with a bit of salt (no need for much salt because the charred skin already gives a salty taste to it)
I don't eat s'mores. I only do marshmallows and hotdogs on a stick over a campfire, and I usually try to burn both a little bit, although I still eat it if I burn it too much.
Love slightly burned hot dogs!
My family mocks me for how I eat hot dogs, but if they don't crunch when I take a bite, they're underdone!
But a serious question comes with carcinogens, burnt carbon is bad for you, so im seriously asking...dark coloring on food is # 4 rank in carcinogens. Your thoughts? Dan?
Carcinogens are yummy.
My marshmallow has to catch fire and rotated about so the whole thing is black. Blow out the fire, the slight bitter of the carbonized sugar just perfectly balances the sweet gooey insides!
The marshmallow isn’t done until it’s a ball of fire. Sometimes it’s really tasty to put a little peanut butter on the S’more too.
Smores, dark chocolate (not melted) and DEFINITELY a slightly charred marshmallow. My favourite 'Burned' food is a 'Cheese Dream'. Sharp cheddar melted on a toasted slice of bread until bubbly and BROWN!!
I love to bbq (slightly burn) a loaf of bread before dinner giving it even more color and flavor. Thank you, Dan!
Ken S CIA ‘85
I love igniting the marshmallow, which I often "peel" and eat the burnt part then re ignite the soft center and eat that. The graham cracker and chocolate have to wait until I have eaten a few marshmallows that way. When I do make the s'mores, I also ignite the marshmallow. I have the dark chocolate at "room" temperature so it softens a little when I plop the marshmallow on it.
I prefer my s’mores with those large squares of Ghirardelli dark chocolate and salted caramel-never melted.
I would take a burnt piece of toast over an under toasted piece of bread any day. I also like my grilled cheese to have a bit of char. And I always eat the most overdone pieces of roasted broccoli first to make sure no one else steals them all! 😅
I love Paul Prudhomme’s book. One of my favorites.
There is a video where Paul prudhomme does the blackening method on a prime rib and it's amazing
The best is a perfectly golden brown marshmallow, where it has gotten crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. Maybe the slightest char or hint of char. the entire cold bar of chocolate is too much. I like to use fudge strip cookies instead. that way if you flip them so the chocolate side is toward the hot marshmallow, it melts the chocolate a little while maintaining the crunch of the cookie and less mess on your fingers. It also works with thin mints if you like marshmallow/mint/chocolate. and if you like peanutbutter, you can do peanutbutter wafers...
I like burnt toast and any meats. So glad you validated this!
I bake my bread at 550F to get a thick black crust. It's crisp and slightly bitter at the edges and people absolutely rave about it.
That cookbook is the best!
Everything in moderation. Especially Moderation!
My husband never minded when as a new bride I burned the cooking. Thanks for explaining why.😊
As to what I like charred, Brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, chicken, bratwurst, ribs. But especially my veggies.
Thank you for teaching me how to cut chicken into cutlets easily. 😊
A Reese's peanut butter cup instead of plain chocolate will change your life
Sugar overload, tempered with melty peanut butter... 🤤😋
As will speculas cookies instead of graham crackers
Especially if you're allergic!
I like a good almost burnt crust aaaaall over my marshmallow. S'mores or plain, I love that little pop of the now structural crust shattering and the gooey insides squishing out.
One thing that Louisiana cooks were SLIGHTLY charring long before Paul Prudhomme was born was the flour we cook for our roux. That 50/50 mix of oil and flour, cooking in a cast-iron skillet, needs to be VERY dark brown before it's ready for the next step in making gumbo. I cook mine until it's almost the same color as dark-roast coffee. This deep, deep, brown-but-not-burned is key to deep, rich, intensely flavored gumbo.
You always add to my knowledge base -thank you! I personally don’t like my marshmallows burned even a little bit, but I completely agree with your preparation if crème brûlée .
1:57 When I make toasted marshmallows, I allow them to catch fire, and burn the entirety of the outside of the marshmallow. I then remove the burnt outside (and eat it), before returning the now gooey, and fully exposed marshmallow to the fire. The second toasting has a very different texture, and every bit of the center gets gooey. It sounds insane, but it is soooooooooo- good!❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗💋💋💋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋
Wow! When he showed those marshmallows, I lost track of everything else he said! My mouth started watering! I cannot eat those sugary treats these days, but I certainly have an instant recall memory of the WONDERFUL taste of burned (blackened) marshmallows!!!😋😋😋Yummmyyy!!!
I LOVE a burnt marshmellow! The more black the better with a super gooey middle! YUM
Nice recipe. You can also look up "raie au beurre noir". If you read around, you'll find out that beurre noir is at least several centuries old.
This pairs well with your “controlled flare up’s are good” video. I agree with you, slightly burnt is soooo much better. Thanks. And BTW, blackened chicken Caesar salad using Chef Prudhomme’s blackened redfish magic is a family favorite.
Salmon & green pesto.
Thick salmon steaks with a finger thick layer of pesto on top, under the grill on high until the pesto is black.
S'mores: Marshmallows... golden brown all over, not just in spots. A few seconds short of catching fire. If they catch on fire, peel off the burned parts & try again. Eat the evidence of course! Chocolate... milk chocolate not more than room temperature so there's some snap left. Graham crackers... crisp and room temperature.
I don't want my marshmallow totally black but a little and the insides completely soft. I prefer dark chocolate to balance the sweet from the marshmallow. But the chocolate has to soften from the hot marshmallow. If the chocolate is too hard, it ruins the s'more.
So, for smores, I have not had them in sometime. I may try again, but I don't have a torch, yet. Now if and when I get one I like my marshmallows to be carmel colored, soft in the middle. The chocolate I love is Nestlé's Special Dark and I'd be into tying that chocolate.
I have blackened cod for so many years now and since the place I rent doesn't have an exhaust fan I blacken outside on my grill. I searched for a blackened seasoning recipe and they are everywhere. I chose one and assembled an amount, but I tweaked it. I must watch my salt intake. Therefore, I cut the salt down to a teaspoon. I make double the amount and I save in a tightly sealed container to replace the lost salt I added more garlic powder. It calls for finely ground black pepper and my spice mill makes peppercorns into powder very well. I may return to the bird, I may try chicken again. Thank you.
Dan, could you share tips on how to caramelize vegetables… especially carrots? Thank you.
I almost always blacken my veggies a bit. It's an incredibly easy way to add some complexity when I'm cooking vegan/vegetarian.
Toasty brown only for my perfect s’more. ❤. That said I love a good crème brûlée and my last batch of twice baked potatoes had just a bit of char which really seemed to make them better, not worse. Thanks for the episode😊
A burning marshmallow isn't done until the fire goes out on its own. Then it goes on the graham cracker with dark chocolate. The charcoal along with the bitterness of the chocolate offsets the cloying sweetness of the marshmallow.
I have a troop of Boy Scouts who will debate the perfect roasted marshmallow, but all agree that milk chocolate is only to be used in the absence of a better chocolate. (Crunch, dark chocolate, peanut butter cups are the favorites, Kit Kats were only okay)
I toast my marshmallows to the point of dark brown all over…tiny spots of black are ok. Simply the best!
I used to toast dry malted milk powder in a pan before adding condensed milk and salt to make a syrup that went into cold brew at a coffee shop I owned.
Back in the before fore, long before I ever cooked anything, my father would cook thin Tbone steaks well done on the grill. I did not know any better and just thought beef was that tough. But the saving grace... was that awesome char. The charred bits were the most flavorful and of course the tenderloin portion was also still pretty tender. I now know that there are other ways to make steak that leave the meat more tender and jucy but the taste and aroma of that char lingers in my memory. The combination of charred beef and A1 steak sauce was the beginning of my food journey.
I'm the oldest of six children. My mom was always in a hurry to get it done. I'm accustomed to things being a bit dark, and I like it. Hard for me to eat things that are pale. They don't look done to me!
Toast with smoke coming out of the toaster then buttered with lots of butter. Steak, mostly blackened on the outside and raw on the inside. Marshmallows on fire, all over, otherwise I don't like marshmallows. All of these has that initial char taste as it hits your mouth but as you chew all of the flavours together it is soooo good - tasty and mouth watering. But few people can get past that initial char taste. 😊
Your marshmallows were under charred. A properly charred marshmallow is more gooey and starts to melt the chocolate. So good. Blackening is more about the spice blend then the char. Years ago a local restaurant had blackened prime rib on the menu and it was amazing. They would slice a cooked rib roast into portions, season heavily with a spicy rub and sear in a hot skillet. So good.
S’more’s should be made with Peeps. Marshmallows are coated with starch, which just burns, while peeps are coated with sugar so they char *and* caramelize.
Thank you!
My BBQ chicken calls for a slight bit of char. The bitterness of the carbon char wonderfully counterpoints the sweet of the marinade
Okay, s'mores -- I used to roast the marshmallow, then when it was cool enough to touch, pull the "skin" off to reveal the melted insides and then roast again! Double the tastiness of blackening. It's like twice-baked potatoes. Mmm... potatoes... 🤤
I'm right there with you, Dan! Gooey marshmallows and stable chocolate 100%
We love to use the Hershey's Almond chocolate bars. Adds a nice surprise of crunch.
If you dip the marshmellow in himalayan pink salt its darkens well and if you put paparika on the chocolate bar you spice up ..oh and top off the graham cracker with a spot of apple butter or spicy honey. Also for a "different smore " take white cookie and cream chocolate bar on thinly baked cinnamon roll (put bake weights on the dough) then use smallest marshmallows that have been rolled in cardamon and brown sugar top with nothing ...its so good
yuk
I love charred corn on the cob - and pretty much anything I throw on the grill! Mmmmmm…. burned food 😋
Broccoli. I like the tips slightly burnt.
Yay, another What’s Eating video from Dan! 🎉
Dark chocolate. Toasted marshmallows without burning. Kiss of crunchy sea salt.
I agree with you about the s’mores, but now I want to try that chicken recipe and it’s been too long since I’ve made crème brûlée!
Toast the marshmallow til you see the whisp of smoke curl from the browning marshmallow short of igniting it or allowing the center to completely melt thru.
What's Eating Dan? Wish it was me. He's not a snack, he's the whole damn meal.