My Secret to the Crispiest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
As a kid, I’d slap a few squares of rubbery American cheese between slices of fluffy white bread, nuke it in the microwave, and call it a culinary masterpiece (or, at least, an after-school snack). I eventually graduated to a grilled cheese sandwich: I’d drop it in a pan with butter and squish it with a spatula until crispy.
That crunch — the more obnoxiously loud, the better — is what makes a grilled cheese sandwich so delectable. But a spatula can only get you so far in achieving that crispy, crunchy, golden-brown perfection.
Browning is key to taking your meals to the next level. A seared ribeye steak, caramelized onions, and toasted marshmallows all have one thing in common: They’ve undergone the Maillard reaction, where sugars and amino acids break down when heated to unlock deep, rich flavors. It’s the umami that chefs rave about and that our tastebuds crave. But, most importantly, it’s the thing that makes toasty, buttered-up grilled cheese sandwiches so irresistible.
To achieve superior browning, contact is essential. And The Chef’s Press — a stainless steel cooking weight I purchased at a local kitchen-supply store two years ago — is the secret to making that contact possible.
This heavy, flat-bottomed stainless steel weight maximizes surface-to-heat contact, for more-even searing, faster cooking, and crispier results. It comes in various shapes, weights, and sizes. And presses can be stacked together.
from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/ENJxR9L
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