Season 4

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  Steak Tips

  Restaurant steak tips are often tough and weirdly seasoned, and thick steak fries can be pale and soggy. The test kitchen felt confident that we could rescue these dishes and turn them into something you would welcome into your home.

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  Steak and Potatoes

  Purchase a good steak and cook it properly, and all it needs is salt and pepper—and, of course, a side of spuds. Unfortunately, many of the inexpensive steaks labeled “great for grilling’’ at the supermarket turn out tough and dry with little flavor. And mashed potatoes are often gluey or runny. We wanted potatoes with perfect texture and big flavor—something unusual to accompany a great steak and a good bottle of wine.

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  Chicken in a Pot

  French country cooking has a way with chicken in a pot, whether it’s the famous chicken with 40 cloves of garlic or the lesser-known chicken Provençal. These dishes take chicken to new heights—or go awry. The goal for the test kitchen was simple: Rework these French classics so they would be welcome in any American pot.

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  Chicken in a Skillet

  Although chicken dinners are quick to prepare, they can go terribly wrong. Part of the problem is the chicken itself—the breast meat has very little fat and becomes dry and chalky if overcooked. The other major source of trouble is improper cooking methods.

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  Truck Stop Favorites

  Truckers often know where to find the best home-style cooking. After long days on the road, most would rather tuck into real food, prepared from scratch, than the prefab fast-food fare. And what could be better than chicken-fried steak with cream gravy and real coconut cream pie?

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  Maple-Glazed Pork Roast

  Pork producers have worked so hard to remove fat from their pigs that most pork roasts have little character. Glazing a pork roast with maple syrup is an attractive way to boost flavor, but all too often the meat becomes sweet and candylike. We wanted to perfect this recipe.