Techniquely with Lan Lam
Watch as Cook’s Illustrated's Lan Lam delves into the cooking techniques and science behind some of our most innovative recipes. Here you'll find more about the topics covered in each episode, plus articles highlighting other creative, science-backed solutions to cooking dilemmas from Lan and the team.
Grilled Mojo-Marinated Skirt Steak
If you're not grilling skirt steak, you should be: It's a great cut for marinati…
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Most fajitas are merely a bland, dry vehicle for the garnishes. We wanted chicke…
Tools We Use: Glass Baking Dish
We tested five 3-quart glass baking dishes, using them to make sheet cake and la…
Best Grilled Chicken Thighs with Gochujang
Flavorful, meaty, inexpensive thighs should be the easiest part of the chicken t…
French-Style Pork Chops with Apples and Calvados
Classic French versions call for lighting the sauce on fire. Does this technique…
Old-Fashioned
The old-fashioned's newfound popularity on cocktail menus owes more than a littl…
Negroni
Our recipe for this wildly popular beverage, which has countless variations and …
Tools We Use: Charcoal Grills
We’ve happily made do with Weber’s basic kettle for years. But would newer, more…
Best Baked Sweet Potatoes
The goal—creamy flesh with deeply complex flavor—is entirely different from what…
Microwave Cheese Crisps
Make the Italian snack known as frico even easier by crisping the cheese in your…
Microwave-Fried Shallots
Our relatively hands-off technique yields crisp shallots with a savory-sweet fla…
Creamy White Bean Soup with Herb Oil and Crispy Capers
Soup made with canned beans is convenient and satisfying. But can it be sophisti…
The Best Microwave Ovens
The latest models offer new features and controls and promise better results.
Crispy-Skinned Chicken Breasts with Vinegar-Pepper ...
The most effective approach to achieving chicken breasts with evenly golden, sha…
Red Wine Pan Sauce
The beauty of a pan sauce is that it needs only a few ingredients and a little b…
Tools We Use: Kitchen Tongs
Which pair offers the best precision and comfort?
Tools We Use: Liquid Measuring Cups
A glut of unusual shapes and gimmicky features is getting in the way of the one …
Roast Chicken with Warm Bread Salad
San Francisco's Zuni Café serves perfect roast chicken with a chewy-crisp, warm …
Double-Glazed Salmon with Ginger and Apple Cider
It’s crystal clear: Thoughtfully calibrated glazes bring sparkle—and tangy, savo…
Perfect Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin Steaks
How do you cook this lean cut so that it's superjuicy, rosy from edge to edge, a…
Tools We Use: Wire Racks
A rack elevates food so air can circulate underneath for even cooking and coolin…
Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Starch Noodles with Ve...
Japchae—springy, garlicky, salty-sweet strands strewn with a dazzling spectrum o…
Tools We Use: Chef’s Knives for $75 or Less
Our longtime favorite chef's knife is sharp, capable, and comfortable to hold. B…
Tools We Use: Heavy-Duty Cutting Boards
A good wood or bamboo cutting board can serve you well for years to come. Which …
Juicy Pub-Style Burgers
Getting a flawless, juicy pub-style skillet burger starts at the butcher counter…
Sweet Italian Bulk Sausage
Turning a tough cut of pork into snappy, succulent sausage is easier than you'd …
Lion's Head Meatballs (Shīzi Tóu)
Don't let their ferocious name intimidate you. These giant, savory, tender-yet-s…
Tools We Use: Food Processors
Some models cost almost $300, while others are sold for relatively small change.…
Tools We Use: The Best Rimmed Baking Sheets
A rimmed baking sheet is essential for baking but also for roasted veggies, prot…
Chile Verde con Cerdo (Green Chili with Pork)
Our new-school approach to making stew brings every element of this tangy, fragr…
Best Chicken Stew
Everyone knows that when it comes to making stew, beef is king. Everyone is wron…
Pork, Fennel, and Lemon Ragu with Pappardelle
You already know ragu rosso, the king of ragu sauces. But perhaps you haven't me…
Tools We Use: Stainless Skillet
Does the smaller version of our winning 12-inch skillet perform just as well?
Tools We Use: Large Saucepan
The saucepan is a kitchen essential, used to make everything from soup to custar…
Caramelized Onions
The key to quicker caramelized onions is the ingredient we least expected: water…
Sautéed Mushrooms with Shallot and Thyme
Want savory, meaty-textured, deeply browned mushrooms without a lot of work, tim…
Broiled Chicken with Gravy
Spatchcock a bird and slide it under the broiler. While it cooks to juicy, crisp…
Tools We Use: Silicone Spatulas
A spatula should feel like an extension of your arm, nimbly stirring, scraping, …
Mediterranean Braised Green Beans
Slow-cooking in a rich tomato sauce produces uniquely supple green beans infused…
Walkaway Ratatouille
The secret to great yet easy ratatouille? Overcook some of the vegetables, barel…
Broccoli-Cheese Soup
When simply adding more broccoli didn’t generate enough vegetable flavor in our …
Tools We Use: Dutch Oven
Our favorite Dutch oven costs $360. We needed a practical alternative.
Tools We Use: Wooden Spoons
This old-school kitchen tool is sprouting all kinds of new bells and whistles. B…
Fluffy Dinner Rolls
We thought the classic light, tender American dinner roll couldn’t get any bette…
Braided Round Challah
Ritual and muscle memory have carried this soft, rich Jewish loaf through genera…
Sticky Buns
Sticky buns look inviting, but most are dry and overly sweet, with a topping tha…
Tools We Use: Stand Mixer
Can you buy a solid mixer for under $250?
Tools We Use: All-Purpose Whisks
Does our longtime favorite whisk still beat the competition?
Pan-Seared Strip Steaks
How do you pan-sear strip or rib eye without making a grease-splattered mess and…
Pan-Seared Salmon
For a crisp crust and a juicy interior, the secret is starting your salmon in a …
Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Pork Chops
Thick pork chops may boast a juicy interior or a nicely caramelized exterior—but…
Tools We Use: Carbon-Steel Skillet
What if one pan could do everything the best traditional stainless-steel, cast-i…
Tools We Use: Nonstick Skillet
These pans are wildly popular for a reason. When you have a good one, food never…
Tools We Use: Instant-Read Thermometer
We've recommended a Thermapen for more than a decade, but there's new competitio…
Tools We Use: Sous Vide Circulator
Sous vide machines are cheaper, sleeker, and smarter than ever before. Can we fi…
Lan Lam's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
"My Thanksgiving menu is all about front-loading the work so that when the big d…
Caramelized Onion Dip
The key to quicker caramelized onions is the ingredient we least expected: water…
Gōngbǎo Jīdīng (Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken)
Spicy chiles and tingly Sichuan peppercorns team up with lightly sauced chicken …