Ten Second Tip for the Kitchen -Slicing meats

When making a dish such as as stir fry or a stew which requires meat like chicken, beef or pork, try this ten second tip:  Freeze your meat for about 15 minutes so that it is just firm (Not frozen solid).  This will make it so much easier to slice not only evenly, but thinly as well.  Make sure you keep your chef knives nice and sharp and always, always rinse and dry your meats before preparing - You never know what got picked up at the butcher.  For more clever tricks and tips for the kitchen, visit my web site:  http://www.tensecondkitchentips.com/

Ten Second Tip for The Kitchen - Meatloaf tips

Unless you are a vegetarian, we have all made meatloaf from time to time.  People love new ways to make this American classic and so I share a few tips on the subject:

To Mix:  The next time you make meatloaf, put all ingredients in a zippered plastic  bag and knead the ingredients in the bag.  No mess!  You can also use your potato masher to mix ingredients and also keep those hands grease free.

To make a meatloaf that cooks faster, don’t use a loaf pan.  Instead, mold your loaf on a cookie sheet or metal pie plate lined with foil or parchment.  The longer and skinnier you make it, the faster it will cook.  As an added bonus, you won’t have a pan to clean and will have more browned crust. 

For individual portions:  Divide the meatloaf into muffin tins.  This will not only  cook faster, it’s great for kids too.

To prevent sticking in pan:  Meatloaf will not stick if you place a few strips of bacon on the bottom of the pan.

Let me know how you make out - Post your comments here and tell me if any of these Ten Second Tips for the Kitchen have been useful to you.  Bon Appetit!