Copyright © 2016 by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN 17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445 Ebook ISBN 9781945256103 Pictured on front cover: Memphis Spareribs Cover Photography: Keller + Keller Food Styling: Catrine Kelty Chief Executive Officer: David Nussbaum Chief Creative Officer: Jack Bishop Editorial Director: John Willoughby Executive Managing Editor: Todd Meier Managing Editor, Special Issues: Megan Ginsberg Copy Editor: Cheryl Redmond Assistant Editor, Special Issues: Amanda Minoff Editorial Assistant, Special Issues: Nina Denison Director, Creative Operations: Alice Carpenter Design Director: Greg Galvan Photography Director: Julie Cote Art Director, Special Issues: Jay Layman Senior Staff Photographer: Daniel J van Ackere Staff Photographer: Steve Klise Photography: Carl Tremblay and Joe Keller Assistant Photography Producer: Mary Ball Styling: Catrine Kelty, Marie Piraino Senior Editor, Photo Team: Chris O’Connor Test Cooks, Photo Team: Daniel Cellucci, Matthew Fairman Assistant Test Cook, Photo Team: Mady Nichas Production Director: Guy Rochford Imaging Manager: Lauren Robbins Production & Imaging Specialists: Heather Dube, Sean MacDonald, Dennis Noble, Jessica Voas v4.1 Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen This book has been written, tested, and edited by the folks at America’s Test Kitchen, a very real 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside Boston It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the Monday-through-Friday destination of more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the “best” version We start the process of testing a recipe with a complete lack of preconceptions, which means that we accept no claim, no technique, and no recipe at face value We simply assemble as many variations as possible, test a half-dozen of the most promising, and taste the results blind We then construct our own recipe and continue to test it, varying ingredients, techniques, and cooking times until we reach a consensus As we like to say in the test kitchen, “We make the mistakes so you don’t have to.” The result, we hope, is the best version of a particular recipe, but we realize that only you can be the final judge of our success (or failure) We use the same rigorous approach when we test equipment and taste ingredients All of this would not be possible without a belief that good cooking, much like good music, is based on a foundation of objective technique Some people like spicy foods and others don’t, but there is a right way to sauté, there is a best way to cook a pot roast, and there are measurable scientific principles involved in producing perfectly beaten, stable egg whites Our ultimate goal is to investigate the fundamental principles of cooking to give you the techniques, tools, and ingredients you need to become a better cook It is as simple as that To see what goes on behind the scenes at America’s Test Kitchen, check out our social media channels for kitchen snapshots, exclusive content, video tips, and much more You can watch us work (in our actual test kitchen) by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen or Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen on public television or on our websites Listen in to America’s Test Kitchen Radio (ATKradio.com) on public radio to hear insights that illuminate the truth about real home cooking Want to hone your cooking skills or finally learn how to bake—with an America’s Test Kitchen test cook? Enroll in one of our online cooking classes If the big questions about the hows and whys of food science are your passion, join our Cook’s Science experts for a deep dive However you choose to visit us, we welcome you into our kitchen, where you can stand by our side as we test our way to the best recipes in America facebook.com/AmericasTestKitchen twitter.com/TestKitchen youtube.com/AmericasTestKitchen instagram.com/TestKitchen pinterest.com/TestKitchen google.com/+AmericasTestKitchen AmericasTestKitchen.com CooksIllustrated.com CooksCountry.com CooksScience.com OnlineCookingSchool.com Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen Guacamole Pimento Cheese Best Ground Beef Chili Colorado Green Chili Southwestern Layered Beef Casserole Game-Day Beer Brats Memphis Spareribs Grilled Chicken Fajitas Oven-Fried Chicken Wings 10 Thick-Crust Sicilian-Style Pizza 11 New England Bar Pizza 12 West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls 13 Quesadillas for a Crowd 14 Iowa Loose Meat Sandwiches 15 Broccoli Rabe and Salami Stromboli 16 Philly Cheesesteaks 17 Ham and Swiss Football Sandwiches 18 Rhode Island Dynamite Sandwiches 19 Potato Chip Cookies 20 Quicker Turtle Brownies Guacamole Guacamole WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS As party dips go, it’s hard to beat good guacamole, but many versions are as smooth and bland as baby food We flavored our basic guacamole with onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, garlic, and lime juice We mashed one avocado with the seasonings to ensure that they were evenly distributed and then gently folded in two diced avocados, which kept the texture nice and chunky Once we nailed down our basic recipe, we came up with a handful of interesting variations Guacamole MAKES 2½ TO CUPS; SERVES TO Prepare the other ingredients first to minimize discoloration of the avocados ripe avocados ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced tablespoons finely chopped onion tablespoons lime juice garlic cloves, minced Salt ½ teaspoon ground cumin Halve avocado, remove pit, and scoop flesh into medium bowl Add cilantro, jalapo, onion, lime juice, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and cumin and mash with potato masher (or fork) until mostly smooth Halve and pit remaining avocados Carefully make ½-inch crosshatch incisions in flesh with butter knife, cutting down to but not through skin Insert spoon between skin and flesh, gently scoop out avocado cubes, and add to mashed mixture Gently mash until mixture is well combined but still coarse Season with salt to taste Serve (Guacamole can be stored for up to 24 hours with plastic wrap pressed directly against its surface.) Bacon and Tomato Guacamole Add slices chopped and cooked bacon and tomato, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces, with avocados in step Return now-empty skillet to medium heat Drain excess moisture from steak Return steak to skillet (discard any liquid in bowl) and add salt and pepper Heat, stirring constantly, until steak is warmed through, to minutes Reduce heat to low, sprinkle with Parmesan, and shingle slices of American cheese over steak Let cheeses melt, about minutes Using heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, thoroughly fold melted cheese into steak Divide mixture evenly among toasted rolls Serve immediately Ham and Swiss Football Sandwiches Ham and Swiss Football Sandwiches WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS To make these ham and cheese sliders, we smeared soft, squishy dinner rolls with bracing yellow mustard and stuffed them with smoky Black Forest Ham and Swiss cheese Then we brushed the rolls with melted butter pumped up with onion, Worcestershire, garlic powder, mustard, and poppy seeds and let them sit for 10 minutes to absorb the sauce After about 30 minutes in the oven, the sandwiches were slightly crisp on the outside, soft inside, and loaded with oozing, melted cheese Ham and Swiss Football Sandwiches SERVES We prefer the soft white dinner rolls found in the bakery section of your supermarket, but dinner-size potato rolls will also work in this recipe 12 12 12 2 square soft white dinner rolls tablespoons yellow mustard thin slices deli Black Forest ham (8 ounces) thin slices deli Swiss cheese (8 ounces) Pepper tablespoons unsalted butter tablespoons finely chopped onion tablespoon poppy seeds tablespoons Worcestershire sauce teaspoon garlic powder Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees Slice rolls in half horizontally Spread tablespoons mustard on cut sides of roll tops and bottoms Arrange roll bottoms, cut side up and side by side, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish Fold ham slices in thirds, then once in half; place slice on each roll bottom Fold Swiss like ham, then place over ham Season with pepper and cap with roll tops Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds in bowl and microwave until butter is melted and onion is softened, about minute Whisk Worcestershire, garlic powder, and remaining tablespoons mustard into butter mixture until combined Generously brush tops and edges of sandwiches with all of butter mixture Spoon any remaining solids over sandwiches Cover dish with aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes to allow sandwiches to absorb sauce Bake for 20 minutes Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is melted around edges and tops are slightly firm, to minutes Let cool for 10 minutes Serve Rhode Island Dynamite Sandwiches Rhode Island Dynamite Sandwiches WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A Rhode Island favorite, the dynamite sandwich, with its sweet-spicy ground beef and tomato filling, resembles the Sloppy Joe To make our own, we started by quickly tenderizing ground beef in a baking soda mixture We then cooked down the beef with sautéed onions, bell peppers, spices, cherry peppers (with some of their brine) for heat, and some canned tomato sauce Finally, we served the filling just as they in Woonsocket, Rhode Island: on a soft torpedo roll Rhode Island Dynamite Sandwiches SERVES 10 If you would like to reduce the spiciness of these sandwiches, substitute sweet cherry peppers for the hot cherry peppers and reduce the amount of red pepper flakes tablespoons water teaspoon baking soda Salt and pepper pounds 85 percent lean ground beef tablespoon vegetable oil onions, chopped green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces ¼ cup finely chopped jarred hot cherry peppers plus tablespoons brine ¼ cup tomato paste garlic cloves, minced tablespoon Italian seasoning teaspoon red pepper flakes (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 10 (6-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise Stir water, baking soda, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt together in medium bowl until baking soda and salt are dissolved Add beef and mix until thoroughly combined Set aside for 15 minutes Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering Add beef and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, about 10 minutes Add onions, bell peppers, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, to minutes Add cherry peppers and brine, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes and cook until tomato paste is rust-colored and fragrant, about minutes Stir in tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer Reduce heat to low and cook at bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (wooden spoon should leave trail when dragged through sauce), about 45 minutes Season with salt and pepper to taste Spoon filling into rolls and serve Potato Chip Cookies Potato Chip Cookies WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Potato chip cookies were conceived by potato chip companies decades ago in an effort to boost sales, and the salty-sweet morsels have stood the test of time Surprisingly, we found that these buttery cookies were best when made with low-fat potato chips, and a rolling pin made quick work of crushing them For texture, we used both granulated and confectioners’ sugar in equal parts to get the best balance of shortness and chew Potato Chip Cookies MAKES 24 COOKIES Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat Potato Chips is the test kitchen favorite among reduced-fat chips In this recipe, they make for extremely crunchy cookies To prevent sticking, dip the drinking glass in flour before flattening each cookie Toast the pecans in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often, until they begin to darken, to minutes ắ cup (3ắ ounces) all-purpose flour 1ẵ ounces reduced-fat potato chips, crushed fine (ẵ cup) ẳ cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine ¼ teaspoon salt tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened but still cool ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) granulated sugar ¼ cup (1 ounce) confectioners’ sugar large egg yolk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper Combine flour, potato chips, pecans, and salt in bowl Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about minutes Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture in additions Roll dough into 1-inch balls and space inches apart on baking sheets Flatten dough balls to ¼-inch thickness with bottom of floured drinking glass Bake, sheet at a time, until cookies are just set and lightly browned on bottom, 10 to 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking Let cookies cool completely on sheets, about 15 minutes Serve (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to days.) Quicker Turtle Brownies Quicker Turtle Brownies WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS We wanted something reminiscent of a candy turtle: rich, chewy, and chocolaty, with a tooth-sinking caramel and an abundance of pecans But we didn’t want to spend all day to get it Instead of making a caramel sauce from scratch, we doctored up storebought caramels We parbaked the bottom layer of brownies and topped it with pecans and caramel The pecans kept the caramel from soaking in Then we spread more brownie batter over the caramel and sprinkled more pecans on top Quicker Turtle Brownies MAKES 16 BROWNIES Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Bar is our taste-test winner Toast the pecans in a 350degree oven for to 10 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant ¾ cup (3 ounces) cake flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine cup (7 ounces) sugar large eggs 2¼ teaspoons vanilla extract 20 soft caramel candies tablespoons heavy cream 1¼ cups (5 ounces) pecans, toasted and chopped Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding long sheets of aluminum foil so each is inches wide Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan Spray with vegetable oil spray Combine flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl Combine butter and chocolate in large bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about minute Whisk sugar, eggs, and 1½ teaspoons vanilla into chocolate mixture Add flour mixture in additions, mixing until combined Transfer ¾ cup batter to prepared pan and spread into even layer Bake until center is just set, 12 to 14 minutes Meanwhile, combine caramels, cream, remaining ¾ teaspoon vanilla, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth, to minutes Reserve tablespoons caramel mixture for topping Sprinkle parbaked brownies with half of pecans and pour remaining caramel mixture evenly over pecans Top with remaining brownie batter and remaining pecans Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes Let brownies cool in pan on wire rack for hour Reheat reserved caramel mixture in microwave for 30 seconds, drizzle over brownies, and let sit for 30 minutes Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan and cut into 16 pieces Serve (Brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to days.) Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen Contents 1: Guacamole 2: Pimento Cheese 3: Best Ground Beef Chili 4: Colorado Green Chili 5: Southwestern Layered Beef Casserole 6: Game-Day Beer Brats 7: Memphis Spareribs 8: Grilled Chicken Fajitas 9: Oven-Fried Chicken Wings 10: Thick-Crust Sicilian-Style Pizza 11: New England Bar Pizza 12: West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls 13: Quesadillas for a Crowd 14: Iowa Loose Meat Sandwiches 15: Broccoli Rabe and Salami Stromboli 16: Philly Cheesesteaks 17: Ham and Swiss Football Sandwiches 18: Rhode Island Dynamite Sandwiches 19: Potato Chip Cookies 20: Quicker Turtle Brownies 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 37 42 45 48 51 56 58 61 64 67 70 73 ... we test our way to the best recipes in America facebook.com/Americas? ?Test? ??Kitchen twitter.com/? ?Test? ??Kitchen youtube.com/AmericasTestKitchen instagram.com/? ?Test? ??Kitchen pinterest.com/? ?Test? ??Kitchen... scallions, and let stand for 10 minutes Serve Game- Day Beer Brats Game- Day Beer Brats WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For beer brats that would hold their own in the game- day spread, we first browned the bratwursts... and Cook’s Country magazine and is the Monday-through-Friday destination of more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we