The Real Reason Why Grilled Cheeses Are So Good In Restaurants

step aside Wonder Bread and craft cheese squares wanna take your grilled cheese to all new Crispy Crunchy gooey Heights here are the Secrets Restaurant chefs know that you don't a grilled cheese on thin bread can taste greasy feel flimsy and increase the risk of molten cheese drips but you can't use less cheese because then your sandwich would be boring what restaurant chefs know is that along with plenty of cheese thick slices of bread are best chefs vary widely in their choice of breads what's important is that the slices don't turn soggy from the butter in the pan or the cheese as it melts from sourdough to potato buns to brioche the options abound why sourdough ah flavor all about Flavor everything's about Flavor use your imagination but remember when it comes to grilled cheese Size Matters you don't have to be a culinary professional to make a basic grilled cheese it might not taste nearly as good as when you order it at a restaurant but you know the basics right you make a sandwich with cheese in the middle and fry it in a pan on both sides there's nothing wrong with that but you could be missing a useful flavor boosting tip try Browning the bread on both sides before you even get to the adding cheese part frying bread and salted butter or melted butter with salt gives it a delicious buttery crunch it also results in Greater contrast between the crispy bread and melted cheese and when the cheese is added to the already hot fried bread it immediately starts to soften this way it'll melt much faster and you won't overcook the outside while you're waiting for the cheese to be ready a simple technique that any good grilled cheese restaurant Chef knows is to use some mayo it doesn't go inside the sandwich the trick is to spread the Mayo generously on the side of the bread that's going to hit the skillet if there's butter in the pan the mayonnaise creates an extra Flavor Boost s and Mayo are a classic combination grilled or not in addition to the taste the Mayo helps chefs Brown the bread without overdoing it because Mayo doesn't burn as easily as butter does the result is a beautifully grilled sandwich that's worthy of any menu great chefs may even use flavored mayonnaise to take their grilled cheese to the next level there's nothing stopping you from trying this at home you could even make your own classic Chipotle mayo or push the Gourmet Factor up with roasted garlic or exotic aioli upmarket eateries may not stock a great deal of American cheese while it's not valued highly by Foodies there's no denying that it's a fantastic melter for nostalgia's sake it may be the only slice to add to a classic homemade grilled cheese sandwich however grilled cheese often tastes better at a restaurant because they ditch the processed yellow squares and use high-end cheese instead chefs have a huge choice of cheeses that melt well these include provolone Tangy cheddar nutty swiss cheese and a whole array of soft cheeses Fontina melts well and so do raw Colette and the stronger tasting telechio gouda and Asiago work too asiago beautiful I mean really beautiful to do the ultimate grilled cheese with this is a dream come true the cheese that doesn't melt well can also be added in with a better melting option Pro Cooks often add more than one cheese to create a more complex taste one cheese might provide the classic gooey Center while another adds a more intense taste together a taste sensation is created mozzarella with a salty Gorgonzola yes please have you ever burned a grilled cheese sandwich because you're trying to get the cheese to melt in the middle welcome to the club it's a common mistake home chefs make and it really comes down to not taking the time to mindfully follow each step of making the dish properly chefs know that to get that Perfect combo of crunchy toasted bread and melted cheese they have to grate the cheese first it's true that not all recipes follow this method if the cheese melts easily then thin slices May suffice the grated cheese melts more quickly as the bread Browns and the skillet and you likely won't end up with only some of your cheese melted when you bite into your sandwich who knew grilled cheese was so complicated how's the grilled cheese actually it's amazing can I have some right I don't like lipsticks if you're using a hard cheese such as gruyere it takes a good amount of sustained heat to melt it's also not easy to slice super thin unless you've got a chef quality knife if a restaurant Chef were to make the money Cristo sandwich they'd probably grate the gruyere if you want to make your own version of the classic sandwich you add thin slices of roast ham and turkey with the cheese along with some Dijon mustard fry the bread in a buttered Skillet after dipping it in beaten eggs if you're the type that can't get enough cheese you probably like your grilled cheese sandwiches loaded chefs who specialize in the dish often like to put a culinary spin on the classic concept and one such idea is to add cheese to the outside as well as the inside it makes so much sense especially for Die Hard grilled cheese fans grilled cheese Grill me a cheese you can easily recreate this at home start by buttering the outside of your bread before cooking it next add some grated sharp salty cheese like Romano or some Tangy parmesan when it's sizzling in the pan the hard cheese will turn crispy giving the outside of your sandwich a spectacularly tasty crunch The Taste and texture contrast perfectly against the soft gooey cheese inside you can also just add some shredded cheddar to your Skillet and put the sandwiches on top the cheese will create a crispy cheesy chip what condiments do you eat grilled cheese with at home if you do little more than open a bottle of ketchup then you're missing out whoa easy there Greg aside a fruit chutney where fresh salsa can elevate your whole dish triple oil inspires luxury while a Jammy condiment is more rustic hot sauce adds heat as does a spoonful of mustard I think we can stick anything inside of it and it's still considered a grilled cheese sandwich condiments can sometimes be added to the filling too a tick tock post shows a chef adding Sriracha butter garlic confi and caramelized onion to potato bread with anduya and a mix of two kinds of cheese the goal is a garlicky slightly spicy subtly sweet grilled cheese another Chef style idea is kimchi grilled cheese bold flavors work well with less flavorful cheese and kimchi can be served on the side as well as inside the sandwich in other words do yourself a favor and step up your condiment pairings for a more exciting grilled cheese at home one of the most obvious reasons that restaurant grilled cheese is so good is that Gourmet ingredients are used when it comes to taking a simple sandwich and turning it into a culinary Masterpiece chefs can really go for it homemade relish adds a flavor bomb for example it's a winner if paired with the best French bread high-end butter and a mixture of cheeses such as good goat cheese but great ingredients might not be enough on their own what really matters is the individual Chef's technique of layering flavors so that they complement each other but be careful texture matters and you don't want to add so many ingredients you take away from the cheese flavor or make the bread less crispy if you like to experiment make a fig grilled cheese you don't need a lot of ingredients just some sourdough bread butter shredded gruyere cheese and fig butter or fig Jam other gourmet grilled cheese Inspirations include tomato and basil roasted tomatoes and guava jam brisket and truffle chilies and pickles pair well with cheese too there's really no end to the culinary possibilities for the grilled cheese lover sit in a retro Diner anywhere in the country and chances are you'll spot a griddle and a cook flipping burgers and squashing down grilled cheese sandwiches so what makes Diner grilled cheese taste so much better than it does at home one reason is that restaurant and Diner chefs don't use a skillet like most home Cooks do the difference is twofold the flat top of a griddle in a professional kitchen doesn't hold in Steam the way cooking in a rounded Skillet does any moisture just evaporates and the low heat allows the cheese to melt and the bread to crisp to perfection in addition to using a flat griddle some restaurant chefs use a Plancha for grilling because it's great for searing meat it focuses intense heat in one area and creates a cooler surface close by this means that you can sear your grilled sandwich and then move it to a less intensely hot spot to get the cheese to melt without burning the bread having the space to move the sandwich around gives restaurant chefs more control when they're creating the perfect grilled cheese a lot of busy Diner chefs don't spend time buttering bread before throwing it on the griddle for grilled cheese instead they enhance the taste by frying some bacon to grease The Griddle the grilled cheese sandwich then Cooks in the Bacon fat and can be served as is or with a side of crispy bacon other chefs use butter just as you might at home but they melt it in the pan before adding the bread slices some spread just one side of the bread with melted butter before putting it in the pan this allows the butter to soak into the bread and amp the flavor straight away and if you add Mayo to the bread then this step is a must if you're watching what you eat you may be tempted to cut down on ingredients and make yourself a slim grilled cheese sandwich without so much butter but restaurants are less concerned about your waistline the reason Pro chefs make such good grilled cheese is that they add a good dollop of butter to fry the bread and they don't hold back on the cheese either but the key to Browning the bread and melting the cheese to Perfection is regulating the cooking temperature low heat for longer is best it Browns the bread and adds a nice buttery crisp if the heat is set too high the bread may not achieve the right color before the cheese has melted and if you're going for restaurant style quality then don't just leave the sandwich in your Skillet press down on it to help the cheese melt and the bread Brown get in there with it don't be shy poke it nudge it around the pans so that the bread Browns evenly you won't regret it in England it's something of a tradition to serve cheese on toast that's been melted under a broiler with a big bowl of tomato soup cheese and tomatoes are a fantastic pairing it's not uncommon for U.S restaurants to serve grilled cheese the same way you might even be given a shot of soup if you dine somewhere on the fancy side there's something about eating grilled cheese this way that elevates the taste of the cheese and it sure beats adding a dollop of ketchup even a mediocre sandwich is going to taste that much better with some tomato soup make a copycat Panera tomato soup recipe and serve it with your own homemade grilled cheese to make your own version blend canned tomatoes with vegetable broth sugar and heavy cream for the seasoning you'll need red pepper flakes oregano and basil add some grated Parmesan on top before serving to give it a Tangy cheesy Edge that marries well with your grilled cheese sandwich and yes you are supposed to dip your grilled cheese into the soup even at a restaurant [Music]

Channel: Mashed

Views: 22,274

Keywords: mashed, grilled cheese, sandwich, restaurants, reason

Id: ipwYZodq62g

Length: 12min 24sec (744 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 14 2023