It can be really hard to unlearn the culinary rules we're often taught. But I'm a big supporter of cooking foods "wrong" if it means you'll enjoy it more or it just works better for you. So when Redditor u/CynicalHomicider3248 asked the r/Cooking community to share the foods they intentionally cook incorrectly, I was super intrigued to hear what people had to say. Here are some of the foods people admitted to cooking the "wrong" way.
1. "My family's chocolate chip cookie recipe is a masterclass in what not to do: I over-beat the sugar and butter, add way too little flour, and bang the trays on the counter (mid-bake and as they come out of the oven). The entire goal is to collapse them and ruin any internal structure so they become super thin and chewy."
2. "Mashed potatoes with skin on. I love potato skin and refuse to peel them and throw them away. Luckily, most of the time I’m making it just for myself anyway."
3. "I hate perfectly cooked salmon. I prefer it the texture of canned fish."
4. "I grew up eating overcooked eggs and somehow settled into that modality. Sorry to everyone who may be offended, but there is absolutely nothing appealing about a clear snot/mucus that surrounds a barely cooked yolk. 'Fluffy' scrambled eggs that still jiggle and have the texture of hot Jell-O? Absolutely not. Please, just please, scramble the eggs until they’re browned. I want texture and not snot."
5. "I break my spaghetti and other long pasta in half before putting it in boiling water. I still have no problem picking up the pasta with my fork. This 'rule' about not breaking pasta is super gatekeep-y and absurd."
6. "I use heavy cream in my carbonara. I'm sorry to all that might feel offended, but I just like it better that way. Just the cheese and eggs is too acidic for me."
7. "Broccoli! I love steaming it until it's very soft and tastes buttery. I don't want my broccoli to be a little crunchy, it needs to melt in my mouth."
8. "Bacon. I like more of a chew to it than a crunch."
"Crispy bacon is fine for a topping but if I'm eating it as a side or even on a sandwich of some kind, I don't want it so crispy that it falls apart. I want to chew through that fat and have a crisp edge."
9. "I don't wash my rice. I've literally done it batch-washed/unwashed side-by-side when arguing this point with my wife, and she finally agreed. I must be missing something, but I can't figure out what it is."
10. "I use salted butter for everything. It has a longer shelf life at room temperature (where butter is most useful) and the extra salt has never meaningfully changed a recipe aside from making baked goods a million times better."
11. "Mashed potatoes. I don't mash them until they're smooth, I like lumpy mash."
12. "Bacon in carbonara. I made it with guanciale and it is good, but that sort of meat is extremely hard to find in the States and can only be ordered online. And to me the bacon is yummy. I'm not a fan of pancetta, TBH. I don't care for it at all."
13. "Burnt hot dogs. I love an overcooked grilled hot dog."
14. "I cook rice the way most people cook pasta: I boil it in a big pot of salted water and drain in a colander. I have been absolutely pilloried online for admitting this. One person actually called it 'sacrilege.' But my rice comes out perfect every time. Cooked to a turn, lovely discrete tender grains, no starchiness, and no gumminess. When I tried to cook rice the 'right' way, it seemed to always come out either crunchy in the center or like tapioca. Now I never worry about my rice."
15. "I absolutely overcook pasta. I much prefer it really soft. Also risotto: I chuck in all the stock, just leave it, and stir it every now and again in case the rice sticks to the pan — it’s always turned out fine!"
16. "I layer the tortillas in my enchiladas instead of rolling them. Enchilasagna!"
"That's a pretty common thing in northern New Mexico, often with a fried egg on top."
17. "I want my toast almost black. Not completely black, but on the verge. 13.7 more seconds and it will be black."
18. "I use fried over easy eggs with eggs benedict. My wife and I don't like poached eggs."
19. "Ramen noodles. I never leave it like soup. I leave just enough water to let the seasoning be able to spread around and then say goodbye to the rest of the water."
20. "I don't salt my pasta water nearly as much as they say to. The one time I did, the pasta was absolutely disgusting."
21. "Kraft mac 'n' cheese. The milk is completely unnecessary. Butter only."
22. "French fries. I like mine soft and floppy, kind of like fried mashed potato sticks."
23. "Chicken thighs. I know there’s an ideal temperature to cook them at but I find them rubbery when 'perfectly cooked' so I overcook the shit out of them. They may not be as juicy, but they still aren’t dry and are sticky and succulent and that rubbery texture is gone."
24. "I don’t like buttercream frosting. I always make it with vegetable shortening like the grocery store cakes. I like butter as much as the next person, but to me, the taste in frosting is really off-putting."
25. "Popcorn just sliiightly burnt is the best."
Are there any foods that you intentionally cook the "wrong" way? Let us know in the comments or fill out this anonymous form!
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.