Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I recently moved from Washington, D.C. to El Paso, and I have sorely missed Chipotle. The others all seem like more of a Tex Mex Sheetz ("I'll have the 3-Shtacoz combo please."). I've had a hard time finding really good Mexican down here. I probably don't know where to look, but I've tried a lot of places, I work with a number of Mexicans who've steered me to a few places, and for the most part it has been bland, annihilated with cheese, fried 2 hours ago, etc.

Also, I didn't realize that an authentic burrito is just a small flour tortilla with a single filling of beans, chile verde, or the like. I feel guilty for wanting Chipotle so bad when I work about 100 yards from the border with Juarez, but I'm counting down the days. I even e-mailed corporate to ask when the "Burritofication," claimed to be in progress on the storefront sign, would be complete. Early March, in case anyone was wondering. Mmmmm.

Hehehe, I like how you spelled 'that' wrong by about a a half-inch vertically and an eighth-inch horizontally. :)

Yeah, a bit more than a shade past medium-rare.

I know there are probably better out there, but I had a great time at The Salt Lick outside of Austin...

10-inch Shun chef's knife. It's been through a lot with me, including having the tip broken off when a careless prep cook (me) brushed it off of my workspace. I sent it back to Shun and they ground down the tip to fix it. It's not perfect but it's mine, and I love the feeling of slicing that first onion after I've run it over my stones...

A lot of SE contributors try to be funny in their posts, but rarely do their tricky plays on words, bad puns, or awkward exaggerations elicit more than an eye-roll. I have now laughed out loud twice in the middle of a coffee shop at your stray-dog/pay-phone palate-cleanser line.

Oh and it's a good review as well.

Thank you.

My best foodie adventure so far has been deciding that cooking at home all the time wasn't enough, quitting my job as a software engineer, and working my way up from prep cook to grill cook at a very nice restaurant in Alexandria, VA. Most satisfying thing I've ever done (and am still doing).

In the kitchen where I work we use mandolines regularly, and I've never seen anyone use the hand guard. I have also seen the majority of my fellow cooks cut themselves on them. But it's just so much faster without. When I first started using the Benriners in a restaurant kitchen I remember being nervous, and definitely sliced myself more than once ... thin, perfectly even slices mind you. Now I'm just nervous when I watch someone else use them.

This sounds like a Bobby Flay recipe I saw a couple of years ago called Agua Caliente.

Ah, I have made that rookie mistake before! Must try again...

@kenji

Thanks for the article. I quit my software job last year to get in the kitchen, and managed to land a job at a very nice restaurant. Worked prep for a few months, and am getting the hang of garde manger.

I've always been curious about using sharpening stones, and hadn't found an alternative method I'm happy with, but after reading your article, I bought 1000 and 6000 grit stones (and a fixer ... pat on head) from Korin. My knives, especially the little 6-inch Wusthof chef's I use as a utility knife on the line, have gotten pretty dull over the last 8 months. I sharpened them all today for the first time, and now I have a little bald spot on my forearm from testing :)

I'm very happy to have found a good way to keep my knives razor-sharp, it makes my job easier and much more pleasant. Definitely agree with you on bonding with your blades. So thanks again!

Now about that serrated slicer...

Both! But good god, what did they do to that poor piece of lamb in the picture?!

I enjoyed reading your article, I like the salt-for-45-minutes before cooking idea, I'll try that next time.

I have one question about the pictures - When meat is resting, it tends to exude a fair bit of juice just sitting there. The difference in the pictures is dramatic, but was there much juice left on the cutting board where the 10-minute steak rested before moving it to the plate?

Not questioning the resting technique, I've used it for ages and I cook at a nice restaurant where we rest every piece of meat that comes off the grill. Also the difference in weight loss percent says a lot. I was just curious about the pics.