Ingredient Guides

Take a deep dive into ingredients, from commonplace produce to lesser-known condiments, with tips on how to procure, use, and store each one.
Overhead view of a plate of labneh with zatar pita chips surrounded by a grocery store container of labneh, a bowl of zatar, and a plate of pita chips
All About Labaneh
Deeply browned braised swordfish steaks on a platter with a rich tomato, caper, olive sauce.
Agghiotta di Pesce Spada (Sicilian Braised Swordfish With Tomatoes and Olives)
Bowl of potato starch noodles in sesame dressing on a countertop
The Many Possibilities of Potato Starch
Overhead of a whole rabbit broken down into parts on a baking sheet.
How to Break Down a Rabbit
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A Guide to Pepper: The World’s Most Popular Spice
Bags of different types of flour against a purple background.
Types of Flour: A Guide
Roman-style spaghetti alla carrettiera, with tomatoes, tuna, porcini mushrooms, and more, piled on a plate and sprinkled with fresh parsley
Essential Pantry Staples for Better Pasta
overhead shot of an array of tinned fish, or conservas, on a wooden table with bread and olives.
A Guide to Canned Fish and Seafood from Spain and Portugal
Closeup of freshly harvested green and purple olives in sunlight
A Beginner's Guide to Olives: 14 Varieties Worth Seeking Out
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How to Cut an Airline Chicken Breast
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Spice Hunting: New Things To Do with Mint
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The Joy and Economics of Cooking Pizza At Home
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Meet the Umami Bomb of Dessert: Malted Milk Powder
California Common
How to Buy Fresh Beer and Why it Matters
Spice Hunting: Turbinado Sugar
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Spice Hunting: Aji Amarillo
Fuchsia Dunlop on Sichuan Cooking's Essential Ingredients
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Noosa Yoghurt: Australian-Style Yogurt Gets In On The Game
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The Secrets Behind Making Incredible Matcha
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Cajun Spice Blend: Store-Bought or Homemade?
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5 Spices You Need to Start Cooking More Indian Food
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Tea Time: All About Matcha
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Spice Hunting: The Lure of Forgotten Spices
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The Best Baguette You Can Make at Home
Close-up of njahi (Kenyan Black Beans)
The Njahi Wars: Behind Kenya's Controversial Black Bean
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The Serious Eats Guide to Beans
Can I Substitute Dried Beans for Canned?
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Should I Salt My Bean-Cooking Water?
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So You Like Flavor? Don't Soak Your Black Beans!
A pot filled with dry beans, a carrot, a garlic clove, onion, and a sprig of fresh sage.
Transform Any Pot of Beans With Flavor-Packed Aromatics and Herbs
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The Best Supermarket Black Bean Burgers
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A Hill of Beans, and How I Cooked Them
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Ask a Sommelier: What to Drink With Chili
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How to Cook Wagyu Beef at Home
Two dry-aged steaks cooking in a cast iron skillet.
How to Dry Age Beef
10 Tips for Better Burgers | The Food Lab
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Sous Vide Steak Guide | The Food Lab
A large cowboy steak grilling on a charcoal barbecue.
7 Myths About Cooking Steak That Need to Go Away
Cooked ribeye cap, also called spinalis dorsi or calotte.
Meet the Ribeye Cap, the Tastiest Cut on the Cow
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The Best Inexpensive Steak for the Grill, Part 1: Hanger Steak
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What Are the Best Cuts of Beef for Stew?
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Salting Ground Beef | The Burger Lab
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Dry-Brining Is the Best Way to Brine Meat, Poultry, and More
A sliced prime rib on a wooden carving board
13 Rules For Perfect Prime Rib | The Food Lab
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Four Expensive Steak Cuts to Know
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Can I Dry Age Beef At Home? | The Food Lab
How to Trim a Whole Beef Tenderloin for Roasting
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The Best Inexpensive Steak For The Grill Part 4: Flap Meat (Sirloin Tip)
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Rethinking Prime Beef: Why "Choice" May Be Your Best Bet
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Slicing Meat Against the Grain | The Food Lab
Pastrami Versus Corned Beef: A Guide to the Jewish Deli
A whole cooked prime rib roast resting on a cutting board.
How to Buy and Cook Prime Rib | The Food Lab
A peanut butter sous vide steak searing in a cast iron skillet.
We Cooked Steaks Coated in Peanut Butter Sous Vide So You Don't Have To
Sliced skirt steak tacos with tomatoes and cilantro on a plate
How to Grill Skirt Steak
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The Food Lab Video Series: Steak Lies
Stew Science: What's the Best Way to Brown Beef?
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The Right Way to Use a Meat Thermometer
A pastrami sandwich from Katz's Deli in New York.
How Katz's Deli Makes Their Perfect Pastrami