Churros 101
We’ve been dying to take a cooking class at Uncorked Kitchen {8171 South Chester Street, Suite A, Centennial; 720.907.3838} since it opened in Centennial last fall. This unique venue offers cooking classes as well as a destination-worthy Wine Bar with boutique bottles, affordably priced Colorado beers, local spirits, small plates, and a spacious second-floor deck with views for days.
Owned by husband-and-wife team Eric and Katie Robbins, Uncorked Kitchen offers cooking classes you won’t find at other venues in the city. Sure, there are classic options like Brunch Favorites or Vegetarian Cooking, but you’ll also find unusual picks such as Mojitos and Cuban Food or Adventures in Indochina. The wine focus here also really sets Uncorked apart, with wine tastings and classes to complement the wine bar, including Grapes Anatomy and Pickles and Wine (don’t knock it, ’til you try it!).
The lovely wine bar
Recently, we took a Date Night Tacos and Margarita class to give our stale at-home taco game of ground turkey a little wake-up call. After beers on the sunny patio, we were escorted to our kitchen classroom, where Owner/Instructor Eric welcomed us with a carafe of strong margaritas. Then, we fastened on aprons, took our posts at personal cooking stations, and a whole lot of learning, cooking, and eating ensued. Here are 10 things we learned from Uncorked Kitchen:
1. The key to mise en place = BOWLS! Lots of bowls. We know how important it is to have all your ingredients prepped and neatly organized when you’re throwing together a complex meal. But when you’re trying to make three types of tacos plus churros, this really hit home. Before you get started, organize all your ingredients into small bowls so they’re easy to find and keep separate.
Never underestimate the power of bowls
2. How to hold a knife. We thought we knew—turns out we didn’t! The best thing to do is to pinch the top of the blade right where it meets the handle with your right thumb on the left side and with the right side of your right index finger on the right side. This grants you maximum control of the weight of the knife.
3. How to chop onions. Also something we thought we knew. But Eric showed us a handy trick: don’t chop off the ends of the onion! Instead, chop in half, then in half again, and make horizontal cuts toward the stem, leaving about a half inch at the end before making your vertical cuts. Leaving the end on until you’re done chopping keeps the onion together as you chop.
4. How to remove an avocado pit. We’ve learned the trick of removing an avocado pit before, but watching Eric do it firsthand was a game-changer. We’d always sort of felt like we were going to end up chopping a finger off when we struck our knife into the pit. But holding the knife with your fingers pinching the blade and making a swift, short motion offers control and reduces risk.
5. Always keep a wet towel at arm’s reach. You want a tidy workspace and clean knife, don’t you?
6. Make sauces ahead of time. Like even a day ahead of time. Having your sauces prepared, chilled, and neatly arranged for serving makes life way easier.
7. Green chili is actually pretty simple to make. Coloradans famously love green chili on just about everything, from tortillas and eggs to mac and cheese. And while we love green chili, we always feel like making it at home will be a project. But Eric made it so simple and easy that green chili could even be shuffled to the weeknight dinner files. Broil chiles, garlic, onion, and tomatillos. Peel. Blend. Add cilantro and seasonings. Green chili, done and done!
Korean Short Rib Tacos with Asian pear and pico
8. Pick and choose your from-scratch elements. Sometimes, we have an urge to make every. Damn. Thing. from scratch, from the garnishes, to the sauces, to the tortillas. But unless you have all the time and talent in the world, pick and choose your from-scratch battles. Eric buys his kimchee from H Mart in Aurora because he knows they make it better than he ever could. And when you’re cooking up three elaborate taco fillings plus sauces, save homemade tortillas for another time.
9. Speaking of H Mart, get thee to an ethnic foods store stat. You’ll find clutch cuts of meat, real deal products, and pre-made sauces and other ingredients that you just can’t find at Whole Foods or King Soopers. 5280 put together a great list of international food markets in Denver to check out.
These churros though …
10. Deep-frying is super social. While busting out a heavy-bottomed pot, thermometer, and a couple quarts of oil for frying may seem a chore, it’s so worth it once you start having fun with it and then taste the resulting GBD (Golden Brown Deliciousness). While frying at home definitely isn’t an everyday thing, it’s great to add to your special occasion repertoire for dishes like fried chicken, doughnuts, or churros.
Tacos and Margaritas is one of Uncorked Kitchen’s most popular classes, and it’s typically offered on a monthly basis. You can learn more about upcoming classes at their Adult Events Calendar or Date Night Calendar.
By Maya Silver | Editor
The post 10 Cooking Tips We Learned at an Uncorked Kitchen Class appeared first on DiningOut Denver/Boulder.