The Cooking Mistake That Bobby Flay Says Is Often Overlooked

There are many perils when it comes to cooking meats and vegetables. Getting the seasoning and marinade just right so each bite is tender, succulent, and tasty is only part of the equation to producing a delicious experience for your mouth. How your meat and veggies cook matters. There is a lot of ink and digital space that has been allotted to the dangers of undercooking, but Bobby Flay says the same attention has not been provided to the other extreme: overcooking. 

Preaching it to the culinary world, Flay told Bon Appétit, "People are always concerned whether something is cooked enough. But they're never concerned with whether it's overcooked. And they rarely consider the residual heat that continues to cook a piece of protein once it's off the burner." There is a lot of truth in the Iron Chef's observation. Serving overcooked chicken is easier to do than serving undercooked chicken, yet each comes with its own health hazards.

When you overcook food, of course, it is going to become tough and chewy as it loses moisture or a mushy mess in the case of vegetables, but overcooking food can give you more than a sore jaw or something that looks and tastes like baby food. You are going to lose nutrients when you overcook food, and it is also going to be more difficult for your body to break it down, which could cause the dreaded tummy troubles. This is why it's important to pay attention to cooking times.

Everyone lets something overcook at some point in their cooking journey, but that doesn't mean you have to toss it. If you overcook meat, Flay says the simple way to rescue it is to throw it into a taco. And if you find your veggies are too squishy to serve, consider pureeing them, adding a little stock, and transforming them into a soup.