10 Cooking Skills You Wish You Would Have Known From You!

By Alex C

Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

Everyone goes on their own personal journey and this is especially true when it comes to cooking. You try new recipes, taste new flavors, but most importantly learn from your mistakes like don’t burn your garlic and sharp knives are a must. In the end, our knowledge overlaps because our experiences teach us some of the same things. In my last “10 Cooking Tips” video I let you in on ten of my most influential and valuable cooking tips and tricks that I learned over the last decade of my cooking journey so that you can get a jump start on you’re cooking knowledge. However in today’s video I am going to share with you YOUR ten cooking tips that you’ve learned all the while breaking down some delicious lamb barbacoa tacos on top of homemade corn tortillas with tons of fix-ins like pickles onion, roasted pepper & tomatillo hot sauce, and a avocado crema! No matter what cuisine you’re into at the moment I guarantee you that these tips will come in handy sometime during your cooking journey. Click here to find out the 10 cooking tips you wish you would have known from YOU!

Lamb Barbacoa

Ingredients:

  • 2 -3 bombs of lamb shoulder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seed
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of salt

 

Instruction:

  1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Next, take off any of the twine or paper that came wrapped around you lamb shoulder. Place your lamb shoulder onto some aluminum foil.
  3. Then in a spice grinder combine 1 tablespoon cumin seed, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard seed, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt until finely broken down.
  4. Sprinkle this spice mix liberally around your lamb shoulder and then wrap it all up with the almunimum foil.
  5. Place in the oven and slow cook your lamb shoulder at 300 F or 150 C for 3.5 – 4.5 hours or until super tender
  6. After the lamb is done, uncover the lamb and raised the heat to 450 F and roasted for 30 – 45 minutes.
  7. Finally, you can rip apart your lamb shoulder into nice shredded pieces ready for your corn tortillas

Roasted Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 5 tomatillos, cut into large pieces
  • 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces
  • large bunch of cilantro stems, cut into long pieces
  • 2 dried ancho chilies
  • 1 dried guajillo chile
  • 2 dreid pasilla chilies
  • 2 dreid chipotle chilies
  • juice of a lime
  • salt to taste

 

 

Instructions:

  1. When you raise the oven to 450 for the lamb shoulder, add the tomatillos & onions to utilize that hot oven. Let them roast for 30 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, clean out your chilies by cutting the stem off and taking out the viens and seeds to make it less intense.
  3. Then add a little bit of oil to a skillet and toast your chilies to really bring out the flavor. This will happen in 15 – 20 seconds. Once you are done, place the chiles in a bowl and pour hot water over them so they can rehydrate for about 15 minutes.
  4. Next, add the rehydrated chilies, roasted tomatillos, onions, lime juice and cilantro into a blender along with 1/4 cup of your chili water. Blend until smooth.
  5. Taste it and see if you’re missing anything like salt or lime. Pour into a jar and save in the fridge once the lamb tacos are ready!

    Avocado Crema

    Ingredients

    • 1 avocado
    • 1 stem of cilantro, cleaned and cut into large pieces
    • 1/4 cup of water
    • juice of 1/2 a lime
    • salt & pepper to taste

     

    Instructions:

    1. Add all the ingredient into a mini blender and blend until super smooth.
    2. Give it a taste and adjust as necessary. Blend again.
    3. Pour into a squeeze bottle or a bowl. Place into the fridge and use once your lamb tacos are ready to go!

    Lamb & Cheese Quesadilla

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup of shredded lamb shoulder
    • 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
    • 2 corn tortillas
    • leftover roasted chili salsa

    Instructions:

    1. In a skillet place a teeny bit of oil and place down a corn tortilla, shredded lamb, cheese, and then another corn tortilla.
    2. Fry on one side until crispy, about 1.5 minutes and then flip and repeat on that side.
    3. Cut into fours and serve with some leftover chili sauce.

      Creamy Bean & Tortilla Soup

      Ingredients:

      • 1 red onion, sliced
      • 1 poblano pepper, sliced
      • 1 carrot, sliced
      • 1 clove of garlic
      • 1 tablespoon of oil
      • 1/4 cup of tomato sauce
      • 2 -3 sun-dried tomatoes
      • 1 cup of chili water.
      • 1/2 cup of dried pinto beans

       

      Instructions:

      1. In a large pot, add in 1 tablespoon of oil and your sliced onion, poblano pepper, garlic, carrots and salt and cook on medium low until soft and tender.
      2. Then in a instant pot cook your dried beans on high for 30 minutes until tender.
      3. Then add some sun-dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili water, and ripped up corn tortilla, Cook for 5 minutes. Next pour your soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
      4. Pour everything back into a pot and combine the tender beans and shredded lamb. Top it off with some fried tortilla strips and cilantro. Enjoy!

          Corn Tortilla

          Ingredients:

          • 2 cups of masa
          • 3 finger pinch of salt
          • Water, see instructions

           

          Instruction:

          1. In a large bowl mix together masa and salt.
          2. Slowly stream in some room temperature water while slowly using your hand as a whisk to combine the water into the masa. You will use around 1 cup of water or more but this will depend on a lot of variables. You mainly want it to feel like play dough.
          3. Once you get the right consistency, knead for 5 minutes and then let it rest for 30 minutes.
          4. Now the dough should be highly hydrated, so roll them into small bowl and keep them under a moist bowl so they don’t dry out.
          5. After you have all your masa dough rolled out, take a tortilla press or a large pan and start pressing them out between sheets of plastic or a cut up ziplock bag so you have a nice flat corn tortilla.
          6. Heat a pan to medium high heat and place a tortilla down. No oil, nothing. Cook until you start to seed the edges dry out (about a min). Flip and then cook for another min. Flip again and then press down with your spatula. If it puffs up in the center that is a good indication that you made your corn tortillas well!
          7. Repeat step 6 until you use up all the dough and keep your under a moist towel.
            ** Masa is very forgiving so don’t worry about it. If its too dry add 1 tablespoon of water. If its too wet add some more masa until you get the right feel of the dough. It should feel similar to play dough.**

              10 Cooking Skills You Wish You Would Have Known From You!

              Ingredients:

              Lamb Barbacoa

              • 2 -3 bombs of lamb shoulder
              • 1 tablespoon cumin seed
              • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
              • 1 tablespoon mustard seed
              • 1 bay leaf
              • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
              • 2 cloves of garlic
              • 1 tablespoon of salt

              Roasted Chili Sauce

              • 5 tomatillos, cut into large pieces
              • 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces
              • large bunch of cilantro stems, cut into long pieces
              • 2 dried ancho chilies
              • 1 dried guajillo chile
              • 2 dreid pasilla chilies
              • 2 dreid chipotle chilies
              • juice of a lime
              • salt to taste

              Avocado Crema

              • 1 avocado
              • 1 stem of cilantro, cleaned and cut into large pieces
              • 1/4 cup of water
              • juice of 1/2 a lime
              • salt & pepper to taste

              Lamb & Cheese Quesadilla

              • 1/4 cup of shredded lamb shoulder
              • 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
              • 2 corn tortillas
              • leftover roasted chili salsa

              Creamy Bean & Tortilla Soup

              • 1 red onion, sliced
              • 1 poblano pepper, sliced
              • 1 carrot, sliced
              • 1 clove of garlic
              • 1 tablespoon of oil
              • 1/4 cup of tomato sauce
              • 2 -3 sun-dried tomatoes
              • 1 cup of chili water.
              • 1/2 cup of dried pinto beans

              Corn Tortilla

              • 2 cups of masa
              • 3 finger pinch of salt
              • Water, see instructions

              Instructions:

              Lamb Barbacoa

              1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
              2. Next, take off any of the twine or paper that came wrapped around you lamb shoulder. Place your lamb shoulder onto some aluminum foil.
              3. Then in a spice grinder combine 1 tablespoon cumin seed, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard seed, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt until finely broken down.
              4. Sprinkle this spice mix liberally around your lamb shoulder and then wrap it all up with the almunimum foil.
              5. Place in the oven and slow cook your lamb shoulder at 300 F or 150 C for 3.5 – 4.5 hours or until super tender
              6. After the lamb is done, uncover the lamb and raised the heat to 450 F and roasted for 30 – 45 minutes.
              7. Finally, you can rip apart your lamb shoulder into nice shredded pieces ready for your corn tortillas

              Roasted Chili Sauce

              1. When you raise the oven to 450 for the lamb shoulder, add the tomatillos & onions to utilize that hot oven. Let them roast for 30 minutes.
              2. In the meantime, clean out your chilies by cutting the stem off and taking out the viens and seeds to make it less intense.
              3. Then add a little bit of oil to a skillet and toast your chilies to really bring out the flavor. This will happen in 15 – 20 seconds. Once you are done, place the chiles in a bowl and pour hot water over them so they can rehydrate for about 15 minutes.
              4. Next, add the rehydrated chilies, roasted tomatillos, onions, lime juice and cilantro into a blender along with 1/4 cup of your chili water. Blend until smooth.
              5. Taste it and see if you’re missing anything like salt or lime. Pour into a jar and save in the fridge once the lamb tacos are ready!

              Avocado Crema

              1. Add all the ingredient into a mini blender and blend until super smooth.
              2. Give it a taste and adjust as necessary. Blend again.
              3. Pour into a squeeze bottle or a bowl. Place into the fridge and use once your lamb tacos are ready to go!

              Lamb & Cheese Quesadilla

              1. In a skillet place a teeny bit of oil and place down a corn tortilla, shredded lamb, cheese, and then another corn tortilla.
              2. Fry on one side until crispy, about 1.5 minutes and then flip and repeat on that side.
              3. Cut into fours and serve with some leftover chili sauce.

              Creamy Bean & Tortilla Soup

              1. In a large pot, add in 1 tablespoon of oil and your sliced onion, poblano pepper, garlic, carrots and salt and cook on medium low until soft and tender.
              2. Then in a instant pot cook your dried beans on high for 30 minutes until tender.
              3. Then add some sun-dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili water, and ripped up corn tortilla, Cook for 5 minutes. Next pour your soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
              4. Pour everything back into a pot and combine the tender beans and shredded lamb. Top it off with some fried tortilla strips and cilantro. Enjoy!

              Corn Tortilla

              1. In a large bowl mix together masa and salt.
              2. Slowly stream in some room temperature water while slowly using your hand as a whisk to combine the water into the masa. You will use around 1 cup of water or more but this will depend on a lot of variables. You mainly want it to feel like play dough.
              3. Once you get the right consistency, knead for 5 minutes and then let it rest for 30 minutes.
              4. Now the dough should be highly hydrated, so roll them into small bowl and keep them under a moist bowl so they don’t dry out.
              5. After you have all your masa dough rolled out, take a tortilla press or a large pan and start pressing them out between sheets of plastic or a cut up ziplock bag so you have a nice flat corn tortilla.
              6. Heat a pan to medium high heat and place a tortilla down. No oil, nothing. Cook until you start to seed the edges dry out (about a min). Flip and then cook for another min. Flip again and then press down with your spatula. If it puffs up in the center that is a good indication that you made your corn tortillas well!
              7. Repeat step 6 until you use up all the dough and keep your under a moist towel.

              ** Masa is very forgiving so don’t worry about it. If its too dry add 1 tablespoon of water. If its too wet add some more masa until you get the right feel of the dough. It should feel similar to play dough.**

              By Alex C

              Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

              Published