I’ve spent the last 12 years showing you the how, now I want to teach you the why. Learn more about macro-friendly cooking, get recipes not seen anywhere else, and so much more when you join 91,557+ others by entering your email below!
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👨🍳 The MF Kitchen #42 - crispy blueprint
Published 9 days ago • 6 min read
Read time: 7 minutes and 6 seconds
Hey Reader!
In the 42nd issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:
Recipes for The Spicy THICCC McChickenand Protein Tiramisu!
Why is it called a hamburger if there's no ham (the truth!)...
My keys to getting the PERFECT level of crispness from the air fryer...
This chocolate milkshake is... 2600 calories?!
Preheat your ovens…
Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️
One Savory:
The Spicy THICCC McChicken
Just 316 calories and 40g of protein for this bad boy!
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
Anyways, let’s hop in the food time machine back to 19th-century Germany.
We are specifically going to the city of Hamburg (uhh ohhhh little clue there!).
At the time, Hamburg was known for a dish called the “Hamburg steak,” which was essentially minced beef seasoned and shaped into patties.
German immigrants brought this style of cooking to the U.S. when they made their way over in the late 1800s, and the Hamburg steak started popping up in restaurants and food stands.
But when did we decide to slap that beautiful beef patty between those buns!?
In 1900, Louis Lassen, a Danish immigrant, is credited with creating the first hamburger at his small lunch wagon, Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut.
This creation is now considered the first hamburger in the US.
Now, instead of needing a knife and fork, people could eat it on the go, which was perfect for the growing street food scene.
As for the name, even though the dish had evolved, it stuck.
The “Hamburg steak” turned into just “hamburger,” and the name had nothing to do with ham.
It was all about where the original recipe came from Hamburg, Germany.
So, long story short: it’s called a hamburger because it came from Hamburg, not because it’s made of ham.
Next time you take a bite out of a juicy burger, you’ll know why it has that oddly confusing name!
And if you are a fan of this section of the newsletter, please reply to this email and let me know!
I read all the replies and try to respond to them all as well even though you guys blow up my inbox 😅 (which is incredible!)
One FAQ ❓
Question of the Week: “Why do my air fryer recipes never turn out as crispy as yours? What’s the secret to perfect crispiness?"
Answer: Let’s fix this ASAP!
Because what’s the use of an Air Fryer if we can’t get that CRISPY perfection!?
No more limp, soggy, flaccid disappointment lol.
So let’s do some troubleshooting to figure out what’s going on.
I am going to give you a CRISPY checklist to run through:
1.) How big is your Air Fryer?
This is often overlooked.
Bigger is not better here (unfortunately).
This is one of the very few downfalls of this appliance because (by definition) it’s basically a small convection oven (the standard oven you have in your house) but with a more powerful fan and a smaller cooking space.
The fan in an air fryer is typically located at the top and operates at a higher speed, creating a more intense and concentrated heat circulation.
Aka helping to create that delicious crispiness while not overcooking the inside of the food. A perfect balance!
In a convection oven, the fan is usually at the back, and the air circulation is less forceful.
In summary, the air fryer can create an intense cooking environment the convection oven just cannot.
2.) So what is the perfect size Air Fryer?
I’ve tried them ALL.
And what I have found is a 6 quart is the max size that still gives you the benefits of the air fryer while also allowing you more room for food.
So which air fryer do I recommend you get?
I highly recommend the Instant Pot Vortex 6 Quart.
Why this exact 6 quart? Two reasons.
Many 6 quarts have different sizes. Aka some are taller with less tray surface area. While others are less tall with more tray surface area (which is what we want!)
Large range of temperature options. Most air fryers don’t go down to 250 degrees. This one does. And it goes all the way up to 400 degrees F as well.
So putting those two points together, the Instant Pot Vortex 6 Quart is the one I have found to be the best I have ever used.
It’s the one I have used for the past 3+ years.
And I have tried soooo many different ones.
Because of its versatility, you can cook a solid amount at one time.
Also, I make a lot of sweet recipes so the ability to fit certain pans in there is amazing as well.
But also the 6-quart size allows my sweet recipes to achieve a perfectly moist inside texture with a golden outside.
3.) Check the Max Wattage of your Air Fryer.
The max wattage of the air fryer matters as well!
For a 6-quart, you definitely want the wattage to be at least 1700 or higher.
Because if not, it’ll take forever for the air fryer to heat up thus leading to sub par crispy results.
4.) Don’t overcrowd the basket.
This is probably the #1 culprit.
It’s tempting to load it up with as much food as possible (because we’re HUNGRY, right?!).
But here’s the thing, the air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food.
If the basket’s too crowded, the air can’t do its thing.
You want the food to have enough space to breathe so it crisps up properly.
I'm a foodie but those fries need some elbow room!
5.) Pat your food dry.
If you’re cooking anything that’s naturally moist (like chicken or veggies), make sure you give it a good pat down with paper towels first.
Extra moisture is the enemy of crispiness!
Dry food = better crisping.
Trust me, it’s worth the extra minute.
Then you can add your seasonings and also what I mention is tip #6.
6.) A light oil spritz goes a LONG way.
This is where most people mess up.
You don’t need to drown your food in oil, but a little mist of oil spray can make all the difference in the world.
I use avocado oil spray because it’s high heat-friendly and has a neutral taste.
Too little oil, and your food can come out dry and rubbery.
Too much, and you have a ton of extra calories with very little extra benefit.
Balance is key!
7.) Shake (or Flip) things up!
Halfway through cooking, give the basket a shake (or flip your food) to make sure it’s getting evenly cooked on all sides.
It helps to keep the airflow moving and ensures that everything gets crispy, not just the tops.
Serving Surprise 😮
I am not for strict food regulation but this is the type of shit that should be outlawed.
Not a single person on this earth should be drinking that.
Literally, not a single one.
But knowing me, I just had to go try it for myself lol.
I just want to know what a 2600 calories shake tastes like 🤣
Do I think this was the full 2600-calorie version of this Large OREO Milkshake?
Didn’t look like the one in the ad lol.
But let’s say it was the 2600 calories.
Each sip was like 150 calories at least 😅
And was this so good that it would be worth 2600 calories?
Absolutely not. Not even worth 500 calories tbh.
All I can think about is how glorious I could make a recipe if you gave me 2600 calories.
It would be the biggest delicious feast of all time!
But anyways, this shake is an example of ignorance is not bliss.
The people who get shakes like this have zero idea of what calories mean.
They think they are just getting a big milkshake.
They don’t know that this shake represents the amount of calories they should be eating in a full day.
We are blessed to have this nutritional knowledge/perspective.
I am curious.What are your thoughts on food regulation?
Cardio is great for health and losing body fat.
And FUN cardio makes it more sustainable.
And for me, playing sports is that fun cardio.
Been playing basketball a lot more lately and have been loving it.
Moral of the story, look for ways to make cardio fun and it’ll become more sustainable!
I’ve spent the last 12 years showing you the how, now I want to teach you the why. Learn more about macro-friendly cooking, get recipes not seen anywhere else, and so much more when you join 91,557+ others by entering your email below!
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