How to Cook Like a Professional Chef
Master essential professional culinary techniques: mise en place, knife control, high-heat pan searing, butter basting, and rapid pan deglazing.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ 8-inch chef's knife
- ✓ Wooden cutting board
- ✓ Stainless steel or cast iron skillet
- ✓ Metal tongs
- ✓ Large metal spoon
- ✓ Instant-read meat thermometer
- ✓ Small prep bowls
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Boneless chicken breast or thick-cut steak
- ✓ High smoke-point oil (canola, avocado, or grapeseed)
- ✓ Unsalted butter
- ✓ Fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
- ✓ Garlic cloves
- ✓ Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ✓ Paper towels
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Always place a damp paper towel under the cutting board to prevent slipping.
- • Turn skillet handles inward away from the stove edge to avoid accidental knock-overs.
- • Lay proteins away from your body when placing into hot oil to prevent splashing toward yourself.
- • Do not add water or wet aromatics to scorching oil to avoid grease flare-ups.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Set Up Mise en Place and Dry Protein
Place a damp paper towel under your cutting board so it does not wobble. Pat the meat thoroughly dry on both sides using paper towels to remove all surface moisture. Season both sides generously with kosher salt from 8 to 12 inches above the board for even coverage.
- • Cutting board remains completely stationary when pushed.
- • Meat surface is matte and dry with no visible pooled liquid.
- • Salt is evenly distributed across the entire surface like light snow.
- • Leaving moisture on meat surface, which causes steaming instead of searing.
- • Salting from too close, creating concentrated salty clumps.
Prep Aromatics Using the Pinch and Claw Grip
Grip the chef's knife by pinching the blade at the bolster with your thumb and index finger, wrapping remaining fingers around the handle. Form a claw with your guide hand, curling fingertips inward with knuckles resting against the flat of the blade. Lightly crush garlic cloves with the flat of the knife and strip herb leaves from stems into prep bowls.
- • Knife hand pinches the base of the blade firmly.
- • Guide hand fingers are curled like a claw with thumb tucked behind fingers.
- • Crushed garlic and herbs partitioned neatly into prep bowls.
- • Extending index finger along the spine of the knife, reducing blade control.
- • Flat guide fingers exposed to the cutting path.
Preheat Skillet and Verify Surface Temperature
Place the dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Test heat by flicking a few tiny water droplets into the pan; they should form beads that roll smoothly across the metal without boiling away instantly (Leidenfrost effect). Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of high-smoke point oil and swirl until shimmering across the pan bottom.
- • Water droplet balls up and skates across the metal surface before oil is added.
- • Oil shows thin, wavy heat shimmers across the pan base without billowing white smoke.
- • Adding oil to a cold pan, which can lead to sticking and burnt oil.
- • Heating past the oil's smoke point until thick smoke pours off.
Sear Protein and Build the Fond
Using metal tongs, lay the seasoned protein into the skillet tilting the top edge away from you to deflect oil splashes. Let it cook completely undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes; do not move or press down on it. Flip the protein once it releases naturally from the pan surface with a deep golden-brown crust.
- • Even sizzle without excessive popping around the perimeter.
- • Under-edges of protein show a distinct 2-3mm golden-brown rim.
- • Protein lifts cleanly from the pan with zero tearing or sticking.
- • Shifting or nudging meat too early before the Maillard crust releases naturally.
- • Overcrowding the skillet with too many pieces at once.
Baste (Arrosé) with Butter and Aromatics
Lower heat to medium and drop 2 tablespoons of cold butter, crushed garlic, and fresh herbs into the pan next to the protein. Tilt the skillet slightly toward you by the handle so butter pools at the bottom edge. Use a large metal spoon to rapidly scoop foaming butter continuously over the top of the meat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- • Butter is foaming with fine white bubbles and turns a light hazelnut brown.
- • Glossy butter layer continuously washing over top surface of protein.
- • Internal thermometer reads 160°F for chicken (or 130°F for medium-rare steak).
- • Letting butter turn black and burn by keeping burner on excessive high heat.
- • Scooping air instead of tilting the pan to gather a deep butter pool.
Rest Protein and Pan-Glaze
Transfer protein to a clean cutting board or warm plate and let it rest undisturbed for 5 to 8 minutes. Pour out excess black fat from skillet, return to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of water, stock, or broth, and scrape up the browned bits (fond) from the pan bottom using a spoon. Spoon the glossy pan reduction over the sliced meat just before serving.
- • Juices redistribute inside resting meat without leaking large red pools across the board.
- • Skillet bottom scrapes completely clean of stuck browned bits.
- • Liquid reduces into a smooth, slightly thickened sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
- • Slicing meat immediately, causing all internal moisture to purge onto the board.
- • Discarding the browned fond stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by 5-Minute Crafts FAMILY — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Stainless steel skillet? Cast iron skillet
- No Fresh thyme/rosemary? Crushed whole dried herbs (used sparingly)