Hi friends. No recipe today – just a few notes about the things you use to wrap-up your food items. I’ve seen how a lot of you operate, and I’m not impressed. It’s time someone taught you the correct way to do things.
FOIL
100% of the time, you should be using HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil.
PLASTIC WRAP
I use Glad Cling Wrap, and so should you.
PARCHMENT PAPER
Yes, use it all the time.
Some people actually make their own food wrap. Check-out these lunatics!
Now that you know the answers, let’s dig-in a little deeper to satisfy that diseased part of your brain that has to know “why?”
ALUMINUM FOIL
Let’s think of the ways we use aluminum foil:
- To cover things (TOP: like a casserole dish or a saucepan)
- To line things (BOTTOM: like a sheet pan or making a home-made baking dish)
- To wrap things (ALL AROUND: like wrapping a potato for baking or storing left-overs in the fridge)
Are there any other food-related purposes? Maybe, but they can probably fit within one of our three categories. So, what applications of foil would be best-served by shitty regular-duty foil? None. Granted, the heavy duty foil I’m advocating costs more than twice the price, but that’s money well spent. Poverty notes: if regular vs heady duty foil will bridge the gap between you and your medicine, I recommend trimming-back the HBO subscription.
Let’s talk size. The typical size for aluminum foil is 12″ wide. This is fine for most things. There is also the WIDE 18″ foil, which is helpful for some tasks. TRUTH: I use the wide foil when I make ribs, but little else. If you’re against ribs, or otherwise think you won’t use enough wide foil to support that investment, you can always crimp two pieces of foil together into a homemade wide foil alternative. This lady is helpful.
Oh, and the marketing people at Reynolds would like to sell you a non-stick foil too: at a premium, of course. If you’re worried about sticking, you can 1) use cooking spray when using the foil to cover things or 2) use parchment paper when using foil to line things. Sticking will not be an issue.
Is there anything people won’t buy?
Note: I’ve seen aluminium/aluminum used interchangeably. Because I’m a proud American, I spell “ALUMINUM.” But I really like how the English say “ALUMINIUM” (Ah-loo-min-ee-um)
PLASTIC WRAP
There are a lot of choices in the aisle for plastic wrap. You can choose the super-cheap store brand or you can step-up to a premium product. Many times, a store brand is the way to go to save some money while performing the job. Unfortunately, this is not one of those times. Every cheap-alternative plastic wrap I’ve tried has been a complete fucking disaster. Thanks for wasting my time, big plastic!
Abandoning the cheap, we’re left comparing the premium alternatives. Saran Wrap – the one that many people my age grew-up with, was the first one I used when I was in-charge of buying my own wrap. For a while, I thought I was doing something wrong – I could never get it to adhere to anything but itself. In the end, I was able to determine that Saran Wrap only adhered to a perfectly dry and warm glass bowl. If that’s your only storage problem, then Saran-it-up!
The day I tried Glad Cling wrap, I was finally satisfied. I don’t want to turn this into a commercial, but it works – and works great. Plus, as a bonus, Cooks Illustrated magazine (you know, the people behind America’s Test Kitchen) recommend it.
What about Press ‘n Seal wrap? Forget it. All the ads and YouTube videos show people using yards of the stuff to fabricate something outside the kitchen. If you need to build a translucent sleeping bag for Sasquatch, go ahead. For food storage, just get the regular stuff.
He’s just looking for a warm and dry place for the night – let’s make him a sleeping bag!
PARCHMENT PAPER
Many people, my wife included, think that wrapping a sheet pan with foil is a good way to prevent the food from sticking. WRONG! The sheet pan will remain clean (a nice benefit), but the food will now stick to the foil. If you truly want food to not stick, use parchment paper.
Why do people not use parchment?
- Fear of having paper burst into flames
- Ignorance
For #1 above, let me ease your tiny mind: parchment paper will not burst into flames. Unless you’re cooking inside a forge alongside your in-progress broadsword, there are no open flames in the oven.
Some people might also believe that the metal-on-food contact with foil/pan will brown the material – like in a saute pan. Let me burst that bubble: there will be no metal-caused browning in the oven. Oven heat comes from all directions – your food will brown because of being in a hot box regardless of contact with hot metal.
What about a Silpat (a reusable silicone pad you can buy for $20+)? Those are good too, but a box of parchment paper costs ~$2. Eventually you’ll reach the break-even point between reusable and disposable, but you can’t use Silpat to make anything en papillote (not that you’re ready, but someday…)
No problem can’t be solved with more and more money – and Martha Stewart approves!
CONCLUSION
I hope I helped pull your head out of your ass about what to use and when. Giving a little more thought to these things will pay-off as you’re trying to save those left-overs, cook that lasagna, or keep your food from sticking.
Oh shit, I just realized I forgot to mention waxed paper. #1: buy the cheap stuff, #2: only use to wrap meats for the freezer – and place in a plastic bag. Done.
Cook Like a Badass 