My dad told me to stop chasing a perfect bark on my ribs

We were talking after a cook last weekend and he said, 'You know, your grandpa never once worried about how his ribs looked, only how they tasted.' He was right, I've been so focused on getting that dark, shiny crust that I was letting them dry out a bit. I did a rack yesterday and pulled them a little earlier, maybe 30 minutes before I normally would. The bark was a bit lighter, but the meat was way more juicy and tender. Has anyone else had a family member give them a piece of advice that totally flipped how you do something?

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caseyflores6mo ago

Man, that hits home. My uncle saw me fussing over grill marks on a steak once and just said "you're cooking for the mouth, not the eyes." It made me realize I was treating dinner like a photoshoot. Now I care way more about that perfect medium rare inside than getting those picture perfect lines on the outside. Food tastes better when you stop trying to make it look like a magazine.

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linda3356mo ago

My grandma taught me the same thing when I was learning to bake. She'd say a lopsided cake made with care beats a perfect, dry one any day. I totally get what @caseyflores is saying about cooking for the mouth. Social media makes it so easy to get caught up in how things look. Now I just aim for that juicy, flavorful bite, even if my plate looks messy. What's a meal you remember tasting amazing even though it looked simple?

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kair654mo ago

Ngl my "rustic" charcuterie board looked like a crime scene but tasted incredible.

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