Old way vs new way: how do you prep your onions?

I used to just rough chop onions for everything, mirepoix, soups, whatever. About 2 years ago I switched to slicing them pole to pole from root to tip instead of across the equator. It changed how they cook down and caramelize, way more even. But it takes more time on the board. Anyone else made a switch like that and stuck with it or went back?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyrodriguez14d ago

Honestly I saw this video from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt where he broke down the science behind this. He said cutting pole to pole keeps the cell structure more intact so the onions release moisture slower and caramelize better. I tried it after that and yeah the difference is real. Tbh it does feel kinda tedious at first but once you get the hang of it the slices are way more uniform. Ngl I still use the equator chop when I'm just throwing onions into a quick stir fry though. There's a time and place for both methods depending on what you're cooking.

shane_martinez4413d ago

Kenji's a smart dude but I feel like people overthink this one sometimes. I've done the pole to pole thing for a while and honestly I can't tell a huge difference in caramelization unless I'm cooking them low and slow for like 20 minutes. Most of the time I'm just dicing onions for a burger or chili and they're gonna cook down anyway. If you're making french onion soup sure go crazy with the technique but for a Tuesday night dinner? Just chop em however and move on.