ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

Restaurant food: Why does it taste so good? Sure, the answer to this question is frequently “lots of salt and butter.” But equally often, it comes down to breaking up the cooking into steps that glean the best texture and flavor from ingredients. If you prepare a <a href="/recipes/sous-vide-steak">steak sous vide</a> and finish on the stove, for instance, you get beef that’s cooked exactly the way you want on the inside but that also has a crispy, sizzling crust. You just can’t get that combination from either cooking method alone. Combine them, however, and you’re cooking like a pro.The same principle applies to grilled potatoes. Simmer those tubers before you pop them on the grill, and you get all the benefits of grilling them—crispy, charred skin and smoky flavor—but also a creamy, perfectly done texture on the inside. Plus you never have to stress about whether they are cooked through. Simply remove the potatoes from the grill as soon as the skin looks good.Allow us to walk you through the technique, then try it at home so you can taste the results yourself. Dress your taters up as this recipe suggests, sub in your own favorite herbs and seasonings, or simply finish with salt and butter. Lots of salt and butter.