Regardless of whether you’re the town’s seasoned chef or someone just starting to dabble in the kitchen, knowing your cutlery and cooking implements are a must.
After all, a cook is only as proficient as the tools and recipes that are at their disposal. Out of all the cutleries available today, some varieties seem more obscure and confusing.
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Basting Spoon Uses and Information Guide
And one question that our readers have continued to ask is this – what is a basting spoon used for?
Today, we’ll take you through what it is, what it means, and how to use it correctly. By the end of this guide, you’ll leave more informed and better equipped to utilize this tool in your kitchen fully.
Let’s begin!
What is Basting?
Before we get into what a basting spoon is used for, we need to know what basting means.
Basting is, essentially, a cooking method where you brush or pour the cooking liquid over the food.
The food, here, is usually a whole or partial piece of meat.
The point is to avoid overcooking the meat at the bottom (where the liquid gathers) and under-cooking it on top where there’s less moisture.
Pouring or administering the liquid from the top allows the cooking to happen from the outside-in. So, you get evenly tender and consistently delicious meat on the menu.
What is a Basting Spoon?
The basting spoon is a spoon specially designed to pour and redistribute the cooking liquid over the meat. So, simply put, it’s the spoon you use for basting the meat.
A basting spoon usually comes with a more extended handle compared to regular spoons. As you can imagine, this helps when you have to use it over meat that’s sizzling on a stove or freshly out of the oven.
Some models have loops or notches that prevent them from slipping into the cooking pot. Others come with extra comfortable grips for using them over hot pots.
Most basting spoons will have a sharper angle between the bowl and the neck. The reason is that it allows easier scooping and gathering of cooking liquids.
Besides simply basting, these spoons come in handy for other actions in the kitchen. We’ll cover them in more detail below.
What is a basting spoon used for? (User’s Guide)
Here, we’ll take you through a more detailed description of how a basting spoon is used.
For Basting Meat
The primary purpose of a basting spoon is, as mentioned above, to ensure even cooking of your meat.
The main action you perform here is to scoop the cooking liquid up from the pot or pan and gently pour it over the meat.
When we say cooking liquid, we, of course, mean any liquid that’s hot enough in the pot or pan to tenderize the meat.
So, it may be cooking oil, a sauce, marmalade, butter, etc. Anything that can be poured or glazed over the meat to help cook it is basting.
Many times you can simply use the meat’s own broth for basting.
And having a handy basting spoon really helps because you can gather the broth and redistribute it on top with minimum effort.
A clever trick that most chefs use is to tilt the pot or pan slightly on one side.
This way, the oil or sauce gathers on the dipped side of the dish.
And with your basting spoon, it’s easy to gather a dollop of sauce and lay back on the meat.
Using Basting Spoons for Skimming
Many of us make our own meat stock to be used as ingredients in other dishes. And one of the most annoying parts of preparing meat stock is skimming off the excess froth or fats from the top.
A basting spoon is a great tool to do this effectively.
Many basting spoons come with thinner bowls that make it easy to scoop.
An added benefit of a thinner bowl is that you can easily skim the top of stocks to remove the parts you wish to.
And it’s not just stocks. It’s also a great tool for skimming soups and other watery dishes if you wish to remove some ingredients.
Using Basting Spoons while Grilling
Properly applying the sauce and marinades to the meat is a vital part of grilling. And a basting spoon gives you both spreading range and scooping capacity in one tool. So, it’s even more helpful than a brush in many ways.
Also, for those of us who struggle with spills and mess when handling sauces, the basting spoon lets you do it without a spot on your apron.
Basting spoons come in different shapes and sizes. And for grilling, we find that the slightly bigger and longer spoons work better.
That way, you don’t have to get too close to the hottest parts of your griller or smoker.
Using Basting Spoon for serving
A clever use of basting spoons is for serving food. The long handle and the sharper angle make it great for picking up both solids and liquids.
So, regardless of what’s on the menu, basting spoons make serving easy.
They work similar to ladles but without the ungainly size and clumsy length.
So, if you’re ever volunteering at a soup kitchen or simply serving up your famous home-cooked recipe to some friends, pick up one of these while serving.
Using Basting Spoon for eating
Finally, you can use a basting spoon like a regular spoon for eating. Of course, you’ll have to use one of the slightly smaller designs that easily fit into your mouth or at least match your fork.
Either way, they’re especially great for salads and soups. Salads come with a variety of ingredients with different textures.
A basting spoon gives you that ideal size and shape to pick up different items in one bite. Many people agree that they’re simply the best options for soup. We’ll leave it to you to decide.
Final Note
So, what is a basting spoon used for? Well, it’s used for everything from cooking and skimming to serving and eating.
We hope this insightful guide has given you new ways and ideas to make full use of that old basting spoon lying in your kitchen drawer.
Keep checking back on this space for more innovative tips and ideas on how to get the best out of your cooking!
