What's that one dish you fear you may never perfect? You

>>9397350
Black forest cake. I've only tried twice, and I'm not awful with layered cakes, but something about the whipped cream being so soft fucks me right up and my cakes end up falling apart. First cake fell in the fridge. Second attempt broke up cutting.

Pretty sure I used a stabilized whipped cream too, and tried a thinner layer on my second attempt. Oh well. When they fall apart I just dump the whole thing into a large bowl and eat it like a trifle over the course of a week.

I'd try it more but the cherries and Kirsch get expensive quick.

>>9397350

paella, still trying to perfect the rice

Pork ribs.

I either way overcook them, or undercook.

Being too tender is a thing. I want tender, but not "fall off the bone" tender.

>>9397382
What's your cooking method? Steam, then grill or smoke is a good way to do it.

Chocolate cake of any kind, I can't get it right and no one else can either. It's always too dry or too flavorless or the frosting is too sickly sweet. I have this dream of a moist chocolatey cake that none of these other cakes have lived up to.

I once ate a brownie that came pretty close though.

>>9397631

chocolate cake is piss easy

> the frosting is too sickly sweet.

just make a ganache with dark chocolate then

>>9397637
Just because it's easy doesn't mean it's good. I don't think the chocolate cake I dream off exists in this plane of existence. All I ever get is the shadow of the true Idea of chocolate cake.

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>>9397641

i am confident that your cave wall cake is out there somewhere man. there are tons of different types out there. do you want it light and cakey or fudgy?

>>9397382
I hear you about ribs. After I stopped taking the silver skin off the underside I could cook them a bit longer but they stay intact.

>>9397350
My grandma's arroz con pollo. I get all the ingredients right, and she even compliments me when I make it, but it tastes like it's missing a certain spice and I can't ever place it.

>>9397373
came here to post this.

>>9397755
Wouldn't your abuela have some ideas about what your doing wrong? Or is she one of those people that intentionally leave out a key ingredient so nobody will ever equal hers?

>>9397789
Pretty sure I'm gonna be one of those people when I'm old. When you're old people only care about you for your food and your stories. Can't be giving that shit away.

>>9397789
She has no idea what ratios are and I had to figure that shit out myself. I'll post the recipe she gave me and what I did to modify it in ().
>4 large chicken breasts
>2 cups chopped ham (2 cups bacon)
>1 onion diced (1.5 yellow onion minced)
>even amount black and green olives (6oz black, 10 oz green)
>pimentos (half cup)
>tomato sauce (8oz tomato paste)
>1 cup rice (2 cups rice)
>a lot of peas (only 4oz peas)
>cerveza pacifico (24oz malted beer, drink other 26oz)
>1 chile verde without seeds (3 thai chilis seeds in)
>about a tbsp cumin (quarter cup cumin)
>(tbsp paprika)
>(5 cloves minced garlic)
>salt to taste

>basically sweat veg until lightly browned, add liquids and seasonings, simmer for about 15 min, add rice, cook until rice is done, add raw chicken, bake on very low (about 200f) until chicken falls apart, which is like 8 to 12 hours usually

It just tastes like it's missing one or two spices and I have no idea what
>inb4 giving away familia recipe
I just want to know what I'm missing and I trust I can get that help. Steal it if you want, idc, I want it perfect.

>>9398111
Perhaps you're missing one (or a combination) of these:

>ground annatto
>sofrito
>chicken stock

I also suggest developing the spiciness using a blend of different dried chiles instead of just raw thai chillis.

>ancho chiles
>chipotle (maybe with adobo sauce)
>chile de arbol

Also maybe boneless chicken thighs will be more savory than chicken breasts. Experiment away!

Salsa verde, and by extension chili verde as well.

I can make it fine and it probably beats out a lot of other versions, but it's just not great in my opinion. I can't get the texture right at all. I get these green chili burritos from this tiny place in Wilmington, California called Isaac's Cafe and they're fucking incredible, but my salsa is never like theirs. They actually have a sauce, and I just can't get that. Either I'll overcook the tomatillos and other ingredients and end up with something far too watery, or I'll undercook it and get something that stays too thick to strain even after tons of time in the food processor.

I have a feeling the final product will involve me cooking the pork and salsa separately, and then somehow incorporate them at the end for a little bit that allows for the flavors to combine without having one or the other ruined by it.

>>9398111
Maybe you're not using good enough paprika? I doubt she had a source of fresh, smokey, high quality paprika, but I know most store-bought versions suck ass.

>>9398265
>sofrito
I'll just add the ingredients from there not already in recipe and try it out. Good call on the chilis as well, I never thought about that for some odd reason.
>>9398325
She never used paprika, and I generally get McCormick because it's usually the only one I see. I'll look into making my own or buying it fresher. Thanks for the advice so far guys.

Pad Thai or any thai stir fry dish for that matter.

The thing is I don't have the heart to put spoons of sugar into my sauce.

Chilaquiles.
One of my goals in life is to master cooking them, so whenever I prepare them those who eat them find my chilaquiles as the best ones they've ever had.

>>9398359
Why don't you just make it with her one day and observe?

>>9398696
It is known that old latina women turn into horrifying chupacabre-like creatures when they cook, and thus, they prefer to do it in absolute privacy.

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That cake from Matilda. No joke, just once I want to make or even taste something remotely as good as I imagined that tasting when I was growing up.

>>9398586
Please answer me, is it pronounced, "Chilli Killy"?

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>>9398111
Sadly, i know exactly what you're missing.

>>9399456
Yes. But with an S at the finish

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>>9399487
you might be right though
this shit is really good

>>9399490
Well guess I lost a bet, I said to my guy that he's pronouncing it too fucking gringo to be correct.

Guess I owe him a smothered spic steak.

>>9399498
kys shill

>>9399345
El Chupacabra is scared of my abuela. Cubanos tend to get bitter with age, and lets just say el diablo had to make a deal with her.