It doesn’t seem very secretive to me, but every time I mention it people act like it’s the first time they’ve heard of it.
Sprinkle a little Masala on cheaper cuts of beef before grilling or broiling. Raises the flavor level and seems to keep them juicier.
Another thickener for chili that accomplishes the same basic thing as masa flour is crushed tortilla chips (or crushed corn chips.)
This thread is teaching me that I’m not special- everybody’s chili has a secret ingredient in it.
Mine’s pickle- not the cucumbers-in-brine kind that you slice up and put on your hamburger, but the kind of spicy-hot fermented paste you get at an Indian grocery store. Garlic pickle and/or tomato pickle work really well in chili.
Yeah, chili and barbecue sauce are probably the two most popular “secret ingredient” type foods. I don’t really have a secret ingredient when it comes to chili, but allspice and/or cloves play more heavily in my barbecue sauce than most. But those aren’t really “secret” ingredients. If you want something a bit more along the lines of “secret,” (although if you read labels and cookbooks, it’s not really all that secret) tamarind pulp works nicely in barbecue sauce. For sauces meant for pork, I like to play up the apple component, either with concentrated frozen apple juice or even apple sauce, along with cider vinegar. I don’t do it too often, but raisins and/or dates also play well in these types of sauces. For chicken, I sometimes like going in the apricot direction for the fruit component of the sauce.
A spoon of instant coffee crystals in your pot of baked beans gives them an unidentifiable nutty flavor.
I also put a small pinch of cinnamon in spaghetti sauce.
Instead of butter on your pancakes, try this:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons mascarpone
3 TBSP confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add in the rest. Also good on toast, cookies, etc.
Phone.
My MSG of choice is a packet or two of Sazon Goya, though I also get a ton of mileage out of fish sauce.
Horseradish in tseki sauce for a nice added kick.
Homemade hamburger helper:
1 cup macaroni
1lb ground beef
2 1/4 cups water
1 can of Campbell’s cream of whatever you like soup. (My last batch I used Tomato bisque.)
(whatever spices you like)
Depending on what soup you use, top off with shredded cheese after cooking.
Meyer lemon juice
Perfect for soups, stews, marinades, and blended with mayo. Even a big wedge with a cold glass of water, so pretty much anywhere you’d use regular lemon juice.
I find a lot of home cooking lacks basic acidity, and meyer lemons are fantastic. My favorite was meyer lemon-miso brine for a turkey. NOMZ
This caught my eye. How’s it change the flavor of the brewed coffee?
It rounds out any bitter flavor and brings out a more rich taste. The key is not to over do it. The coffee shouldn’t taste salty so just a pinch is all you need.
Wait, what? The whole point of Meyer lemons is that they lack acidity. IOW you’d use them where you want lemony flavor but want to avoid acidity, not add it.
Maybe it’s a geographical sort of thing- it’s common to use masa harina here in Texas as a thickener, but I can see how it might be a revelation in Cincinnati.
I think you have that off a little bit; the ones I’ve had are less acidic than a lemon, but not by much. The main difference is that the flavor is not quite that of a lemon- more like 3/4 lemon, 1/4 tangerine.
Exactly. Meyer Lemons are still quite acidic.
If you’re into home preserving, chop up a serrano or jalapeno and stir into one (clearly marked!) jar of whatever kind of jam you’re making. I had an incredible serrano/lemon marmalade last year.
Blue Chair jam company in Oakland do the most amazing flavour combos - but they’re PRICY. I’d rather make my own!
Ghee. 
Ghee makes everything taste better. I make my own, which is way cheaper than buying it.
Stock instead of water. I just toss in some bouillon cubes; it’s so easy and makes such a difference.
^ This, besides. Except I use Marmite (they’re pretty much the same thing, right?).
Also, use unsalted butter for the ghee. You’ll be much happier with the results.
Try star anise with pears. Its awesome.
For breading chicken, fish, etc, I use either tortilla chips or bombay mix , blended to fine crumbs in a food processor. Bombay mix is especially good.