To think you cook onions first and then add the rest?

[Ribrabrob]

Boring thread alert but I’m curious

Whenever I cook any meal that contains onions, I always always cook the onions first and then add the meat if it’s a bologneiss, chilli etc (I’m vegetarian but use Quorn which I do the same with). Especially in a meal such as a curry - the onions are key for flavour.

I thought this normal and it’s how I was taught at school, but I’ve been watching lots of cooking videos on TikTok and it seems to me a lot of people aren’t adding onion first and will add them later on a dish. For example cooking mince, adding garlic and then later adding the onion. I just find this strange. I just think there’s nothing worse than a crunchy onion in a chilli for example.

Aibu to think onions should be cooked first? Aibu to think it enhances the taste of a dish and that not properly cooked onion in a bologneise will just ruin it? What do you do?

Yes.
Start by cooking an onion, then think what to put with it!

So for a bolognese I cook the bacon lardons first then add the onion and garlic. But thats the only dish i use onion and garlic in together as my ex (italian with a chef for a mum) told me you don't cook onion amd garlic together as it causes 'gastric explosions' she also said if a wine isn't good enough to drink, its no good for cooking with! And pasta water should be as salty as the sea for taste.

And pasta water should be as salty as the sea for taste.

And at a roiling boil.

If I want the meat browned then I'll always cook that first because I agree it doesn't brown properly if you do it with onions and veg (my theory is too much water coming out of the veg to brown). I don't always bother to brown mince, especially not for a chilli as I don't think it matters for something heavily spiced, but I would for Bolognese. And then I take out the browned meat, put it aside whilst I do the veg and then add it back in. And then yes onions always first. If not browning meat I do onions then any other base veg then meat.

Yes, I do onions and spices first,

Doesn't matter which order, but they have to be done separately - one after the other is vile either way round.

Sauté onions till soft & divine, take them out, tiny bit of oil in, heat up high, brown mince properly (the browning is to add caramelisation which adds flavour).

Or the other way around.

And then mix them back in together and carry on.

If you put onions into mince they don't soften properly; if you put mince into onions it doesn't brown properly.

I'm bemused that this isn't a known or recognised fact of life!

I always start with onions

Yes, onions first, but do meat and than add spices/herbs/garlic after.
One thing I can’t stand is people who cook rice and then drain it, ffs. Never drain rice, let the water soak in and evaporate, so it becomes fluffy.

Onions first , most of the time slowly with good salt and black pepper. Most good one pot dishes deserve the time and effort of a good cooked onion and seasoning first.

This is what I do as a base for pasta sauce, bolognese, chilli etc www.tastingtable.com/cook/national/soffritto-italian-secret-ingredient-cooking-base-need-to-know

Onions first please because I'm intolerant to them!! Can cope if they are fully softened etc like they should be!!

Onions first, removing and adding back later if necessary, or meat browned, removed, and onions cooked in the fat.

Boiled onions - bleurgh!

I brown the meat till the fat runs first because I like to remove some of the fat. Then I add the onions and garlic and carry on frying. When properly browned, everything else goes in.

Yep, onions first

I’ve got into the habit of cooking the onions first for 1 minute, then the peppers for another minute, then add mushrooms and or garlic, cook til soft, tip back onto veg chopping board, then turn up the heat and brown the meat, add the veg back in before adding any tomatoes or sauce or stock or whatever. Fried onions good, boiled onions bad.

Agree OP. I’ve also taken to grating my onions recently.

Always onions first in olive oil, then mince, garlic etc, then herbs near the end

Yanbu. Adding onions later means they won't be soft or sweet. I'm glad my dc aren't being taught to cook by the users of tiktok!

100% agree, onions first! My DH adds them later on though and I was starting to wonder if I'd been doing it wrong all my life. He still always gets them nice and soft despite adding them in last minute, it's a mystery!

Freeze in a thin layer so you can easily break off the amount that you need.

Such a good idea!

Onions take longer to cook than garlic if the onion is bigger than garlic. So if I'm mincing garlic I'll add it when the onion's soft. If it's sliced to the same size as the onion I'll do them together.

No garlic in spag bol though!!

@Readandwalk

Onions taste completely different of6 fried for 20 mins. Less acidic and sweeter so it makes sense to do then first.

Absolutely this. If onions are cooked low and slow, they develop a sweetness which really improves the flavour of the meat. There are few dishes that are not improved by adding slow cooked onions.

Yanbu - any dish involving onions is a million times nicer if the onions have been cooked down and caramelised properly first. That’s where all the flavour comes from!

You’re generally right for mince, and anything vegetarian/vegan.

If doing diced lamb or beef, sometimes you need to brown the meat first, remove it, then do onions/soffrito/spices/garlic, then add meat back then liquid. Otherwise the meat won’t brown properly, and you won’t get to cook the onion in the meat juices.

I always sauté onion, celery and carrots (if using) and brown the meat at the same time but in separate pans. Much more efficient. Then deglaze the meat pan and add meat and juice/scrapings to veg. Garlic goes in about 2 thirds of the way through onion cooking time. And I never, ever discard fat - that’s where the flavour is!