Foods You Should Rub but Probably Don’t

Whether you take it off the block or grab it in handfuls from your bag, grated cheese is an essential food. The grater’s tiny teeth turn it from a solid state into fluffy clouds of parmesan or cheddar mounds that melt on contact with hot food.

There is no reason to stop grating cheese. Many foods can be ground into the same fluffy little clouds, or ground up to make them more meltable. And at least a grated egg yolk is a cool party trick. Here are five other foods that are just as good for chafing.

egg yolks

The rubbing of butter and eggs is spiritually similar to the rubbing of cheese. Egg yolks aren’t technically dairy products, but dipping them in a 50/50 salt/sugar mixture certainly makes them do just that – the curing mix draws out moisture, flavoring the yolk, creating a hard, bright orange disc filled with rich, salty minds. Leave it in a covered container in the refrigerator and after about a week the yolks will be hard enough to grate. Dig them out of the salt and sugar, shake off the excess with a paper towel, and get to work. I doubt you need inspiration on how to serve it, as egg yolk is good for everything, but I like to rub it on avocado toast, lettuce, pasta, and popcorn, and use it to add extra yolk to stuffed eggs. . If you want to finish the dish with grated parma, there’s a good chance you can finish it with grated egg yolk.

Oil

Meanwhile, grating oil is just practical. We all try our best to have room temperature butter ready, but we also know how painful it is to be caught with something that needs to be buttered when no soft butter is on hand. If, when faced with a piece of toast or a recipe that calls for softened butter, you find yourself with nothing but cold, don’t worry—grate. Rubbing makes butter soft and pliable, so you can add it to recipes or spread it on toast without tearing bread or ruining baked goods.

Tomatoes, chili peppers and raw garlic

One of my least favorite sandwich-eating weaknesses is the old tomato shard: you take a bite of the sandwich and a slippery tomato slice slips out of it and falls into your lap. But grated tomatoes don’t slip, so I’m a big fan of rubbing them on breakfast sandwiches and (tiny) tomato toast . The grated tomatoes act more like jam, clinging to the bread and mixing with the other ingredients instead of sitting on top waiting for it to evaporate.

Frozen chili also rubs well. Freezing solidifies them, at which point you can micro-plan the exact amount of spices you want to add to your dish. The super-small pieces will melt into your food, distributing the heat and flavor of the pepper throughout the dish, rather than interspersing it with large slices or chunks.

Grated garlic also brings a bit of spiciness along with an incredibly tangy, wild taste. A. A. Newton of Lifehacker discovered this trick while battling a cold, and although it didn’t immediately cure her of all her illnesses, it cleared her sinuses for a while and made everything she ate tastier. “Everything from homemade chicken broth to instant miso to ancient packaging of kimchi ramen instantly became spicier, and a piece of raw garlic was enough to (temporarily) clear my sinuses,” she wrote. (You don’t have to be sick to enjoy the power of raw, grated garlic; grate a clove in your next marinara just before serving to see its powerful power.)

Dried mushrooms and jerky

Truffles are given too much attention. Yes, they taste good, but the price is prohibitive for most. I myself prefer inexpensive “dried shiitake” and that’s okay, because dried shiitake has a savory, earthy flavor. Microblade them over a pile of soft scrambled eggs, then grate some more and mix the powder into a large bowl of popcorn. After you try these applications, I am sure you will get a taste that will lead you to other interesting applications of this material.

Dried meat is another underrated food. Beef jerky (or any other type of beef jerky) can be shredded and sprinkled over salads, pasta, mashed potatoes, or anything else that can be garnished with shredded cheese. Like parm, it has salt and umami added, but it contains a little more protein (and makes your salad taste like beef).

apples

I don’t eat oatmeal, but Ellie does , and her nightly grated oatmeal makes this breakfast staple a little more exciting. Based on the old Bircher Muesli recipe, raw apple slices are mixed with oats along with your choice of liquid to make a fruity sweet breakfast with an extra serving of fruit. (At least it will let you start your day on a slightly smug note.)