Buzz
When I'm cooking, I'm always on the lookout for ways to enhance flavor and texture, especially when dealing with tougher ingredients. One of my go-to methods is scoring. (Just to clarify, 'scoring' means making partial cuts, not scoring like in a competition—although that's important too.) This simple technique not only creates more flavor and texture possibilities, but it also works wonders on tough, chewy, or fibrous foods, making them more enjoyable to eat.
How to Score Food
Scoring is a technique that’s probably been used as long as there have been sharp knives. It involves making shallow cuts into the surface of a food, typically about halfway to three-quarters of the depth. For meats with a fat cap, use the thickness of the fat as your guide. For less thick, fatty, or fibrous foods, limit the depth of the cuts to about half an inch. Use a sharp knife to make long, even slices, and to create a crosshatch pattern, rotate the item 90 degrees and slice across the first set of cuts in the opposite direction.
By slicing long lines into an ingredient, you increase its surface area, which can lead to crispier edges and quicker cooking. It also creates tiny pockets that hold extra seasonings and aromatics. Scoring makes tough foods feel more tender by breaking up the grain or fiber of the food.
Japanese chefs use this technique when preparing squid to prevent it from turning into a rubbery mess after cooking. The shallow cuts, whether parallel or in a cross-hatch pattern, help break down the muscle fibers. This keeps the squid from curling when heated and ensures it stays tender. Duck is another protein often scored. Since the skin holds most of the fat, scoring helps cook it evenly. The extra surface area makes the fat render more quickly and helps achieve perfectly crispy, flavorful skin. However, scoring is a technique that can be used on more than just squid and duck.
What types of foods are ideal for scoring before cooking?
Tough, chewy, or fibrous foods are perfect candidates for scoring, especially when roasting or grilling. These cooking methods tend to draw out moisture, which can make already tough foods even drier, worsening the texture—but scoring helps prevent this.
Consider scoring fruits and vegetables that have edible skins or tough, fibrous flesh:
Eggplant
Hard-skinned squashes
Brussels sprouts
Pineapple
Score meats and proteins with a fatty cap that you want to crisp up, or with long fibers that you want to tenderize by shortening:
Pork shoulder, belly, or butt
Ham
Skirt, flank, or hanger steak
Don't forget to add flavor
Those little pockets created by scoring shouldn't remain empty. Fill them with oil, dry seasonings, or fresh aromatics. Rub the ingredients into the score marks using your hands, making sure to cover them thoroughly. You can also tuck fresh aromatics into those pockets—insert crushed garlic cloves, pieces of ginger, or sprigs of thyme and sage, and remember to generously season with salt.
