It's funny how Gordon always looks like he's late for a meeting. The way he cuts the bread and spreads the butter frantically, then switch to you calmly cutting the bread like a normal person.
His videos are also recorded and cut that way, so I think the editor that does it also exaggeres on this behavior. I think it's about intentionally trying to emulate "chaos in restaurant kitchen" kind of cooking. After all, Gordon as media person is a character, the man Gordon in reality is, must have some same qualities, but he's not this character as he's on camera. It's the same with most celebrities, many develop a character unintentionally. And sometimes it's intentional exaggering behavior to produce something that sells. No human is immune to this, and every individual has multiple roles in their lives, where they behave differently depending on surroundings, social setting, work expectations etc...
@@jarivuorinen3878That ; plus some people are just naturally hyper and look like they're running on rocket fuel no matter what they happen to be doing.
I think Gordon obviously botched his grilled cheese in the video with the high heat and thick ass bread... BUT the idea of cheese and kimchi is something that is quite common in the Korean cooking sphere and is commonly seen in Korean comfort food actually. The spicy, acidic kimchi lends itself quite well to something greasy like cheese. Love the video as always, James. Wishing you all the best.
yeah, it's kind of a similar idea as to why fatty pork + kimchi is like.. one of the pillars of korean cuisine lol. kimchi just goes well with more greasy stuff
I love kimchi grilled cheese, but my trick is to first fry it a bit with a little bit of sugar, to create something like a kimchi "chutney" before putting it in the grilled cheese.
There's something amusing about the juxtaposition of watching Jamie's manic style and Gordons panting out-of-energy action as they cook and assemble their dishes then immediately switching to James' calm, quiet, and methodical method. I'm also very fascinated by the Brioche method and have to give it a try later today.
Nice to see this format! I know they take a long time to record and edit, and sometimes don't get as many views as reactions, but it's a breath of fresh air for your older subscribers. I subbed when you had less than 50k and it's nice seeing you with almost 300k now, you're on a great track!
@@ChefJamesMakinson That's a lot of work but it is such a good one. There is a lot of teaching in it as well as critiquing. It's a great cooking class.
Highly recommend chopping and pre frying your kimchi before you put it in the grilled cheese. Will intensify the flavor, remove a lot of the water, help the cheese melt. I would also dice up a sweet onion and fry that with it. It will be a completely different sandwich (one you might actually be excited to eat)
What I find I like most about Chef James...zero pretentiosness. There was a cooking show around when I was a kid called "The Frugal Gourmet." In this case frugal did not mean inexpensive. His show would go something like this "Go get yourself a nicely dressed and prepared pheasant." Chef James' approach "I'm using a pheasant, but if you can't get that grab a nice size chicken or duck." It's refreshing that I don't feel I have to scour the universe for rare ingredients, like Kraft American singles.
Koreans have a whole thing called 'korean street toast' which is basically elaborate toasted sandwiches that are a hugely popular breakfast - kimchi and cheese is actually common there. I'd use different cheese though. At home a favourite toastie is white bread, mayo on the outside; with either canned tuna or poached chicken, kimchi, sliced red onion and raclette (sometimes I go for sharp provolone instead). It's really delicious, and putting kimchi in the sandwich makes you feel super virtuous. Kimchi is really good when you cook it, I love putting it in an omelette as well
While I don't like exaggerated theatrics, I do think James has to loosen up and display a tad more energy. I think Marques Brownlee (mkbhd) is a good example to strive for. But well, we all have our personalities :) I tried talking to a camera, and it's horrible :)
I think telling someone to have more energy is like guys at the gym telling girls they need to smile more. His personality is easy to watch compared to the neurotic Gordon and it's almost got him to half a million subs so I think he's doing just fine.
@@cedricolI like his energy level. If you go back and look at his very early videos, you can see he is now more natural, more relaxed, smiles more, and we see his sense of humor too. I feel we’re getting glimpses of the off camera James and am happy for him to progress at whatever pace feels most comfortable for him as I enjoy his content. :)
We have the opposite problem here in my part of the states, Kraft and “American” cheeses are cheap and everywhere, but all “good” cheeses are “specialty” and expensive, aside from the occasional cheddar or mozzarella. 😢
We RV and the sheer variety in terms of cheeses stocked at *Walmart* in different areas of the country is fascinating. You'd think they'd all be quite similar, right? But no. Not at all. There was one Walmart we went to where you legitimately couldn't even get a half-decent cheddar. It was American slices or the "cheddar" equivalent or nothing. That was weird.
@@chrissolace that's not entirely true. Yes, there are lots of varieties of pre-shredded cheeses on the market, they're more expensive than just buying the blocks of cheese and shredding them yourself. Walmart has blocks of cheese, they make their great value branded ones, and then there's generally cabot, sargento and cracker barrel as well in the same section as the shredded cheese. They have more specialty cheeses up by the front in the produce section. Any grocery store with a deli counter is more than willing to cut you a slab of cheese off one of their blocks or sell you an unopened one as well. Every step of processing that goes into food increases the cost. Compare chicken breasts and chicken breast tenderloins. Same cut of chicken, one has been cut into strips, almost $1 per pound difference in price. Same with the shredded cheese. It's more expensive to buy the bagged stuff than to buy the blocks.. it's just a lot more convenient and not prohibitively more expensive so people do.
Same with a fried Spam sandwich. My dad used to thin-sliced Spam and fry it crispy. It's got the taste and almost the texture of bacon, but without all the fat (I don't like squidgy fatty bits in my bacon). Then he'd put that in the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich as he was making it. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, with that salty fried Spam flavor to balance it out.
I have to say, learning about using mayo instead of butter for grilled cheese was a real game changer for me. I think I saw it on an episode of Good Eats (Thank you, Alton Brown, for getting me into cooking all those years ago!) and have never really looked back.
Mayonnaise is gross. I've tried it since it's been recommended by so many culinary types. It stinks when it's hot and is exceptionally greasy. It's one of those ridiculous "hacks" that no one asked for or needs. Use butter.
Totally agree about Frank. It never dawned on me to use mayo on the outside of the bread and cooking it in a pan, but as Chef James reminded us, mayo is made with oil so that's why the bread had that nice coating on it. Have to try this version myself.
@@ChefJamesMakinson It's been my long held observation that the more annoyed/disturbed/agitated you get in a reaction video, the more your accent shifts towards cockney
I watched a few of your cooking analyses and I really appreciate your kindness and level tone of voice, I wish more content creators were as chill as you! Cheers 👌
14:19 just when I thought that Jamie Oliver might make something that I would actually eat, he stays right on course: three different dollops of something that should never come anywhere near a cheese sandwich.
@@johnjanssens8998 With the right cheese some mustard inside on the bread is a really nice touch. Not a lot, you don't want the flavor to be overwhelming.
As a Korean, I was really surprised that kimchi was suddenly mentioned in the thumbnail of your video 😂 Thanks for useful and valuable video as always ❤❤❤
Makes me so happy seeing your videos James, you gave a lot of humor and knowledge that I never knew and it’s so inspiring to learn from you and thanks for the green curry paste recommendation I now make my own green curry every week or so and it’s so delicious and that paste is authentic and delicious
I didnt grow up with cheese toasties, we had cheese on toast, so pretty much open faced. My dad made them. I don't know exactly what he did to them or what was in the cheese mix, but I still have fond memories of that thick piece of white toast with a thick, golden, bubbling layer of cheese. I know that it had finely chopped onion in it too, but no idea on what else was in there, but I know that there was something. It was rich and tasty and I both wanted to eat one after another for the whole day, but also couldn't because it was rich. That it is one of my best memories of my childhood tells you how gorgeous it was. I would ask him to make some nowadays, but I can't eat bread, butter, onions or cheese now, so it would mess me up, but it was really good.
My only attempt at frying the cheese in the pan went well. I used shredded cheddar. Very consistent color. No burning. Went really low on the heat. Tasted just like a Cheez-Its. Thanks for the great content. 👍
Fun fact: Kraft cheese is cheddar scraps, melted down, and whisked with sodium citrate to give it that texture, make it hold together while melting, et cetera! They also add food starches and a few other things but sodium citrate on cheddar gets a similar product. The protein in the mayonnaise from the egg encourages browning! I prefer the flavor of butter for pure cheese sandwiches but for a tuna melt... I love your videos and admire your bravery for taking on the Gordon sandwich.
On the topic of putting butter on bread: In Swedish, a sandwich is called "smörgås" (butter goose) and of course typically has butter spread on it. The "butter goose" was originally a lump of butter that floated to the surface as you churned milk, which was often picked out and eaten as a treat with bread.
Great to see a non-reaction video, one can see how much effort was put into that! The sandwiches look absolutely delicious. I hope this video will get some attention from the youtube algorithm.
6:38 I think the reason the mayonnaise works is more to do with the egg yolks it contains (as opposed to the oil). The amino acids in the egg react with the sugars in the bread and do a nice little Maillard dance together. The oil obviously helps with heat transfer, and using a tight crumbed bread as suggested makes the surface-area-to-volume ratio quite a bit higher, enabling maximum crisp.
It's sort of a 'cheat's' French toast/eggy bread concept. It doesn't soak into the bread fully so you don't get the custardy insides but you get the same sort of crust on the outside.
@@DiamondCake2 Says on the package that it contains 8.9% egg by weight (free range, apparently, although I have my doubts about that particular claim). That's actually a slightly higher egg content than a lot of homemade recipes, which generally use the ratio of one egg yolk per cup of oil.
For those watching , James' culinary course is very well rounded . Lots of great information and since taking the course my cooking has improved A LOT . Anyone considering taking his course will be rewarded . Thanks for putting the course together James and giving us all the guidance to improve .
That was interesting. The grilled cheese without bread sounds like a Guga "simple side dish to go with today's experiment". 😂 I remember Heston Blumenthal's experiment for the best grilled cheese sandwich involved ironing the cheese.....🤦
I actually make taco shells, burger buns, and all sorts of things by melting shredded cheese in a non-stick pan. I do this because I am on a low carb diet but it still gives me interesting options. I have even done a crustless pizza a few times using just cheese as its base.
@@ChefJamesMakinson Once again, you're giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and tired all these grilled cheeses! I think I'll be trying the one with the mayo on the bread this week! Thanks for going all out buying rare cheeses in España! The price of the Kraft singles was mind-boggling!
I’ve had a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich at a restaurant in Milwaukee. I thought it worked well. The sour and spicy of the kimchi countered the richness of the cheese and butter, just as the crunch of the kimchi countered the gooeyness of the sandwich.
I know this is an older video and you may not see it, but, I just had to say two things..: 1. I love your content for several reasons: You are calm, polite and educational throughout. I appreciate all of those things immensely. 2. I have been consistently amazed that NO ONE has demonstrated the single best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had, and have made ever since I first devoured it almost 40 years ago..! ALL of the ones you and your immensely talented colleagues have shown? I wouldn't bother to even attempt..! What is that technique? 1. Pick whatever bread or cheese you prefer, as long as the cheese melts well. 2. Mayo, fairly thinly, but completely covering the bread, on the INSIDE. Butter, softned, fairly thickly covered, on the OUTSIDE. 3. Fresh, ripe tomatoes sliced thinly, seasoned lightly with salt and black pepper, then cheese topped. Anything you like, from Velveeta to American (Not Kraft - neither the Velveeta nor the Kraft are actually cheese!) to whichever, doesn't matter as long as it melts well. 4. Over medium low heat, Add the bottom layer, Top with the rest of the bread and press down with the spatula. 5. Just before ready to turn, Lift it up, Add a tablespoon of butter, then flip it. 6. Wait til Golden brown, rest and serve. It's an amazing amalgamation of some of the greatest flavors known to man. Cheese, bread, tomatoes, salt, pepper... Just YUM!!! Give it a go. You might just find something better. :)
Great channel and content as always Chef James. I like that your approach is pretty straight and not over the top. Entertaining without being a clown. Keep it coming.
My personal fav is sourdough with mayo for toasting, but I think the best aspect of a grilled cheese is it should remind you of your childhood or home or w/e good vibes. So, what's best to use is whatever _your_ favorite thing is.
I like a sourdough with big bubbles in it. You don't have to make a silly crown, the cheese will just ooze down and touch the pan, giving it some delightful crusty spots.
I enjoy the standard grill cheese but I also add roast beef slices or smoked meat and let it cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
I have to admit, Gordon is absolutely on to something, and I tend to do a mix of all of these styles. A nice country bread, buttered on the outside, a touch of mayo on the inside, with some shredded cheeses of your choice, with shredded kimchi, cooked in such a way that you do get all that crispy overflow as well, makes for an amazing sandwich. I'll also not infrequently add a little bit of sriracha, sambal, or another hot sauce on the outside as well. Sometimes for flavor, but quite frequently as a marker so I can tell them apart when I'm cooking several with different fillings and such.
I feel like I have been around for a while. Still love your videos. I too tried Jamie's grilled cheese and I agree it wasn't too bad. Lol thanks Chef James for the content!
Hi James - great decision to create your videos in such a way that you show your preparation of the sandwiches right next to the original ones. This makes the processes much more interesting and easier to understand. Well done.
This was a really great video and a great video idea, and I'm sure there are a lot of different possible topics to potentially explore in future videos. Also, Adam's sandwich with ham and havarti sounds 👌
This video was amazing. I like how you one upped Gordon Ramsey. I had been looking forward to this video since you said you’d be making it and it really was worth the wait.
Grilled cheese without bread here in Greece is called Saganaki but it's made using a hard cheese not melting cheese and cooked until the outer layer has enough of the Maillard reaction, then served as a side dish usually diced with as finger food.
Loved it, one thing I really like about your videos is you are able to tease recipes like Gordon's and Jamie's chutney (of course he had some chutney on the side lol) but you're never mean just funny, and suggest ways to alter or improve. I was really looking forward to this one thank you!
My family has always used mayo instead of butter to lube up our grilled cheese sandwich bread. So, Frank’s is my favourite by default though all the sandwiches looked delicious. Thank you Chef James! A very yummy video.
Hey! I saw you making the grilled cheese in a pan and was wondering, wouldn’t it be easier to use a sandwich maker? In Denmark, it's super normal for people to own one of those since they're so cheap and available in all supermarkets. Almost everyone has one at home for making toast sandwiches, which are pretty much like grilled cheese with ham (skinke) or smoked pork loin (hamburgerryg). My dad used to add salt and HP sauce for extra flavor after it was done, and cooking with butter makes it taste amazing, though it can get really greasy. I'm curious, do people in other countries usually have these small, cheap sandwich makers too, or is it just a Danish thing? It seems like such a convenient way to make a quick and tasty meal! 😄 PS. I read an interesting article on Cooknight that discusses the differences between toasted cheese sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. It mentions that toasted cheese sandwiches are made in a toaster, while grilled cheese sandwiches are cooked in a skillet or on a griddle. Both are beloved classics, but the preparation methods and tastes are slightly different. Toasted cheese sandwiches have a crispy exterior and a soft, gooey interior, while grilled cheese sandwiches have a more buttery and savory flavor.
Great video Chef James! If you want a grilled cheese like you've never had before .... Use whatever cheese and bread you'd like .... Then add Bacon Up bacon grease instead of butter or mayo. You'll love it!
Frying a bit of shredded cheese on the outside of the sandwich has been my go-to since I discovered it. Absolutely wonderful. Have to get it nice and crispy, though, so it's like the cheese on the outside of a pan pizza.
I like watching your videos and I like the fact that you will give a try to new recipe to get new perspectives, I think good chef should bring harmony when adding new food ingredients to old recipes. I understand many famous "chef" always want to make some wierd twists to the recipe because they want to look different and get more reaction from other youtubers, which completely fix my low blood pressure problem. When watching Chef James videos, I feel I'm really learning something.
Mayo does brown quite nicely. However, the best method I've found is to use a frying pan just barely larger than your bread, and melt just enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan... You're basically doing a very shallow deep fry of the outer layer of the bread. When you flip the sandwich, you toss in another teaspoon or so of butter and let it melt first; and once it hits the pan you put a lid on, to contain the steam to ensure the cheese melts.
Normal white bread, slightly toast the inside mainly to warm it up. Buttered outside, after the inside is warmed(no more than hints of brown or the crispness inside iwll be too much for me), go butter side down, cheese on top, cover, let the cheese start to melt, then flip it together, all on a nice cast iron griddle. Works super well.
My favorite grilled cheese is sourdough round, mayo, sharp cheddar, shredded parmesean, and Monterey jack cheese. Spread mayo on sourdough, 2 slices of Monterey jack one on each side, then a little bit of parmesean cheese on one side, sharp cheddar on the other side. And bake then on a low heat until the cheese just start sweating and melting, then fry on high heat for a crunch. The baking gets the mayo to permeate the entire slice of bread, while the Monterey jack cheese melts great, and the sharp cheddar and parmesean add great flavor. Then either a little tomato soup to dip it in, or a little ketchup.
I love grilled cheese so much, from being sick and it was grilled cheese with chicken soup, when I was in high school in the cafeteria and it was grilled cheese day, in adulthood living on my own fancying it up with different breads, brioche buns removing the top crust to make it more like bread texture for buttering, but all of the attempts my 2 favourites are normal 2 pieces of bread with a slice of cheddar (not the plastic wrapped style) and a slice of jalapeno havarti toasted to a golden brown, or my all time favourite which with the disappearance of this cheese from local stores is with Colby cheese and very thin sliced onions, so delicious.
Yes, low and slow is the best way to cook grilled cheese sandwiches. I was once in the middle of grilling a cheese sandwich, I’d just turned it over and I got interrupted and just had time to turn the pan off. When I came back I found that the residual heat had resulted in a perfectly golden and crispy sandwich.
As a korean I would grill the kimchi first and add some seaweed topping. The topping usually come in a bag, not the one in a glass jar. Also try to use good kimchi, if it's not fermented enough the flavor won't be there, and if it's fermented too long, it gets a strong sour taste.
Chef, I think the Epicurious and the Smashed Brioche were by far the best of the grilled cheese sandwiches you prepared and sampled. Jamie with his chutney preference on everything is hilarious. Gordon's grilled cheese reminds me that the old adage of KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) applies here too. Grilled cheese sandwiches are simple food. Keep it that way. Good job again Chef!
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
Be sure to check our full review of Gordon's Idiot Sandwich! ruclips.net/video/xtLM9Ofh3g4/видео.html
Love your videos bro
Over applewood, low and s l o w w w w w
Skipped across jammy olive oil section. I don't want to watch the enemy of flavor.
Hmmm grilled cheese with chilli jam or maybe mango chutney. OR! With both in it! XD
I would let you cut cheese anytime with me
It's funny how Gordon always looks like he's late for a meeting. The way he cuts the bread and spreads the butter frantically, then switch to you calmly cutting the bread like a normal person.
He’s like huffing as if he either ran a marathon or has asthma
Ramsay has a lot to film
His videos are also recorded and cut that way, so I think the editor that does it also exaggeres on this behavior. I think it's about intentionally trying to emulate "chaos in restaurant kitchen" kind of cooking. After all, Gordon as media person is a character, the man Gordon in reality is, must have some same qualities, but he's not this character as he's on camera.
It's the same with most celebrities, many develop a character unintentionally. And sometimes it's intentional exaggering behavior to produce something that sells. No human is immune to this, and every individual has multiple roles in their lives, where they behave differently depending on surroundings, social setting, work expectations etc...
@@jarivuorinen3878That ; plus some people are just naturally hyper and look like they're running on rocket fuel no matter what they happen to be doing.
@jarivuorinen3878 a restaurant kitchen should not be chaotic.
I think Gordon obviously botched his grilled cheese in the video with the high heat and thick ass bread... BUT the idea of cheese and kimchi is something that is quite common in the Korean cooking sphere and is commonly seen in Korean comfort food actually. The spicy, acidic kimchi lends itself quite well to something greasy like cheese. Love the video as always, James. Wishing you all the best.
Thank you so much! I hope you are well!
yeah, it's kind of a similar idea as to why fatty pork + kimchi is like.. one of the pillars of korean cuisine lol. kimchi just goes well with more greasy stuff
I would think that if you want the cheese to be the star, you could accomplish the same thing with a few drops of Tabasco.
I love kimchi grilled cheese, but my trick is to first fry it a bit with a little bit of sugar, to create something like a kimchi "chutney" before putting it in the grilled cheese.
It's almost like a meatless Asian reuben.
One of the better RUclipsrs of this age - thanks for being wholesome and entertaining!
Appreciate that! :)
Agreed, I really appreciate how he explains things.
Very enjoyable video. Thank you!
Very true.
Same, I enjoy the calm manner he explains things.
Really like how Gordon's attempt with the fired pan was literally an _idiot sandwich_ 😂
🤣🤣🤣
😅😂
I literally laughed out loud at the “Woo! Yeah!” Jamie clip. 😂😂
🤣🤣 me too!
Seeing that clip outside of an Uncle Roger or Future Canoe video threw me for a second xD
He’s so cringe, I haven’t cringed so much all week.
Woo Yeah!
There's something amusing about the juxtaposition of watching Jamie's manic style and Gordons panting out-of-energy action as they cook and assemble their dishes then immediately switching to James' calm, quiet, and methodical method.
I'm also very fascinated by the Brioche method and have to give it a try later today.
@@alzaelnext638 the lack of background music really feels like a punchline of a joke (not in a bad way tho!)
Nice to see this format! I know they take a long time to record and edit, and sometimes don't get as many views as reactions, but it's a breath of fresh air for your older subscribers.
I subbed when you had less than 50k and it's nice seeing you with almost 300k now, you're on a great track!
I do try but this one was a hard one for me and my editor, 5 hours to film and 3 days to edit. Haha 😄
@@ChefJamesMakinson That's a lot of work but it is such a good one. There is a lot of teaching in it as well as critiquing. It's a great cooking class.
@@ChefJamesMakinson Deeply appreciate all that work and effort. Makes for great wholesome content!
Also OML, at the price of American Cheese..
Highly recommend chopping and pre frying your kimchi before you put it in the grilled cheese. Will intensify the flavor, remove a lot of the water, help the cheese melt. I would also dice up a sweet onion and fry that with it. It will be a completely different sandwich (one you might actually be excited to eat)
What I find I like most about Chef James...zero pretentiosness. There was a cooking show around when I was a kid called "The Frugal Gourmet." In this case frugal did not mean inexpensive. His show would go something like this "Go get yourself a nicely dressed and prepared pheasant." Chef James' approach "I'm using a pheasant, but if you can't get that grab a nice size chicken or duck." It's refreshing that I don't feel I have to scour the universe for rare ingredients, like Kraft American singles.
😂
I used to love the frugal gourmet coming up it was one of the first cooking shows I watched (and yes I’m that old 😂)
Well hopefully he doesn't do all the same things as the frugal gourmet (liking very very young boys and forcibly showing his love for them)
@@brandinicole1372 I also used too love him. Too bad what he did. :(
Koreans have a whole thing called 'korean street toast' which is basically elaborate toasted sandwiches that are a hugely popular breakfast - kimchi and cheese is actually common there. I'd use different cheese though. At home a favourite toastie is white bread, mayo on the outside; with either canned tuna or poached chicken, kimchi, sliced red onion and raclette (sometimes I go for sharp provolone instead). It's really delicious, and putting kimchi in the sandwich makes you feel super virtuous. Kimchi is really good when you cook it, I love putting it in an omelette as well
I like your personality. Not a typical theatrical RUclipsr, very educational videos with a bit of fun :)
ahhh Thank you! I am trying to be less camera shy but I still hold back a lot haha 🤣
While I don't like exaggerated theatrics, I do think James has to loosen up and display a tad more energy. I think Marques Brownlee (mkbhd) is a good example to strive for. But well, we all have our personalities :) I tried talking to a camera, and it's horrible :)
I think telling someone to have more energy is like guys at the gym telling girls they need to smile more. His personality is easy to watch compared to the neurotic Gordon and it's almost got him to half a million subs so I think he's doing just fine.
@@cedricolI like his energy level. If you go back and look at his very early videos, you can see he is now more natural, more relaxed, smiles more, and we see his sense of humor too. I feel we’re getting glimpses of the off camera James and am happy for him to progress at whatever pace feels most comfortable for him as I enjoy his content. :)
hmmm@@ChefJamesMakinsonthere were times in the video where I thought you were going to not hold back 😅😂🤣
We have the opposite problem here in my part of the states, Kraft and “American” cheeses are cheap and everywhere, but all “good” cheeses are “specialty” and expensive, aside from the occasional cheddar or mozzarella. 😢
Every continent is victim of the global cheese maffia!
Exactly. And why we use the “pre-shredded” ones is because it’s the main one available! (And cheaper)
We RV and the sheer variety in terms of cheeses stocked at *Walmart* in different areas of the country is fascinating. You'd think they'd all be quite similar, right? But no. Not at all. There was one Walmart we went to where you legitimately couldn't even get a half-decent cheddar. It was American slices or the "cheddar" equivalent or nothing. That was weird.
@@chrissolace that's not entirely true. Yes, there are lots of varieties of pre-shredded cheeses on the market, they're more expensive than just buying the blocks of cheese and shredding them yourself. Walmart has blocks of cheese, they make their great value branded ones, and then there's generally cabot, sargento and cracker barrel as well in the same section as the shredded cheese. They have more specialty cheeses up by the front in the produce section. Any grocery store with a deli counter is more than willing to cut you a slab of cheese off one of their blocks or sell you an unopened one as well.
Every step of processing that goes into food increases the cost. Compare chicken breasts and chicken breast tenderloins. Same cut of chicken, one has been cut into strips, almost $1 per pound difference in price. Same with the shredded cheese. It's more expensive to buy the bagged stuff than to buy the blocks.. it's just a lot more convenient and not prohibitively more expensive so people do.
There's nothing wrong with American cheese why people chose to be snobs with cheese of all things is beyond me
Fried cheese....and fried bologna i learned as a teenager. Young children love it.
Some of us adults' still like those every now and then for the tasty reminders of days gone by
Same with a fried Spam sandwich. My dad used to thin-sliced Spam and fry it crispy. It's got the taste and almost the texture of bacon, but without all the fat (I don't like squidgy fatty bits in my bacon). Then he'd put that in the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich as he was making it. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, with that salty fried Spam flavor to balance it out.
@@Maria_Eriasgoodness that's glorious.
I have to say, learning about using mayo instead of butter for grilled cheese was a real game changer for me. I think I saw it on an episode of Good Eats (Thank you, Alton Brown, for getting me into cooking all those years ago!) and have never really looked back.
A little surprised Jamie's grilled cheese was normal.
so was I!
I laughed when the mango chutney came out, though.
Mango chutney and a cheese crown?
@@claybecker13 for Jamie Oliver....that is boring.
Not only normal, but bog-standard other than the ridiculous cheese crown thing that really just serves to over-toast one side of the sandwich.
I’m not surprised Frank nailed it, he’s my other favorite food RUclipsr. His shredder trick changed my life.
Mayonnaise is gross. I've tried it since it's been recommended by so many culinary types. It stinks when it's hot and is exceptionally greasy. It's one of those ridiculous "hacks" that no one asked for or needs. Use butter.
@@claybecker13if it's greasy you probably used too much
Totally agree about Frank. It never dawned on me to use mayo on the outside of the bread and cooking it in a pan, but as Chef James reminded us, mayo is made with oil so that's why the bread had that nice coating on it. Have to try this version myself.
@@claybecker13Not judging but how much mayo did you exactly use.
I was amused any time James was surprised, he'd start speaking in a slight accent. 😂
really?? haha
He slips into an accent pretty regularly
what accent is it
He slides into a bit of a British accens
@@ChefJamesMakinson It's been my long held observation that the more annoyed/disturbed/agitated you get in a reaction video, the more your accent shifts towards cockney
I watched a few of your cooking analyses and I really appreciate your kindness and level tone of voice, I wish more content creators were as chill as you! Cheers 👌
14:19 just when I thought that Jamie Oliver might make something that I would actually eat, he stays right on course: three different dollops of something that should never come anywhere near a cheese sandwich.
I can kind of see the brown sauce with the right cheese. Similar to Branston pickle going with a good cheddar?
How he rolls.
I dunno I like a bit of ketchup or some mustard
@@johnjanssens8998 With the right cheese some mustard inside on the bread is a really nice touch. Not a lot, you don't want the flavor to be overwhelming.
I don't know I'm sort of a fan of grilled cheese and ketchup, or grilled cheese with tomato soup.
As a Korean, I was really surprised that kimchi was suddenly mentioned in the thumbnail of your video 😂 Thanks for useful and valuable video as always ❤❤❤
"Why I season my brick, not my grilled cheese"
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ha!
"and why I season my knife"
😅😏😂
All of you are amateurs and poseurs; I gave up seasoning anything but my fingers long ago.
Nicely done. I love how clean and careful you are with cooking. Usually I make a bit of a mess in the kitchen.
He has mentioned before that uncleanliness in the kitchen really bothers him.
Thank you so much 😊
yes it does! :)
Makes me so happy seeing your videos James, you gave a lot of humor and knowledge that I never knew and it’s so inspiring to learn from you and thanks for the green curry paste recommendation I now make my own green curry every week or so and it’s so delicious and that paste is authentic and delicious
Thank you!
I didnt grow up with cheese toasties, we had cheese on toast, so pretty much open faced. My dad made them. I don't know exactly what he did to them or what was in the cheese mix, but I still have fond memories of that thick piece of white toast with a thick, golden, bubbling layer of cheese. I know that it had finely chopped onion in it too, but no idea on what else was in there, but I know that there was something. It was rich and tasty and I both wanted to eat one after another for the whole day, but also couldn't because it was rich. That it is one of my best memories of my childhood tells you how gorgeous it was.
I would ask him to make some nowadays, but I can't eat bread, butter, onions or cheese now, so it would mess me up, but it was really good.
My only attempt at frying the cheese in the pan went well. I used shredded cheddar. Very consistent color. No burning. Went really low on the heat. Tasted just like a Cheez-Its. Thanks for the great content. 👍
yup this is how I’ve been making mine for years - it really brings it to a new level
Cheddar is actually perfect for pan toasting, or in the oven, to make crisps.
@@RJGrady Cheddar and Parmesan are the best cheeses to turn into crisps in my opinion
Fun fact: Kraft cheese is cheddar scraps, melted down, and whisked with sodium citrate to give it that texture, make it hold together while melting, et cetera! They also add food starches and a few other things but sodium citrate on cheddar gets a similar product.
The protein in the mayonnaise from the egg encourages browning! I prefer the flavor of butter for pure cheese sandwiches but for a tuna melt...
I love your videos and admire your bravery for taking on the Gordon sandwich.
Okay.. Immediately saw the notification and clicked on it.. Love yr videos.. ❤
Thank you so much 😀
Omg.. Hello.. This is the first time someone actually replied or even read my comment 💬 😅😃
On the topic of putting butter on bread: In Swedish, a sandwich is called "smörgås" (butter goose) and of course typically has butter spread on it.
The "butter goose" was originally a lump of butter that floated to the surface as you churned milk, which was often picked out and eaten as a treat with bread.
Thanks for taking the time to do this. Enjoyed it!
Great to see a non-reaction video, one can see how much effort was put into that! The sandwiches look absolutely delicious. I hope this video will get some attention from the youtube algorithm.
yes a lot of hours and time editing :)
I could watch Chef James cook and commentate for hours! Thank you for always providing us with entertaining and useful content!
Thank you! :)
Love your content! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤
You are very welcome!!
@@ChefJamesMakinson 🤗🤗
Low and slow with mayo is highly recommended. The oil in the mayo provides the fatty heat interface, and the egg in the mayo adds a ton of flavor.
6:38 I think the reason the mayonnaise works is more to do with the egg yolks it contains (as opposed to the oil). The amino acids in the egg react with the sugars in the bread and do a nice little Maillard dance together. The oil obviously helps with heat transfer, and using a tight crumbed bread as suggested makes the surface-area-to-volume ratio quite a bit higher, enabling maximum crisp.
It's sort of a 'cheat's' French toast/eggy bread concept. It doesn't soak into the bread fully so you don't get the custardy insides but you get the same sort of crust on the outside.
Nice theory but commercial mayo contains barely any egg yolk, it’s packed with thickeners, flavourings and even sometimes water.
@@DiamondCake2 Says on the package that it contains 8.9% egg by weight (free range, apparently, although I have my doubts about that particular claim). That's actually a slightly higher egg content than a lot of homemade recipes, which generally use the ratio of one egg yolk per cup of oil.
@@DiamondCake2 And yet the crust effect you get is still similar to that on French toast. But you're welcome to use homemade mayo if you prefer.
@@DiamondCake2 Commercial? You can just choose in the supermarket can't you?
For those watching , James' culinary course is very well rounded . Lots of great information and since taking the course my cooking has improved A LOT .
Anyone considering taking his course will be rewarded .
Thanks for putting the course together James and giving us all the guidance to improve .
That was interesting. The grilled cheese without bread sounds like a Guga "simple side dish to go with today's experiment". 😂 I remember Heston Blumenthal's experiment for the best grilled cheese sandwich involved ironing the cheese.....🤦
ironing?? I need to see that!
@@ChefJamesMakinson it was from a TV series he did some years ago (Channel 4?). There’s probably a clip somewhere on the internet.
Certified Chefs cooking grilled cheese has always made me laugh cause they always try to get crazy with it but it’s a simple, delicious recipe!😂
I actually make taco shells, burger buns, and all sorts of things by melting shredded cheese in a non-stick pan. I do this because I am on a low carb diet but it still gives me interesting options. I have even done a crustless pizza a few times using just cheese as its base.
This channel has quickly become one of my favorites. Thank you Chef James.
ahhh Thank you!!! :)
Oh wow, I can't believe I caught this 19 seconds after it uploaded! Cant wait to see Chef James Fix that!
Haha 😄
@@ChefJamesMakinson Once again, you're giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and tired all these grilled cheeses! I think I'll be trying the one with the mayo on the bread this week! Thanks for going all out buying rare cheeses in España! The price of the Kraft singles was mind-boggling!
Nice to see this type of content!!!
good!
Great video as always chef. Loved this new format and the editing process for this video must be tough. Chef Frank's is my favorite.
it was for my editor 😊
@@ChefJamesMakinson ❤️
I’ve had a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich at a restaurant in Milwaukee. I thought it worked well. The sour and spicy of the kimchi countered the richness of the cheese and butter, just as the crunch of the kimchi countered the gooeyness of the sandwich.
This is the kind of food-related PSA that we need. Thanks James!
😂
“As sweet as you-know-what.” I don’t know what! Can anyone fill me in? What’s so sweet James can’t even talk about it?
Great video as always! One of the best cooking channel on RUclips.
Thank you so much!!
"Yeah I can do that" that distinctive voice is none other than Chef Tyler, hopefully he can see your video.
I hope so!
I know this is an older video and you may not see it, but, I just had to say two things..:
1. I love your content for several reasons: You are calm, polite and educational throughout. I appreciate all of those things immensely.
2. I have been consistently amazed that NO ONE has demonstrated the single best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had, and have made ever since I first devoured it almost 40 years ago..! ALL of the ones you and your immensely talented colleagues have shown? I wouldn't bother to even attempt..!
What is that technique?
1. Pick whatever bread or cheese you prefer, as long as the cheese melts well.
2. Mayo, fairly thinly, but completely covering the bread, on the INSIDE. Butter, softned, fairly thickly covered, on the OUTSIDE.
3. Fresh, ripe tomatoes sliced thinly, seasoned lightly with salt and black pepper, then cheese topped. Anything you like, from Velveeta to American (Not Kraft - neither the Velveeta nor the Kraft are actually cheese!) to whichever, doesn't matter as long as it melts well.
4. Over medium low heat, Add the bottom layer, Top with the rest of the bread and press down with the spatula.
5. Just before ready to turn, Lift it up, Add a tablespoon of butter, then flip it.
6. Wait til Golden brown, rest and serve.
It's an amazing amalgamation of some of the greatest flavors known to man. Cheese, bread, tomatoes, salt, pepper... Just YUM!!!
Give it a go. You might just find something better. :)
Great channel and content as always Chef James. I like that your approach is pretty straight and not over the top. Entertaining without being a clown. Keep it coming.
Thank you!
I enjoy all of your videos and appreciate that you are so fair in judging other people's recipes. Very nice.
Thank you!!
Very happy I found this channel, I've learned a lot of things watching your videos. Thank you James!
you are welcome!
Lovely to see you try these! Fun to watch you cooking ^^
My personal fav is sourdough with mayo for toasting, but I think the best aspect of a grilled cheese is it should remind you of your childhood or home or w/e good vibes. So, what's best to use is whatever _your_ favorite thing is.
I like a sourdough with big bubbles in it. You don't have to make a silly crown, the cheese will just ooze down and touch the pan, giving it some delightful crusty spots.
this video format is a winner, james. I really like it :)
Great to hear!
Watching this made me soooo hungry, there is something irresistible in melted cheese. 😊
8:54 that caught me off guard ahahaha
🤣
I enjoy the standard grill cheese but I also add roast beef slices or smoked meat and let it cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
I have to admit, Gordon is absolutely on to something, and I tend to do a mix of all of these styles.
A nice country bread, buttered on the outside, a touch of mayo on the inside, with some shredded cheeses of your choice, with shredded kimchi, cooked in such a way that you do get all that crispy overflow as well, makes for an amazing sandwich. I'll also not infrequently add a little bit of sriracha, sambal, or another hot sauce on the outside as well. Sometimes for flavor, but quite frequently as a marker so I can tell them apart when I'm cooking several with different fillings and such.
Kimchi grilled cheese is always a treat. I've loved it for years
Jamie's grilled cheese section... I'm laughing too much.
Chef James, you have said chilli jam and mango chutney too early
He did. 😅😊😂
I feel like I have been around for a while. Still love your videos. I too tried Jamie's grilled cheese and I agree it wasn't too bad. Lol thanks Chef James for the content!
Welcome back! :)
Just recently discovered you and so happy I did! Love your content and personality/vibe.
Thank you!
Hi James - great decision to create your videos in such a way that you show your preparation of the sandwiches right next to the original ones. This makes the processes much more interesting and easier to understand. Well done.
Thank you!
This was a really great video and a great video idea, and I'm sure there are a lot of different possible topics to potentially explore in future videos.
Also, Adam's sandwich with ham and havarti sounds 👌
This video was amazing. I like how you one upped Gordon Ramsey. I had been looking forward to this video since you said you’d be making it and it really was worth the wait.
🤣🤣
Grilled cheese without bread here in Greece is called Saganaki but it's made using a hard cheese not melting cheese and cooked until the outer layer has enough of the Maillard reaction, then served as a side dish usually diced with as finger food.
Loved it, one thing I really like about your videos is you are able to tease recipes like Gordon's and Jamie's chutney (of course he had some chutney on the side lol) but you're never mean just funny, and suggest ways to alter or improve. I was really looking forward to this one thank you!
My family has always used mayo instead of butter to lube up our grilled cheese sandwich bread. So, Frank’s is my favourite by default though all the sandwiches looked delicious. Thank you Chef James! A very yummy video.
5:30 - That was so Canoe like hahahaha
Great video! High effort and it shows, love it.
Thank you!
Hey! I saw you making the grilled cheese in a pan and was wondering, wouldn’t it be easier to use a sandwich maker? In Denmark, it's super normal for people to own one of those since they're so cheap and available in all supermarkets. Almost everyone has one at home for making toast sandwiches, which are pretty much like grilled cheese with ham (skinke) or smoked pork loin (hamburgerryg).
My dad used to add salt and HP sauce for extra flavor after it was done, and cooking with butter makes it taste amazing, though it can get really greasy.
I'm curious, do people in other countries usually have these small, cheap sandwich makers too, or is it just a Danish thing? It seems like such a convenient way to make a quick and tasty meal! 😄
PS.
I read an interesting article on Cooknight that discusses the differences between toasted cheese sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. It mentions that toasted cheese sandwiches are made in a toaster, while grilled cheese sandwiches are cooked in a skillet or on a griddle. Both are beloved classics, but the preparation methods and tastes are slightly different. Toasted cheese sandwiches have a crispy exterior and a soft, gooey interior, while grilled cheese sandwiches have a more buttery and savory flavor.
Great video Chef James! If you want a grilled cheese like you've never had before .... Use whatever cheese and bread you'd like .... Then add Bacon Up bacon grease instead of butter or mayo. You'll love it!
That was a great video, thanks 😄👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love a good gcs and this helps a lot in finding the perfect recipe for myself.
I like this format of comparing a bunch of recipes!
Frying a bit of shredded cheese on the outside of the sandwich has been my go-to since I discovered it. Absolutely wonderful. Have to get it nice and crispy, though, so it's like the cheese on the outside of a pan pizza.
You're a good and honest man. Keep it up James
I appreciate that!
I like watching your videos and I like the fact that you will give a try to new recipe to get new perspectives, I think good chef should bring harmony when adding new food ingredients to old recipes.
I understand many famous "chef" always want to make some wierd twists to the recipe because they want to look different and get more reaction from other youtubers, which completely fix my low blood pressure problem.
When watching Chef James videos, I feel I'm really learning something.
agreed
This video makes me hungry 🤤
LOL...didn't think you'd be able to salvage Gordon's sandwich, but you did!!
I love your taste testing vids! Thanks for the video!
Glad you like them!
Yes!! I'd love to see you test more viral recipes to see if they are any good.
Noted!
You madman! You actually managed to make Ramsay's monstruosity into something that looked pretty good!
😂
Mayo does brown quite nicely. However, the best method I've found is to use a frying pan just barely larger than your bread, and melt just enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan... You're basically doing a very shallow deep fry of the outer layer of the bread. When you flip the sandwich, you toss in another teaspoon or so of butter and let it melt first; and once it hits the pan you put a lid on, to contain the steam to ensure the cheese melts.
Normal white bread, slightly toast the inside mainly to warm it up. Buttered outside, after the inside is warmed(no more than hints of brown or the crispness inside iwll be too much for me), go butter side down, cheese on top, cover, let the cheese start to melt, then flip it together, all on a nice cast iron griddle. Works super well.
My favorite grilled cheese is sourdough round, mayo, sharp cheddar, shredded parmesean, and Monterey jack cheese.
Spread mayo on sourdough, 2 slices of Monterey jack one on each side, then a little bit of parmesean cheese on one side, sharp cheddar on the other side. And bake then on a low heat until the cheese just start sweating and melting, then fry on high heat for a crunch. The baking gets the mayo to permeate the entire slice of bread, while the Monterey jack cheese melts great, and the sharp cheddar and parmesean add great flavor.
Then either a little tomato soup to dip it in, or a little ketchup.
I love grilled cheese so much, from being sick and it was grilled cheese with chicken soup, when I was in high school in the cafeteria and it was grilled cheese day, in adulthood living on my own fancying it up with different breads, brioche buns removing the top crust to make it more like bread texture for buttering, but all of the attempts my 2 favourites are normal 2 pieces of bread with a slice of cheddar (not the plastic wrapped style) and a slice of jalapeno havarti toasted to a golden brown, or my all time favourite which with the disappearance of this cheese from local stores is with Colby cheese and very thin sliced onions, so delicious.
😂😂😂😂😂 Great video. Especially the Gordon part. I love French part.
I learn a lot from this channel... I am a home cook but honestly it is easy to understand
great to hear!
Thanks, Che! Havarti is almost my favorite cheese of all time!
I scrolled yos videos for hours yesterday and this was the first video i saw where he actually cooks something. Praise be
for hours? I just made an adobo video 2 weeks ago so I don't think so, plus a carbonara video and a lasagna video
Great video as always, made me hungry and I can't eat those so too bad for me 😢
Good video once agian James!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, low and slow is the best way to cook grilled cheese sandwiches. I was once in the middle of grilling a cheese sandwich, I’d just turned it over and I got interrupted and just had time to turn the pan off. When I came back I found that the residual heat had resulted in a perfectly golden and crispy sandwich.
Very cool Chef, I liked the two you chose also. They looked really delicious. Thanks for a VERY entertaining episode.
(John from California)
Awesome. Some really cool ideas in this one.
As a korean I would grill the kimchi first and add some seaweed topping. The topping usually come in a bag, not the one in a glass jar. Also try to use good kimchi, if it's not fermented enough the flavor won't be there, and if it's fermented too long, it gets a strong sour taste.
Growing up Saturday lunch was always grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Never got tired of that meal. 👍
Chef, I think the Epicurious and the Smashed Brioche were by far the best of the grilled cheese sandwiches you prepared and sampled. Jamie with his chutney preference on everything is hilarious. Gordon's grilled cheese reminds me that the old adage of KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) applies here too. Grilled cheese sandwiches are simple food. Keep it that way. Good job again Chef!
Thank u for ur hardwork and your advice^^
My pleasure!