meat-wise? can't go wrong with an old fashioned cheap steak
try to find a cut with a lot of marbling (marbling =/= the fat on the edges; marbling is the little flecks of fat INSIDE the meat), preferably a sirloin/ribeye or just generally a cut that doesn't have connective tissue in the middle of it because connective tissue is not edible in any way shape or form. also try to make sure the cut is fairly thick.
get yourself a cheap meat thermometer while you're at it and do your best to try and cook the meat how you like it. if you've never tried meat medium rare i highly recommend that. at first you'll probably do it on a pan, so don't be aggravated if you fuck it up the first time or there's a 'ring' of overcooked meat around the pink center, that's perfectly normal when you're just pan-frying; later on you can get into stuff like reverse searing, smoking, sous vide, etc.
when you cook it and the temperature is almost where you want it (remember the meat will rise in temperature by 3-6 degrees celcius AFTER it comes off the pan, if you rest it - which you should, for at least 5-10 minutes) throw in some unsalted butter, a few garlic gloves and a sprig of rosemary or thyme, then when the butter melts you can start basting it with a spoon (tilt the pan a little so the butter collects on one side and then spoon the butter onto the meat repeatedly. take it off the pan once it's at the temp u desire, let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes so the juices settle and wont run out when you cut, serve.
other easy meat dishes are stuff like chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork chops, skin-on fish (make SURE you use a non-stick pan for fish), etc.
non-meat dishes? could try potato wedges.
- get 3 large potatoes
- cut potatoes in half
- cut potato halves into 3 wedges each
- dump back into water, wash thoroughly
- tip out water and wash again until the water stops going murky (this gets rid of the starch which helps them crisp up)
- dump potato wedges in bowl
- drizzle in a little bit of olive oil; enough that they all get some on em
- season well with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and mixed herbs of your choice
- mix wedges by hand until they're all coated
- place non-skin-side down on oiled baking tray
- bake in 220c (430f) oven for 15 minutes
- flip to other non-skin-side
- bake for 15 minutes
- flip to skin side
- bake for 15 minutes (or until the colour is to your liking)
- serve with sauce of some kind
now what i
REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY recommend is watching the SHIT out of these channels;
Babish Culinary Universe
Sous Vide Everything (extension of Guga Foods)
Guga Foods
Adam Ragusea
The Bearded Butchers
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
HowToBBQRight
Cowboy Kent Rollins
Food Wishes
BBQ Pit Boys
Best Ever Food Review Show (more educational of other cultures' foods; no real recipes. Good to know though.)
allthingsbbq
all very very very good channels, i learned 99.99% of everything i know from that selection of channels over the last year or two
if i have any strict advice, though;
- be patient
- be ready to fuck up a lot (a year or so of cooking and i fuck up at least once per dish still)
- try things you've never tried before
- don't let the complexity of a dish scare you off
- LISTEN to what those people say; they've been cooking since you were born, they know best - change recipes when you're ready to
- don't be afraid to sink money into it if you're enjoying it
- don't rely on other people's compliments; if YOU like the food, that's all that matters
- cook for yourself first, others later
- DON'T restrict yourself to your own food culture; 95% of what i cook/the methods i use aren't something australians do, ever
- don't listen to @nexus when he tries to make you cook goulash
happy cooking my friend; it's a welcoming world with nothing but rewards for those who embrace it and i love it passionately
also friend me if u want to talk about stuff or need more tips