Tacos take all kinds of shapes and forms; crispy shelled tacos, tacos dipped in consommé, there’s even taco ingredients eaten over rice. It’s not just the shapes they take; what kind of meat is used, what ingredients you add to the taco have endless variations. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey come together to discuss the qualities that make a good taco a great taco.  Recipes Mentioned: Crispy Tacos (Tacos Dorados) Quesabirria Tacos Okinawan Taco Rice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots of cultures and countries love steak, but it has this almost iconic status in American culture. There are so many different cuts and so many different ways to cook them. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey dive into three recipes and discuss the cooking techniques that go into making them seamlessly at home.  Recipes Mentioned: Pan Seared Strip Steak Shio Koji-Marinated Flank Steak Slow-Roasted Medium-Rare Short Ribs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every couple of months at America’s Test Kitchen, an informal poll emerges among test cooks about which starch–bread, pasta, or rice–reigns supreme. It’s always a tight race, but it’s no surprise why rice is often a top contender: it’s a beloved staple across the world. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey eat their way through 3 rice dishes and ask: What makes rice the world’s most popular dish?  Recipes Mentioned: Hoppin’ John Simple Fried Rice Arroz con Pollo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meatballs span cultures and come in all shapes, sizes, and sauces. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey try three recipes from around the world and ask: What makes the perfect meatball?  Recipes eaten in episode: Meatballs and Marinara Lion’s Head Meatballs Albóndigas (Spanish-Style Meatballs in Almond Sauce) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people say a sandwich is filling stuffed between two layers of bread. But what about hotdogs, or a loaded pocket of pita bread? Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey get into a heated debate about what exactly defines a sandwich on this week’s episode of In the Test Kitchen.  Recipes Eaten in episode: Italian Sub Diner-Style Sheet-Pan Tuna Melts Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salads often get a bad wrap as the thing you have to eat before the rest of the meal. In today’s episode of In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey finally give salads their due, and reveal how to make them the star of the show. Recipes Mentioned: Ultimate Wedge Salad Horiatiki Salata Neorm Sach Moan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making muffins used to be a rite of passage for test cooks and applicants who applied to work at America’s Test Kitchen. So we’ve eaten a lot of them; sweet, savory, and everything in between. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey take on the debate: What is a muffin, and what makes it great?  Recipes and reviews mentioned: Best Blueberry Muffins Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Muffins Sausage-Herb Stuffing Muffin Achieving generously sized bakery-style muffins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask 10 people what their favorite kind of pizza is, and you’ll get 10 different answers. This week on In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey dive into the regional differences, Italian vs. American preferences, and the elements that go into making a great pie.  Recipes Mentioned: Neapolitan pizza Thin-Crust Pizza Detroit-Style Pizza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you make a good fried chicken recipe at home? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey say yes as they deconstruct 3 different recipes that represent three different styles of fried chicken. Plus, the quad reveals some fun KFC history, and discuss the difference between crunchy and crispy fried chicken. Recipes Mentioned: One-Batch Fried Chicken, Super Crunchy Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chile Fried Chicken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is your ideal burger? In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey debate which burger type–smash, pub, or meatloaf burger–reins supreme. Plus, what are the best burger fixings? Is it better to use high-end meats? Find out on this week’s In the Test Kitchen.  ATK Recipes Mentioned in today's episode: Smashed Burgers, Juicy Pub-Style Burgers with Crispy Shallots and Blue Cheese with Pub-Style Burger Sauce, Meatloaf Burgers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices