M: A recipe calls for “ four portions of steak-umms from a 9 ounce box”. If I didn’t want to use frozen meat, products, how could I approximate that without going to too much effort?

G: Steak-umms are very thinly sliced beef, usually from the bottom round or similar cuts. To approximate them without using frozen products, you can:

  1. Buy fresh shaved steak – Many grocery stores sell pre-shaved beef in the refrigerated meat section.
  2. Ask a butcher to slice it – If your store has a meat counter, ask them to slice a cut like bottom round, sirloin, or ribeye very thin.
  3. Slice it yourself – Get a lean cut like sirloin, partially freeze it for about 30 minutes, then use a sharp knife to slice it as thinly as possible.

A 9-ounce box of Steak-umms typically has around 10–12 thin slices, so “four portions” might be about 3–4 ounces of shaved beef.

M: Have you ever heard of any kind of mandolin like set up for cutting stuff like meat or cheese at home? If so, what kind of term should I put into a search engine to find something like that?

G: Yes, there are home-use slicers designed for meat and cheese. The best term to search for would be "home meat slicer" or "electric food slicer".

If you want a manual option, look for "manual meat slicer" or "Japanese meat slicer"—some models let you secure the meat and slide it across a fixed blade.

For cheese, "cheese slicer with adjustable thickness" might help, though most home slicers work for both meat and cheese.

M: The following is the instructions in a recipe to make fried mozzarella sticks. Can you look at it and advise me on if and how I can transform this into a air fryer recipe, please

ake three wide bowls or plates. The first one is for the flour. Now the second one? That's where you'll crack in the eggs, add a splash of water, and give it a nice whisk. The third one is called: The Prestige. Wow, no, that's not right either. Okay, the third one is for the panko.

Combine the panko, oregano (or Italian seasoning), granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Give that a nice mix until it's all incorporated.

Once the sheet of food has chilled, use a knife or bench scraper to cut it into around 12 mozzarella-stick-size logs. Dip them in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumb mixture, then return them to the baking sheet and place them back in the freezer until it is time to fry. (You can also freeze them completely on a pan, transfer them to a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months before frying... but who can wait that long?)

Step 3: Fry Those Logs!

Heat your fry oil (using a deep fryer or a large, heavy-bottomed pot filled with at least 2 inches of oil, making sure that the pot is no more than two-thirds full) to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack or a plate with some paper towels for draining.

Fry the logs in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 90 seconds. Sprinkle them with salt as they come out of the oil and serve them with warmed marinara sauce.

G: Yes, you can adapt this to an air fryer with a few modifications:

Air Fryer Adjustments

  1. Freeze Well: Since the air fryer doesn’t rapidly seal the coating like oil frying, freezing the sticks for at least 30 minutes (or ideally 1–2 hours) is even more important to prevent cheese leakage.
  2. Preheat the Air Fryer: Set it to 400°F (200°C) for a few minutes.
  3. Oil the Coating: Lightly spray the breaded mozzarella sticks with cooking spray or brush with oil. This helps with browning and crispiness.
  4. Air Fry in Batches: Arrange in a single layer without touching.
  5. Cooking Time: 6–8 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping halfway through.

Check at 5 minutes—if the cheese starts leaking, they’re done. Otherwise, continue until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt right after removing, just like the original recipe.