By Julia Moskin

The chef Justin Smillie of Upland in Manhattan built the short rib dish that made him famous by seeking not a certain flavor, but a certain mouthfeel. “I knew how to get the flavor where I wanted it,” he said. “But the texture was the challenge.”

Like any chef, he knew how to braise a collagen-rich cut of meat to make it meltingly tender and umami-rich. But he wanted more: the crust of a steak and, for good measure, the juiciness of prime rib. Eventually, by steaming the meat in big pieces and applying a coat of cracked peppercorns, he reached his goal. (According to Dr. Linden, this quest makes sense: The most universally liked mouthfeel across human cultures is a crispy crust around a soft interior, like Middle Eastern falafel, Japanese tempura, Italian arancini, Indian samosas and French fries.)

In Mr. Smillie’s thrice-roasted chicken recipe (cooked first on the stovetop, then in the oven, then back to the stove to be basted in butter), all three steps move the dish toward a particular mouthfeel as well as flavor. Well before the cooking begins, the chicken is brined (for juicy flesh), then air-dried in the refrigerator (for crisp skin). All along the way, Mr. Smillie is touching, listening, sniffing, prodding: paying attention to all the cues that make the dish transcend the category of “roast chicken.”

“Sensory cooking is the opposite of technique,” Mr. Smillie said. “The formulas you learn in culinary school won’t make you a chef, but cooking with all your senses will.”