Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Cooking
Cooking Tips by experts
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Cooking Cooking Tips by experts |
|
|
|
|
Roasting Meat - Temperatures and Times
Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see recipes that insist you should cook meat at high temperature for the first twenty minutes or so to seal it and then lower the level for the rest of the cooking time. This has become the fashionable way and I'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with a lack of time in an age when both partners tend to work for a living. What I am certain about is that this is not the best way to treat a prime roast. Nor does it 'seal' it. Let's put this myth to bed once and for all. Cooking meat at high temperature, whether in the oven, on the barbecue or in a pan does not seal it! It burns it. That's why it goes brown. And it introduces extra flavor, because the outside of the meat generally has a covering of fat. Fat is what gives meat it's unique flavor. However adding this crust to the outside of the meat will also speed up the cooking of the rest of the joint, and reduce the amount that remains rare. It will not produce the even finish you see in hotel and restaurant carveries. To achieve that you need slow, low temperature cooking plus regular basting. Basting is simply taking the juices from the bottom of the pan and pouring them back over the cooking meat from time to time. By doing this, and cooking at the right temperature, you will produce far more succulent results. Browning will still take place, but gently, as part of a process. Let's look at the basic method. Do you use a roasting tin? Well don't. It's not a good idea to cook meat inside a roasting tin, because the bottom of it tends to be sitting in liquid, much of which is water. A much better way is to place the joint directly on the rungs of the oven with the roasting tin underneath it. In this way, you can pack vegetables in the roasting tin and they will cook nicely in the juices from the meat. If you don't like that idea, because it means you have to clean the rungs after use, put the meat on top of a rack in or on the roasting tin instead. You don't need to buy a special tin for this, simply use a cake rack or something similar. I have even used two or three kebab skewers and rested the joint on those. However the advantage of cooking directly on the rungs is that the air circulates freely round the joint, ensuring even cooking, and you can remove the roasting tin to make your gravy while leaving the meat where it is. Of course, if you do that, you will want to put some kind of drip tray under the joint, but any ovenproof dish will do for that. Temperatures and cooking times Using my method (actually it's Graham Kerr's method which I've adopted but what the heck) you don't need to learn a lot of complicated temperature/time formulas. Cook your red meat at 350°F,180°c,gas mark 4. Cook poultry at 325°F,160°c,gas mark 3. Calculate your cooking time as 30 minutes for every 500 grams (roughly 1lb) of meat. This will produce thoroughly cooked poultry, beef that is well cooked on the outside and rare inside, pink lamb and pork (yes you can safely eat 'underdone' pork providing the internal temperature reaches 145°F. The danger bug is trichinae, which dies at temperatures greater than 135°F). Remember to add an extra 30 minutes if you are using stuffing. If you want to change anything - alter your cooking times accordingly but beware. There is a very thin line between meat that is well done and boot leather. If rare meat is more than you can handle, it's a much better idea to use my cooking times but then turn the oven off and leave the meat in it for a further 30 minutes or so. Which brings me to one more point; it's very important to let the meat stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Why? Because when you heat protein (which is what meat is) it shrinks and toughens. Allowing it to relax and cool a little restores some of its elasticity. However it will continue to cook for a while after leaving the oven and the internal temperature will increase by as much as a further 10 degrees. Which is why you need a good 20 minutes resting time. Just keep it in a warm place with a sheet of cooking foil over the top while you prepare the greens and gravy. During the 1990s Michael Sheridan was head chef of the Pierre Victoire restaurant in London's West End, specializing in French cuisine. An Australian, he is a published author on cooking matters, and runs a free membership club for busy home cooks at http://thecoolcook.com
MORE RESOURCES: See the complete list of Articles on Cooking Tips here Have a look at Best Selling Books on Cooking Tips
See also : Other articles on
Depression,
Grief Loss,
Happiness,
Humor,
Inspirational,
Motivation,
Latest info on : Cooking tips
Google News Why not be an expert yourself ? If you can write on
any of the above topic, you are welcome to submit your Submit
your article here |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Grilling Tips - Safety Comes First at the Barbecue You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun, wiping the sweat from your brow, and having your favorite cool drink. You are making one of your favorite grill recipes for the neighbors that are coming over in a few minutes for a home and garden party. Rice Cookers - Perfect Rice Every Time Love fluffy cooked rice but dislike the preparation time and clean up? Then rice cookers maybe just what you need. Today's rice cooker is a thrifty time saving device for anyone's kitchen. Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef With the holidays on their way soon, many people will be beefing up kitchens to handle the increased demand for 'fit for a king' meals. Not being a professional Chef shouldn't stop you from being able to cook like one. Kitchenaid Stand Mixers - A Kitchen Work Horse Kitchenaid stand mixers are very popular in today's kitchens and it is easy to see why. These stand mixers have stood the test of time and have shown themselves to be kitchen work horses. ServSafe Food Program in Montana a Success Montana has a great program for restaurant employees. Each preparer of foods to the public must go through a special program where they learn at what temperatures food must be served and how to keep the place clean. Do a Dry Rub First The debate on ribs has ended in my home. After years of toil I have finally capitulated and agreed to make ribs the fool proof way every time. Cake Pans Cake pans?.the secret behind every successful cake. Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy the variety of bread machine mixes. And you don't have to make blocky, square loaves with holes in the bottom. Bread in the Woods We really like fresh bread while we're camping. There is something about bread products that just seems especially good in the woods. How to Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes that you enjoy at your favorite restaurant, but have no idea where to start to achieve that wonderful and delightful flavor?There are a variety of ways to create the best garlic mashed potatoes that you have ever tasted but when it comes down to which way is best is according to your own taste buds.When you take a look at garlic you will see that there are various kinds of garlic that you can use for your mashed potatoes such as German red garlic, Spanish Roja garlic, Leningrad garlic, and Yugoslavian. How to Bake: Muffins (with recipes) Muffins are a mainstay around our house. They are as nourishing as they are good to eat. Hot Apple Pie - The American Apple Pie Legacy While each country might have its own preferred style, "American Style" apple pie includes your basic pie with apples in it, spiced up with cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Some folks top it off with a scoop of ice cream (such as vanilla) and this is known as "Apple Pie a la mode. Solving The 7 Most Common Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistakes Let's face it EVERY cook makes mistakes (yes, even usprofessional bakers make boo boo's).I'm going to list here, the 7 most common wholewheat bread baking mistakes that you're probably making, ormight make if you're not forewarned, and what you can do aboutthem. How to Grill Most Any Vegetable You Can Think Of! Grilling vegetables is easy. The fact that more people don't do it is the strange thing. Secrets of Great Breads Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread is a matter of using the right ingredients and the right techniques-there's no single secret that will make perfect bread. Fruit Cake Are you the fruit cake in your family? Before you raise your eyebrow, I would suggest you read on to know what I mean.The fruit cake has tantalized the world for centuries. The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at home? Invest in a wok! Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to create a delicious, healthy dinner in minutes. Learn to prepare meals the Asian way: light on meat, heavy on the vegetables, and quick-cooked on high heat to retain vitamins and flavors. How to Choose the Right Smoke for the Right BBQ Dish BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add a nice touch of flavor to a grilled dish. You'll be amazed at how many different flavors there are! Knowing which smoke is the best match for different BBQ flavors can be a challenge though. Barbecue for You In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well,we have been doing it as far back as time candenote. Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apples When buying apples, look for those that are firm and brightly colored. Shiny red for Macintosh, Rome and red Delicious.
|
|
You are here |
|
| Cooking Tips Home | All Cooking Tips- complete list | |
|
Main Home | | Meditation Corner | |
|
|
| Recommend us | |
|
[About
us] [Contact] [Privacy
Policy]
Copyright 2006, Meditation
is Easy.com, All
rights reserved
