High-quality meat costs more wherever you buy it, which is why how you cook it matters. You
can make different dishes with it and know how to make the bold flavors shine every time you
cook for your family.
Thankfully, the more premium the meat, the less you need to make it more
flavorful. Here are four excellent tips to remember when cooking with the best meat you can
find.
Meat Must Be In Room Temperature Before Cooking
Food safety regulations in the United States can be restricting, and restaurants must follow these
procedures when cooking for the public.
However, cooking good-quality meat at home doesn’t have to be stressful. You can thaw the meat off the fridge until it reaches room temp of about 72°F (22° C).
Getting the meat to room temp allows it to cook more evenly, producing a juicier and
more flavorful taste.
But whatever the quality of the meat you buy from a trusted butcher, waiting for it to defrost in
time for dinner can be a long wait if you’re not using the technique.
Take the meat out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Red meats like beef,
lamb and pork can stay good until five days.
Ground meat, seafood, and poultry can remain for another day.
Other ways to defrost meat in time for dinner is by placing the cut meat into a resealable bag,
squeezing out air, and submerging it in cold water.
Keep changing the water every half an hour until it thaws. You can also defrost frozen meat in under 10 minutes if you have a microwave.
Try Marinating In Vegetables Or Fruits
Nobody likes tough meat, especially when you’re making a delicious summer dinner or any
other season. There are ways to cook it, but overcooking can harden the meat.
An effective way to soften the meat is by utilizing the proteolytic enzymes in fruits and vegetables before cooking the meat at high temperatures.
You can marinate meat in kiwi and pineapple or onion and ginger. These fruits and veggies
contain the enzymes necessary for breaking down protein and tenderizing the meat.
Chop them up and massage them into the meat, marinating for two hours or up to half a day.
But since you’re cooking for dinner, you don’t have to take as long as an hour.
When working with steak, lamb, chicken, or pork, you can marinate the meat for as quick as 15 to 20 minutes.
That half an hour or so makes a world of difference.
There are other ways to marinate meat, but you should also take note of marinating meats safely.
Always marinate inside the refrigerator to prevent dangerous bacteria from growing at room
temperature.
Also, avoid reusing the marinade for cooking. When it’s ready for cooking, bacteria are already in the marinade from the raw meat.
Use A Meat Thermometer
If you’re unsure if the meat cooking on the stove or oven is ready for eating, using a meat
thermometer is ideal.
It’s one of the best cooking tools for both professional and home chefs. Beef, pork, veal, lamb, and fish must reach 145° F (62.7° C) for no longer than three minutes.
Some chefs cook specific types of seafood at lower temperatures to keep them moist. If you’re
cooking poultry, they should reach 165° F (73.8° C) before it’s safe to eat.
If want a certain level of doneness, a meat thermometer can also help you find the suitable
doneness for beef or pork dishes. But it’s also important to remember that meat continues to
cook even after taking it off the heat.
Still, the size of the cut meat matters. It’s advisable to use a digital thermometer with a large display for easy reading. Use it to determine when to stop cooking before it reaches the right temperature.
Larger cuts of premium meat keep cooking for 20 minutes after removal from heat, while small and thin cuts last only for one minute. Rest the meat first before eating, as the juices redistribute, making the meat more
delicious.
Manage Your Expectations
When cooking with premium meat, the reality is that you won’t always cook everything
perfectly.
Cooking for dinner can be challenging because you’re coming home from a long day.
But making a homecooked meal instead of eating out is already a success.
You can save and savor the fruits of your labor to create a meal you and your family can enjoy.
In Conclusion
Cooking dinner for the family can be challenging, especially when using premium meat.
But you don’t have to overthink and keep stressing because there are ways to cook high-quality meat.
For one, you can cook premium meat faster and safer without sacrificing flavors by marinating it
for at least half an hour, using a meat temperature to determine doneness, and avoiding
overcooking.
There are more ways to handle different kinds of premium meats. Still, the more
you learn, the more you can put them into practice.
