4 Golden Rules for Cooking Meat
Cooking meat is one of the most critical parts of a home-cooked meal. There are many ways to cook a good steak, but there are also many ways to ruin it. If you want your meat to come out juicy and delicious each time, then you have four golden rules that should never be broken.
#1 Use high heat
The first golden rule is to use high heat. When cooking meat, you want to get a good sear on the outside. This will create a delicious crust and lock in all of the juices. If your meat is cooked over low heat, it will become dry and tough. If you are using a pan or grill, make sure that it is hot before adding the meat.
You should hear a sizzle when you add it to the pan. If not, wait until the pan or grill is hot enough before adding the meat. You can also test if your pan or grill is hot enough by throwing some water on it. If it evaporates quickly, then your pan or grill is ready for steak!
#2 Be patient
The second golden rule is to cook your meat for the right amount of time. For example, if you are searing or grilling steak, or even if you’re using a Turkey Hanger, then you should only flip it once (unless otherwise specified). Flipping too many times will cause uneven cooking and make the outside tougher than the inside.
If using a slow cooker, there’s no need to sear your meat before putting it into the pot since this method uses low heat over long periods of time. However, if possible, try not overcooking your food as it can lead to dryness and toughness even with lower temperatures!
And in general, there are so many meaty recipes that are just much more delicious if you have given them plenty of time. That would be true of the best meatloaf recipe, for instance, as well as many other similar recipes out there. So it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are being truly and fully patient. If you are, then the results are always going to be that much better in the end.
#3 Leave room for browning
The third golden rule is to leave room for browning. After searing or grilling your meat, you should let it sit on a cutting board or grill pan with tented foil so that the juices can redistribute throughout the steak. You will know if this step was done correctly by how much juice collects in the tented foil- not too little and not too much!
If there’s very little juice, then you might have overcooked your food. On the other hand, if there are large pools of liquid collecting in between slices of meat, then clearly something went wrong during cooking time! Finally, allow enough space for browning since it gives great texture without adding extra fat from frying.
#4 Let it rest before cutting into it
The fourth and final golden rule is to let your meat rest before cutting into it. This will allow the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the steak. If you cut into it right away, all of the delicious juice will escape and end up on your plate or in the sink! An excellent way to tell if your meat has rested enough is by using a thermometer- when it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s ready to be sliced!
Cooking meat doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you remember these four golden rules! By following them each time, you can guarantee that your meat will come out cooked perfectly every time.
