Preparing Meat for Cooking
Thaw frozen meat in the fridge for 24 hours. Keep the frozen foods chilled while they thaw so they do not develop harmful bacteria. Meat in the fridge is safe to use 1 to 2 days after it’s completely thawed or it can be refrozen if you end up not using it. Larger meats will require more time to thaw in the fridge. For example, a large frozen turkey should be thawed in the fridge for 24 hours for every 5 pounds (2.3 kg) it weighs. You can also thaw meat in a sink filled with cold water. Put the meat in a water-tight bag and fully submerge it in the sink. Change the water every 30 minutes as it starts to warm up. Meat thawed this way needs to be cooked immediately. Never thaw foods at room temperature or else harmful bacteria could form.
Marinate meat for up to 12 hours for added flavor. Once the meat is thawed, put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag along with your meat and leave it in the fridge. Not only will it help tenderize your meat, but the meat will absorb the flavors and make your meat tastier. Marinating for longer than 12 hours can make your meat too mushy or stringy once it’s time to cook it. Marinades can be made with balsamic vinegar, red wine, or any liquid with herbs and spices.
Pull the meat out of the fridge at least 15-30 minutes before you cook it. Keep the meat on a baking tray or in a bag so you don’t contaminate your countertops. Meat that’s too cold will cook unevenly and make it overdone on the outside while it’s undercooked on the inside. EXPERT TIP Alex Hong Alex Hong Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner Alex Hong is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Sorrel, a New American restaurant in San Francisco. He has been working in restaurants for over ten years. Alex is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and has worked in the kitchens of Jean-Georges and Quince, both Michelin-starred restaurants. Alex Hong Alex Hong Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner Take the chill off meat before you cook it. Alex Hong, executive chef at Sorrel in San Francisco, says: "Temper whatever you're cooking by letting it come up to room temperature. It's going to cook so much more evenly. For instance, if you take a steak out of the refrigerator and leave it to come up to room temperature for 2 hours and then you cook it, the evenness will be almost perfect. If you take a cold steak out of the refrigerator and put it in a hot pan, you're going to get a giant grey mark around the steak."
Remove any excess fat from your cut with a knife. Hold the bit of fat with your non-dominant hand and pull it away from the meat until it’s taut. Cut with a chef’s knife where the fat meets the meat with a slow slicing motion. Tilt the knife towards the fat as you cut so you don’t remove portions of good meat. Remove small strips at a time so you have the most control. Leave some fat on the meat. The fat will render as you cook it and make your meat more flavorful. Cook meat like venison, buffalo, or chicken for lower fat content.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the seasonings right before you plan on cooking the meat. Sprinkle ¾ tsp (4 g) of salt and pepper per 1 lb (0.45 kg) and rub it in so the meat absorbs the flavor as it cooks. Add other spices and herbs if you want a more complex flavor, but usually a simple season will do the trick.
Cooking to the Proper Temperature
Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before serving. Stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Wait for the reading to determine if your meat has finished cooking. Sanitize the thermometer with hot water and dish soap after you take the reading. Pull the meat away from its heat source while you take the measurement so it doesn’t affect your reading.
Cook red meat to 145 °F (63 °C). Measure the temperatures of steaks, chops, or roasts until they are at the correct temperature. This includes beef, pork, lamb, or veal. Once the meat is at temperature, let it rest for 3 minutes. Don’t eat rare steaks if you have a weak immune system.
Make sure ground red meat is above 160 °F (71 °C). Break apart larger chunks of ground meat to make them cook faster. Make sure ground meat is browned all the way through before consumption.
Prepare poultry to 165 °F (74 °C). Every cut of poultry needs to be cook thoroughly since it can cause food poisoning when consumed raw. Make sure the poultry is an even color throughout and that the juices inside are clear.
Roasting Meat in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Keep the oven at a higher temperature to make the meat crispier and more firm. Start preheating your oven as you prepare the meat so that that it’s ready when you’re ready to start cooking. If you want tender meat that “falls off the bone,” keep your heat around 300–350 °F (149–177 °C). It will take longer to fully cook at lower heat.
Put your meat into the oven on a baking pan. Before placing the meat on the baking pan, oil it with cooking spray or your choice of cooking oil so the meat doesn’t stick to it. Add the meat, then place the pan on the center rack of the oven and close the door. If you’re cooking a full chicken, find a pan with an attachable wire rack. Place the chicken on the wire rack so heat can evenly cook all sides of the bird and makes the skin crispy. Avoid opening the door while the meat is cooking. Each time you open your oven, heat escapes and cooking your meat will take even longer.
Cook the meat until it reaches a safe internal temperature throughout. Cooking time depends on the size and type of meat you’re making. A smaller portion of meat will take around 30 to 40 minutes, but larger cuts or full roasts could take up to a few hours. Chicken breasts will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook, but a full chicken will take around an hour and a half. Cook steaks for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. Pork roasts vary on the cut you’re cooking, but it usually takes between 15 to 20 minutes per 1 lb (0.45 kg). Check the temperature after the first 30 minutes, and then every 15-20 minutes afterward.
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Don’t cut into the meat immediately after you pull it out of the oven or else the juices will run out and your meat will start to dry. Leave the meat to rest in the pan on the stovetop before cutting into it.
Grilling Meat
Turn your grill on or light the charcoal. Turn the starter dial on your gas grill to light it. If you have a charcoal grill, squirt a small amount of lighter fluid or use 2 crumbled pieces of newspaper and light it with a long-handled lighter. Let the grill preheat for 15 minutes with the lid on. Keep the temperature at a medium heat if you can control it. A grill that’s too hot will start to burn the outside of the meat while undercooking the inside. Make sure your grill grates are clean before you cook on them.
Lay your meat on the grill over the flames and close the lid. Spread your meat out evenly across the grates so they are over the flames. Immediately replace the lid so that the heat is contained. Make sure your meat isn’t dripping with marinade, otherwise it could cause the flames to flare up.
Flip your meat halfway through its cook time. Look at the sides of your meat to see a change of color. Red meats will start to brown and poultry will turn white as it cooks. Once you see the change of color halfway up your meat, use a pair of tongs or a long-handled spatula to turn your meat over so it can get grill marks on both sides. Rotate the meat in the middle of cooking each side to get the traditional crossing grill marks.
Grill the meat until it’s completely cooked. Chicken breasts take about 8 minutes per side when over direct heat, but 10 to 12 minutes if they’re not over a flame. Grill steaks that are thinner than 1.5 in (3.8 cm) for 5 minutes on each side, but use a meat thermometer to check the temperature for thicker steaks. Pork chops take between 12 to 20 minutes to fully cook over the grill. Always check the internal temperatures since grill heat may vary.
Searing Meat in a Pan
Heat an oiled skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Spread the cooking oil across the whole surface of the skillet by tipping and rotating it. Keep the skillet over the heat until the oil starts to ripple. Non-stick pans will make your sear less crispy. Opt for a cast iron skillet.
Place the meat on the pan once it’s piping hot. Make sure the meat isn’t dripping with marinade before you put it on the pan. Before the oil starts to smoke, lay the meat down in the center of the pan, or spread out smaller pieces of meat evenly so the meat isn’t crowded. Don’t move the meat around the pan once you’ve dropped it in.
Flip the meat once it has a dark-colored sear on the bottom. Use tongs or spatula to try and lift the meat off of the pan to check on the sear’s color. If the meat sticks to the pan, wait to flip it. Once you see a dark sear or the breading is golden brown, flip your meat over.
Cook the meat thoroughly. The size and type of meat will affect the time it takes for it to cook. A 6 oz (170 g) chicken breast will take approximately 5 minutes for each side to cook through. A beef steak or pork tenderloin that’s 1 in (2.5 cm) thick will take 3-4 minutes on each side. If your meat isn’t at the right temperature and you’re afraid of the pan burning it, remove the meat from the skillet and place it on a baking pan. Put it into your oven on the broil setting for 2-3 minutes before checking the temperature again.
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