Page 55 - YC Cooking School

Preheat your heat source

Whether you use an oven, a frying pan or a grill, always make sure that your cookware is
preheated when using direct heat. If you don’t pre-heat, your meat will stew rather than
sizzle.

Season your meat at just the right time

Seasoning your meat will help it to develop a lovely crust when you cook it. So before it goes
into a pan, oven or grill, season it with salt and pepper or whatever other spices take your
fancy. Remember though that we’re not talking about seasoning two hours before, but
literally just before you apply it to your chosen heat source.

Avoid store-bought marinades
Although they’re temptingly convenient, store-bought marinades tend to mask the natural
flavour of the meat. They also caramelise and burn easily due to their high sugar and fat
content. Instead, go for a simple homemade marinade consisting of equal parts extra virgin
olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. When using marinade, brush it on just before you take
the meat off the heat.

Test for doneness using touch
If you’re not using a meat thermometer, use the five fingers method to cook your meat to
your desired level of doneness.

Resist turning your meat too often
Although it may feel satisfying, every time you lift or turn the meat you slow the cooking
process down, which makes you less likely to get a lovely crust. Try and turn your meat only
once.

Always rest your meat
Once you’ve removed your meat from the heat source, it’s crucial that it rests for 25-30% of
the total cooking time - even more for larger cuts. This is because meat contracts as it cooks,
which makes all its juices squeeze out the cells. If you cut into it the moment it comes off
the heat, all the juices will be expelled and end up on the carving board. By resting the
meat, you allow it to relax, which keeps all the juices inside and gives you a far tastier dish.

Cut across the grain
When carving or slicing red meat, make sure you always cut ‘across the grain’ or across the
muscle fibres. If you cut lengthways along these strands, the meat will be chewy.

Remember food safety
To prevent bacteria spreading, always wash your hands with hot soapy water in between
handling raw meat and other ingredients. It’s also really important to thoroughly wash any
work surfaces or utensils that have had contact with the raw meat before using them for
any other cooking.

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