Being faced with the prospect of cooking meat isn’t something everyone enjoys being challenged with. Whether you’re an experienced cook or you’ve only just started cooking for yourself, there’s always something that can be learned when it comes to your culinary skills in the kitchen.
Cooking meat perfectly takes time and plenty of practice. When facing it as a beginner, there are certain tips to be more successful. Here are some top tips worth knowing.
Choose a high-quality distributor and cut
When it comes to cooking meat, you should first pick the best distributor around. Some might be lucky enough to have local butchers and fishmongers to provide them with fresh meat. However, most people will need to rely on the grocery stores to get the meat they desire.
Whether it’s chicken, turkey, or beef, you should find what cuts are perhaps the best for cooking. For example, when it comes to purchasing steak, there are different cuts to consider. Some are going to be more or less challenging to cook than others. With that in mind, make sure you’re choosing a high-quality distributor and the right cut before you continue.
Marinate the meat
Marinating the meat is an important next step. Meat by itself can still be very delicious but if you want to take your meat to the next level of deliciousness, then marinating is a great way to tenderize and flavor meat.
You’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to marinating the meat, as well as how long you wish to marinate it. The longer it’s marinated, the more flavorful it’s likely to be. It’s a good idea to check what marinades are most popular with different types of meat, as well as the length that you should leave the meat to marinate.
Make sure the pan is pre-heated if frying
When it comes to frying the meat, you should be mindful of what you are doing with the cooking utensils before. For example, when you’re cooking with a pan, you should be pre-heating the pan with all of your oils and herbs before placing the meat in the pan.
This is so that the pan reaches the optimum temperature to sear the meat, rather than slowly fry it. It’s always better to have the pan hot in general for all meat rather than putting the meat on when it’s cold.
Sear your meat
When popping your meat into the pan, you want to scorch the meat with a method of searing. This is a great way to lock in all the juices and flavor before you cook it any further.
Slow cook or bake
When it comes to cooking meat, you’ve got a number of cooking options from slow cooking to baking. Baked turkey tenderloin helps lock in all the moisture so that the meat is tender. With a slow cooker, you can make meat that falls off the bone effortlessly.
When cooking meat, you should follow the guidance of experienced cooks online and those you know. Use these tips to get the best out of your first cooking experience with meat.