WORKING WITH RAW MEAT

When you are working with any meat, there are a few cardinal rules to remember.

1. When you are preparing your meal don’t leave uncooked or raw meat at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. If you are marinating the meat, place it in the refrigerator for the required amount of time.

2. If you do not plan on using the meat for more than 2 days, wrap it up in freezer paper or a freezer proof container and freeze until needed. If the meat has already been frozen and defrosted once, do not refreeze.

3. When you are ready to use the meat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Do not allow meat to thaw on a countertop.

4. After you are done handling the raw meat, or in between steps of your recipe before you touch other items or ingredients in your kitchen, wash your hands well with soap and water.

STIR FRY PREPARATION

Preparation of vegetables and meat is usually more time consuming than the actual cooking.

When stir frying, high heat is used to cook meat and vegetables quickly in a very small amount of oil.

The largest amount of time will be spent fine chopping aromatics such as garlic, green onion, ginger, or chili, and cutting meat and vegetables into uniformly sized pieces.

This can include thin slices, shreds, or a medium dice.

It is important that all of the sizes are the same size for quick and uniform cooking.

It is not necessary to own Asian cooking utensils, such as a seasoned wok and a long handled scoop, but they will make your task easier.

A wok is made to concentrate the heat in the center of the pan for cooking, and the edges acting as a warm resting area to leave your food after it has completed it's cooking cycle in the center.

A long spatula or scoop is used to keep the food in motion, by stirring, lifting and tossing.

This will insure that each piece is evenly exposed to the heat without scorching and to seal in the flavor as well as keeping your hands away from the heat.

Once you begin the actual cooking occurs very rapidly, and so it is important to have everything ready and near the stove before you begin.

I like to cut each ingredient and place it in a separate bowl. Now when you are ready to start cooking, you just pick up the bowl for the items that you are ready to cook and dump it in.

If you don't have a wok, you can use a skilled and a large sauce pan for the same results if need be.

Heat the skillet to high heat, and place a nonstick saucepan over Medium Low heat.

Now cook each item in the skillet, when it is done cooking place it in the sauce pan.

When you are ready to complete your dish, place everyting back in to the skillet and prepare the sauce.

FLANK STEAK HELP

If you have cooked flank steak before and you found that the edges keep curling up on you, try this the next time that you are preparing one.

Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the steak with diagonal slits making a diamond design.

Do this to the front and the back of the steak before seasoning.

Also make a few slits in any fat that is around the outside edges of the steak.

These cuts will also help to tenderize the steak.

PICKING OUT A PORK CHOP I

You decided that you want to make pork chops for dinner, but when you are looking at all the choices you are not sure what you are looking for.

You are looking for pork chops that have good neutral color ranging from grayish pink to reddish brown with a very firm texture.

You should avoid pork shops that have a deep dark color or blemishes/brown spots.

The meat should be moist, but not sticky or dry.

If the pork chops look extremely pale, very soft to the touch or are sitting in a pool of pink liquid avoid purchasing.

Take a look and see if there have been any enhancements made to the meat.

It will say someplace on the packaging that it has been "enhanced" or "not infused with more than XX% water" When you see this, it means that you are not only paying for the pork, but you are also paying for extra water that the chop has been soaked in or infused with. When you cook it you may not have optimum results.

LEFT OVER HAM

So you just got done with your ham dinner and you have some scraps that are left over.

There is not enough for a sandwich, but you hate to throw anything away.

Cut up the left over pieces of ham into small cubes and freeze in a tightly sealed container or bag in the freezer.

Now when you are making up scrambled eggs or macaroni and cheese, throw in a handful for a quick pick me up!

BROWN BAG TURKEY HINT

You are getting ready to make your Thanksgiving Turkey with the old recipe that your mother used. The recipe has you place the bird into a paper bag and bake it.

Now days you are not going to want to do this. Most brown bags that are provided by your local grocer are made from recycled paper products and may contain harmful chemicals.

Instead, just run to the store and pick up a plastic baking bag that is designed specifically for this purpose.

COOKING A STUFFED TURKEY

Cooking a stuffed turkey can be a bit tricky. No matter what method you choose, you will need to make sure that you bake your bird to an internal meat temperature of 165º in an oven no less than 325º.

If you cook the turkey at any temperature less than that the stuffing will not cook thoroughly. The stuffing internal temperature needs to be more than 140º to kill any bacteria.

Using a slow cooking method with a stuffed bird has been known to cause numerous food poisening cases.

DRESSING UP A STORE BOUGHT HAM

Everyone has done this, they have bought one of the cheapest hams that they could find out of necessity.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. There are some really good inexpensive hams out there if you just read the ingredients carefully.

Once you get the ham home and pop it in the oven, set the timer so that you can dress it up a bit in the last 45 minutes of cooking.

While the ham is baking, mix together 1 cup Brown Sugar, 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard, 3 Tablespoons Vinegar and 1 Tablespoon Honey.

Pour over the ham for the final 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.

Serve the hot glaze on the side as a dipping sauce.

SAUSAGE PATTIES

You have decided to cook sausage, but you have never cooked it before. You look all over the packaging, and there is really nothing to help you out.

Here is a quick guide for cooking Ground Sausage that is not in links.

Uncooked ground/patties can be pan fried or baked.

Make your sausage patties approximately ½ inch thick.

Pan Fry - Place on a preheated greased skillet on Medium heat. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes, and turn patty over. Continue cooking another 5-7 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Bake – Place your ½ inch thick patties onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 400º F. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until juices run clear.

GRILLING/ROASTING VARIOUS STEAKS

When grilling meat on a barbeque it is usually a mystery as to how long to cook it for. The best way to tell doneness is to check the internal temperature. Invest in a good meat thermometer. I found one that is cordless so I can stick the probe in the meat and carry the unit around the house with me and it will beep when it is almost done and give updates on temperature. There are many varieties on the market so find one that works for you.

Here is a quick list of different types of meat and their temperature.

Turn each item over once about half way through the cooking time with a spatula or tongs. Don’t use a fork as it will pierce the meat and cause juices to escape that will leave the meat dry.

Don’t forget to remove the meat from the cooking source when the temperature reaches about 5º below the doneness level. As the meat sits before serving it will continue to cook a bit.

Flank Steak, Beef (¾ inch thick) is generally served medium at 150º. Cook for 12-14 minutes over medium coals, turning once about half way through the cooking time.

Chuck, Blade, Top Round Steak (1 inch thick) can be cooked to 140º - Rare 14-16 minutes, 150º medium for 18-20 minutes, 170º well done for 22-24 minutes, cook over medium coals, turning once about half way through the cooking time.

Chuck, Blade, Top Round Steak (1 ½ inch thick) can be cooked to 140º - Rare 19-26 minutes, 150º medium for 27-32 minutes, 170º well done for 33-38 minutes. Cook over medium coals, turning once about half way through the cooking time.

Top Loin, Tenderloin, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin, Rib and Ribeye Steaks (1 inch thick) can be cooked to 140º - Rare 8-12 minutes, 150º medium for 12-15 minutes, 170º well done for 16-20 minutes. Cook over medium hot coals, turning once about half way through the cooking time.

Top Loin, Tenderloin, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin, Rib and Ribeye Steaks (1 ½ inch thick) can be cooked to 140º - Rare 14-18 minutes, 150º medium for 18-22 minutes, 170º well done for 24-28 minutes. Cook over medium hot coals. Veal Chops (1 inch thick) are generally served medium 150º to well done 170º for 19-23 minutes over medium coals.

Lamb chops (1 inch thick) are generally served rare 140º for 10-14 minutes or medium 150º for 14-16 minutes over medium hot coals.

Pork Blade Steak (½ inch thick) is generally served at 170º well done for 10-12 minutes over medium hot coals.

Pork Chops (¾ inch) are generally served at 150º medium to 170º well done for 12-14 minutes over medium hot coals.

Ground Patties made of Beef, Lamb, or Pork (3/4 inch, about 4 per pound) are generally cooked to medium150º for 12-14 minutes or well done 170º for 15-18 minutes.

BAKING/GRILLING HAM

It is always hard to decide how to cook a cut of meat, and how to tell when it is done. Usually with meat, doneness is determined by internal temperature. Invest in a good meat thermometer. I found one that is cordless so I can stick the probe in the meat and carry the unit around the house with me and it will beep when it is almost done and give updates on temperature. There are many varieties on the market so find one that works for you.

Ham is generally cooked to 140ºF in a 325ºF oven.

4-6 pounds of Boneless Ham can be roasted in an oven for 1¼ -2½ hours, or grilled over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

3-4 pounds of Pieces of Boneless Ham can be roasted in the oven for 1½ to 2¼ hours, or grilled over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

5-8 pounds of Smoked Picnic Ham can be roasted in the oven for 2-4 hours or grilled over indirect heat for 2-3 hours.

ROASTING/GRILLING PORK

It is always hard to decide how to cook a cut of meat, and how to tell when it is done. Usually with meat, doneness is determined by internal temperature. Invest in a good meat thermometer. My husband found one that is cordless so I can stick the probe in the meat and carry the unit around the house with me and it will beep when it is almost done and give updates on temperature. There are many varieties on the market so find one that works for you.

Don’t forget to remove the meat from the cooking source when the temperature reaches about 5º below the doneness level. As the meat sits before serving it will continue to cook a bit.

Pork is generally cooked to 160ºF (med well)-170ºF (well done) in a 325º F oven.

2-4 pound Single Loin Boneless Top Loin Roast 1-1 ½ hours to roast in the oven, or 1-1 ¼ hours to grill over indirect heat.

3-5 pounds Double Loin, Tied Boneless Top Loin Roast will roast for 1¾-2½ hours in the oven, or 1¼ -2½ hours to grill over indirect heat.

2-4 pounds Loin Back Ribs or Spareribs (Roast at 350º) 1½ -1 ¾ hours (well done) or 1¼- 1½ hours to grill over indirect heat.

2-4 pounds Country Style Ribs (Roast at 350º) 1½-2 hours (well done), or grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

3-4 pounds Loin Blade or Sirloin Roast 1 ¾-2 ½ hours to roast in the oven, or grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

3-5 pounds Loin Center Rib Roast 1½-2½ hours to roast in the oven or 1¼-2½ hours to grill over indirect heat.

6-8 pounds Rib Crown Roast 2–3½ hours to roast in the oven, or grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

¾ to 1 pound Tenderloin (Roast at 425ºF) 25-35 minutes to roast in the oven, or 30-45 minutes to roast over indirect heat.

BEEF ROAST WITH SPOONS?

You have always heard that you shouldn't puncture meat when you are cooking it. You are making a roast, but how do you turn it?

Drop your forks and grab a couple of wooden spoons.

Now when you are ready to turn your roast, grab ahold of it with your spoons and turn it.

Now you will have a juicier roast because you didn't puncture it and let precious juices run out.

NO MORE MESSY MEATLOAF

When you are making meat loaf, you really don't like to get your hands in there and mix it up.

The next time that you make some meatloaf try placing all of the ingredients into a large zip bag.

Now when you are ready to mix it up, press most of the air out of the bag and knead the bag to mix all of the ingredients together.

Now just gently shape your meatloaf a bit and drop it out of your bag into your baking dish.

Bake away and your family will enjoy!

MEATLOAF PIE

A fun and unique way to make meatloaf for your family is to pat the meat into a pie plate instead of the standard loaf pan.

Reduce the baking time by about 2/3 and check frequently for doneness. (Recipes Vary for cooking times)

To serve the “Meatloaf Pie” cut it into wedges the same as a regular pie, and using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop of mashed potato’s on top.

Cover it all with gravy and you have a meal that will be a hit!

Marinating Magic

If your family is like my family, summer time is for spending out in the pool, not cooking in a hot kitchen.

We love to BBQ in the summer, but some evenings it just seems that you run out of time to let something marinate.

The next time that you go shopping place each serving of fresh meat into a large re-sealable plastic freezer bags.

Mix up your favorite marinade and pour into the bag and seal well.

Place the bag in a large storage container with sides (in case your bag drips) in your freezer.

Now when you pull each serving out and defrosts for dinner, your meat is marinating itself while you are having fun!

Roasting/Grilling Lamb

It is always hard to decide how to cook a cut of meat, and how to tell when it is done. Usually with meat, doneness is determined by internal temperature. Invest in a good meat thermometer. My husband found one that is cordless so I can stick the probe in the meat and carry the unit around the house with me and it will beep when it is almost done and give updates on temperature. There are many varieties on the market so find one that works for you.

Don’t forget to remove the meat from the cooking source when the temperature reaches about 5º below the doneness level. As the meat sits before serving it will continue to cook a bit.

Lamb is generally cooked to 160º F in a 325º F oven.

4-7 pounds of Boneless Leg Roast will take 2-4 hours to roast in the oven, or 2¼-3¾ hour to grill over indirect heat.

2-3 pounds of Boneless Rolled Shoulder Roast will take 1¼-2 hours to roast in the oven, or 1½-2¼ hours to grill over indirect heat.

1½-2½ pounds of Rib Roast will take 1 to 1½ hours to roast in the oven, or grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.

5-7 pounds Whole Leg Roast will take 2-3 hours to roast in the oven, or 2¼ to 2½ hours to grill over indirect heat.

SAUSAGE LINKS

You have decided to cook sausage, but you have never cooked it before. You look all over the packaging, and there is really nothing to help you out.

Here is a quick guide for cooking Uncooked Links.

Small Links (3/4” diameter) Place the sausage links into a skillet that has been preheated to Medium heat and lightly greased. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often until all of the sausages are light brown, and the juices run clear.

Bake – Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear. Large Links (1 to 1 ¼” diameter) Fill a large skillet with ½” water. Place the links in the water and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Drain off the water and return the pan to medium heat. Continue to cook stirring often until the sausages are brown on all sides.

BBQ – Preheat grill to medium indirect heat. Grill for 10-12 minutes, or until juices run clear.

PRE-COOKED SAUSAGE

You have decided to cook sausage, but you have never cooked it before. You look all over the packaging, and there is really nothing to help you out. Here is a quick guide for cooking Fully Cooked Links.

Place the links into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to go half way up the links. Place on Medium/High heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to Low and Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through.

BBQ – Preheat grill to medium indirect heat. Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.

HOW MUCH MEAT SHOULD I BUY?

It is always hard to try to determine how much meat you need to buy when preparing a meal. This is just a partial list that will give you a general idea on how many servings you can usually get from various types of meat. You can use this as a rule of thumb when making your meat purchases, but remember that how much meat you really need is also dependent on how you prepare it and what your side dishes will be.

Meat	Servings
1 pound Beef Round Steak	3 servings
2 pound Beef Pot Roast	6 servings
1 pound Liver	4 servings
6 pound Lamb/Veal Leg	6 servings
1 pound Lamb/Veal Chops	3 servings
2 pound Pork Spareribs	4 servings
2 pound Ham	6 servings

Something About Sausage

You are in the grocery store and you are looking at Sausage. There are so many kinds, but how do you use them all.

I have picked a few of the most popular kinds to help you decide which ones you need for your recipe.

Chorizo - There are actually 2 kinds of chorizo, so you will want to pay attention to the packaging before you buy it.

Mexican Chorizo is a ground pork sausage. You can find it in a link or by the pound. It is raw, so you must cook it before you use it.

Spanish Chorizo is a dry cured pork sausage that is sold in links. You can use it in many dishes or serve alone. You can slice it or cube it depending on your use. It is cured so it does not need to be cooked.

Andouille - This is a cajun style sausage and it can be very spicy depending on the manufacturer. It is a pork sausage and it can be used to spicen up most cajun dishes.

Kielbasa - This is a polish styled sausage that is made of pork, and sometimes beef. Kielbasa is made with milder spices that chorizo or andouille, but heavier in garlic. It is pre-cooked, but it is usually best if reheated. It can be sliced or cubed. It is commonly served in beans or stews, or with sourkraut.

Seasoning Simplicity

You have a thin cut of meat that you need to season, the only problem is that every time you lie it down it sticks to the plate or pan and the meat is beginning to fall apart.

To minimize handling with thin cuts of meat, sprinkle your seasoning into a baking dish large enough to hold your meat. Then take the meat directly from the package and place it into the dish. Now just sprinkle the top with more seasoning.

Both sides are seasoned, and the seasoning will help prevent the meat from sticking, now all you have to do is transfer the meat to your cooking surface.

Picking a Pot Roast

You want to make a pot roast but you don't know what you are looking for or how to pick out the best one.

You can pick any roast that is from the chuck (shoulder) section. Make sure that you pick one up that is boneless.

It may be named shoulder pot roast, boneless chuck roast, or boneless chuck blade roast.

Look for a roast that is brightly colored red and that is firm to the touch. Avoid any roasts that have an off color or slightly gray as they may be older. Also check to make sure that there is not too much liquid in the package or warm to the touch.

STIR FRY HINTS AND TIPS

When preparing meat for a stir-fry you find that you are having a hard time cutting up the meat into thin slices.

You will find that you can cut the meat easier if you freeze the meat for 20-35 minutes before cutting.

Now you will get thinner more uniform slices.

FREEZING TIPS III

When you are preparing your meat for freezing, you want to make sure that you get the best kind of freezer paper as possible.

The kind that you can get in the grocery store is adequate for short term freezing.

If you want better quality paper check your local warehouse stores and see if they have any large rolls available. These rolls will be quite large and cost between $20-$50.

If you do not have access to any, just wander down to your local butcher and ask if you could purchase a roll or section of their paper.

DEFROSTING MEAT

Frozen meat should be defrosted in the refrigerator not on a counter top.

Place the meat in your refrigerator on a platter or in a bowl to catch any juices that may leak from the package.

For a large cut of meat allow 4-7 hours per pound, for a small cut of meat allow 3-5 hours per pound, for Steaks allow 12 – 14 hours.

You can also defrost meat during cooking time; just increase your cooking time to 1 ½ of the original cooking time to the recipe time.

You will want to monitor the cooking process closely to make sure that it is cooking according to your schedule.

FREEZING MEAT I

When you are freezing meat, make sure that it is wrapped securely in freezer paper.

The easiest way to wrap it is to cut out a piece of butcher paper 3x larger than your cut of meat in a square.

Place the meat at one of the points.

Holding the point to your meat, roll the meat toward the center of your paper.

Once you have reached the center of the paper, take the 2 opposing sides and fold them tightly over your meat.

Continue to roll the meat toward the last point and tape securely.

When you place the package in the freezer place it so that the seam is facing the top of the freezer.

If you do this then you have less chance of excess blood leaking out of the package and making a mess in your freezer.

CUTTING RAW BEEF

If you have a recipe where you need to cut up uncooked beef, partially freeze the beef before you start cutting.

When the meat is partially frozen and firm, the meat can now easily be cut into strips or cubes as needed for the recipe that you are preparing.

SLOPPY TACOS

If you have problems with the meat falling out of your tacos and burritos, simply add a can of refried beans for each pound of ground beef that you have prepared.

This will bind together your mixture as well as extending it if you have some unexpected company.

EASY MEATBALLS

The next time that you are making meatballs, try this quick and easy tip for making the perfect meatballs.

Preheat your oven to 350º.

Line a baking sheet that has at least a 1/4 inch rim with aluminum foil.

Make up your meatball recipe as normal.

Using a 1 inch cookie scoop make your meatballs and place directly on the cookie sheet.

Once all of the meatballs have been made, Bake for 20-25 minutes.

While they are baking, prepare your favorite sauce.

Once the meatballs are done baking, just drain off the excess fat and place the meatballs into the prepared sauce.

Let simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend and finish the cooking process on the meatballs.

STEWING OVER NO BEEF STEW MEAT?

You want to make a stew but you don’t have any beef stew meat ready to go.

You can sometimes save some money by making your own. The best cut for stew meat is usually a roast or round steak. When you go shopping browse the sales and see what is available.

When you get it home simply cut off any extra fat or marbling and cut the meat into 1 inch squares. I will place appropriate servings into tightly sealed bags and freeze. Now when I am ready to make up a stew, I just grab a bag and it is ready to go.

Fortunately you can use almost any cut of beef, chicken or pork for a stew. If you have unexpected company it is a great meal to serve as it tastes great and it extends supplies that you already have.

For an even more impressing meal, locate some bread bowls or "cannon ball" style bread. Cut out off the top 1/4 of the bread, hollow it out, serving the bread that you remove from the bowl with spinache dip as an appetizer. When ready to serve, just spoon stew into the bowl and serve piping hot.

BUYING BEEF

Type of Meat	Servings
Boneless Beef - To include Ground Beef, Roasts, Steaks and Variety Beef	3-5 Servings per Pound depending on usage
Cuts with a little bones - This would be steaks with small bones	3 –4 Servings per Pound
Cuts with medium bones - This would include bone in roasts, chuck roasts and larger steaks	2 – 3 Servings per Pound
Cuts with large bones - Ribs and short ribs	1 - 2 Servings per Pound

It is always hard to tell how much beef to buy. When making your purchase you do need to remember that the amount of servings per person is greatly affected by how much fat or bone is in the cut of meat. This is just a general rule of thumb for helping you get the correct amount.

MEAT - IS IT DONE?

You are cooking a nice cut of meat. The recipe says to cook it to a certain temperature. You just got a meat thermometer, but you aren’t exactly sure how to use it.

This actually may take you a few times of using to get the meat to your liking, but they are pretty easy to use.

To get the most accurate reading possible, insert the thermometer into the meat at the thickest spot.

You will need to make sure that the thermometer does not touch or is not near a bone. The bone will give you a false reading as it heats up faster than the rest of your meat.

Place your meat in the oven and begin cooking. Check the thermometer every 15 minutes or so.

When the thermometer reads about 5-10º lower than the temperature that you need for your recipe, push the thermometer into the meat a little more. If the temperature drops, return the meat to the oven for a few more minutes and try again. If the temperature remains the same or goes up, remove the meat from the oven.

Keeping the meat in the baking dish, or removing it to the serving dish, cover the meat with foil or a lid and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. Doing this allows all of the juices to absorb into the meat and the temperature will increase 5-10º while it is sitting.

Now when you cut the meat for serving most of the juices will stay in the meat instead of running out and causing the meat to have a “dry” taste.