How to determine by eye that the meat is fresh?
Good meat should be dry to the touch, without mucus, bright red in color, the meat should not have colored spots and traces of airing… Moreover, keep in mind that completely fresh – steamed – meat cannot be fried right away. Good frying restaurants use only those that have been stored under special conditions: in vacuum bags at a temperature of about 0 ° C for at least 14 days.
How to store fresh meat at home?
It is necessary, without cutting, keep whole piece in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 days… Wrapped in a waffle towel or non-woven cotton fabric. In no case should the meat be wrapped in film or put in a plastic bag, otherwise bacteria will quickly develop in it.
How to understand which parts of beef are best to fry, boil, stew?
When choosing meat, it is important to know that the softest meat is the muscles that are minimally used by animals when moving, and the toughest are the muscles that are maximally involved in movement… Without examining in detail the anatomy, we can say that the upper part of the carcass, starting from the back, is great for frying, the middle part for stewing, the lower part for boiling.
Well, if, when buying beef, we did not ask the seller which part this piece was from, we forgot. How do you know if it will be soft when cooked?
There is a very simple way. We take a large two-pronged fork and try to pierce a piece of meat. If the fork fits easily into the piece, it means the meat is good for frying. If it is impossible to pierce a piece or it is done with great effort, then such meat is suitable only for long-term cooking: stewing, boiling, baking.
Do you need to cut fat from meat before cooking?
If you are grilling meat, then cut all the fat off the piecet. When frying, it is the fat that gives the meat its taste and aroma. If you cook dishes from raw meat, such as tartar or carpaccio, then, of course, you need to remove all the fat, since it can spoil the taste of the dish when cold.
What is the best board for cutting meat? And which knife to take for this?
I prefer wooden planks. With proper care, this board is more hygienic than plastic. After use, the wooden board must be washed with a stiff brush and a little detergent and left to dry at room temperature.
If the board is large and thick, then sometimes the top layer should be removed from it with a plane. In no case should you leave the board in water for a long time and dry it after washing by the fire or in the oven. If you neglect these recommendations, the wooden board can be very deformed.
For slicing steaks, it is best to use long and wide blade… With such a knife, you can easily cut a piece of steak in two or three movements. This is necessary to avoid cuts on the steak, through which the meat can lose a lot of moisture when you start frying it, and, of course, it will become significantly drier and tougher.
They seem to have sorted out the preparation. What can you quickly cook from meat?
In my opinion, this is fryingmade from thinly sliced beef. It is better to choose the same meat for cooking as for steaks. It is best suited for quick frying. It is good to add to such meat. If you add a little flour and cream to the frying, you get beef stroganoff.