4.1.4 Pre Read.docx

Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Dry-Heat Cooking 1](#dry-heat-cooking) [1. Degree Of Doneness 1](#degree-of-doneness) [1. Testing Doneness 2](#testing-doneness) [2. Carryover Cooking 2](#carryover-cooking) [3. Touch 2](#touch) [4. Time-Weight Ratio 2](#time-weight-ratio) [Moist-Heat...

Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Dry-Heat Cooking 1](#dry-heat-cooking) [1. Degree Of Doneness 1](#degree-of-doneness) [1. Testing Doneness 2](#testing-doneness) [2. Carryover Cooking 2](#carryover-cooking) [3. Touch 2](#touch) [4. Time-Weight Ratio 2](#time-weight-ratio) [Moist-Heat Cooking 3](#moist-heat-cooking) [Juiciness 3](#juiciness) [1. Internal fat. 3](#internal-fat.) [2. Gelatine. 3](#gelatine.) [3. Protein coagulation. 3](#protein-coagulation.) Doneness The definition of doneness varies depending on whether the cooking process utilises dry or moist heat cooking methods. Both cooking methods were discussed earlier in this course. - Dry heat. Meat is considered \"done\" when the proteins have coagulated to the proper degree, as indicated by internal temperature. - Moist heat. Meat is considered \"done\" when the connective tissues have broken down sufficiently for the flesh to be edible. With a few exceptions, meat cooked using a moist-heat method is always well-done. Dry-Heat Cooking ================ Dry-heat cooking is intended to obtain the necessary degree of doneness (protein coagulation) while keeping natural softness and juiciness intact.  Degree Of Doneness ------------------ The pigments in meat change colour as it cooks. Such colour variations show the degree of doneness. Red meat (buff, lamb and mutton) varies in colour from red to pink to grey or grey-brown. - Rare: browned exterior with a thin layer of cooked (grey) meat; red inside - Medium: thicker grey layer; pink inside - Well: grey throughout Of course, there are stages in between, but very rarely is it requested in India. White meat (pork) will change in colour from pink or grey pink to white or off-white. It is mostly cooked well done.  For diners who prefer no pink in their pork, 71° to 77°C may be the optimal range of doneness. ### Testing Doneness One of the most challenging and crucial components of meat preparation is determining doneness. Anyone can cook a steak on the barbecue or bake a roast. However, taking it off the fire at the correct time requires experience and ability. Ideally, a chef would use colour change to test doneness, however, that requires cutting the meat. Instead, the meat is pierced with a thermometer. #### Internal Temperature The most accurate method to determine doneness is to use a meat thermometer to test the interior of the meat. Standard thermometers are inserted before roasting and remain in the roast; instant-read thermometers are put at any time, read as soon as the needle stops moving, and pulled out. An instant-read thermometer is most widely used today. Before inserting a thermometer into the meat, ensure sure it is clean and sanitary. The thermometer\'s tip should be pierced into the thickest section of the flesh, not touching fat or bone. Table 10.3 gives internal temperatures of meats at various degrees of doneness. ### Carryover Cooking Even after the meat has been taken out from the oven, the internal temperature continues to rise. This is because the outside is hotter than the inside. This heat is then transferred through the meat until the temperature is balanced throughout the roast. Carryover cooking can raise internal temperatures by 5°F (3°C) for tiny slices to 25°F (14°C) for large roasts. For average-sized roasts, the typical temperature range is 10° to 15°F (6° to 8°C). The precise temperature change is determined by the size of the cut and the oven temperature. Roasts should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature is 10° to 15°F (6° to 8°C) below the ideal temperature. Allow the roast to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing. ### Touch Some steaks, chops or cuts of meat may be too small for a thermometer. The cook must rely on their sense of touch in such situations. As it cooks, the meat becomes firmer. It\'s done when you lightly press it with your finger. Not the fat, but the centre of the lean area, should be pressed. - Rare. Although not as squishy and jellylike as raw flesh, it feels mushy and yields to pressure. - Medium. When squeezed, it feels relatively hard and durable, and it springs back quickly. - Well done. It has a strong feel to it and does not yield under pressure. ### Time-Weight Ratio Many charts show roasting times per kilo of meat. However, these are simply estimates and should be used to estimate and schedule cooking times, not to determine doneness. Cooking time is determined by many factors other than weight and oven temperature: 1. Meat temperature before roasting. 2. The thickness of the fat cover (fat works as an insulator). 3. Bones (since bones carry heat faster than flesh, boneless roasts cook slower than bone-in roasts of equal weight). 4. Oven size, type, and contents. 5. The number of times the oven door has been opened. 6. Cut shape (a flat or long, thin cut cooks faster per pound than a round, compact cut). You can see why roasting requires experience and judgment. A thorough roasting chart that took into account all variables, including all meat cuts, sizes, oven temperatures, and so on, would be the size of a small book to be truly accurate and informative. The sixth point mentioned above is crucial. Cooking time---the time required for heat to reach to the centre---is determined by the thickness of a cut, not its weight. Even though it weighs half as much as a whole pork loin, half a pork loin roasts in roughly the same amount of time. The thickness remains constant. The roasting time charts you create yourself may be the most useful and accurate for your kitchen. When you roast the same slices in the same way with the same equipment regularly and notice that they always take the same amount of time, you may use those timings as markers of doneness. Many food service operators have created charts based on their own practises, and the appropriate hours are marked on their particular recipe cards. Moist-Heat Cooking ================== Meat cooked using moist heat is cooked well done and actually beyond well done. Tenderness, not temperature, indicates doneness. The traditional way to determine doneness is to pierce the meat with a meat fork. The meat is done when the fork prongs easily slip in and out. Low temperatures, no higher than simmering, are required to prevent protein toughening in moist-cooked meats. Simmering normally requires an oven temperature of 250° to 300°F (120° to 150°C). Juiciness --------- Three major elements influence the juiciness (or, more precisely, the impression of juiciness) of cooked meat. Despite the illusions about basting with stock and searing meat to \"seal in the juices,\" the only elements that have any substantial effect on juiciness are as follows. ### Internal fat. Meat tastes juicier when it is fatty. This is why marbling makes meat taste juicier than lean meat. We realise the negative health repercussions of eating too much fat, yet there is no denying that high-fat content makes meat taste juicier. When preparing lean meats, different methods (such as utilising sauces and, especially, avoiding overcooking) are utilised to improve palatability. ### Gelatine. This is especially crucial with braised meats. Gelatine, derived from connective tissue, aids in the binding of water molecules and their retention in the meat. Furthermore, the texture of the gelatine increases the mouthfeel of the meat. This is why a braised buff shank is juicier than a braised outer round. ### Protein coagulation. Protein, as you know, breaks down and loses water as it coagulates or cooks. The more cooked it is the more it compresses and forces out moisture. No matter how hard you sear to \"seal in the juices,\" moisture will be lost. Overcooking is the only way to reduce the loss.