sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on May 31, 2013 13:57:30 GMT -5
As others have said- buy a meat thermometer. I get nervous around chicken and that so I rely on the thermometer every time.
Seasonings- my cousin is a chef and has a line of seasons called Plump Chef. They are delicious. We use them as basically a dry rub on most of the red meat that we cook.
Foreman Grill- we use ours probably twice a week on average. We wore out the first one and didn't like the sizes of the new ones. Found a brand new one (but older model) at a yard sale for $3. After time the non-stick starts to wear thin and thinks start to stick. Be careful you don't clean it with anything too abrasive.
Meat Counter- For faster meals we'll sometimes buy the stuffed pork chops or fancy chicken breasts from the meat department at our grocery store. I've found those guys to be really fairly knowledgable when it comes to cooking meat. I'll pick their brains when I'm buying my meat. When I've forgotten to ask a quick call to the meat department does the trick.
Cooking for one- if it were me I'd do the hard work for two meals one day and eat the leftovers the second day. Make two chicken breasts and save the 2nd one for the next day to go in soup, fried rice, chicken tacos, etc. That's what we tend to do. Especially if we are making like a whole chicken- we'll plan that for a Sunday when we'll be home to cook it and then have chicken tacos Monday for leftovers and Chicken and dumplings on Tuesday.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 31, 2013 14:01:07 GMT -5
I'm not a big leftover fan, but I agree with Sheila about cooking a two-fer. You can either have the same entire meal two nights in a row, or you can think through two recipes.
Night one - baked chicken breast. Night two - chicken quesidillas.
Night one - steak. Night two - steak salad.
Night one - pork chop. Night two - pork sandwich.
etc.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on May 31, 2013 14:04:57 GMT -5
For chicken I bake, grill and wok it. When baking or grilling it I usually marinade it, season it or put barbecue sauce on it about ~5-10 minutes before it's done to add flavor. When I use the wok I add sauces to it for flavor along with vegetables while cooking rice separately. I recommend a wok because it's easy to use, easy to clean and once you have your meat and veggies cut up you can cook everything pretty quickly. Along with not re-using marinade you used on chicken you need to make sure you clean all knives, boards, etc very well along with your hands after you're done preparing along with any other meat dishes.
Pork tenderloin roast I'll do in an oven or on the grill using a thermometer to check the internal temperature. Let it get to about 145 degrees and you're good but if it doesn't get warm enough inside you run the risk of getting sick and if it gets too warm it dries out. One of the recipes I use includes cutting up garlic (I buy the cold already de-cloved pieces from the store) and stuffing it into the pork while putting dijon mustard and pepper all over the outside.
Red meats are a bit easier or rather less dangerous because you won't pray for death after eating a piece that's not cooked all the way through. If you like it well done then you can char the hell out of it but a lot of reports seem to say charred meat can increase the likelyhood of cancer so try to get it well done without burning it. I like to marinade steaks while adding steak seasoning and cooking them on the grill but if I'm being lazy I'll just do it in the oven. Similar to pork tenderloin roast a tri trip roast using a meat thermometer and letting it get to at least 130-135 degrees (more if you want it more well done) can turn out pretty damn good after you add your seasonings/flavorings of choice.
Any of these can be done in under 30 minutes cook time just depending on how much you're cooking and the prep time may make it a big longer. Obviously if you've got a very thick piece of beef like a huge roast you need to cook it longer and make sure the thermometer is in there good in the center of the piece of meat. For marinading meats you can do this a day before if you want or a few hours before and then it's ready to go when you want to cook.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 31, 2013 14:10:02 GMT -5
That is right - another "second night" option is to cut the steak or chicken up, warm up and put in with sauted veges and put sweet and sour or terriaki sauce on, and put it over rice. They sell okay sauces in the grocery store.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on May 31, 2013 14:10:13 GMT -5
The 2 burners on MY electric stove don't heat my grill pan like that very well at all For one person, the single burner size is probably big enough. Phoenix, you can get a roast cut in half (or thirds) when you buy it if you ask. I know sometimes I have to and I'm feeding 5 people and looking for leftovers! I've been known just to salt and pepper whatever meat I'm cooking and call it good enough. You don't always have to spice it up, a little S&P can do wonders
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on May 31, 2013 14:10:24 GMT -5
justme, I suppose I should have said MY grill pan looks like the round one.
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justme
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Post by justme on May 31, 2013 14:12:05 GMT -5
Not a method to use while you're still learning, but once you start to get the hang of it and can cook some dishes well consistently I often take a weekend and cook up a huge batch of something - anywhere from 4 - 12+ servings and then portion it in single serve portions and freeze it. That way I can thaw just enough for one meal instead of eating the same thing for 3 days. I've also gotten fancy with some things and freeze them in the dish I'll cook them in the oven with, pop em out to store, then when I want to cook it I put it back in the container while it thaws in the fridge.
Speaking of thawing - thawing in the microwave is bad, especially for meat. Thawing out on the counter for hours on end is also bad, I do it only if it'll be out for less than an hour. If you can't wait for it to thaw in the fridge put it in a container in the sink, fill it with cool water, and then turn the faucet down real low so there's a steady stream. That method will thaw most things in under 30 mins unless it's really thick.
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resolution
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Post by resolution on May 31, 2013 14:14:28 GMT -5
I'm not very good with roasts so I got a meat thermometer. I have an idiot proof one that you stick in the meat before you put it in the oven and it has the meat types printed right on the thermometer. For a quick meal I will cut the meat up into small pieces, cover it in a little soy sauce or chili sauce and just saute it in a pan on the stove. I can see when the meat is done by when it changes color. Then add some veggies and just stir until the veggies are done and it onto the plates.
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justme
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Post by justme on May 31, 2013 14:15:35 GMT -5
chiver78, it's ok. I'm just so used to seeing the 2 burner pans on Food Network that it completely left my mind that there are ones like a regular pan but with the "grill" part on the bottom. Or maybe AB ranted against it and I therefore scrubbed it from memory. Chocolate Lover, Sigh, that's what I was thinking. Right now my burners aren't level so I wasn't going to try it with them, but I had a feeling the 2 burner one wouldn't work as well on electric.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on May 31, 2013 14:26:08 GMT -5
Justme, I have uneven burners and only one large burner on the whole stove. Either side gives me nice heat at the burners and a much cooler middle. So if you want a cool safe spot, it'll work nicely. If you want even temperature all the way across, you're up a creek.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 31, 2013 14:30:46 GMT -5
I would love to know how to make a roast, still can't make a decent one at 40. Roasts are another can of worms too because my understanding is you typically use a crock pot. And crock pot cooking is still different than cooking in an oven or grill. But my understanding is you can put a roast in the crock pot with some seasoning and just set it on low and it will cook. Another problem is being single it's hard to eat all the meat in one sitting. I guess I can refrigerate or freeze cooked meat? How long does that keep? No NO NO!!!. You have it all wrong!!! You don't try to eat the meat all in one sitting. You approach another single young lady and ask her if she'd be willing to help you out by critiquing your blossoming cooking skills Invite her to dinner with a warning that you may have to go to plan B (order in a pizza if things go south) and make sure you have a nice bottle of wine on hand. Way I figure it three things can happen 1. Your attempt is a resounding success and the young lady is so impressed she invites YOU over to teach her how to cook 2. Your attempt is an utter failure but young lady takes pity on you and offers ongoing cooking lessons 3. Your attempt is an utter failure but you still get to enjoy a pizza and a bottle of wine with a young lady with whom you can joke about your horrible cooking skills... WIN, WIN, WIN! BTW - I'm partially serious on this one. I taught my boyfriend in college how to cook after he tried to give me food poisoning with undercooked bbq chicken. As far as thermometers go, I figure go big or go home. Worth every penny! www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/thermapen-digital-thermometer?utm_source=frooglecom&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=CM6JjKGKwbcCFZFcMgod5UwAUQ
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on May 31, 2013 16:08:31 GMT -5
Phoenix, the primary seasonings for virtually everything are salt and pepper. In a restaurant kitchen, many chefs will keep a small bowl of a 50/50 (adjust to your taste) salt/pepper blend on the counter, ready to season dishes. This is kind of the universal starter seasoning. It will get you going. As you start to get more comforable seasoning your cooking, you can add other herbs and spices that compliment the dish you are preparing.
To tell if things are done, get yourself a quick read thermometer. They are kind of expensive, but well worth the investment. I prefer the ThermoWorks brand for their fast response time (3-5 seconds) and sensor mounted at the tip of the probe (some thermometers have the sensor toward the center of the probe, making it difficult to be sure just where the reading is coming from, and increasing the chance that your meal will be improperly cooked). Quick read thermometers aren't a meat only item. They can be use to tell if everything from bread to cheesecake are done.
Here is a partial recap of finished cooking temperatures from the meat temperature chart at whatscookingamerica.net. This chart contains temperature information for meat, fish, seafood, baked goods, etc. It appears very complete.
Beef Rare 120 Medium Rare 130 Medium 140 Medium Well 150 Well 160
Ground Beef 160
Pork Chops, Roasts 145 - 160 at 145, may still be slightly pink. Juicey, but some folks don't like pink or the softer texture. Ham, uncooked 160 Ham/pork, precooked 140
Ground pork 160
Poultry Breast 160 - 165 Leg/thigh 170
Fish Most fish 135 - 145 For wild fish, use the higher temp due to the possiblity of parasites. Farm raised fish rarely has parasites. Tuna (rare) 125
Casseroles All 165
A NOTE ON CARRYOVER: remove whatever you are cooking from the oven when the dish is 5 degrees less than the above temperatures, cover with tin foil, and let sit (rest) for 5 - 10 minutes. During this time, heat from the warmer outside of the dish will continue to transfer to the center of the dish. By the time the dish has rested for 5 or 10 minutes, the temperature in the center of the dish will be just where you want it. (Note that roasts or turkeys will require a longer resting time. Between 15 and 30 minutes, the larger the longer.)
**** Extra special comment: Most of the flavor we enjoy from meat comes from browning the meat. To improve the browning, make sure the surface of your meat is dry. Pat that steak with a paper towel, both sides, to remove moisture. The same applies to roasts, poultry, and fish. Ground meat, you can't really pat dry, but you get the idea. Get rid of as much moisture as possible so the meat browns rather than steaming. (If you're preparing steaks, put about a half pat of butter on each steak just before serving. Adds to the flavor and richness as it melts and flows across the steak.)
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justme
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Post by justme on May 31, 2013 16:20:10 GMT -5
To piggy back - if you're cooking larger roasts and are looking for it to be rare/medium rare throughout DO NOT put the thermometer in the middle of the roast, the outer part will be cooked to a crisp. Put the thermometer in the middle of the center and the outside (or closer to the outside if you like it rare).
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on May 31, 2013 16:31:43 GMT -5
To piggy back - if you're cooking larger roasts and are looking for it to be rare/medium rare throughout DO NOT put the thermometer in the middle of the roast, the outer part will be cooked to a crisp. Put the thermometer in the middle of the center and the outside (or closer to the outside if you like it rare). I use the prime rib approach to prevent over cooking larger roasts. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, sear the roast for 15 minutes to brown the outside and seal in the juices, then turn the oven down to 325 and finish roasting to the desired doneness. I know that some cooks sear at the end of the roasting process. Roast the meat, let rest, then return to the oven for a sear just before slicing and serving. Lots of options. Use the one that works best for you.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on May 31, 2013 16:46:52 GMT -5
From a food safety standpoint, the rule of thumb is not to let anything stay between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, including cooking time, for more than 4 hours. This prevents bacteria levels from reaching the point where they become unsafe. I'm more cautious with ground meat products than I am with whole muscle cuts, such as steaks, roasts, chicken breasts, etc. With whole muscle items, the bacteria resides only on the outside of the meat. When you put a whole muscle cut of meat in the oven or on the grill, the surface gets heated very quickly and eliminates the bacteria. With ground meats, the bacteria from the outside of the meat has been transported into the center of the meat during the grinding process and it can take quite a bit of time before the center of the meat gets hot enough to prevent bacteria growth. That's why you hear about food borne illness problems from hamburger, but not from a porterhouse or fillet. Eat steak, not hamburger. It's a food safety thing!
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on May 31, 2013 16:49:52 GMT -5
Take meat. Add fire. Remove when black.
So. Simple.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on May 31, 2013 17:15:44 GMT -5
Phoenix, I have a countertop combination grill and panini press. If I'm in a hurry, it's my cooking method of choice for meats and grilled sandwiches. It's easy to use, works beautifully, and a snap for cleanup. They're not horrendously expensive, so it might be worth a look for you. I think mine is a Cuisenart. I bake almost everything. I quit frying long ago, and rarely grill because I need to be in the house in case mother calls me. Most meats, for just the two of us, I can finish in about 30-45 minutes at 350 F in the oven. Try to start with very simple spices. Lawry's salt is really good, as it has some goodies added to it. Add a bit of black (or red) pepper and you're good to go. Try that with a small roast, or a thick steak. Since you're baking it, you don't have to be standing over it while it cooks. Saves you a bit of time to do other things. Take a look in the Recipes section of this message board, as well. There's some good stuff you can try. As you get a little experience, there are sauces you can learn to make, and other enhancements when you need a change or want something extra special.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on May 31, 2013 17:28:29 GMT -5
Phoenix-in addition to all the good suggestions offered here, this can also be an opportunity for you to socialize with others by finding (basic) cooking classes in your area. Check it out.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on May 31, 2013 17:31:05 GMT -5
Phoenix-in addition to all the good suggestions offered here, this can also be an opportunity for you to socialize with others by finding (basic) cooking classes in your area. Check it out. Wow! That's a great idea, tennesseer! Phoenix, this just might be your ticket to reach a couple of your goals!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on May 31, 2013 17:34:35 GMT -5
Phoenix-in addition to all the good suggestions offered here, this can also be an opportunity for you to socialize with others by finding (basic) cooking classes in your area. Check it out. Wow! That's a great idea, tennesseer! Phoenix, this just might be your ticket to reach a couple of your goals! mmhmm-it's not just men (of all ages) who need to learn how to cook. Many young women don't have the necessary skills either. Everyone in a beginner's cooking class most definitely have a common interest just by being there.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on May 31, 2013 17:40:17 GMT -5
Absolutely, Tennesseer! It's a great place to begin, as are most beginners classes in something that captures one's interest. You meet others who have the same interest (and the same need to learn), and you gain knowledge to use in your own life. That's a two-fer!
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on May 31, 2013 17:41:35 GMT -5
Whatever the size, I do highly recommend a grill pan!
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on May 31, 2013 18:26:42 GMT -5
Well, I'm trying my hand at cooking a steak this evening. I am putting it on a broiling pan and sticking it in the oven. I'll put A1 on it later. Doesn't get any more basic than that.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on May 31, 2013 19:54:37 GMT -5
Do you have a cast iron skillet? That is my favorite cooking "utensil".
KGB posted the steak "recipe" a while ago, and that's how I cook mine now when I don't grill it on the BBQ. Put a little oil in an oven-proof skillet (something that can withstand a high heat). Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees (I think that's what it was, that's the temp I've been using since I haven't been able to find her original post). Put the skillet on the stove top on high heat (I only cook steak and stirfry on high heat, the max I do anything else is med-high). Once it is hot, put the steak in it (you want it to be hot already so it sears quickly). Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook on other side for 3-5 minutes (try to avoid over-flipping or constantly moving it around). Then put it in the oven until desired done-ness. I think 3 minutes is great for some people, but I like my steak medium-well so I go between 9 and 15 minutes.
The good thing about steaks is that the common problem bacteria is only going to be found on the outside muscle, not inside the beef, which is why you can eat it rare. As long as the outside is cooked, you're good to go. Hamburger has to be heated through since the meat is ground up and the bacteria could be all the way through it.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on May 31, 2013 20:04:50 GMT -5
As for seasoning, salt and pepper is cheap, basic, and can be used on almost anything.
I have a cupboard full of spices and seasonings since I really play around with them. I constantly try something different, even when I season hamburger. My "top" list would be... Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Montreal Steak seasoning, Seasoning Salt and Lemon Pepper Salt.
One really quick dinner I do has already been mentioned. Slice some meat (steak, pork, chicken). Put hi-temp oil (cotton seed, grape seed or wok oil, olive oil is ok up to a certain temperature, but I have had it smoke before) in cast iron skillet and heat skillet on high (if you put the oil in after the skillet is hot, you risk having a nice flare-up...) When pan is hot, put the meat in the skillet. "Season" with terriyaki or soy sauce (can marinate it before hand). Leave for a few minutes before stirring, you don't want to "over work" your meat with constant stirring and flipping. When it's cooked to your desired done-ness, remove the meat and put vegetables in the pan (this is where a bag of frozen veggies is handy, I tend to use an asian or italian blend of vegetables). Cook until vegetables are done, adding soy sauce if desired. If your meat got too cold, put it back in the pan for a minute or two with the vegetables.
One key thing for this is to not over-fill your skillet. If you have a lot of meat, cook half, then cook the other half. A cast iron skillet works great for this, especially one with tall sides (not quite a dutch oven, but half way in between--keeps you from spilling the meat and veggies off the sides).
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 20:13:31 GMT -5
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Apple
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Post by Apple on May 31, 2013 20:48:44 GMT -5
I've never seen that, but it does look awesome! I don't remember when, but KGB had just posted about how she cooked her steaks, and I've been doing it close to that when I don't use the grill. I buy sirloin steak most often, but when we get some beef from one of my brother's cows it comes with some much "fancier" cuts. So, so good!
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 21:35:33 GMT -5
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violagirl
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Post by violagirl on Jun 1, 2013 13:01:04 GMT -5
My favorite book is "The Science of Good Cooking". It's not a recipe book, it explains 50 cooking concepts, explains what is going on and why. It covers many fundamentals of good cooking and will totally appeal to the scientific mind. Like when people say - let the meat rest. Some people will just do it. Others, like me want to know why should I rest the meat? It is explained in this book. Also how to make the perfect boiled egg (and why that approach works). I also liked "Culinary Reactions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking". I now approach recipes with different eyes. For example, when you know what reactions and interactions you need to make bread - you can throw away the recipe.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 1, 2013 15:36:19 GMT -5
I like to bake chicken in the oven. I never liked chicken when I was a kid. When I was a kid was my mom cooked by the rule that you have to cook things like chicken until March.
I put alum foil on the bottom of my pan and put bine in split chicken breats with the skins on, in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. All I put on them is salt, pepper and garlic powder. They come out super moist and tender. Way better than the dry over cooked chicken we had as a kid!
And if you want you can even put BBQ sause on them when they come out.
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