Dry-Heat Cooking Methods for Meat

From: How To Read A French Fry

*Because grilling is done over relatively high heat, it is best used for relatively thin cuts of meat. Roasting is better for larger cuts.

*Always pat the meat dry with paper towels before grilling or roasting. Any moisture left on the surface will steam the meat before it has a chance to brown.

*Season the meat well before cooking. Seasonings for roasted or grilled meats can be as simple as salt and pepper or as complex as a marinade. Salt is the most important seasoning, because it draws some of the meat's juice to the surface, where it can caramelize and brown.

*While marinades can contribute a lot of flavor, as a general rule, they affect only the very surface of the meat and do nothing for its texture. Be particularly careful with acidic marinades. If meat is left in them too long, the marinade will begin to break down the surface proteins, resulting in a mealy texture.

*When wine is used in a marinade, cook it first to get rid of most of the alcohol and concentrate the flavor. The result is a much smoother, fuller-tasting marinade.

*When working with very lean meats, it is important to use a marinade that adds fat. A paste of flavorings and oil pounded with a mortar and pestle or pureed in a blender or food processor works well.

*Made with nothing but salt and water (though other, preferably dried, seasonings can be added as well), brine improves the flavor and the texture of close-grained meats-particularly poultry and pork. In general, do not brine beef and lamb.

*Bigger cuts take longer to cook. Cook them with lower heat to get smooth cooking and even browning. If you want a contrast in doneness-say, medium-rare in the center and well browned on the surface-use a higher heat. Smaller cuts can be cooked at higher temperatures.

*If the meat to be cooked is uneven in shape, such as a piece that has been cut away from the bone, like a leg of lamb, it will cook more evenly if you truss it or tie it into a more regular shape.

*Make sure there is room for the hot, dry air to circulate around the meat. When roasting, use a rack to keep the meat off the bottom of the pan.

*Turn the meat occasionally as it cooks so it browns evenly. This is important even when roasting.

*When roasting very small pieces of meat, such as small birds or pork or lamb tenderloins, brown the meat first in a skillet, since the cooking time in the oven will be too short to do that.

*Basting adds some flavor to the exterior of the meat, but use only a melted pure fat, such as butter or pan drippings. Any liquid will result in steaming and softening the crust.

*Judging doneness is very important with dry-heat cooking methods. The surest way is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest or densest part of the meat.

*Generally, poultry should be cooked to the highest temperature, about 160-165 degrees. Pork should be cooked to 155-160 degrees. Leg of lamb should be cooked to 140-145; chops and sirloins can be cooked to 130. Beef should be cooked to 130-140, depending on the desired doneness.

*All meats, whether grilled or roasted, benefit from a 10-20 minute rest at the end of cooking to allow the moisture and the temperature to equalize inside the meat.