Answer:
Methods of cooking meat include dry heat (roasting, broiling, pan-broiling, pan- frying, stir-frying and outdoor grilling) or moist heat (braising and cooking in liquid). Methods should be selected based on initial tenderness of the cut, desired quality characteristics of the resulting product, available cooking facilities and equipment, and the amount of time available for preparation.
Tender cuts of meat, cooked by dry-heat methods, result in tender and juicy products. Less-tender cuts must be cooked for longer periods of time by moist-heat methods, to soften the connective tissue, prevent surface drying and to develop flavor. Some less tender cuts such as beef top round and chuck arm can be cooked by a dry heat method if marinated before cooking.
The degree of doneness can easily be determined by measuring internal temperature, using a standard meat thermometer or a quick recovery/ instant read thermometer. The more tender the cut, the lower the internal temperature needed to produce a satisfactory product.
A meat thermometer is the most accurate guide to the doneness of roasts. The thermometer should be inserted into the roast surface at a slight angle or through the end of the roast so the tip of the thermometer is in the thickest portion of the cut, but not resting in fat, against the bone, or on the rotisserie rod. When using the rotisserie, the thermometer must clear the cooking unit and drip pan while the meat is turning.
Dry Heat- Dry heat methods of cooking are suitable for tender cuts of meat or less tender cuts which have been marinated. Dry heat methods include roasting, oven broiling, grilling, pan-broiling, panfrying and stir—frying.
Roasting—this method of cooking is recommended for larger cuts of beef, veal, pork and lamb. For cuts suitable for roasting and other cooking methods, see Chapter 3.
Broiling—Broiling is suitable for tender beef steaks; beef and lamb kabobs; veal, pork and lamb chops; pork ribs; sliced ham; bacon; butterflied lamb leg and ground beef, pork and lamb. Steaks and chops should be at least 3/4 inch thick and ham should be at least 1/2 inch thick for successful broiling. Less tender cuts such as beef flank steak, beef top round, and veal, pork and lamb shoulder chops may also be broiled when marinated. Marinating can increase the tenderness of these cuts but only to a limited degree. The same tender cuts suitable for oven broiling can be pan- or griddle broiled. This method is especially good for meat 3/4 inch or less in thickness; very thick cuts of meat may become overcooked on the outside before the middle has reached the desired degree of doneness.
Grilling (Barbecuing)—The technique we call grilling is thought to have originated in the Caribbean, where natives smoke-dried meat over hot coals on wood-frame “grills? Early Spanish explorers called this the “barbacoa” which evolved into the modern-day word “barbecue.”
