The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 772

tempestuous brother prefers his well-done What’s an understanding and generous host to do? First off, you should wonder how your brother was created out of the same genetic material as you After that, you’ve got a couple options Because most roast are not an even shape, you’ll probably end up with a few pieces that are more cooked than others, even when you cook with very gentle heat These slices generally come from near the ends of the roast, where energy is penetrating the meat through more surfaces If those pieces are still not cooked enough for your bro, the best thing to do is take his slices, stick ’em on a rimmed baking sheet, and throw them back into the oven until they are the desired shade of dry LEFTOVERS Q: Gramps decided not to show up for dinner—what’s the best way to store his leftovers? An all-too-common dilemma For short-term storage, your best bet is to just tightly wrap the meat in plastic and keep it in the fridge It’ll last for around three days Bear in mind that rare or medium-rare meat may turn brownish (remember myoglobin?) in the fridge but this isn’t necessarily a sign of spoilage For that, just follow your nose! For longer-term storage of larger pieces of either cooked or uncooked meat, you’ll want to freeze them If you’ve got a vacuum-sealer, use it Air is the enemy of frozen food, causing it to dry out in an irrevocable process known as freezer burn If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, wrap the meat tightly, first in foil (plastic wrap is not airtight) and then a few layers of plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer The plastic wrap helps keep the foil tightly against the surface of the meat, while the foil prevents air from coming in contact with it Let your meat defrost in the refrigerator This can take as long as a couple days for larger cuts of meat Q: Did I hear that right? Plastic wrap is not airproof? That’s correct Air can still travel through plastic wrap, though quite slowly Q: What about reheating? If you are wise, you will have been slicing the meat to order, leaving you with a large chunk of leftover roast rather than many thin slices The best way to reheat a large chunk of meat (thicker than 1½ inches) is to treat it like you would a steak, which after all, it is: warm it in a low oven until it is about 10 degrees below the desired serving temperature (see the chart here), then sear it in a hot skillet to crisp and brown the exterior For thinner cuts, you can simply sear them in a skillet straight from the fridge, just like a steak Alternatively, the microwave is surprisingly effective Just remember this cardinal rule: no matter how you reheat it, do not let it rise above the initial temperature you cooked it to, or it will be overcooked If you’ve already sliced the whole roast extremely thin, your best option is sandwiches and salads Still delicious! Q: What about those chefs who cook their prime ribs ... foil (plastic wrap is not airtight) and then a few layers of plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer The plastic wrap helps keep the foil tightly against the surface of the meat, while the foil prevents air from coming... about 10 degrees below the desired serving temperature (see the chart here), then sear it in a hot skillet to crisp and brown the exterior For thinner cuts, you can simply sear them in a skillet straight from the. .. If you are wise, you will have been slicing the meat to order, leaving you with a large chunk of leftover roast rather than many thin slices The best way to reheat a large chunk of meat (thicker than 1½ inches) is to treat it like you would a