COMMON? A NSWER: They’re both fast-food restaurants Wait, what? How so? Well, both specialize in fast cooking methods That is, cooking methods designed simply to bring cuts of meat to the desired serving temperature while perhaps adding some nice browned flavor to the exterior Fast-cooking methods include pan-searing, grilling, broiling, and sautéing, and they are reserved for tender cuts of meat like prime rib, pork chops, chicken breasts, beef steaks, lamb chops, and, yes, hamburgers They differ from slowcooking methods, which are designed not only to heat foods, but also to heat them gently enough and for long enough to allow connective tissues to slowly break down Slow-cooking methods include true barbecuing (i.e., smoking) and braising Some cooking methods, such as roasting, steaming, or simmering, can be used for any cut of meat, though the temperature and time period you apply them for will vary depending on what you are cooking We’ll get to those slower methods in later chapters Steak houses, just like fast food restaurants, are all about speed Unlike other types of restaurants, where many dishes and their components are prepared in advance and finished to order, steak houses start pretty much solely with raw ingredients, slapping them on the hot grill or under a mammoth broiler only after you place your order Grilling, pan-searing, and broiling are among the most ancient of cooking methods, and they bring out the primal urge in all of us How many of you can resist a hot rib-eye steak fresh out of the pan with a crisp, well-charred crust and a juicy medium-rare center, dripping with juices? Go on, raise your hands I thought so Many people see a meal at a steak house as the ultimate night out The way to celebrate that big promotion or graduation A means to reaffirm your dominance in the food chain A once-a-year splurge to be taken with plenty of red wine, creamed spinach, hash browns, and brandy, and a time when neither your significant other nor your doctor can say peep This is my life, my day, my meat, you silently tell yourself as you bang your fat steak knife on the table, toppling that neat tower of asparagus into its pool of creamy hollandaise But here’s a little secret: there’s nothing those steak houses do that you can’t do better at home, and cheaper All it takes is a bit of science, know-how, and practice In this chapter, we’ll not only talk about how to roast the tenderest, crispest-on-the-outside, juiciest-on-the-inside, melt-in-your-mouthiest prime rib roast to feed a whole crowd of hungry carnivores, but we’ll also address the “fast” part of fast-cooking methods That is, steaks, chops, chicken breasts, and other proteins that can go from fridge to table in thirty minutes or less Are you ready? ... slapping them on the hot grill or under a mammoth broiler only after you place your order Grilling, pan-searing, and broiling are among the most ancient of cooking methods, and they bring out the. .. toppling that neat tower of asparagus into its pool of creamy hollandaise But here’s a little secret: there’s nothing those steak houses do that you can’t do better at home, and cheaper All it takes is a bit of science, know-how, and practice In this chapter, we’ll not only talk about how to roast the. .. In this chapter, we’ll not only talk about how to roast the tenderest, crispest-on -the- outside, juiciest-on -the- inside, melt-in-your-mouthiest prime rib roast to feed a whole crowd of hungry carnivores, but we’ll also address the “fast”