Tips and Tricks from the Professionals
Tenderising
Why, after cooking a steak or other meat in a frying pan, does a chef put the steak in the oven to “finish” it? What does this add to the dish? Steaks are cooked at high heat to sear the exterior and develop a flavorful crust. Sometimes people want their steaks cooked completely to the …
ANY burger engineer — professional or amateur — has their rules for creating the perfect burger. Some say brioche bun, others prefer something less sweet. Mayo, barbecue and other fancy “secret” sauces, or just the classic ketchup and mustard combo. Despite our differences, there’s one thing all cheeseburger lovers agree on: it’s all about …
This is a common Chinese cooking technique called velveting the meat. Basically, the meat is marinated in egg whites and cornstarch (other optional seasonings may be added, depending upon what flavour you wish to achieve), then refrigerated for about an hour before cooking. This helps to create a barrier between the direct heat source and …
Janet Pendergast tenderises her steaks by sprinkling bicarb soda on each side of the meat and letting it sit for 30 minutes. She then washes the bicarb soda off the steak before cooking it on the barbecue. Ms Pendergast said she had only recently started using the tip. “I noticed the Chinese use baking powder …
Eggs and milk aren’t the only things chef Jesse Schenker is tempering at his restaurant in New York City. Whenever he’s grilling, searing, or sautéing meat, he always ‘tempers’ the meat by leaving it out an hour or two before so that it comes to room temperature, ensuring a perfectly cooked piece of meat every …
Yes, it’s due to decomposition. Rigor mortis is caused by ions diffusing in the muscle, causing the muscle to contract. This actually takes a few hours to a day, rather than immediately. After a few days, the proteins degrade, and the muscles unclench. The process can continue for weeks, making the meat more and more …
Yoghurt is a natural tenderizer. Marinades add flavour to food. They also add moisture, particularly when the marinade contains an oil base. Dairy-based marinades, such buttermilk or yogurt, are probably the only marinades that truly tenderize. Only mildly acidic, they don’t toughen meat the way strongly acidic marinades do. It seems that the calcium in dairy products …
I love kachri powder, which is available at all good Indian supermarkets. It’s great for tenderising meat, so I like to add it in small quantities to marinades. Kachri is a wild variety of cucumber that grows in desert areas such as Rajasthan. However, you should use sparingly, as it can leave a slight tangy …
