Meat tips and tricks
Discussion
We have the BBQ recipe thread, but feel we also need something for general meat cooking ideas and tricks
I'll start with crackling. I've finally nailed it and it's simpler than I thought. Let the skin dry in the fridge overnight. Let the whole thing get to room temp - this can take hours, not the 30 mins to an hour that most recipes tell you (this joint was 3.2kg). Oil and salt skin just before it goes in the oven. Don't salt it before this as it brings water up to the surface.
Then roast at 250C for 20 minutes before turning the heat right down to roast the joint through. A quick blast of heat at the end also seems to be good, but I don't think essential unless you are seeing a tonne of moisture on the skin.
Remove from oven. Do NOT do what half the recipes say and cover whilst resting. The trapped steam kills the crunch. If you must do this, remove the crackling first, and leave it out in open air whilst you wrap the meat.
Please use this thread for all your meat cooking tips and tricks.
This was a stuffed pork rib roast. Stuffed with pork mince, wild garlic, fennel, parsley, lemon.
Drying in fridge:
Toasting fennel and coriander seeds for a rub
Bones hinged for rub and stuffing. I find cooking bone in gets a more even cook.
Stuffing goes in. This lot was at the bottom, but I also cut between the fat and meat at the top and chucked a load in there. Then tied the whole thing up.
Finished article. I used foil to cover the stuffing, so the edges wouldn't burn. Was so tender that we just pulled the bones out. Yet the crackling was bang on.
I'll start with crackling. I've finally nailed it and it's simpler than I thought. Let the skin dry in the fridge overnight. Let the whole thing get to room temp - this can take hours, not the 30 mins to an hour that most recipes tell you (this joint was 3.2kg). Oil and salt skin just before it goes in the oven. Don't salt it before this as it brings water up to the surface.
Then roast at 250C for 20 minutes before turning the heat right down to roast the joint through. A quick blast of heat at the end also seems to be good, but I don't think essential unless you are seeing a tonne of moisture on the skin.
Remove from oven. Do NOT do what half the recipes say and cover whilst resting. The trapped steam kills the crunch. If you must do this, remove the crackling first, and leave it out in open air whilst you wrap the meat.
Please use this thread for all your meat cooking tips and tricks.
This was a stuffed pork rib roast. Stuffed with pork mince, wild garlic, fennel, parsley, lemon.
Drying in fridge:
Toasting fennel and coriander seeds for a rub
Bones hinged for rub and stuffing. I find cooking bone in gets a more even cook.
Stuffing goes in. This lot was at the bottom, but I also cut between the fat and meat at the top and chucked a load in there. Then tied the whole thing up.
Finished article. I used foil to cover the stuffing, so the edges wouldn't burn. Was so tender that we just pulled the bones out. Yet the crackling was bang on.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 26th February 17:10
I love roast pork, but we eat a lot less red meat these days so sadly we don't have it v often.
Never had much of an issue with crackling tbh, just make sure the skin is dry and scored. 20 mins flat out to start with. Rest a bit of foil on top if it's singeing later.
The real trick with pork as Tony says above is not to overcook it. A smallish pork joint goes from being juicy and delicious to dry and tough in only a few minutes. Be brave!
Go to roast now is a nice free range chicken. OK it's not a rib of beef but the gravy is ace and there is nothing better than knowing you have a pint or two of wonderful stock in the freezer afterwards.
Never had much of an issue with crackling tbh, just make sure the skin is dry and scored. 20 mins flat out to start with. Rest a bit of foil on top if it's singeing later.
The real trick with pork as Tony says above is not to overcook it. A smallish pork joint goes from being juicy and delicious to dry and tough in only a few minutes. Be brave!
Go to roast now is a nice free range chicken. OK it's not a rib of beef but the gravy is ace and there is nothing better than knowing you have a pint or two of wonderful stock in the freezer afterwards.
A decent butcher is definitely the most important thing.
With a loin of pork on the bone, I look for a good coating of fat - 3/4" is probably ideal - also, I ask the butcher not to score it and not to loosen the meat around the bones. Just chine it.
I then score it myself. It's not difficult, you just need a sharp knife. Then Maldon salt flakes pushed into the cuts - not TOO much though.
For cooking, I do it on a Kamado BBQ using the rotisserie. I cook it directly over the coals and use the vents to keep the temp to about 160C. Because of the direct heat the crackling comes out perfect - every single time. The fat dripping down and then steaming back up again gives the meat an awesome flavour.
With a loin of pork on the bone, I look for a good coating of fat - 3/4" is probably ideal - also, I ask the butcher not to score it and not to loosen the meat around the bones. Just chine it.
I then score it myself. It's not difficult, you just need a sharp knife. Then Maldon salt flakes pushed into the cuts - not TOO much though.
For cooking, I do it on a Kamado BBQ using the rotisserie. I cook it directly over the coals and use the vents to keep the temp to about 160C. Because of the direct heat the crackling comes out perfect - every single time. The fat dripping down and then steaming back up again gives the meat an awesome flavour.
omniflow said:
A decent butcher is definitely the most important thing.
With a loin of pork on the bone, I look for a good coating of fat - 3/4" is probably ideal - also, I ask the butcher not to score it and not to loosen the meat around the bones. Just chine it.
I then score it myself. It's not difficult, you just need a sharp knife. Then Maldon salt flakes pushed into the cuts - not TOO much though.
For cooking, I do it on a Kamado BBQ using the rotisserie. I cook it directly over the coals and use the vents to keep the temp to about 160C. Because of the direct heat the crackling comes out perfect - every single time. The fat dripping down and then steaming back up again gives the meat an awesome flavour.
A Stanley Knife is the perfect thing for scoring pork.With a loin of pork on the bone, I look for a good coating of fat - 3/4" is probably ideal - also, I ask the butcher not to score it and not to loosen the meat around the bones. Just chine it.
I then score it myself. It's not difficult, you just need a sharp knife. Then Maldon salt flakes pushed into the cuts - not TOO much though.
For cooking, I do it on a Kamado BBQ using the rotisserie. I cook it directly over the coals and use the vents to keep the temp to about 160C. Because of the direct heat the crackling comes out perfect - every single time. The fat dripping down and then steaming back up again gives the meat an awesome flavour.
Something I like to do with the crackling.....
Once the pork is out of the oven, cut off the crackling so the layer of fat underneath comes away with the crackling. Wrap your pork and leave to rest. Place crackling under the grill fat side up to crisp the fat on the underside. Job jobbed, like a giant pork scratching.
Once the pork is out of the oven, cut off the crackling so the layer of fat underneath comes away with the crackling. Wrap your pork and leave to rest. Place crackling under the grill fat side up to crisp the fat on the underside. Job jobbed, like a giant pork scratching.
ferret50 said:
Lovely kitchen, HF!
Thanks! Refurbed the house ourselves a few years back. Lots of colour, avoiding London Grey where possible.On crackling, agree, decent meat works well - but it isn't essential. The main problem (relating to crackling, anyway) with supermarket pork is that it has been wrapped in plastic and so the skin is soaking wet. Moisture is the enemy of tasty crunchiness...
So, Lady F has sprung on me that neighbours are over for dinner tomorrow. By sprung on me, I mean she told me to "look at the bloody diary, that's what it's there for!", which is fair, really.
Muslim family, so no pork. But I'm not going to let that get in the way of eating something's flesh this weekend. We are vaguely vegetarian in the week, these days, so weekend are meat sweat time.
This time, slow cooked beef short rib curry. First, go to butcher, choose nices quare cut ribs with good marbling. Have them saw them in half.
Next, make up a curry paste - I use yoghurt as a base, but only a touch as slow cooking can curdle excess dairy. The yoghurt is just a carrier for the toasted and ground spices. I also use powdered ginger and garlic in this paste. Smoked sea salt too. Slow cooking rewards concentrated flavours, like powders and dried herbs. Fresh stuff gets cooked to slop over the hours.
Butter the ribs. I don't bother removing membranes etc as it all adds to the thickness of the sauce and I pick out bones and other stuff at the end of the process and skim off the excess fat as well. Cooking witj bones and connective tissue adds flavour and thickness.
It's all just gone into the fridge for a few hours. Later, I shall sear these on the cast iron plancha of the gas barbecue. Sometimes I smoke them lightly with rosemary in the charcoal barbecue, but won't have time for that faff today.
Then, overnight, low and slow in the slow cooker. I have a boys' night out tonight and middle-aged hangover means having the curry mostly done by the time I can lever myself out if bed will be a massive bonus tomorrow.
Muslim family, so no pork. But I'm not going to let that get in the way of eating something's flesh this weekend. We are vaguely vegetarian in the week, these days, so weekend are meat sweat time.
This time, slow cooked beef short rib curry. First, go to butcher, choose nices quare cut ribs with good marbling. Have them saw them in half.
Next, make up a curry paste - I use yoghurt as a base, but only a touch as slow cooking can curdle excess dairy. The yoghurt is just a carrier for the toasted and ground spices. I also use powdered ginger and garlic in this paste. Smoked sea salt too. Slow cooking rewards concentrated flavours, like powders and dried herbs. Fresh stuff gets cooked to slop over the hours.
Butter the ribs. I don't bother removing membranes etc as it all adds to the thickness of the sauce and I pick out bones and other stuff at the end of the process and skim off the excess fat as well. Cooking witj bones and connective tissue adds flavour and thickness.
It's all just gone into the fridge for a few hours. Later, I shall sear these on the cast iron plancha of the gas barbecue. Sometimes I smoke them lightly with rosemary in the charcoal barbecue, but won't have time for that faff today.
Then, overnight, low and slow in the slow cooker. I have a boys' night out tonight and middle-aged hangover means having the curry mostly done by the time I can lever myself out if bed will be a massive bonus tomorrow.
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