
Food
Safety for Meat | Meat
Preperation Tips

Food
Safety Tips for Meat
Always focus on food safety when you're feeding
family and friends. Besides thoroughly cooking hot dogs and hamburgers,
here are some other food-preparation caveats to keep your guests
healthy.
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Meat
Preparation Tips
Storage
Most
cuts of beef can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three
days. Ground beef should be used within two days.
Freezing
While
freezing never improves the flavor of meat, sometimes it's unavoidable.
So if you must freeze it:
1. Take the meat out of the original package. Wrap it
in freezer paper.
Note:
If you don't have any freezer paper on hand, plastic wrap will
do. Just make sure the plastic clings tightly to all surfaces
of the meat. Then wrap it a second time.
2.
Store the meat at 0 degrees F. or colder.
Meat
can be kept in your freezer up to 6 months.
Defrosting
Never
defrost at room temperature or in warm water. Always defrost in
the refrigerator or under running cold water.
Defrosting
times vary. Allow:
4 - 7 hours per pound for a large roast
3 - 5 hours per pound for a small roast
12 - 14 hours for a one-inch steak
Note:
Re-freezing never improves the flavor of meat. You can do it,
but you won't like it. There's nothing wrong with leftovers. Just
make sure leftover meat has been:
Refrigerated
promptly
Stored in a sealed container
Used within two or three days.
Cooking
Techniques
You've
made the perfect choice - a tender, high-quality cut. It's up
to you to bring the flavor to the table. What do you do now?
There
are two basic methods for cooking meat.Which you choose depends
on the cut and how big it is:
Dry
heat cooking
Moist heat cooking
Dry-heat
Cookery
Use
this method of cooking meats for the most tender cuts, such as:
ribs, short loin, and sirloin chuck or round steaks. It takes
place in the oven, on the grill, or in a pan.
Oven
Roasting
This
is a Dry-heat cooking method used primarily for large cuts:
1.
Place the roast fat side up on a rack in a waterless pan. Insert
a meat thermometer. Make sure it doesn't touch fat or bone.
2.
Roast at 300 to 325 degrees F.
3.
At desired doneness, remove from pan. Let rest in a warm place
for about 20 minutes (for easier carving).
Oven
Roast Guide for Beef |
Desired
Doneness |
Temperature
(deg. F) |
Very
Rare |
130
|
Rare |
140
|
Medium
Rare |
150
|
Medium |
160
|
Medium
Well |
165
|
Well
Done |
170
|
Note:
Roasts over 2 pounds continue to cook out of the oven. Take them
out about 5 degrees below the desired temperature.
Grilling
This
is a very popular outdoor method of cooking, used mostly for steaks,
burgers, and kabobs.
1. Place meat on a preheated grill.
2. Grill until red juices appear on the top (uncooked) side.
3. Turn using tongs or spatula to avoid piercing the meat.
4. Season cooked side.
5. Continue grilling to desired doneness.
Broiling
This
method takes place in the oven. It is best for steaks, burgers,
and kabobs.
Broil
following grilling instructions above.
Pan
Cooking (non-frying)
Cooking
in a pan may be considered by most people as frying; but in this
method, the meat is lightly coated with oil; there is no liquid
placed in the pan before cooking. This method works very well
for steaks.
1. Lightly coat one side of the meat with oil.
2.
Place oil side down in a heavy, hot skillet.
3. Cook until juices rise to top of uncooked side.
4. Coat uncooked side with oil. Turn.
5. Season cooked side.
6. Continue to desired doneness.
Frying
Pan
This
method differs from the Pan Cooking method because this one uses
oil in the pan to cook the meat. It is good for steaks, patties,
or thin beef.
1.
Heat thin layer of oil until very hot.
2.
Sear steaks - two minutes per side.
3. Reduce temperature. Season.
4. Continue to desired doneness.
Stir
frying
This
method is great for strips from steaks or roasts.
1. Slice meat into thin slices or strips.
2. In skillet or wok with small amount of oil, fry a small batch
quickly, stirring constantly.
3. Drain drippings after each batch.
4.
Remove meat. Stir fry vegetables separately.
5. Add beef and serve.
Moist-heat
cookery
Moist-heat
Cookery methods are used for cuts from beef, such as chuck, round,
tip, foreshank, plate, and flank, It takes place using liquid
in a covered pot in the oven, on the range, or in a slow-cooker.
Pot
roasting
For
roasts up to 5 pounds:
- Brown
meat on all sides in heavy pan or Dutch oven in small amount
of oil. Pour off drippings.
- Place
meat on rack in Dutch oven or pan. Add boiling water or hot
broth to a depth of 1/2 inch. Cover tightly.
- Simmer
on range for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add liquids as needed. Turn meat
occasionally to keep moist.
- Add
vegetables and simmer additional 45 minutes.
Stewing
Best
for small pieces of beef, lamb, or pork:
- Brown
meat in heavy pan or Dutch oven in small amount of oil. Pour
off drippings.
-
Cover meat with boiling water or hot broth. Bring to boil.
- Reduce
heat to low. Add vegetables and simmer unit meat and vegetables
are tender. Season to taste.
Braising
A
technique that works for various cuts:
- Coat
pieces of meat in flour.
- Brown
on all sides in oil over medium-high heat.
- Add
liquid (water, stock, soup, tomato-based sauce, marinade, or
wine) to cover meat. Simmer until fork tender.

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