A cassoulet is a hearty casserole made chiefly of navy beans and some manner of unsmoked pork that originates from the Languedoc region of France (but Castelnaudary, Carcassone and Toulouse all have a strong cassoulet tradition). Cassoulet recipes vary depending on the region, but can include pork loin, leg, Toulouse sausage, rind, lard, as well as mutton, duck, goose or even cod.
The French have committees to make rules about their precious national dishes, and a proper cassoulet is defined as containing 70 percent navy (or haricot) beans, stock, herbs and seasonings like garlic, and 30 percent pork, mutton and duck or goose confit.
Beans are cooked separately before simmered together with meat, so that the beans are impregnated with a meaty flavor; the dish is finished in the oven, ideally in a traditional round cassole dish, with added meat and breadcrumbs that create a golden crust that is broken a requisite eight times during the cooking process.
What's the point of resting meat before cutting it?
What's the point of resting meat before cutting it?
Letting cooked meat rest before you cut into it can be patience-trying for the hungry carnivore. But it's worth it for a number of reasons.
High heat makes muscle proteins in the meat contract, pushing juices toward the center. If you allow your meat to relax -- anywhere from 5 minutes for a steak to around 40 for a turkey -- liquid that has been pushed out of tightened meat cells is able to circulate and be reabsorbed, making the meat more tender. This also means the juice will stay in the meat, not run all over your cutting board or plate. It also helps even out the temperature of the meat.
Remove your cooked meat and place it on a wooden cutting board (or, as some chefs insist, on a wire rack above a plate to capture juices, which allows air to circulate on its underside, preventing it from becoming soggy). You can also loosely tent the meat with foil; again, be careful not to wrap it too tightly, lest you lock in the moisture and lose your crisp crust.
Note: The internal temperature of meat rises while it rests, due to the residual heat from the oven. So invest in a digital, instant-read meat thermometer and get in the habit of pulling your meat out before it's done to your liking.
Recipe: Roast Leg Of Lamb With Garlic And Rosemary (Cookthink)
Reference: Does searing meat really seal in moisture? (Cookthink)
Reference: Do I need a digital, instant-read meat thermometer? (Cookthink)
What's the point of salting meat before you cook it?
What's the point of salting meat before you cook it?
When to salt meat is a controversial topic in cooking circles.
Some claim that salting early in the cooking process dries out the meat and inhibits a crust from forming. But we agree with the early salting advocates who believe that the salt has time to penetrate the meat, tenderizing it and improving flavor, and that salt (particularly coarse salt) help form for a crisper crust.
Those concerned about their salt consumption should note that if you wait until a steak is cooked to add flavor-boosting salt, you will probably end up adding more salt than if you'd salted before cooking.
An old chef's trick is to salt meat early, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for up to a few days before cooking. When you cook the meat, its texture will be improved by the tenderizing action of the salt.
Also, note that pork can take about the double amount of salt that you would use for other meats. If you have a mediocre pork loin, for example, double salt it, let it rest in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it, then rinse off the excess salt and pat dry before cooking. It works like a charm.
A confit is a piece of most commonly duck, goose, pork or turkey that is stewed and subsequently stored its own fat, in order to preserve it.
This ancient food-preservation method is a Southwestern French specialty that is eaten hot (like a duck leg known as confit de canard, also a main component of cassoulet) or cold, as rillettes, in which the fat-drenched meat is shredded, and spread on bread and often eaten with pickles.
Goose, which can be tough, is rendered meltingly tender when transformed into a confit. In France, you can find pork or even chicken confit in supermarkets; salmon rillettes, which are made using added olive oil and butter, are a popular spread eaten as an hors d'oeuvre.
Rillettes is the name of a silky French spread made out of pork, rabbit, goose, duck or poultry that is confit, or cooked in its own fat, or additional lard. It is served cold, smeared on toast or fresh baguette slices, and often accompanied by the little French pickles known as cornichons.
In France, you can find pork, chicken or even salmon rillettes, which are made using added olive oil and butter, in the supermarket as well as specialty shops. Rillettes are rich and usually eaten in small quantities, as an appetizer or packed as part of a picnic.
Kosher salt is a bright-tasting white, coarse-grained salt made without additives (such as iodine).
It is called kosher salt in North America (elsewhere it's referred to as coarse-grain salt) because it is used to aid in the preparing of kosher meat that is salted after butchering in order to draw out the animal's blood. Kosher salt works particularly well because its large grains don't immediately dissolve on the surface of meat, drawing in liquid instead.
But you don't have to keep kosher to appreciate kosher salt, a favorite of cooks everywhere for its large flaky texture and clean taste that works in a variety of dishes.
If you're new to kosher salt, be aware that it doesn't always dissolve completely in baked goods and that its grains vary in size according to the manufacturer, so be sure to check the box for measurement conversions. The large flakes of kosher salt make it a nice finishing salt to sprinkle on dishes before serving.
