Cookthink

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?

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.

What is the difference between stock and broth?

The two terms are often used interchangeably but retain an aura of cloudiness like the unskimmed foam on a simmering pot of stock or broth. Stock is the strained liquid that you get once you've cooked various meat, poultry, fish or seafood, vegetables, herbs and seasonings in water. Brown stock is made by browning bones and vegetables first in oil before adding water and/or wine to the pot. Stock is the basis for many a soup, stew and features in many sauces, often reduced. White sauce is made from white stock made with chicken, veal or other poultry; brown sauces incorporate brown stock made from veal, beef or poultry meat and bones. A court-bouillon is also a stock. Vegetable stock is made with vegetables which may or may not have been first sautéed in oil or butter. Broth is also the strained liquid that's left after you've cooked meat, poultry, fish or seafood, vegetables, herbs or seasonings in water. Broth is also called bouillon. Nevertheless, cubes of instant stock that is reconstituted with water as a cooking shortcut are called bouillon cubes. The liquid in a pot-au-feu is also called bouillon.

What is a roux?

A roux is a thickening agent made from equal parts butter and flour. The mixture is cooked until the flour taste disappears (about one minute per tablespoon of flour) and then combined with milk or stock to create a sauce. There are basically two kinds of roux. White (or blond) roux is cooked just until the flour taste vanishes, but before the butter begins to turn the roux brown. This becomes béchamel sauce when blended with milk. Combined with stock, it becomes velouté. Brown roux is cooked until it turns a nutty brown color. It is used as a thickener for French demi-glacesauce. It can be made with butter, as well as pork or beef drippings. Many Creole and Cajun dishes, including gumbo, use lard to create a dark brown roux. (In our Chicken And Sausage Gumbo, we use less indulgent canola oil. Don't try this in Vermilion Parish; they may jail you for using oil.) Reference: What is bechamel sauce? (Cookthink) Reference: Macaroni And Cheese (Cookthink) Related: Real Cajun Recipes

What are the different grades of maple syrup?

The United States Department of Agriculture regulates pure maple syrup with four grades. They are: Grade A Light Amber: A very light syrup with a mild, delicate maple flavor, this is usually made early in the season when the weather is cold. This is the best grade for making maple candy and maple cream. Grade A Medium Amber: A darker, mid-season syrup, this is often used as a table syrup. This syrup has a deeper maple flavor. Grade A Dark Amber: A strong flavored syrup that's made from sap harvested late in the season when there's more sunlight and longer stretches of warm temperatures. Grade B: Very dark with a forceful maple, caramel-y flavor, this is a common cooking syrup. Die-hards also use it as a pancake syrup. Recipe: Soy-Maple Vinaigrette (Cookthink) Recipe: Maple And Apricot-Glazed Meatloaf (Karina's Kitchen) Reference: What is a sugarhouse? (Cookthink) Reference: Root Source: Maple Syrup (Cookthink)

Do I need a digital instant-read meat thermometer?

For $10-25, you'll have the most foolproof way to ensure that the meat you cook is done to how you (and the people you're feeding) like it. It's simply the most reliable way to get meat right. Here are the temperatures to aim for. If you're going to let the meat rest before serving it (which is a good idea), take it out 3F (single pieces of meat) to 5F (roasts and whole birds) cooler than the temps listed below: Pork slightly pink: 150F Poultry (chicken, turkey, cornish hen) 160F Beef rare: 125F-130F medium-rare: 130F-135F medium: 135F-150F Lamb rare: 125F medium-rare: 130F medium: 135F Duck Whole duck: 170F in the thigh Breasts: rare: 130F medium-rare: 135F medium: 140F Sausages and ground meat: 170F Note that trichinosis (which used to be danger with under-cooked pork) is killed at 137F. Salmonella is killed at 160F. If you're worried about salmonella, cook everything to 160F.

How to make a whole roasted turkey

Roasting a whole turkey for the first time can be a little intimidating, especially if you are making it for guests for a special occasion like Thanksgiving dinner. Just follow the directions outlined in this video by Handmade TV, and you will be sure to roast a turkey worthy of everyone's approval.

Root Source: Maple Syrup

what you should know Up north, the brief maple syrup season is underway. The sap is flowing and the louvered sugar shacks are at full boil. Real maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maples. The sap flows up the tree during the cold night, then flows back down the tree as the temperature rises during the day. sapped The sap is clear and light, like a mild sugar water. It's poured into an evaporator where it's boiled for hours to thicken. About 40 gallons of sap will get you only one gallon of syrup. lingua dolce Until the cheap production of cane sugar and, later, high fructose corn syrup, maple sap was mostly used to make sugar. Today, even though almost maple sap is used for syrup, the old language of "sugaring" survives. maple state In the U.S., most real maple syrup comes from Vermont, where sugaring (like cheesemaking) is practically a birthright. Syrups are graded based on when in the season they're made. (There's evidence that terroir comes into play as well.) coatlicker Imitation syrups are made mostly with high fructose corn syrup and an aroma compound called sotolon. Chip's friend Mark, an amateur sugarer, says that going back to commercial stuff after years of making his own "is like taking a shower with a raincoat on. And then licking the raincoat." what you need Though it doesn't have the classic beehive shape of your local diner's tabletop syrup pourer, this WMF Satin Steel contraption is sleek and relatively drip-free. For pancakes, it's hard to beat Calphalon's stove-top nonstick griddle. The square shape and low ridges make it easy to flip the flapjacks. Maple sap's not just for syrup and sugar. Vermont Spirits makes a clean, rustic maple sap vodka. what you do We like to use the darker, richer Grade B syrup for this maple plum crumble. Syrup, butter and pecans are just the right dressing for these maple-glazed pears. Try this salty-sweet soy-maple vinaigrette on simple green or single-vegetable salads. Or use it as a glaze for grilled fish and meats. We love the lush tang of this maple and apricot-glazed meatloaf, from new Cookthinktanker, Karina's Kitchen. If you'd rather save the maple syrup for the pancakes, try hogwash's Whole-Grain Flapjacks and VeganYumYum's Easy Weekend Pancakes. Featured recipe: Tahini and apple cider vinegar are two of the ingredients that makes these maple-walnut cookies so distinctive. The recipe comes from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs and is the featured recipe for this week's Root Source Challenge.

Root Source: Unsalted Butter

what you should know Unsalted butter is always equally unsalted, but salted butter is never quite salted the same. The NaCl uncertainty is the main reason we prefer to use unsalted butter when we cook. Often that salt can subdue the sweet flavor of butter. (Unsalted butter is often labeled as "sweet butter.") salt conversion In most recipes, the little extra salt will go unnoticed. Still, as a general rule if a recipe calls for unsalted butter but all you've got is salted butter, cut 1/4 teaspoon of salt per stick of butter (1/2 cup) you use. stick it up Salt acts as a preservative for butter. Tightly wrapped in foil and stored in the fridge, salted butter can last for five months, while unsalted butter lasts about three before going stale. (Spot stale butter by slicing into the stick; the outside will be darker than the inside.) Then again, many people don't store butter in the fridge to begin with. cooking with butter Sometimes, when you want a nuttier flavor, you'll want to let the butter's foam subside. But butter has a low smoke point, so be careful using it as your cooking fat. It'll burn easily. Clarified butter, or ghee, has a higher smoke point (and also makes a tasty dipping sauce for crab, lobster and anything else). roux-dimentary Butter forms the foundation for countless classic sauces and thickeners, including béchamel, beurre manié and roux. what you need Have you ever wanted to make fresh butter at home? This traditional butter churn is based on the famous Dazey churn from the early 20th century. You can also make a small batch of butter by putting cream in a jar and shaking it for a long, long time until you've shaken it solid. The water-cooled crock owners we know swear by the constant supply of creamy, spreadable butter they keep on their tables. Other butter lovers who shun the refrigerator prefer the classic rectangular butter dish. what you do Sage and butter are absolutely delicious together. How delicious? Try this rich and pillowy tortellini with sage brown butter and parmesan to find out. Steamy Kitchen likes to top her slow butter- braised asparagus with parmesan and sea salt. With that savory finale, you definitely don't need salted butter. Drizzling roasted sweet potatoes with cilantro-lime butter gives them a burst of tart richness. Salted butter might interfere with the complex sugar-spice interaction in these orange-scented popovers with cinnamon-orange honey. These better-for-you whole-grain flapjacks from hogwash are made with quinoa, millet and flaxseed. After using butter to grease the pan, you can afford to use a little extra on the cakes themselves. Coconut & Lime's worked out one of the fastest and tastiest cinnamon bun recipes out there.

Are turkeys American?

In the 1500s, Europeans found turkeys in Mexico, domesticated them back at home and then repatriated them to the United States when they settled in the new world. America's big, bland national bird was prized by Pilgrims and it's still the main event at our annual feast of shared blessings and family feuds. Ben Franklin's suggestion that the national bird be changed from the eagle to the turkey was largely ignored, as was his cooking advice. For an "uncommonly tender" turkey, he unkindly recommended electrocution. Farm-raised turkeys may be too fat to fly, but lithe wild turkeys do just fine in the air.