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 cook pork

Cooking pork is fraught with pitfalls. Fry a chop too fast or cook it too long and it will petrify. Though the National Pork Board advises serving pork while still pink (about 154F), some home cooks blanch at the very thought of blushing pork, even though its well-done alternative has all the sensual appeal of sawdust. The problems arise from the nature of pork and the ways that nature is changing. Of all the commonly eaten meats, pork has the densest muscle fiber and the lowest moisture content (about 50 percent as opposed to chicken at 65 percent), which means it has a tendency to dehydrate more during cooking. In the past pork was always cooked to 170F, or well-done. At that internal temperature the only thing that saved it from being hopelessly dry was the fact that its hefty fat content, which melted into the meat during cooking, made up for its lack of moisture. But in recent years there has been a concerted and successful push by pork producers to lower the fat levels of pork (the other white meat), with the result that the nutritional numbers on pork look better than ever, but its tendency towards dryness has been laid bare. A growth in interest in heritage breeds of pork, like Berkshire and Yorkshire, that have substantial marbling and flavor, attempts to counteract pork’s march towards desiccation. When heated, meat protein contracts, forcing any water held in the muscle fiber outward. The hotter the flame, the more the fibers tighten. Traditionally cooking meat means searing the surface at very high temperatures. For moist meats, like beef, which can be served rare, the dried surface and moist interior adds sensory charm, but for pork, the effect is opposite. Because pork is dense, heat does not pass through it easily. Consequently, when cooking temperatures are very high the surface of the meat gets excessively hot before enough heat can penetrate through to the interior. By the time the meat is fully cooked most of the moisture is gone. The obvious solution is to slow down the cooking. Pork should be browned briefly, and then the temperature should be lowered to allow the rest of the cooking to take place as gently as possible. Heat transference is helped by adding liquid, which tenderizes meat fibers more efficiently than dry heat while continually adding moisture.

What do we mean by shimmering oil?

Shimmering oil is hot oil that is nearing its smoke point. At room temperature, common cooking oils like vegetable and olive oil seem fairly thick. Put them in a pan and heat them though, and they thin out when you swirl the pan. As they get hotter, they tend to "flow" and coat the pan more easily. In the right light, when you look at oil that's at a good temperature for sautéing -- nice and hot, but not yet smoking -- it shimmers. It forms "tines" like those on a wine glass. It looks colorful, iridescent even. Shimmering oil is good for sautéing because it increases the chances that the food won't stick. Hot oil immediately seals the bottom of food, creating a natural barrier between it and the bottom of the pan.

How to make a pan sauce

Since the creation of a pan sauce starts with the meat, choose a meat that requires searing, such as this rack of lamb. The browning process of searing makes "fond" -- or caramelized bits of meat and fat that stick to the pan. Sear the meat to create a caramelized crust, remove from the pan and add some diced aromatic vegetables, such as onions, shallots or mirepoix. The vegetables will begin to release liquid as soon as they hit the heat, which will start to dissolve the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Adding in a sprig of thyme, rosemary or parsley at this point to add another layer of flavor. Once the onions begin to soften, deglaze the pan with wine, water or another liquid to dissolve the remaining browned bits in the liquid and completely cook the aromatic vegetables. Allow the wine to reduce and evaporate then add some stock to the pan and reduce again. Once the stock has reduced, finish the sauce with a knob of butter and allow it to melt off the heat by swirling the pan -- this will help emulsify the sauce. Once you've added butter, the sauce cannot be brought back up to high heat or it will "break" and become greasy. If you like a finer result, you can strain the sauce before using it to dress the meat.