Meat, fish and doneness
6 short explainers. Read them in order, or jump to the question you have right now.
- 25Carryover cookingA roast's outside is far hotter than its center, and that heat keeps creeping inward after you pull it. That's carryover cooking. A steak gains 3 to 5°F (2…
- 26Crispy chicken skinSkin can't brown while it's wet. The oven first spends its energy boiling off that water at 100°C, and that's how you get soft, rubbery skin. Pat the skin…
- 27Searing doesn't seal juicesA seared steak loses about as much juice as an unseared one, because the crust isn't waterproof. Juice loss depends on how hot the inside gets. Searing…
- 28Cooking fish gentlyFish has short muscle fibers and very little collagen, so it's tender but cooks fast. Most fillets are done in about 3 to 4 minutes per side. One minute…
- 29Braise tough cuts slowlyShoulders and shanks are full of collagen, which stays chewy when cooked hot and fast. Hold them in liquid at 85 to 95°C (185 to 205°F) for 2 to 4 hours,…
- 30Salt meat ahead of timeA dry brine is salt rubbed on meat and left to sit. The salt pulls out a little water and dissolves in it, then the salty liquid soaks back in. Salt also…
