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121 Cooking Secrets to Impress Friends and Family

Chapter III: Meat, Poultry and Fish

40. Choose perfect cuts of red meat. Red meat such as beef, pork and lamb should have

a moist, red surface with no signs of drying or surface film. The fat should be a

creamy white color and should not be dry. Look for even, well-cut meat that is free

from sinew and excess fat. To store your meat, it is best to loosely wrap it on a plate

and put it in the coldest part of your refrigerator so the air can circulate around it.

Red meat should be either cooked or frozen within 2-3 days or purchase.

41. Keep the breading on meats. If a recipe calls for coating meat with breadcrumbs,

refrigerate the breaded portions for an hour or even overnight before cooking. This

will help the breading cling when you cook the meat instead of sticking to the

bottom of the pan! Breaded meats can even be frozen and pan-fried without

defrosting. Be sure to increase the cooking time slightly.

42. Freezing meat. When freezing red meat or poultry, wrap it very tightly or seal it in a

plastic bag to prevent air spoilage or freezer burn. Be sure not to pile pieces on top

of each other but do pack meat as flat as possible so it freezes quickly, which will

ensure its texture is not spoiled. Meat should be completely thawed in the

refrigerator before cooking. Never thaw poultry at room temperature or you risk

salmonella contamination.

43. Stop meatloaf from sticking to the pan. Tired of meatloaf that sticks to the pan?

Toss in a slice of raw bacon before adding meat to the pan, and say goodbye to the

sticking. It may not be the healthiest alternative but it does work (and tastes great)!

44. Make a juicer roast. To keep all of the natural juices inside your roast, sear it on all

sides in a hot skillet with a little vegetable oil before putting it in the roasting pan. A

few seconds per side is all it takes since the point is not to cook the meat but rather

to toughen up the outside so that the juices don’t flow out while it’s cooking. Then

be sure to use a shallow roaster to retain more of the moisture. Uncover the meat

halfway through roasting in order to avoid a steamed appearance and to get the top

of your roast browned.

45. Make tastier hamburgers. Homemade hamburgers are easy to make and taste far

better than the store bought variety. Make them with medium ground beef, an egg

and breads crumbs or crushed crackers. Season with your favorite seasonings or add

barbecue sauce for a smoky flavor. For juicier burgers, add one-eighth cup of ice

water to your beef or turkey before forming patties.

46. Choose perfect poultry. When choosing poultry, the skin should be a light creamy

color and it should be moist. It should also be unbroken with no dark patches. Fresh

poultry should be stored loosely covered on a plate in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.