Categories
Cooking Techniques Creative Cookery Flavor Blending

A Meat Lovers Heaven

Are you one of the meat lovers? When it comes to eating meat, you’re either really into all the different types of meat, or you really don’t care one way or the other. The world is divided as to how much meat we should be eating, and if we should be eating any at all. But all of these conspiracy theories created by people who love to shake the world, should not distract you away from the benefits of meat.

I admit, eating it in large quantities is not going to do your digestive system any good. But meat is something you’re most likely only going to eat once a day, in your evening meal. When you do, you’re getting so much protein and vitamins and minerals, that it would be a shame to give it all up. And some people have to eat meat or they’ll get sick!

But for those of you who are serious meat lovers, giving up is just not on the agenda. Eating meat is life, and the flavors it creates, and the texture it adds to a dish, just can’t be replicated. This article is dedicated to those of you who know you just can’t live without your meat fix. I’m going to show you the different ways you can step up your meat game.

Countries around the world have taken cooling meat to the next level, and simply sticking it in the pan and waiting for it not to be raw is not an option anymore. So if you’re ready to step up your game, sit back and relax, and see what you think of these ideas.

A Meat Lovers Heaven

Different Ways of Cooking Meat

Let’s start off with the most important part. So many of people are missing out on beautiful tasting meat, simply because they stick to cooking it in the pan with just a little bit of olive oil or butter to make sure that it doesn’t stick. But this is most definitely not the way you should be cooking your meat, especially if you’re always looking for the finest tasting option.

True meat lovers own a smoker. Smoking meats is what so many big chain restaurants do in the U.S., and what nearly all of the smaller family businesses use. It’s literally the secret key–that’s not so secret–however, many people just don’t implement this cooking method.

You can get little smokers that can sit in your garden while your meat is slowly smoke-cooked. This type of cooking method is the best with brisket and steaks, simply because it produces that deep smokey flavor while leaving the meat so tender and juicy. You’d have to do your research as to how long to cook each meat, but generally, you’ll have to learn by trial and error. This is a super good, long term investment, and I promise you won’t regret it if you give it a go for the summer!

Different Meats To Try

If you call yourself a meat lover, I have this question for you: How often do you venture outside the common two? The two types of meat that most people seem to eat are chicken and beef. Pork seems to be the meat left out of the picture so often, but it’s one of the most flavorsome meats when you cook it right. But this is the part that so many people get wrong, including myself. How many times have I made pork and ended up with a dry lump of meat? I’ve lost count. My husband, on the other hand, makes an awesome pork steak that is juicy and flavorful! Go figure.

The problem with cooking port often starts with the cut. If you don’t get a good cut of meat, it won’t come out right. So first of all, think about sourcing something such as brine pork ribs. Ribs are massively underestimated, but when seen on a menu in a restaurant, soon they get the standing ovation they deserve.

However, at home, it’s just not common to see pork ribs. Here’s the scoop: This dish starts in the morning. Get a big enough dish, and coat the ribs in your favorite BBQ sauce. Go a bit fancy, and source one that you know restaurants use. Leave it to soak all day, and then slow roast them in the oven in the evening. That strong BBQ flavor, alongside juicy slow-cooked meat, is a winning combination. Have a side dish of beans, corn on the cob, and maybe a few chips or fries, and you’ve got yourself a succulent meat dish we know you’ve been sleeping on!

The Best Country for Meat Lovers

If you really love meat, then you should definitely think about going on a little meat lovers adventure around the States. So many restaurants serve the craziest meats, cooked to perfection. Just going there simply to eat food is enough, but you’re all aware of the super cool things you could do alongside that. So do your research, and find out what states are the best for well-cooked meats!

And don’t stick to the obvious, sit-down restaurants either. Some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had was cooked in a smoker in the parking lot of an Ollie’s in Maryland.

Categories
Cooking Techniques

Tips on Tenderizing Meat

Mastering the skill of tenderizing meat can mean the difference between an enjoyable meal and a tough-to-chew hunk of meat. From wagyu beef to pork loin, the best cuts of meat are those that have been tenderized. If you go to any of the best restaurants and order a meat dish it will be easy to chew and full of flavor because they make the effort to tenderize the meat.

However, this is not always the case when you purchase inexpensive cuts from supermarkets, which is why it is important to tenderize the meat. The same goes for when it comes to meal kits. Read meal kit reviews to ensure the meat provided is tenderized, if indeed included. If not, it’s your job to do this! Let’s take a look at the different ways you can do this…

Tips On Tenderizing Meat

Tenderizing Meat with Enzymes

The first method involves using foods that contain enzymes that will break down the muscle tissue in the meat. This includes enzyme-rich foods, such as kiwi, pineapple and ginger, as well as acidic foods, for example, wine, yogurt and vinegar, and also citrus fruits, like limes and lemons.

If you follow this approach you will need to create a marinade, using either one or several of the ingredients that have been mentioned. You should then marinate the meat for anything from two to 24 hours, depending on the strength of the marinade. Another option is to purchase a meat tenderizer to sprinkle on top. These tend to be enzyme based and therefore they have a similar effect.

Of course, be careful with this technique. I once cooked chicken in a pineapple and when I pulled the dish out of the oven, the chicken was mush!

Tenderize Your Meat with Muscle

If you don’t want to follow this process, then you could tenderize the meat by pounding it instead. This works really well with skirt steak, round steak, and flank steak. You should begin by getting rid of the excess fat. Don’t cut it all off, as you will need to leave some for flavor. Once you have done this, pop the meat in the freezer for approximately half an hour. You don’t want the meat to freeze, but you want it to get cold.

After half an hour has passed, take the meat out of the freezer and place it on a chopping board. This is vital to protect your kitchen counter. The last thing you want is to whack your worktop with a steel mallet. Now you can use the mallet to tenderize the meat. Simply pound the meat on both sides until it is nice and tender. This approach is effective because it breaks down the fibers, which will make it much easier to chew.

Tenderizing meat is one of the most important processes for cooking steak effectively, empowering you to enjoy the best, most flavorful meat. These two processes mentioned above are highly effective and you will immediately notice the difference if you do not usually tenderize meat before cooking it.

Categories
Recipes

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

I pulled together this meal on the fly. I baked the meatloaf on the weekend and made a fresh mushroom sauce to top on the night I served it. It was delicious!

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce and mashed potatoes

Ingredients

[one_half]

Meatloaf

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup crushed Club crackers
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp mustard (prepared)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork [/one_half]

[one_half_last]

Mushroom Sauce

1 can beef broth (about 2 cups)
1/2 cub crushed Club crackers
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup green onions (about one bunch), chopped
1/2 cup butter [/one_half_last]

Directions

Meatloaf

  1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
  3. In a medium skillet, sauté onions in oil until softened. About 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
  4. Add milk and Club crackers to onion mixture and combine until it forms a chunky paste. Add parsley, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
  5. Add ground meats and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. I like to use disposable rubber gloves to help keep my hands clean.
  6. Form a loaf shape with the mixture and place on the roasting pan. There are two ways you can do this. 1. Form the loaf freestyle with your hands. Or 2. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, press the meat mixture into the pan, turn the loaf out onto the roasting pan.
  7. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the loaf registers 160 degrees. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mushroom Sauce

mushroom sauce

  1. In a large saucepan combine broth, crackers, mushrooms, green onions, and butter.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mushrooms cook down and the sauce is thick and golden brown.

Plating

Place slices of meatloaf on a plate. Then ladle mushroom sauce on top. Serve with mashed potatoes, root vegetables or rice.


Notes
The meatloaf recipe is inspired by the recipe found in The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. The mushroom sauce recipe is inspired by “Easiest Mushroom Sauce” from Allrecipes.com.

Categories
Healthy Living

Foods That Work With Weight Loss Resolutions

skinny lettuce
By mimiliz2 via morguefile.com
When the clock struck midnight to herald the arrival of 2008, thousands of people all over the world made the decision to lose weight and eat healthier in the new year. Are you one of them? I, for one, renewed my 10-year resolution to lose weight. In fact, I started working out each morning, alternating upper and lower body workouts.

Alas, many of us will stray from their resolutions almost as quickly as they made them. Can you believe I forgot to do my workout this morning? I was so focused on coming to my computer to write this blog entry! Now, how’s that for an excuse?

Anyway, with temptations all around us, and fast food joints often making eating unhealthy seem like the easier choice, the odds just aren’t in our favor.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

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