Here's some tips on how to make a good steak
1. Cut meat (roast) into 1 inch steaks (if necessary)
2. Measure 3/4 teaspoon salt per lb of meat and about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (for example 20lbs of steaks would be 15 teaspoons or 1/3 cup salt...for more info click here). If you use kosher salt, use a little more. Pour it into a bowl and mix salt and pepper
3. Sprinkle the salt/pepper mix onto the steak on both sides. Distribute it evenly between all pieces.
4. Let it sit for 1-2 hours in the fridge. (the salt needs to penetrate to the core) If you cook it too soon, you get a bland inside and if you let it sit too long, it begins to alter the structure (usually after 4 hrs).
5. Grill it or pan fry it (I do about 3-5 minutes on each side, but this depends on how hot the grill is, how thick the steak is, how well done the meat is...personal preference)
6. Allow the meat to sit covered for about 15 minutes as soon as it comes off the grill (I like to put it in a tray with an another upside down aluminum tray on top as a lid) More info here.
7. Serve meat.
Recommendations: I like ribeye ($4+ per lb) or NY steak ($4+ per lb). A more economical choice would be top sirloin, which is around $3/lb on sale. The tougher the meat, the thinner you should slice it. (tougher steaks would be better at 1/2" thick)
Roasted Chicken Breast (bacon wrapped)
Quick Look_______________
Boneless skinless breast is often on sale and is a versatile meat. I'm posting an easy way to make roasted chicken. Feel free to substitute anything. A new feature I'm trying is posting pictures so you can see what it looks like along the way.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: ~1 hr
- Difficulty: Easy
- Labor Intensity: Could do by yourself.
- 30 servings, adjust by 1.5x if your group tends to eat multiple servings.
Ingredients_______________
- 20lbs chicken breast ($1.99 on sale)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Herb/seasoning
- Milk
- Salt
- Bacon (optional) -- ($1.69/lb for end pieces at Lucky)
- Total: about $45.00
Directions_______________
- a.
Tom's Tips and Tricks_______________
It's important that the meat is surrounded by liquid (it's the medium through which heat transfers - dry heat vs moist heat). During the cooking process about 25-30% of the water leaves the meat (average cooking loss). This means about 4-5lbs or about 8-10 cups of water ( broth, collagen/gelatin) which end up in the sauce. By boiling it off, you regain the original thickness with the pork flavor conserved in the sauce.
[Possible side dish] chicken salad, corn bread, potato wedges
Pictures_______________
Chuck
Beef chuck is generally less tender and require longer cooking times to tenderize. Chuck is more tolerant to overcooking and will remain juicy and tender when cooked for a long time.
Beef Chuck
AKA: Pot roast, Stew meat (chopped into cubes), 7 bone, cross rib (chuck with a line of fat inside)
Where to purchase: Costco is an ok source, Safeway and Lucky have sales occasionally
Price: $2/lb or less is a good price
Characteristics: Beef chuck comes from the shoulder of a cow, where daily use from walking causes a build up of tough connective tissue. Often found in ground beef
How to cook: Chuck will be tender when cooked in moist heat for about 1 hour- 1.5 hr. After 1.5hrs, it becomes too tender and will fall apart into shreds when you touch it, leaving individual strands.
What to watch out for: Chuck has alot of collagen and so it will be tough, be sure to cook it for at least 1 hr.
Benefits: The same collagen that makes chuck tough also turns into gelatin between the fibers. This gelatin keeps the meat moist from the inside. Overcooked meat turns chalk-ie because all the water leaves the destroyed (cooked) muscle cells, gelatin forms a viscous network that interferes with the water and prevents it from leaving. In essence, the gelatin traps in the moisture. Once you convert the collagen to gelatin in slow cooking, it is tender and juicy.
Suggested dishes
Beef Chuck
AKA: Pot roast, Stew meat (chopped into cubes), 7 bone, cross rib (chuck with a line of fat inside)
Where to purchase: Costco is an ok source, Safeway and Lucky have sales occasionally
Price: $2/lb or less is a good price
Market trends: Chuck is ideally suited for slow cooking (usually in moist heat), which tends to be in stews and soups. Demand increases in winter months, which corresponds to higher prices. Generally the prices are low from May to July.
Economic tip: You can substitute stew meat (about $3.50-$4) with chuck when it's on sale.It's the same meat but stew meat is pre-cut into cubes.
Characteristics: Beef chuck comes from the shoulder of a cow, where daily use from walking causes a build up of tough connective tissue. Often found in ground beef
How to cook: Chuck will be tender when cooked in moist heat for about 1 hour- 1.5 hr. After 1.5hrs, it becomes too tender and will fall apart into shreds when you touch it, leaving individual strands.
What to watch out for: Chuck has alot of collagen and so it will be tough, be sure to cook it for at least 1 hr.
Benefits: The same collagen that makes chuck tough also turns into gelatin between the fibers. This gelatin keeps the meat moist from the inside. Overcooked meat turns chalk-ie because all the water leaves the destroyed (cooked) muscle cells, gelatin forms a viscous network that interferes with the water and prevents it from leaving. In essence, the gelatin traps in the moisture. Once you convert the collagen to gelatin in slow cooking, it is tender and juicy.
Suggested dishes
- French dip/beef sandwiches
- Pot roast (moist heat)
- Shredded beef (Mexican/barbecued beef)
- Stew/Pot Pies/Turnover
- Philly cheese steak
- Roast beef
- Stroganoff
- Recipes
Quick Links
Cuts of meat
Tough cuts
- Chuck
- Pork Shoulder
- Brisket
- Pork spareribs
- Sirloin tips
Semi tender/ tender cuts
- Sirloin/ribeye/NY steak
- tri-tip
- Angus beef
Rare -> well done
Serving Size Recomendations
- coming soon
Seasonings
- Salt / salt pt2
- Seasoning meat in bulk
- Dry rubs
Emergency Recovery
Food safety
Different cooking methods:
Dry Heat
- Roasting
- Grilling / BBQ
- Deep Frying
- Broiling
- Microwave
- Stir frying/saute
Moist Heat
- Stewing/boiling
- Pot Roast/Braising
More categories coming...
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