Questions tagged [meat]

Questions about the flesh of an animal (especially mammal) used as food.

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56 votes
5 answers
263k views

Why is it dangerous to eat meat which has been left out and then cooked?

If cooking meat kills bacteria, and bacteria are responsible for problems with eating meat which has been left out, then why is it dangerous to eat meat which has been left out at room temperature and ...
intuited's user avatar
  • 1,407
65 votes
10 answers
1.1m views

Is there a problem with defrosting meat on the counter?

I generally defrost meat on the kitchen counter. A friend of mine suggested that this was dangerous and suggested that I defrost meat in the refrigerator. I am no biologist but it seems to me that as ...
ahsteele's user avatar
  • 2,608
25 votes
4 answers
785k views

How long can cooked food be safely stored at room/warm temperature?

If I leave fully-cooked food (particularly meat) out at warm temperature - say on the counter or in a crock pot that's been turned off - how long will it stay safe to eat? Does it make any ...
MHansen's user avatar
  • 251
66 votes
9 answers
628k views

How dangerous is it to refreeze meat that has been thawed?

I've often been told by people that I shouldn't refreeze meat (particularly hamburger meat) once it has been thawed. However, this seems a little silly to me. I can't imagine how meat that hasn't ...
Daniel Bingham's user avatar
123 votes
26 answers
50k views

How do you properly cook a steak?

I love steaks so much, that I would like to get a green card and live in the States just to enjoy good steaks whenever I want. When I try to cook a steak at home (I live in Italy), it always turns ...
Wizard79's user avatar
  • 4,603
32 votes
5 answers
67k views

Does meat need to be washed before preparation?

I don't even remember where I have learned that, but I've always thought it common knowledge: Before a piece of meat gets seasoned, or malleted for tenderizing (sorry, don't know the English word for ...
rumtscho's user avatar
  • 139k
21 votes
2 answers
17k views

How does velveting work?

The Chinese technique of velveting works. It creates a lusciously tender bit of meat, and I'm a complete advocate of making the small additional effort. If you've ever done it, you're already a ...
Jolenealaska's user avatar
  • 58.5k
10 votes
3 answers
222k views

How can you tell when a roast is done?

How can you tell when a roast is done? How long should they roast for?
SAJ14SAJ's user avatar
  • 73.1k
5 votes
2 answers
8k views

Is there a general algorithm for calculating the amount of time to roast meat?

Often, when you buy meat from the store, it comes with guidance on how long the meat needs to be roasted, presumably calculated as a function of its weight. Is there some well known general algorithm ...
leonigmig's user avatar
  • 221
9 votes
4 answers
53k views

What is the lowest possible temperature for stewing meat?

If you want to stew meat low and slow, how low can you go and still get collagen break-down? And would there be any advantage to stewing at the lowest possible temperature?
Chris Steinbach's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
22k views

How do you correctly use a meat thermometer?

I have two meat thermometers. I bought a second one because I thought the first one was resulting in overcooked meat, however the new one is doing the same! They are both standard metal prong 'analog ...
Alex Angas's user avatar
36 votes
3 answers
14k views

Why should I "rest" meat after cooking?

I often read in recipes that I should "rest" meat after it has been cooked but what does resting the meat actually do?
lomaxx's user avatar
  • 5,518
5 votes
1 answer
10k views

Why marinade meat with acid or enzymes?

This might sound like a queer question, but why do we marinade meat with acid / enzymes? Given that marinading doesn't tenderize meat, it just turns the outer fibers into mush and releases the juices ...
Max's user avatar
  • 1,068
49 votes
17 answers
696k views

Is it bad to cook frozen meat without thawing it?

I wonder if it is bad to cook frozen meat (chicken, fish, beef,...) without waiting for it to thaw? Sometimes, I realize I forget to take meat out of my freezer beforehand, when I am too hungry ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 2,131
23 votes
2 answers
4k views

Best chopping board material for meat

I've heard that using a wooden chopping board for cutting meat is not very hygienic as it is a porous material. If that is the case, then what would a chopping board ideally be made out of when ...
lomaxx's user avatar
  • 5,518
22 votes
8 answers
413k views

How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?

At some Chinese restaurants, I've had beef dishes where the meat was unusually tender. It also has a somewhat unusual texture, which is hard to describe. I understand that this is a result of using ...
erichui's user avatar
  • 777
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

What factors affect collagen to gelatin conversion?

I have a bunch of oxtails I've been braising for hours in an adobo sauce and they remain awfully tough. What I'd love to see happen is for that abundant connective tissue to melt away and coat each ...
Ray's user avatar
  • 6,154
7 votes
2 answers
3k views

Kosher alternative for butter as emulsifier

Jewish Law prohibits the mixing of milk and meat in cooking. However, butter, a milk product, is a kitchen staple for most cooked emulsions (eg. pan-sauces, sauces béchamels, or roux-based sauces). ...
NoahM's user avatar
  • 347
6 votes
2 answers
7k views

Why is meat red?

What makes meat red? At first I would think it is the blood, but most packaged meat doesn't seem to be bloody per se, and plus, different meats (chicken, beef etc.) range in color from deep red to ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 343
32 votes
9 answers
331k views

How do Chinese restaurants tenderize their meat?

I eat at a lot of Chinese restaurants now and also while growing up. I often wondered how is it that the chicken, pork, and beef in dishes are always so tender. I can never replicate it when I cook. ...
milesmeow's user avatar
  • 4,274
31 votes
8 answers
196k views

How long do you let a steak from the fridge come up to temperature, and when do you salt it?

Before cooking a steak, you're supposed to let it sit out at room temperature. You're also supposed to salt it. What is the proper timing for these steps? How long do you let the steak come up to ...
user avatar
31 votes
7 answers
501k views

How long is it safe to marinate meat?

I started marinating some almost-thawed chicken and skirt steak in the refrigerator on Monday. It's Saturday, and I still haven't gotten around to cooking the meat. Is the meat still safe to cook ...
Jim's user avatar
  • 411
14 votes
15 answers
26k views

Why does my chicken breast become so dry?

When I roast a whole chicken, I always make sure that my chicken is cooked to the proper temperature. Quite often, this results in juicy legs and thighs, but dry breasts. Is there a reason the ...
Jacob R's user avatar
  • 2,490
12 votes
6 answers
2k views

Uses of Horse Meat

What (roughly) does horse meat taste like? What kind of dishes can I make with it?
Willbill's user avatar
  • 1,747
11 votes
1 answer
10k views

How to cook extremely soft chicken?

I had this chicken that was extremely soft at a thai restaurant in Portland, Or. The cashew nut chicken dish had small strips of extremely soft chicken. As you can see, the chicken is not cripsy or ...
user22393's user avatar
  • 111
11 votes
2 answers
7k views

Hanging at home

I'm looking into the technique of 'hanging' meat, and whether there are 'home' applications that would be safe and have a beneficial effect. Now, there are a lot of (possible) synonyms that muddle ...
Tobias Op Den Brouw's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
5k views

Is using treated wood safe for smoking meat?

I have some broken hickory drum sticks that I was going to throw out; but could these be useful for smoking meat? I would assume the wood is treated.
Smashery's user avatar
  • 585
2 votes
4 answers
8k views

Chemical meat tenderizers

I know pineapple (Hawaiian cooking), onion (Chaliapin steak), pickle juice (Chick-fil-A) and honey (Shokugeki no Soma). All tenderize meat via cooking and / or marinating. My questions are: What ...
Jade So's user avatar
  • 1,299
36 votes
16 answers
75k views

How do I pound chicken (or other meat) without making a mess?

Despite my best efforts, my kitchen (and sometimes the chicken) always looks like a war zone after pounding 8 or 10 breasts. Maybe this is just a messy job, but I think there must be something I'm ...
Aaronut's user avatar
  • 55k
33 votes
16 answers
236k views

How to rest meat but not let it get too cold?

Having read this question I am persuaded that resting meat is good for its flavour. But if the meat has a good temperature straight after it's been cooked, it seems as though it will be too cold after ...
bryn's user avatar
  • 2,391
17 votes
9 answers
522k views

Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

I was wondering if I can put meat directly from the freezer into a slow-cooker. I want to be able to put chicken in the slow-cooker without having to let it defrost for a whole day in the fridge. It ...
Pierre-Alain Vigeant's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
162k views

How should I deal with blood released while thawing meat in the refrigerator?

Saturday I pulled a package of venison from my freezer to thaw and hope to make stroganoff with it tonight. However, this morning I noticed that the package (in a bowl) had really released a lot of ...
mfg's user avatar
  • 11.7k
16 votes
2 answers
713 views

What is freezer burn?

What causes freezer burn? How can I tell if meat has freezer burn?
George Edison's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
16k views

Is it contaminating the spice to touch it after touching raw meat?

When I cook raw meat, especially chicken strips, I have it spread out on the chopping board with a few bags and containers of spice to the side. I don't actually use too many shakers for spice. Since ...
Celeritas's user avatar
  • 1,625
15 votes
4 answers
433k views

How long does uncooked meat last when kept in the freezer? [duplicate]

Chicken, beef, or even shrimp? How long can I keep it there before it goes bad?
Cho's user avatar
  • 151
14 votes
2 answers
7k views

"Cooking" with acid (ceviche)

At a tappas bar, I had shrimp ceviche. In this dish, the shrimp is "cooked" not by high temperature but by the citric acid of its marinade. This would be really fun to make at home. For such dishes, ...
Dinah's user avatar
  • 4,929
14 votes
5 answers
117k views

Is it bad to marinate meat for too long?

From my experience it is always best to marinate meat for a decent amount of time, so the meat can "soak" up the marinade and be more flavourful. However, I came across this recipe here: http://www....
pyko's user avatar
  • 295
13 votes
4 answers
40k views

Chili/Stew - Is it necessary to cook all the meat before adding to the rest of the ingredients?

I'm planning on making a big batch of chili this weekend. Usually I brown/cook all the meat before putting everything in a pot to simmer for several hours. I just read On Browning Ground Meat in ...
mike's user avatar
  • 263
11 votes
2 answers
13k views

What is the sous vide botulism risk if storing meat post-cooking at home?

So I understand that cooking sous vide has a potentially high risk of botulism due to the anaerobic environment (vacuum). As such, you need to be careful with time and temp combinations. If you are ...
yossarian's user avatar
  • 19k
9 votes
2 answers
20k views

Do breadcrumbs really act as a binder in meat preparations?

I routinely hear that breadcrumbs are added to burgers and meatballs to bind them. For example, see the answers to this question: how to stop meatballs falling apart. On the other hand, I have heard ...
Swoogan's user avatar
  • 927
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the "idea" behind thawing out meat?

Is it some how better to thaw out meat in a refrigerator versus on the counter versus running hot water over it versus in the microwave? Is it the longer the time meat has to thaw out the more taste ...
Celeritas's user avatar
  • 1,625
7 votes
9 answers
45k views

How do I avoid dry meat and burned masala and rice in biryana?

I have tried to make Biryani several (3, lol) times using this recipe but never got it right. The meat gets too dry, and the masala and rice often get burned. How can I avoid this?
Ishaan Singh's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
38k views

Can I use the same board for meat and vegetables?

I've heard that it's not good to use the same board for vegetables and meat, not only when you are making a salad but in general. Something about the bacteria in dirt and the bacteria in the meat is a ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
5k views

What can I do to prolong vegetable and meat freshness in the freezer?

In an effort to improve my eating habits I am thinking of buying more vegetables and meats while at the store so that I have them to cook with. However, with a busy schedule it is hard to try and ...
SirCobalt's user avatar
  • 335
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Good Idea to Buy Discount Meat For Freezing?

My local stores for some odd reason sells chicken legs for about 1.5 EUR per kg, they are not old products according to the packages. I have made a lot of chicken soup lately but I am starting to get ...
user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
195k views

What meats can I serve medium rare and why?

It is generally accepted that pork and chicken must be cooked completely (unless put through a strong curing process) while certain cuts of beef and lamb can be served on the rare side. Why is this? ...
Jon's user avatar
  • 383
18 votes
5 answers
4k views

Why do my burgers end up round?

When I broil or grill my burgers, I end up with burgers that are round in the middle. I grind my own beef blend and form my patties the same every time. When I cook my burgers in a pan I don't get ...
Jacob R's user avatar
  • 2,490
16 votes
12 answers
48k views

Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?

With the vacuum sealers that have hit the market, they're have been a lot of toys added onto the products. One such device is used for marinating meat. It just looks like a tupperware bin with a ...
Joel's user avatar
  • 397
15 votes
7 answers
31k views

Why do burgers sometimes fall apart on the grill?

Sometimes when cooking a burger I have had it completely fall apart for no apparent reason. Is this due to using a ground meat that is too lean? I don't add anything to the meat and don't spend too ...
Ryan Elkins's user avatar
  • 6,203
15 votes
7 answers
57k views

Does milk tenderize meat?

In another question I suggested that milk might be used as a tenderizer. That generated an amount of scepticism, so I think it is worth breaking the question out. The idea came from "The New Best ...
Chris Steinbach's user avatar