Chef de Partie

Little meat book

Straight from the pros

”Eat less meat – but better.”

– Johan Andersson, Restaurang AG

Do the right thing with the right meat

For a professional chef all cuts from any animal can be made into a delicacy, as long as the raw material is of high quality and as long as you apply the right cooking methods.

Hard working muscles are rich in connective tissue and fat. They have to be cooked for a long time in order for the tough meat to become deliciously tender. This method brings out intensive, deep and complex meat flavors.

Muscles that are used less are lean and tender from the start and should be cooked as little as possible. This method maintains an unaltered, pure and more refined meat character.

In this small booklet you will find tips straight from the pros on how to go about doing this. You’ll find even more at professionalsecrets.com.

Choose like the pros

Use the right cut for the right thing. Here is how you recognize the best raw material:

Look for marbling

Plenty of fat inside the muscle tissue means more and better taste. A covering layer of fat also contributes to juiciness and meat flavor.

Fresh or tenderized?

Meat from veal, lamb, pork and poultry should be eaten directly. Beef, however, should be tenderized. Hang-tenderized meat is costly, but gets you more taste and less water for your money.

Less but better

Buying cheap meat not only means that you risk buying added salt water, you might also be sponsoring cynical farming methods. A better idea is to buy less meat – but of better quality.

From the meat chef:

When you have found a reliable and knowledgeable butcher, nurse your relationship. Get to know him or her on a first name basis.

Recognize good meat

It is marbled and firm (cold fat, unlike water, is hard) and cut with care.
The darker the meat, the deeper the flavor.
Look, smell, touch, and trust your own judgment.

Internal temperatures

Meat is protein and all proteins coagulate – cook – between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius. You need a good thermometer.

An accurate thermometer

It should be sensitive and fast and have a thin probe that doesn’t leave big holes in your food. Use it often, like the pros.

All in one list:

Bleu: up to 45°C (beef).

Rare: 45-50°C (beef, game).

Medium-rare: 50-54°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).

Medium: 54-58°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).

Medium-well: 58-65°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).

Well done: 65-72°C (beef, game, veal, lamb, pork, chicken)

A recommendation for pork and chicken is often 70 degrees, but the lean meat will fare better if you take it from the heat earlier and let the “after-heat” do the job.

Store meat like the pros

About hygiene, about taking responsibility for your guests well-being, and about respecting the raw material.

Cold and isolated

Always store meat in the coldest part of the fridge. Raw meat should never come into contact with food that is ready for eating.

Hot and cold facts

Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.
The riskiest interval for all foods is between 41 and 57°C.
Re-heated food should be brought to 74°C for at least 15 seconds.
Do this, and you can re-heat and cool down food several times.
Thaw meat slowly in the fridge.

Oxygen is the villain

Oxygen is what spoils stored food. A layer of fat, a marinade or a thin layer of oil protects the meat so that it keeps a little longer.

Long time – vacuum

Always store vacuumed meat in the fridge or freezer. Vacuumed meat in the fridge will keep for weeks.

Short time – air

Fresh meat about to be cooked fares better if you don’t cover it with plastic. Use a porous, clean kitchen towel instead. A drier surface on the meat is not a problem.

”Unwrap the meat beforehand so that the surface has time to dry up.”

– Per Renhed, f d F12, The Restaurant, and more

No fingers

Never stick your fingers or unwashed utensils into food headed for storage.

Prepare meat like the pros

An ordinary day of work in a professional kitchen consists of meticulous planning and preparation on every level.

”Mise en place”

Do yourself and your guests a favor by having everything “in its place” before you even commence cooking.

Retrieve the meat

Red meat should have room temp when you start, otherwise it will “shock” and contract from the heat.
Dry vacuumed meat and air it out. The unpleasant smell has to do with the packaging, not the meat itself.
Let frozen meat thaw slowly in a fridge. This gives enzymes time to tender it a little more, with low risk of contamination.

Salt before

Rub salt into the entire cut of meat and leave it to penetrate an hour or so before cooking.

Marinate

Use acidic, water-based marinades – oil will not penetrate into the meat and will cause fires and smoke on a grill. Many meat chefs will tell you the effect of marinades – other than adding taste – is only superficial.

”Brine is the only real marinade.”

– Mac Donald Lundgren, Tranan

Fry meat like the pros

Those wonderful aromas and flavors on fried and roasted meat are the result of proteins and carbohydrates reacting. You don’t want to miss that.

The Maillard reaction

The above phenomenon only takes place if the meat surface is hotter than the boiling point. Therefore:

Dry and salt

Dry the meat before frying it, to avoid it cooking (boiling) in its own juices. Working salt into the meat will draw out water, but the effect is negligible compared to the water that evaporates in the frying pan.

Not too much

Avoid having too much meat in your pan, or you will risk (1) the pan losing heat and (2) the meat boiling in its own juices.

The right fat

Some cooks prefer butter, which gives an indication of temperature, others use oil that can take higher temperatures, and others use a mix of both. Experiment and find your own truth.

After-heat in the oven

This will give you more control and avoid the surface of the meat going dry while the center remains raw. A good thermometer is your best friend.

After sous vide

Sous vide gives you maximum control. Flavors and juiciness are preserved and you can get exactly the internal temperature you want in the entire cut of meat. But for bigger flavors and a prettier presentation: Sear the meat in a pan or on the grill before serving.

Boil meat like the pros

The connective tissue and fat in inexpensive cuts is what causes those fantastic flavors. Learn how to maximize them.

Sear for taste

To deepen flavors in a stew, sear the meat first. Roll it in flour if you want, this will thicken the broth.

Put the basics to work

The meat pretty much takes care of itself in the pot, that’s why the basic preparations matter:

Root vegetables in the broth create a base (fond!) for the flavor of the actual meat.
Toasting dry spices is a good idea, and add fresh herbs at a later stage to conserve essential oils.
Let it take time. If you can, make the stew a day in advance.

Grill like the pros

A professional secret when grilling: Buy better meat! Here are some more helpful tips:

The right tools

Your grill utensils should have long handles that don’t bend. Your grill – above all the grate – should be clean!

Use plenty of salt

Most of it ends up on the coals anyway. Pepper after grilling since burnt pepper can taste bad.

Zone grilling

Arrange the live coals so that you have one area for direct heat, one for indirect heat.

Show a little patience

Give the meat time to sear and caramelize before you try to budge it. This way it will loosen all by itself. And don’t be afraid of high temperatures (but work with your zones).

Roast meat in the oven like a pro

In an oven the protein can be heated up gently and evenly, allowing control over the internal temperature.

Combine high and low

High temperatures give the meat a tasty surface, but dry it out. Low temperatures provide a more even result, but without the crispy surface. Try combining high heat initially, with a longer period of low heat.

The 4 % rule of thumb

When you remove the meat from the heat the internal temperature will continue to rise by about 4 percent of the oven temperature. That is to say; as much as 8 degrees if the oven heat is 200 degrees…

The fan effect

Fan-assisted oven heat increases the heating effect on the surface of the meat, therefore you can lower the temperature by 15 to 30 degrees.

Slow braise

An oven provides excellent temperature control for braising meat at low and even temperatures for hours. The lower the temperature, the longer the time needed (and, often, the more delicious the result).

MEAT MUST REST!

Roasting, grilling and frying “stresses” the meat. A few minutes of rest before serving allows for heat, juices and flavors to distribute evenly.

Serve meat like the pros

Meticulous preparation is a professional secret, but this doesn’t make the final presentation any less important:

Meat temperature

Letting the meat come to rest at a slightly lower temperature is positive for the taste experience. Concentrate on piping hot side dishes and garnish.

Hot all the way

A warm steak weighing about 200 grams doesn’t stand a chance against half a kilo of cold china. Use warm plates.

Have a visual idea

The steak is seldom the prettiest ingredient on the plate, make plans for an appetizing, colorful arrangement.

The right knives

Meat will be experienced as more tender and enjoyable if you provide your guests with sensible meat knives. And less juiciness will be squeezed out when cutting it.