55+ Living Guide Winter 2018 Winter 2018 55+ issue for Joomag | Page 32

Successful roasting demands that you pay attention, this is not braising kids, it’ s roasting. If you’ re new to roasting or just need a tune up, it is suggested that you invest in a continuous read or probe thermometer, the kind you leave in with a display that sits on the counter. Once you’ ve mastered the doneness by feel test, then and only then can you dispense with the thermometer. Please remember that raw meat, poultry and fish feels soft and squishy when pressed, as it cooks proteins coagulate and water is forced out, resulting in a firmer texture. At the far end of it all an overdone piece of meat will be stiff and unyielding. With experience you will be able to tell the difference between rare, medium rare and well done. Once you’ ve arrived at the correct temperature and cooking time, it is very important to let the meat and poultry rest before carving. No matter how perfectly you’ ve managed to roast something, failure to let it sit undisturbed before cutting can instantly undo all your hard work. During roasting juices migrate to the surface of the roast, once roasting has stopped the juices stop moving and redistribute themselves evenly through the roast. The juice also thickens because they dissolve the degraded proteins in the meat. The wait period can take from 5 minutes up to 40 minutes. During the resting process the internal temperature has a chance to even out and stabilize. The resting should be done at a temperature above room temp, neither cool or drafty, perhaps near the oven and do not cover, as this will take away from any crispiness. For roasts that are juicy going in, they will require a little more rest time when taken out. I would now like to leave you with a few tips.
Dry Salting
You can presalt food in either of two ways, dry or wet. Try Diamond Crystal for its texture. For Dry Salting, trim meats before salting and use about ½ to ¾ teaspoon per pound of meat or poultry, do not rinse after presalting and leave meats or poultry uncovered in the refrigerator.
Wet Salting and / or Brining
Use on turkey, chicken and pork.
It means to dissolve a measure of salt and often sugar and other flavorings and submerging meat in this solution for a day or two. As it absorbs the salt it makes the meat plumper, more tender and seasoned throughout. This insures that meat will stay juicy even when cooked to well-done.
The pan sauce: whether a gravy or a thin jus, just a few steps:
• Remove the roast to the board and rest with a trough to capture juices.
• Evaluate the drippings, take a taste, if they taste good, use them, you can pour off excess fat or use, its up to you. You can dip your sliced meat in to the drippings, or you can deglaze the pan to get more volume, you can add a tablespoon of flour or a slurry, whisking vigorously, be sure to simmer long enough to get rid of the floury taste, thin as needed with a little stock.
• You can take your drippings to a saucepan to reduce and enrich by adding more stock, wine, crème fraiche, cream and / or butter to get your desired effect.
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