Cooking tips

This section gives you great tips on how to cook beef and lamb successfully whichever way you choose cook it. Click on the techniques below to view the tips.

Meat storage and preparation

Ensure that hands, equipment and surfaces are clean before and after handling food and between handling raw and cooked foods – especially when using the barbecue.
Check your fridge is operating at the correct temperature: between 0 and 4 degrees centigrade.
Keep a separate hard, durable chopping board for preparing raw meats.
Defrost frozen foods thoroughly (unless otherwise stated) and do not re-freeze once thawed.
Cover and store raw and cooked foods separately. Store uncooked foods lower in the refrigerator than cooked ones.

Make sure foods are thoroughly and evenly defrosted, and when re-heating ensure piping hot throughout.
When marinating meat, cover and store in a refrigerator.
Ensure burgers and sausages are thoroughly cooked and piping hot before serving.
When roasting a stuffed joint remember to weigh the joint after stuffing, then calculate the cooking time.
Food thermometers can be used to ensure internal food temperatures are sufficiently hot.

Roasting

Roasting doesn't need to be complicated. Simply weigh the raw joint and calculate the cooking time using the table below to ensure the meat is cooked to your liking.

Roasting essentials

  • Position the oven shelves so the meat is in the centre of the oven.
  • Place the joint uncovered on a wire rack in a roasting tin ensuring any fat is on the top. This allows the juices to run down and baste the joint naturally.
  • When roasting beef and lamb joints, the secret is to cook the joints in a moderate oven for slightly longer to ensure even cooking.
  • Remember to weigh beef and lamb joints before calculating your preferred cooking time.
  • Allow the joint to rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking to let the meat fibres relax and juices distribute evenly so the joint is moist and easy to carve.
  • The degree of cooking can be tested easily using a meat thermometer towards the end of the cooking time: insert into the centre of the joint or at the thickest point, until it reaches the required temperature.
  • Beef: Rare - 60°C, Medium - 70°C, Well Done - 80°C
  • Lamb: Medium - 70-75°C, Well Done - 75-80°C

Roasting in Liquid

Slow moist methods include pot roasting, stewing, braising and casseroling. These methods are ideal for tenderising less expensive, less tender cuts of meat and are convenient ways of cooking as they require very little preparation or attention during cooking. Simply pop one in the oven or on the hob and let it cook while you sit and relax. As it is all cooked in one pot you'll save on washing up too!!

Pot roasting

  • Pot roasting uses whole joints of meat - boned and rolled joints are ideal for pot roasting.
  • It is traditionally carried out by browning the joint and then cooking in the oven or on the hob with liquid and vegetables.
  • Allow approximately 450g(1lb) vegetables (use root vegetables cut into large pieces) and 150ml(¼pt) liquid (try stock, wine, cider, beer etc) for a 1.25kg(2½lb) joint.

Method

  • Heat 15ml(1tbsp) oil in a large heavy based saucepan or casserole dish. Brown the joint on all sides.
  • Add the vegetables and liquid, and any seasoning or herbs.
  • Cover and cook either on the hob on a low simmer or in the oven for the calculated cooking time.

Stewing, Braising & Casseroling

  • Stews and casseroles use cubed meat, while braising traditionally uses whole steaks or chops.
  • As with pot roasting the meat is simmered at a low temperature on the hob or in the oven with added liquid.
  • Allow approximately 225-350g (8-12oz) vegetables (use root vegetables cut into chunks) per 450g(1lb) meat and 150ml (¼pt) liquid (try stock, wine, beer etc).

Method

  • It is not necessary to pre seal the meat first, just add all the ingredients to a large pan or casserole dish, cover and cook for recommended time.
  • You could also try adding jars of shop bought sauces to make preparation really quick. This method is ideal for making tasty curries, simply add a jar of shop bought curry sauce to some cubed meat and vegetables and cook for the calculated cooking time.

Barbecue Tips

Light barbecues well in advance, making sure you use enough charcoal, and wait until it is glowing red (with a powdery grey surface) before starting to cook.

  • Keep meat refrigerated for as long as possible before cooking.
  • Make sure the chef doesn't mix up the cooking utensils, boards or plates for raw and cooked meats - keep them separate.
  • Always wash hands thoroughly - before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.
  • Ensure all sausages and burgers are thoroughly cooked before serving (juices should run clear).

Pan-frying

Pan-frying, or ‘shallow frying’ is a quick cooking method for small, tender cuts using an uncovered pan on the hob.

  • Use a heavy-based frying pan, sauté pan or wok.
  • For best results, use only a small quantity of oil or butter.
  • Ensure that the oil is hot before adding your preferred beef or lamb cuts.
  • Sear each side quickly to seal in juices and retain succulence.
  • Only turn your steaks once during cooking; leaving them to cook untouched will produce juicier results.

Grilling

A fast, dry alternative to pan-frying for cooking tender cuts, using intense radiant heat either above or below the meat. Char-grilling or barbecuing seals the meat juices by forming a crust on the surface of the meat. The meat must be basted with a prepared glaze, butter, oil or reserved marinade mixture. This gives a distinctive flavour to your beef or lamb and keeps the meat moist and succulent. Only turn your steaks once during cooking; leaving them to cook untouched will produce juicier results.

  • Under The Heat.
    Cook the food under a heated element such as a conventional electric or gas grill.
  • Over The Heat.
    Brush the meat lightly with oil and ensure that the grill rack is pre-heated. Place the grill rack over gas or charcoal grill or barbecue.
  • Between Heat
    Place the meat between heated grill bars (such as vertical toaster or grill.) This employs radiant heat, convection heat or both.

Stir-frying

Stir-frying is an ideal quick method of cooking meat as the thin strips cook in only a few minutes.
It is only necessary to use a very small amount of oil (1tbsp) when stir-frying. Use a vegetable based oil which can be heated to higher temperatures.
Use a non-stick wok or large frying pan. Always ensure that the pan or wok is really hot before adding the meat a little at a time - it should sizzle when the pieces are added.
The meat should ideally be trimmed of excess fat and cut into approximately 1cm (½") strips, cut across the grain to help tenderise the meat and prevent shrinkage.

Method

  • Heat 15ml (1tbsp) oil in a wok or large frying pan.
  • Add the meat and stir-fry for the recommended time.
  • Add the hardest vegetables first (e.g. carrots, onions) and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rest.
  • Add sauce (up to 150ml(¼pt)) and cook for a further couple of minutes.
  • Suggested vegetables for stir-frying:
  • Baby sweetcorn, Green beans
  • Bamboo shoots, Leeks
  • Beansprouts, Mushrooms
  • Broccoli, Mange tout
  • Carrots, Peppers
  • Peppers, Spring onions
  • Chinese leaf, Swiss chard
  • Courgettes, Sugar snap peas

Baking

This method employs dry cooking in the oven – either in a roasting tin or in a sealed container or foil ‘packet’. For wonderfully tender meat, choose a clay or terracotta ‘brick’ which effectively creates a clay oven within your oven. As the oven heats, steam condenses in the pot, basting the meat in its own juices. The end result is moist, tender, full of flavour and naturally cooked with no extra fat.

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