Questions tagged [meat]

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

Use this tag if you are trying to create a certain effect in a piece of meat without concern for the rest of the recipe.

Questions about how to marinate meat, how to make it tender, how to butcher it, and which one to use are appropriate for this tag.

This tag will be often coupled with a specific tag, like , or .

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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 out burned outside and almost totally raw inside.…
Wizard79
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Any benefit to buy high-quality meat for a mediocre cook?

Quite honestly, I consider myself a mediocre cook as I am consistently able to make decent dishes. Nothing I ever make is fantastic and almost never terrible. The question is this: will my cooking benefit from buying higher-quality meat even though…
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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 been bought fresh and local could find its way to…
Daniel Bingham
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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 long as the meat doesn't get warm defrosting it…
ahsteele
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What constitutes the majority of meat?

Looking at 100g chicken breast for example, I see that ~30g is protein and ~4 is fat. What is the rest of the 100g piece made of? Is that all connective tissues? Fiber? Something else?
shadesofdarkred
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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 then thoroughly cooked? A related question…
intuited
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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 already.
Tim
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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 missing. I've tried using mallets, both metal and…
Aaronut
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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
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Why do American supermarkets only carry lamb and not mutton?

When I go to the supermarket I do not see much, if any, mutton, just a lot of lamb. So, I have postulated some possible explanations: mutton (the meat of a sheep) is being sold as "lamb", mutton tastes weird to Americans so all of it is…
Drisheen Colcannon
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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 resting it for a few minutes. How do you rest…
bryn
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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. What do the Chinese chefs use to tenderize their…
milesmeow
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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 that), or marinated, or thrown into the pan, or…
rumtscho
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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 and eat? I made several different marinades…
Jim
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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 temperature, and how long before you cook it do you…
user73
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