MYTH. Butter-Basting Steaks
BUSTED. Some chefs just hafta play with their food. Google “what’s the best way to cook a steak” and you will find pages of videos of pan-seared steaks swimming in butter with chefs spooning the hot butter over the steak. Here’s what that does: It slightly reduces evaporation, it keeps the top hot, and it adds a lot to carryover cooking. And that means that if you are foolish enough to rest your meat, it will almost certainly be overcooked. What it doesn’t do is add flavor or speed cooking time. Chris Young, inventor of the amazing predictive cooking thermometer, Combustion, a wireless probe with 8 sensors, ran some tests and agrees with me. The only time basting added flavor was when herbs were in the butter and youcan get that same effect with a rub.
MYTH. Basting Poultry
BUSTED. Painting your Thanksgiving turkey while it is cooking only cools the meat, slows cooking, and makes the skin soggy. I want crispy skin. No way a baste can penetrate the fatty skin and improve flavor.
NOT A MYTH. Basting Ribs, Brisket, Pork Butt, etc.
Pitmasters often baste or spritz these low and slow cooked meats during cooking. It slows cooking and that is good because they are headed toward 203°F, and the longer they take, the more tender the meat. Alas, this does not add flavor. There is not enough flavor in the liquid. If you want to add flavor, head for the spice rack. The liquid may replenish some of the liquid lost to evaporation, but if you wet the surface during the last 30 minutes of cooking, the bark may be softer than you want.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
BUSTED. Some chefs just hafta play with their food. Google “what’s the best way to cook a steak” and you will find pages of videos of pan-seared steaks swimming in butter with chefs spooning the hot butter over the steak. Here’s what that does: It slightly reduces evaporation, it keeps the top hot, and it adds a lot to carryover cooking. And that means that if you are foolish enough to rest your meat, it will almost certainly be overcooked. What it doesn’t do is add flavor or speed cooking time. Chris Young, inventor of the amazing predictive cooking thermometer, Combustion, a wireless probe with 8 sensors, ran some tests and agrees with me. The only time basting added flavor was when herbs were in the butter and youcan get that same effect with a rub.
MYTH. Basting Poultry
BUSTED. Painting your Thanksgiving turkey while it is cooking only cools the meat, slows cooking, and makes the skin soggy. I want crispy skin. No way a baste can penetrate the fatty skin and improve flavor.
NOT A MYTH. Basting Ribs, Brisket, Pork Butt, etc.
Pitmasters often baste or spritz these low and slow cooked meats during cooking. It slows cooking and that is good because they are headed toward 203°F, and the longer they take, the more tender the meat. Alas, this does not add flavor. There is not enough flavor in the liquid. If you want to add flavor, head for the spice rack. The liquid may replenish some of the liquid lost to evaporation, but if you wet the surface during the last 30 minutes of cooking, the bark may be softer than you want.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
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