While working for a butchery company, one learns a little about meat, including the processes it undergoes before it reaches the consumer. All good meat needs a little time, both to mature properly during hanging or ageing, or resting once cooked to allow the fibres to relax - leaving you with the perfectly cooked and juicy hunk of meat you have been dreaming off all day prior to cooking.
Let me delve a little deeper into producing the best quality food. It all starts with the right cut of meat. A well marbled sirloin, with just the perfect strip of fat along the top of the steak. A rack of lamb, lean and deep punk in colour and surrounded by fat, ready to render off and protect the cut from drying out. A roasted pork fillet, blushing pink in the middle , firm yet tender inside. You get the idea.
To match that perfect cut, you must choose the best method of cooking. Steaks of all meats usually require searing in a blistering hot pan and cooking to your liking. Some will require a little seat then a few minutes in the oven. Others cuts require long and slow cooking, with a dash of red wine, some herbs, root veg. Cooking really depends on your preferences and the cut you have. Google is a great place for advice, or do feel free to ask me!
Once your meat is cooked to perfection, it is crucial to rest properly. Dependent on size, resting can take anything from 3 minutes to 30! Never ever rush the resting stage. Use the time wisely to prepare a simple sauce, finish your accompaniments or set the table, crack open the wine and help yourself to a glass. You deserve it!
The lesson here is simple: don't rush your food. Cooking and eating are experiences to be savoured every day. Preparing and enjoying food are one of lives mysteries. It is both necessary and rewarding. After setting out the plates and the masses are fed, silence ensues. And silence, dear reader, is golden.
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