How To Cook Large Pieces Of Meat

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~6 minutes Last Updated: November 04, 2022

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)

In order to prepare a perfect large piece of meat, you must follow several rules.

Some people are convinced that it is much easier to prepare one large piece of meat than, for example, 10 chops. Rub the piece with spices, put it in the oven and sit, wait 40 or so minutes until the meat is baked.

However, in reality, everything is not so simple. Remember, at least, how many times your meat came out dry, over-fried, burnt or unevenly cooked. So, because

In order to prepare a perfect large piece of meat , it is necessary to follow several rules. Let's learn about them, and also add some delicious and simple recipes to our cookbook.

Rule 1 - spices

A large cut or a whole chicken requires a special approach. Salt, pepper, aromatic herbs and your favorite spices should be rubbed on the meat long before baking, otherwise the spices simply won't have time to give the meat its aroma. Rub the meat on all sides and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Remember also that the meat must be open. Place it on a tray or in a bowl and do not wrap it in plastic wrap.

Rule 2 - time

Not even just time, but 2 hours of time. The first time is when we send the meat to the refrigerator for the night. The second - when we take it out of the cold. Do not rush to immediately send the meat to the hot oven, there is a risk that the meat "will be in shock". Let it warm up, let it sit for an hour or two, come to room temperature. Thus, the chances of even frying will increase several times.

Rule 3 - crust

It is not recommended to leave the formation of a crust at the end of cooking meat . There is a risk that you will simply dry out or burn all the meat . You should go another way. There are two of them. The first is to fry a piece of meat in a pan (if the dimensions of the cut allow) and only then put it in the oven. If you have super-large meat , you need to put it in an oven heated to the maximum and bake it until golden brown, then reduce the temperature to 150-160 degrees and continue baking until the desired level of doneness.

Rule 4 - rest

Let the meat rest after the oven. On average, a good steak needs about 10 minutes so that the juice is evenly distributed inside the piece of meat . What to say about a big piece . It will be best if you leave the meat on the plate for at least half an hour after cooking. Don't worry, it won't cool down during this time. If you are very concerned about this, you can always heat the meat by pouring some kind of warm sauce over it when serving.

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Rule 5 - Cutting (Premium)

Rule 5 - cutting (PREMIUM)

It just seems that there is nothing complicated in cutting meat . In fact, if you cut the meat in any way, then an appetizing at first glance piece of meat will turn into an old shoe, which will be extremely difficult to chew. Before you cut the meat , look carefully at your piece . You will see little lines running along the piece - these are fibers. Its juiciness and softness depends on the direction in which you cut the meat from the fibers. Cut the meat across the fibers - this way you will get small pieces of muscle tissue, the fibers of which will literally fall apart in your mouth without any extra effort.

Chicken with lemon, rosemary and garlic

Chicken - 1 pc.
Lemon - 1 pc.
Garlic - 5 cloves + 3 tbsp.
Rosemary - 5 sprigs + 2 tbsp.
Paprika - 1 tsp.
Salt, pepper - to taste.
Butter - 250 g.

We heat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash and dry the chicken. Remove a thin layer of peel from a lemon and cut the fruit into quarter-circles. Mix softened butter with lemon zest, 3 tbsp. garlic passed through a press and 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried). We use a mixer to homogenize the aromatic oil. We separate the chicken skin on the breastbone, at the base of the legs and wings, grabbing it with our fingers. With our hands, we place a little aromatic oil under the skin in these places. Leave about ¼ of the oil mixture and rub it on the inside of the chicken. Rub the inside of the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. We send it to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours so that the spices penetrate the meat .

Pull out, stuff the chicken with sliced lemon, sprigs of rosemary and cloves of garlic cut in half. We tie the legs with a thread, tuck the wings into the pockets at the base of the legs. Place the chicken breast side up on an oiled baking sheet and send it to the oven for 50 minutes until the meat juices run clear. Let the finished chicken rest for 10 minutes, then remove the filling and cut the meat into portioned pieces.

Turkey with spices

Turkey (breast) - 700 g.
Garlic - 4 cloves.
Vegetable oil - 1 tsp.
Salt - 2 tbsp.
Coriander - to taste.
Black pepper - to taste.
Dried basil - to taste.
Curry - to taste.

Wash the turkey fillet and pour salted water so that the liquid covers the meat (approximately 2 tablespoons of salt per 3 liters of water). After a couple of hours, drain the water, dry the meat with paper towels. Peel the garlic and cut each clove lengthwise into 3-4 slices. Mix the spices in a mortar and grind. Transfer to a small bowl, add olive oil and mix. With a sharp knife, make shallow cuts on the fillet and insert a slice of garlic into each. Rub the turkey with spices on all sides. We send it to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Wrap the prepared fillet loosely in foil. Bake in an oven heated to 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Then we turn off the heat and leave the dish in the oven for another couple of hours until it cools completely. Serve as a cold appetizer.

Pork in spices

Pork shoulder - 1 kg.
Mustard - 2 tsp.
Black pepper - 1 tsp.
Paprika - ½ tsp.
Coriander - ½ tsp.
Marjoram - on the tip of a knife.
Ground red chili - on the tip of a knife.
Salt - to taste (½ tsp).
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.

Wash the meat and dry it with paper towels. Mix all dry spices and salt. Rub the meat first with pepper, then with mustard. Put the pork in a bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. Then take it out of the refrigerator, let it rest at room temperature and fry it in vegetable oils for 3-5 minutes on each side until a crust forms.

Wrap the meat in several layers of foil ( put the meat on the shiny side, not the matte side). We put it in an oven heated to 180 degrees for 1.5 hours. 10-15 minutes before the end of this time, remove the baking sheet, make a cross-shaped incision in the foil, carefully unfold the foil and bake the meat with the grill function until a brown crust forms. If the oven does not have such a function, simply increase the heat to the maximum. Remove the finished meat from the oven, wrap it again in foil and let it stand for 15-20 minutes. After that, you can cut the meat into portions and serve it to the table.