plain jane cooking - recipes for the novice:

when is it cooked

A question often posed to me is how do I know when its cooked, the question is of course what is 'it'? Different foods, different methods.

So here are some tips and advice on ensuring your foods are fully and properly cooked. In the case of meats this is essential to prevent any food poisoning.

roast meats

Professional chefs will use lots of other methods, but this takes experience, so I will not even mention them here and will stick to easy methods.

In the case of all meats apart form rare beef or lamb steaks, the internal core temperature should reach 70°C to ensure any harmful bacteria is killed off.

So the best piece of advice here is to invest in food temperature probe, good digital ones can be picked up from most food stores for just a few dollars / pounds - digital ones giving a far for accurate reading than an analogue one.

• remove the meat from the pan or oven and place the end of the probe (the tip) into the middle / thickest part of the meat to take the reading
• must be a minimum of 70°C for meats other than chicken and pork
• must be a minimum of 75°C for chicken and pork

If a temperature probe is not available, the best way to test if a roast is cooked is to pierce through to the centre with a thin bladed knife and press the meat, the juices that come out must run clear and show no signs of blood.

Approximate cooking times for roast meats are as follows (for medium cooked):

		beef		30 minutes per kg and 15 minutes extra
		veal		30 minutes per kg and 15 minutes extra
		lamb		40 minutes per kg and 20 minutes extra
		hogget		45 minutes per kg and 20 minutes extra
		mutton		45 minutes per kg and 20 minutes extra
		pork		50 minutes per kg and 25 minutes extra
		poultry		50 minutes per kg and 25 minutes extra

roast chicken

• If roasting a chicken, turkey etc half way through the recommended cooking time:
  
• remove from the oven
• cut the skin that holds the leg to the breast and push down on the legs to expose the thigh joint
• the thigh joint is always the last to cook, so by exposing it half way through, it allows the heat to penetrate and cook it at the same time as the breast (so also no more dried out breast)
• place back into oven and cook until there is no signs of blood or pinkiness at the thigh joint

cooking steaks

Rare, medium or well done? We all like our steaks different, but how to tell? the best way is by the reliance (or softness) of the meat and the best way I know of particularly for the home cook is as follows:

		rare		when lightly pressed should feel the same as pressing your cheek
		medium		when lightly pressed should feel the same as pressing your chin
		well done		when lightly pressed should feel the same as pressing your forehead

venison steaks

As per beef steaks and best cooked no more than medium, and if you don't like pink or blood then my best advice is don't eat venison steaks, after medium they will be dry and tough.

cooking chops

Lamb chops are like steaks, they can be rare, medium or well done so the same method can be applied.

Pork chops need thorough cooking to prevent food poisoning, therefore it must be cooked between medium and well done (just over 70°C if you have a temperature probe).

chicken breasts

Whether pan frying, roasting, poaching or steaming they need thorough cooking to prevent food poisoning, therefore it must be cooked between medium and well done (just over 70°C if you have a temperature probe).

sausages

There is no easy magic touch here, it is simply either use a temperature probe (70°C) or cook an extra one and when you think they are ready, cut into the spare one . . . who will mind an extra half or quarter sausage on their plate!

fish

This depends on whether you want your fish at its best or cooked, because most fish is at its best when still a little raw/rare in the middle when removed from the pan. It will carry on cooking as you plate it up, fully cook it in the pan and it will dry out by the time it is eaten.

How to tell? Gently coax it apart so you can see the middle, or use a temperature probe (60°C).

shellfish

Like fish, shellfish is at its best when only three-quarters cooked.

prawns

Prawns will turn pink when cooked.

squid & octopus

Best cut small and only briefly cooked over a high heat (oil should be almost smoking) or it will be tough. The only other way to ensure it is not tough as old boots is to braise (see recipes section) it in a liquid for a prolonged period, so it softens back up after initial toughening.

mussels

If they are fresh or frozen and still in their shells, the shell must open when cooked. If some open and some don't discard the ones that stay shut, as they will probably cause food poisoning.

Once they are open they are cooked.

lobster & crayfish

Place into cold salted water, slowly bring to the boil and as soon as it simmers cook for one minute per segment on the tail.

Placing into water that is already boiling has many faults:

• it can shock the meat and make it tough
• it can shock the ligaments holding the legs to the body and they fall off
• no accurate cooking time can be applied

cakes & muffins

To test a cake, pierce the centre of the cake with a thin bladed knife (best to do this at a 45° angle rather than straight:

• if the blade comes out clean : its cooked
• if the blade has cake batter attached : it needs more cooking

breads and scones

After the required cooking time (as per recipe), remove from oven and tap the base, they should sound hollow.

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