Meat Cooking Tips

So I am no expert in cooking meat, but I am no rookie either.  I have learned a few things over the years and would like to share them.  This isn't a complete guide to cooking meat, just some tips I've picked up along the way...

First things first, here are some pics of my cows that have since been added to my freezer.  Not everyone has the opportunity to raise their own meet, but I do and it is a great thing.  Although, sometimes its easier to just by it from the store... lol

General Meat Cooking Tips

1. Add some olive oil (or other preferred oil) to your marinade
2. Let meat come to room temperature before cooking (especially for steaks)
3. For tough cuts of meat cook low and slow (275 deg or less)
4. Don't overcook your meat!

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1. Add Oil to Marinade

Adding oil to a marinade does two things: 1) helps lock in moisture while cooking and 2) creates a nice caramelized exterior.  I prefer olive oil, but any oil will probably work.  One thing to be aware of is cooking temp.  Pick an oil that fits the temp.  For example I use olive oil because it has a lower burning point.  Since I cook mostly at low temps, this is perfect.  But if I were to broil something, I would probably pick vegetable oil since it has a higher burning point.   I have added oil to all my marinades and it makes it so much more juicy!

Here are some examples of some chicken and pork tenderloins with a nice glaze :)  These were smoked on my Traeger.

2. Let Meat Come to Room Temp Before Cooking

This is a good practice for most meats and cooking types, but really is more crucial when cooking steaks or broiling a roast.  The theory is that doing this allows more even cooking and when cooking a steak, this is most important.  If you throw a cold steak on and sear it that is all good, but then you must cook it longer to get the internal temp to where you want it.  This could cause the loss of valuable moisture.  Where as if you let it come to room temp, you can sear it and cook it a shorter amount of time and retain more moisture.

For something like a pot roast or ribs that you are going to cook low and slow for hours, this won't help much.  But for cooking things like steak, or broiling a roast can make all the difference in the world.

3. For Tough Cut Roasts and Meats Cook Low and Slow

If you are cooking something like a chuck roast, rump roast, or brisket, this is the only way to do it.  For these cuts of meat I prefer smoking them at 200 deg or less for 8-10 hrs or more.  I use a Traeger pellet grill/smoker and it is AMAZING!  Same thing with ribs.  This will create a super tender moist meat that is to die for!  But you can use an oven too and cook it low and slow.  I would not go over 275 deg when cooking these meats.  The longer and slower you can cook them the better.  It is usually good to have them covered also until the last 30-45 mins of cooking to help retain moisture.

Here is a brisket that was super tender and juicy...

4. Don't Overcook Your Meat!

Get yourself a good meat thermometer.  I used to try and cook meat by time alone and did not get the results I wanted until I got me a good meat thermometer.  I got me a wireless one off Amazon and it has been amazing!

Typical meat temps to cook to:

1. Pork: 150 -160 deg.  I like to take it of at 150 as it will keep cooking a bit after you remove it.
2. Poultry: 170 deg
3. Beef: 150

You can see a full list of safety minimums here: 

https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

But I like to follow the above temps just to be sure it's cooked in case my thermometer is off a bit or I didn't get it deep enough into the meat.  But if you stay around these temps and don't over cook your meats, you will be rewarded with some juicy and moist deliciousness!

Specific Meat Cooking Tips

1. When cooking pork add some lemon juice
2. When cooking beef add some vinegar
3. Mix meatloaf by hand not a mixer
4. When roasting a turkey, brine, brine, brine!
5. When making hamburgers make meatloaf patties

1. When Cooking Pork Add Some Lemon Juice

So I like to cook pork tenderloins and pork roasts.  For the tenderloins I add some lemon juice to the marinade.  When I cook a roast I just add it to the pot along with the other seasonings and some water.  I usually add 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup depending on how tangy I want the gravy.  So why add it?  Two reasons: 1) Lemon juice will help break down the meat and make it more tender 2) Adds great flavor 3) For a roast, makes a nice tangy gravy.  I have never been disappointed when adding lemon to pork.

2. When Cooking Beef Add Some Vinegar

As with adding lemon to pork, adding vinegar to beef has the same affects, flavor, tenderness and tangy gravy.  Add 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup to a roast.

3. Mix Meatloaf By Hand, Not a Mixer

This is something I just recently learned.  There are many recipes for meatloaf and you can add all kinds of things to it for flavor and texture such as bread crumbs, oats, crackers, BBQ chips etc...  But one thing that makes all the difference in the world is DO NOT use a mixer to mix it.  I had made several meatloafs over the years and for some reason they were always dense and heavy.  Never the light fluffy soft meatloaf I had from other places.  So I set out to do some research.  What I learned is that by using a mixer, it compresses everything and you get a dense heavy meatloaf.  If you mix by hand and barely mix till things are combined (don't over mix) and then don't pack it into a bread pan.  You get a nice soft fluffy meatloaf.  I also came to find that wrapping it in bacon adds good flavor and keeps in moisture.  This is the only way I will make meatloaf from now on!

Latest meatloaf using these methods...

4.  When  Roasting a Turkey, Brine, Brine, Brine!
First off, I love to smoke my Turkeys on my Traeger pellet grill/smoker.  It always comes out tasty and juicy.  But what I have learned is brining the turkey for at least 24-48 hrs will give the most juicy tender turkey!  Brine can be as simple as just kosher salt and water, but I prefer a bit more.  I typically add lemon, rosemary,  apple cider, garlic and of course kosher salt.  Just google brine recipes and you can't really go wrong.  Key thing is to let it brine for 24-48 hours before cooking.  Doing so will give you an amazing bird!

This was a big turkey, so I brined it in a cooler and just kept adding ice since I couldn't fit it in my fridge.

5. When Making Hamburgers, Make Meatloaf Patties

So, when I make hamburgers, I follow my same recipe as making a meatloaf and then just make patties out of it instead.  This makes for super soft moist hamburgers that taste amazing.  I typically add: bread crumbs, egg, onions, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce, BBQ, seasoning of choice.  Then I HAND MIX it and make the patties.  I love to also cook these on my Traeger because they stay nice and juicy and get a good smoke flavor, but really any cooking method will yield good results.

In conclusion, don't shy away from cooking different meats.  Try, try, try and try again.  It takes some practice and many times will not turn out as you had hoped, but over time you can become a Guru meat cooker and impress all your friends and family!

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