Char-grilling — fast cooking on a grill over very high heat, which seals in juices of tender cuts and adds a smoke flavor Suitable for: tender, well-marbled beef cuts from the loin and rib, sirloin, ground meat, and marinated skirt steaks; chicken; lamb leg steaks and loin and rib chops; thick pork chops Technique: Marinate meat or season generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, and any desired herbs or spices. Marinating overnight is helpful for tougher cuts, like the skirt steak. Hardwood, charcoal, or a combination can be used as grill fuel. Different woods imbue meat with different flavors, and serious grillers get religious about their preferences. You can also use a gas grill. When the coals are white-hot, push them to the side or cook right above them, depending on the heat you want. At this point, you can add water-soaked wood chips for flavor. Put the meat on the grill at the desired temperature, which you can check with a thermometer or with the hand test: Squeeze the fatty section on the edge of your palm between the thumb and forefinger—that is what rare meat feels like. Medium meat gives about the same as the center of your palm and well-done meat has the solidity of the outside of the palm near the pinkie. As with roasting, you want to take the meat off the heat a hair before it is done because it will continue to cook while it rests. Frying — cooking in oil to add flavor to tender cuts Suitable for tender, fine-grained beef fillet cuts, rib-eye, sirloin, T-bone, rump and seamed
rump; also cutlets, short-loin and middle-loin chops, and eye of short loin; lamb fillets; rump chops and steaks, and thick flank and topside steaks. Technique: Evenly cut meat pieces to a bite size. Pat dry. You can coat with flour or a batter to keep especially thin cuts moist. Meat cooks quickly in this method, so prepare everything before you begin cooking and do not cook until you are ready to eat. Heat oil to just before smoke point. Do not crowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary. Drain excess oil on absorbent paper. Roasting — slow cooking under dry heat, sometimes with added fat to keep large, tender cuts juicy Suitable for tender whole muscles such as rib, loin, and leg muscles, if they are aged and/ or have some intramuscular fat Technique: Season a room-temperature roast and place in a shallow roasting pan. Cook either at a consistent temperature or at a higher heat to start. Doneness is measured by internal temperature, which is, of course, most accurately monitored with a food thermometer. Federal guidelines recommend cooking all pork to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F and all poultry (chicken and duck) until 165°F throughout. Check the Table of Suggested Cooking Temperatures on page 287. The roast will continue to cook as much as 5°F to 10°F after you take it out of the oven, so take that into account. Always let your meat rest for 15 minutes.
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