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Vlad's Top Tips
Handy tips from our Cookery School Chef, for getting the best from different cuts of meats.

Beef and Veal

When roasting beef saddles, wrapping them in pig’s cauls prevents it from drying out, which they are prone to do.

For the most delicious pan seared sirloin or rump steak caramelize them in nutty butter. The foaming butter should turn light brown and smell very nutty. It is important to let it reach this stage, so that it will slowly caramelise the surface of meat. The juices will then create deposits on the pan, which will form the base for the most marvellous pan juices.

Steaks: for rare, it should be soft and your finger will almost leave an imprint; medium rare will be far more resistant and your finger will not leave an imprint; medium will feel quite firm, because the fibres are cooked.

When making a Beef Bourguignon boiling the red wine intensifies the desirable flavours and removes the alcohol.

When pan searing a large steak you raise the temperature briefly to account for the cold mass (the steaks will reduce temperature of the surface of the frying pan and the meat will stew instead).

When making Veal scallops be careful not to use the meat mallet too forcefully as this will ruin the texture of the meat, and it will also be very dry.

Pork

When making a casserole, if you allow the cooking liquid to boil then the meat will be tough and the fats and impurities will boil into the liquid, creating an unclear broth which will also lack clarity of flavour.

Allowing the meat to rest in the cooking liquid helps to tenderise the meat and improve the flavours.

Lamb

When cooking a shoulder or leg of lamb ensure that is out of the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the meat to reach room temperature before cooking. Like a fine wine, resting at room temperature will improve the taste and texture.

When making a slow cooking dish setting up the oven at 100°C will give a core temperature of 82°C – 85°C, which is an ideal heat to break down collagen, leaving the meat tender. A higher heat will only dry out the meat and toughen it.

Poultry

Duck Confit are duck legs that are first dry marinated with salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf and thyme for 12 hours and then cooked in their own fat on a low temperature, about 85°C for 3 hours. The resulting meat is succulent and delicious.

Duck or goose fat can be collected after cooking and stored in the freezer. The crispest roast potatoes are cooked in duck or goose fat.

Game

For a totally successful dish, you should use game which have been hung for about a week to enhance its flavour.

Grouse is a great example of how the diet of an animal directly impacts on the quality, flavour and tenderness of its flesh. The powerful and heady taste and aroma of grouse arises from it feeding on heather and wild berries.

Hanging the grouse for too long distorts its natural richness into an overpowering flavour.

Venison loin is an excellent meat to cook rare or medium rare.  Resting the meat after it is cooked will produce the best results as the muscle will relax, resulting in more tenderness. This will also provide a delicious juice.