Experimental cookery

The tender cuts. In general these cuts include the prime-rib roasts, steaks or roasts from the loin and sirloin, leg of lamb, fresh pork hams, and pork, lamb, and veal chops. Beef ribs. Prime-beef ribs may be cooked as standing roasts or the bones may be removed for rolled roasts. Since the time of cooking varies with many factors, It is difficult to state a definite time per pound for cooking meat. Table 29 may be used for estimating approximate cooking time of THE TENDER CUTS 227 one-rib and two-rib standing roasts. For three-rib standing roasts cooked to an interior temperature of 57 °C. an average time of about 20 to 22 minutes per pound is required when the experimental searing or 150°C. constant temperature methods are used. When the interior of the roast reaches 57 °C., the edges of the roast are contracting so that the large center muscle of the ribs bulges. As the roast reaches the well-done stage, all the muscles are contracted to a greater extent so that the large muscle does not bulge as much as when the interior has reached only the rare or medium well-done stage. A rolled rib roast usually requires longer per pound for cooking than a standing rib roast from the same cut. The rolled roast is usually more compact in shape with a proportionally longer diameter, so that the distance to the center is greater. See Fig. 25. Lamb roasts. A leg of lamb is placed on a rack in an open pan, skin or fell side up; but the fell is placed down for a shoulder r6ast. The fell can be removed, but Alexander found that its removal increases the cook- ing losses, increases the cooking time, and does not increase the palatability of the meat. Alexander and Clark state that approximately 35 minutes per pound may be allowed for cooking by the experimental searing or the 150°C. constant temperature methods, but considerable variation can be expected. They found the cooking time for 750 legs of lamb, roasted by the Coopera- tive Meat Investigation searing (experimental) method to an interior temperature of 76°C., varied from 25 to 58 minutes per pound, the small poorly finished legs from cull carcasses requiring longer and plump well- finished legs requiring a shorter time. The time is about the same, or some- what shorter, for the 150°C. constant temperature method, and is con- siderably shorter if the leg is cooked to an interior temperature of 83 °C. Veal. Veal roasts may be cooked in open pans, the time per pound for cooking varying widely with the size of the roast. Pork. The Cooperative Meat Investigation cooking committee used for the searing method 20 minutes at 250° to 255 °C., the remainder of the cooking period being at 150°C. For the present constant temperature method, 175°C. is used. A higher temperature is used with pork because of the long time required on account of the slow rate of heat penetration and the higher interior temperature to which pork is cooked, an interior temperature of 78°C. to 87°C. being used. The official testing temperature is 84°C.