Searing method. The Cooking Committee of Cooperative Meat In-
vestigations formerly used a searing method for cooking experimental roasts
of fresh meat. The roast was seared for 20 minutes at 250° to 275°C.
(about 480° to 525°F.) and was then transferred to a second oven at
125 °C. for the remainder of the cooking period. It was necessary to transfer
experimental roasts to a second oven so that results from different labora-
tories could be compared, for different ovens cool at different rates. Obvi-
ously the homemaker cannot use two ovens. Hence a lower temperature,
200° to 240°C. (about 400° to 450°F.), is recommended for the house-
wife in searing because the oven will remain at a fairly high temperature
for some time after the temperature control has been set at the lower
temperature.
Searing. Searing browns the meat, develops a characteristic surface
flavor, and starts the cooking. Often the statement is made that searing by
coagulating the muscle tissue on the surface prevents loss of interior fluids
and extractives. Searing increases the cooking losses, though the losses
may be largely surface ones. Searing also does not prevent the loss of
interior juices in all instances.
Constant temperature method. At present the Cooking Committee
uses a constant oven temperature 150°C. (about 300°F.) for cooking
experimental roasts, with the exception of pork, which is cooked at 175°C.
(about 350°F.). At this temperature the cooking time and losses are prac-
232 MEAT
tically the same as for the searing method formerly used. The exterior is
also browned to about the same extent, although it is sometimes less brown.
The homemaker will find that in using a constant temperature excellent
roasts will be obtained if she uses 150°, 125°, or 175°C. Some ovens will
not hold as low a temperature as 125 °C. (250°F.), even though the
regulator carries this temperature. The meat will not brown as readily at
the lower temperature, but this can be overcome by using a mixture of salt
and sugar or sugar alone to sprinkle over the meat. The meat cooked at
175°C. will not be as uniformly cooked as at the lower temperature.
Stages to Which Meat Is Cooked: Rare, Medium, and Well Done
The longer a piece of meat is cooked, the more the interior color changes
from pink or red to gray, and the greater the cooking losses. Some meats
like veal and pork are cooked well done, whereas beef may be cooked rare.
There is no definite stage between a rare and a medium-done piece of meat
or between a medium well-done one and a well-done one. The meat passes
from one stage to another gradually, so that there is no definite end point.
Heat penetrates slowly into the interior of a large piece of meat, and the
center of the meat, unless very much over-cooked, never attains as high a
temperature as the meat near the surface.
Page 187
Presented as published in 1932. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
Searing method. The Cooking Committee of Cooperative Meat In-
vestigations formerly used a searing method for cooking experimental roasts
of fresh meat. The roast was seared for 20 minutes at 250° to 275°C.
(about 480° to 525°F.) and was then transferred to a second oven at
125 °C. for the remainder of the cooking period. It was necessary to transfer
experimental roasts to a second oven so that results from different labora-
tories could be compared, for different ovens cool at different rates. Obvi-
ously the homemaker cannot use two ovens. Hence a lower temperature,
200° to 240°C. (about 400° to 450°F.), is recommended for the house-
wife in searing because the oven will remain at a fairly high temperature
for some time after the temperature control has been set at the lower
temperature.
Searing. Searing browns the meat, develops a characteristic surface
flavor, and starts the cooking. Often the statement is made that searing by
coagulating the muscle tissue on the surface prevents loss of interior fluids
and extractives. Searing increases the cooking losses, though the losses
may be largely surface ones. Searing also does not prevent the loss of
interior juices in all instances.
Constant temperature method. At present the Cooking Committee
uses a constant oven temperature 150°C. (about 300°F.) for cooking
experimental roasts, with the exception of pork, which is cooked at 175°C.
(about 350°F.). At this temperature the cooking time and losses are prac-
232 MEAT
tically the same as for the searing method formerly used. The exterior is
also browned to about the same extent, although it is sometimes less brown.
The homemaker will find that in using a constant temperature excellent
roasts will be obtained if she uses 150°, 125°, or 175°C. Some ovens will
not hold as low a temperature as 125 °C. (250°F.), even though the
regulator carries this temperature. The meat will not brown as readily at
the lower temperature, but this can be overcome by using a mixture of salt
and sugar or sugar alone to sprinkle over the meat. The meat cooked at
175°C. will not be as uniformly cooked as at the lower temperature.
Stages to Which Meat Is Cooked: Rare, Medium, and Well Done
The longer a piece of meat is cooked, the more the interior color changes
from pink or red to gray, and the greater the cooking losses. Some meats
like veal and pork are cooked well done, whereas beef may be cooked rare.
There is no definite stage between a rare and a medium-done piece of meat
or between a medium well-done one and a well-done one. The meat passes
from one stage to another gradually, so that there is no definite end point.
Heat penetrates slowly into the interior of a large piece of meat, and the
center of the meat, unless very much over-cooked, never attains as high a
temperature as the meat near the surface.