Foods, their selection and preparation

2. Place meat on rack of broiler pan ad- justed so that the top of the meat is two to three inches from the heat. Steaks or chops one and a half to two inches thick should be at least three inches from the heat; those one inch or less in thickness, about two inches. 3. Broil until top side is brown. The meat should be approximately half done by the time it is browned on top. 4. Season the top side with salt and pepper. For a slice of ham or bacon this step would be omitted. Steaks and chops brown better if browned before salting. 5. Turn and brown the other side. For de- termining accurately when a thick steak is done, a meat thermometer may be used; for [199] Oven Broiling • Steak is placed on the rack of the broiler pan, which has been adjusted so that the top of the meat will be 2 to 3 inches from the heat thick chops or patties, insert the thermom- eter in one of them. 6. Season and serve at once on a hot platter. How to Pan-Broil. The same tender cuts suitable for broiling may be pan- broiled or griddle-broiled. When cuts are very thin, pan- broiling or griddle- broiling may even be preferred. Pan-broiling is a convenient method for a small steak or a few chops. Follow these steps, whether pan-broiling or griddle-broiling: 1. Place meat in heavy pan or on a griddle. Cool slowly. The pan or griddle does not need to be preheated. The meat merely be- gins cooking more quickly if it is warm or hot at the beginning. 2. Do not add fat or water. Do not cover. Pan-broiling or griddle-broiling is a dry-heat Pan-Broiling • Use heavy pan, turn to cook evenly, and pour off any fat that accumulates method of cooking; if a cover is used or liquid is added, the meat is braised. Most meat cuts have enough fat to prevent stick- ing; if fat is added they will be fried. 3. Turn occasionally. Since the meat is in contact with the hot metal of the pan on only one side, turning more than once is essential for even cooking. 4. Pour off or remove fat as it accumulates. If fat is permitted to collect, the meat will fry instead of pan-broil or griddle-broil. 5. Brown meat on both sides. Meat does not need to be seared or browned quickly at the beginning; a gradual browning is better. 6. Do not overcook. Season and serve at once. Fairly accurate cooking times have been determined for this method. A meat thermometer, however, is essential in experi¬ mental work; and it will show the inexperi¬ enced cook accurately when thick steaks and chops are done. How to Fry. Comparatively thin pieces of tender meat, or that made tender by pounding, scoring, cubing, or grinding, and left-over meat may be fried. When a small amount of fat is added or allowed to accumu¬ late during cooking, the method is called frying, pan-frying, or sauteing. When the meat is immersed in fat, the method is called deep-fat frying. Pan-Frying • Use enough fat to prevent sticking. Preheat the fat before the meat is added. Always keep below smoking temperature u.s.d.a. How to Pan-Fry: 1. Use a heavy frying pan. The fat will heat more evenly and the meat cook more uniformly in a heavy pan than in a light one.