Cooking (cont'd)
Meat Basics
Whilecooking has always been atalent, it is nowbecoming a science, also. Amana provides this informationasa
guide toaid in preparation. For specific questions regarding meatpreparation, handling, or storagecontact
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Meat & Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555.
Handling Hints
When shopping, put meat in its
own separate plastic sack to
keep drips off other foods.
Defrost frozen meats in
refrigerator, not at room
temperature.
Keep meat cool and covered
until it is time to cook.
Wash hands with warm soapy
water before and after handling
meat or raw egg.
Thoroughly wash any surface or
utensil raw meat or egg touched.
Do not put cooked meat on the
same plate that held raw meat.
Cooking Tips
Marinate meat in the
refrigerator. Throw out excess
marinadethat came intocontact
withmeat.
Use an oven-proof meat
thermometer.
Cook meat to internal
temperaturerecommended by
USDA.
When reheatingfoods, heat to
an internal temperature ofat
least 165 °F.
While cooking meats, turnover
at leastonce.
Storage Safety
Once carved, refrigerateunused
portionimmediately.
Keep hot foods hotand cold
foodscold when serving meals.
Separate cooked foods into
smallportionsfor fast cooling.
Do not storecooked ground
meatsor mealscontaining
ground meats for longerthan
3 to4 days inthe refrigerator.
Do not allowcooked or
uncooked meatjuices to come
intocontact withready-to-eat
foodssuch as fruits or
vegetables.
Using a Meat Thermometer
When usinga meat thermometer,remember to insertit ata slight angle,in
the thickestpart ofthe meat, away from fat and bone.The meat should be
removedwhen 5 °F belowthe desired finaltemperature. While the meatsits
before carving,itwill continue to cookinternally, raisingthelast 5 °F by itself.
A meat thermometer can
Take the guesswork out of cookingto a desired 'doneness'.
Help reducethe dskof foodbome illness.
Oven-safe Thermometer
Insertedbefore the meatis placed in the oven, this thermometer stays
withthe meat while it cooks.
The internal temperature will rise slowlyas the meatcooks.
Instant-read Thermometer
Not oven safe, these thermometers are placed in the meat when it is
removed from the oven.
While times may vary, an accurate temperature is normallydisplayed
withinone to two minutes.
When using an instant-read, remember to clean the thermometerstem
withwarm, soapy water between readings.
Tenderizing
Braising isonly one way to tenderize
less tender cuts. Before cooking, you
may pound, cube, marinate, or use
commercially prepared meat
tenderizers. You may then use a dry
method to cook the meat.
Marinades areacidic liquids such
aswine, citrus, or vinegar.
Marinadessoften meat fibersbut
only penetrate about one-fourth of
an inch into the interiorof the
meat. Do not marinate meat for
longer than24 hours.
Pounding with a heavy meat mallet
breaks down the connective tissue
to tenderizemeat.
Cubing breaks down the structure
more thanpounding. Cubing is
done at the meat counter.
Commercial tenderizers are
primarily enzymes that work on the
outerfourth inch on a meat cut.
Make sure to follow the
manufacturer's directions.
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