COOKING TIPS
MEAT
It is better not to salt meats until after cooking as salt encourages the meat to spatter fat. This will dirty the oven and make a lot of smoke.
Joints of white meat, pork, veal, lamb and fish can be put into the oven cold. The cooking time is longer than in a preheated oven, but it cooks through to the centre better as the heat has more time to penetrate the joint.
Correct preheating is the basis of successful red meat cookery.
GRILLS
• Before loading the grill:
Remove the meat from the refrigerator a few hours before grilling. Lay it on several layers of kitchen paper: this improves seizing, making it tastier and avoids it staying cold at the centre.
Add pepper and spices to the meat before grilling, but add any salt after cooking. This way it will seize better and stay juicy. Baste all the food to be cooked with a little oil. This is best done with a wide flat basting brush. Then sprinkle with more pepper and herbs (thyme, etc.).
Load the grill.
• During cooking:
Never pierce the food during cooking even when you turn it. This lets the juice out and it becomes dry.
