#meat-preparation

#meat-preparation

I am just as likely to reach for gochujang as crushed red pepper flakes when layering heat into marinara sauce for chicken parm.

You can leave the butcher shop with perfectly tenderized meat that you didn't have to lift a finger to achieve by simply asking the butcher to do it for you. With recipes like tacos, cheesesteaks, stir fry, and other dishes that typically use tough cuts of meat like flank, skirt, and chuck steak, tenderizing is necessary. It can also be a bit of a pain to tenderize steak and other meats at home, but it's something any good butcher would be happy to do for you before even leaving the shop.

The talented people behind a butcher counter can do much more than simply portion and weigh out different cuts of meat. From breaking down an half of a pig to skillfully using a terrifying bone saw, butchers usually have many skills but also a wealth of knowledge, acting like your own personal guide to different cuts of steak, able to help explain various beef-related terms such as "prime" or "grass-fed."

The Lamson cleaver can slice sweet potatoes and squash better than the competition, making a proper cut without splitting the sweet potato.

A barbecue stall occurs when the internal temperature of the meat levels off and can even drop a few degrees. The moisture that collects on the meat's surface evaporates and starts to cool, offsetting the heat from the BBQ or smoker. Essentially, it's sweating and trying to cool off.

"I learned many years ago that preparing a [prime rib] chef style (...) is the best way to prepare and serve the king of roasts," Waldron tells us.

Uneven marination is a common mistake that can ruin steak, often due to grocery store practices that leave marinade pooled and ineffective.

To enhance the tenderness further, hanger steak is best served sliced in thin strips. However, there is a right and wrong way to cut it.