WHEN THE FOOD IS DONE | CHEF TIPS

JD

September 27, 2019

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cooking-tips

WHEN IS FOOD DONE?

There’s nothing like a spectacular kitchen failure featuring leathery meat, disintegrated vegetables, or, worse yet, billowing smoke to drive home the importance of timing in cooking. Don’t just glance at the clock or assume your internal timekeeping will be reliable enough; always set a timer. You can get a special timer specifically designed for use in the kitchen, but you can also use a microwave timer, oven timer, or the timer on your phone; just make sure you have some way of keeping time. All that being said, don’t rely solely on timing to guide your cooking —other types of cues are also incredibly important. And if a recipe presents a range of time for a step, always start checking for doneness at the early end of the range. Trust your senses and your common sense alongside your reading of the recipe.

USE YOUR EYES

Food changes color and appearance as it cooks; the difference between a crisp-tender, bright green piece of broccoli and a dull gray-green piece of overcooked broccoli is easy to see. And if you want good flavor on your chicken, don’t take it out of the pan until it has good golden-brown color all over it.

USE YOUR NOSE

Many foods have a distinct aroma when they’re done, such as toasted nuts, baked goods, or caramelized onions. And unless you’re making a recipe that’s purposefully blackened or charred, if you can smell
something burning, you should check on it, even if the timer says you still have 20 minutes left.

USE A PARING KNIFE

The texture of most foods changes during cooking. In order to gauge these changes, use a sharp paring knife to test foods for doneness cues; do the potatoes yield easily or does the blade meet resistance? When you
nick a piece of fish or thin cut of meat, is it still raw inside?

USE A THERMOMETER—ESPECIALLY FOR MEAT

When it comes to final doneness, numbers don’t lie; the best and most foolproof way to determine when food is done is to use a thermometer, not only for proteins but also bread and custardy desserts. A good one is vital for ensuring success in the kitchen. See this page for our brand recommendations.

USE DOWNTIME

Don’t forget about the magic of carryover cooking and the importance of resting meat (see this page for much more information). Finished food often needs to rest after cooking in order for temperatures to equalize, juices to redistribute, and ingredients to cool enough that you won’t burn your mouth. Your food isn’t really done until this step is!

CHECKING DONENESS

Always take the temperature of the area that will finish cooking last, which is the thickest part or, in some cases, the center. Bones conduct heat, so make sure the thermometer doesn’t touch them. We recommend
taking more than one reading to confirm doneness. For specific doneness temperatures, see the chart below.

Steaks, Chops, and Small Roasts

Use tongs to hold the meat, then insert the thermometer sideways into the center. You can also use this technique for pork tenderloin or rack of lamb; just lift the meat with a pair of tongs and insert the thermometer into the end.

Burgers

Leave the burger in the pan or on the grill (so it won’t fall apart), slide the tip of the thermometer into the burger at the top edge, and push it toward the center, making sure to avoid hitting the pan (or grill) with the probe.

Poultry

Because breast meat cooks faster than thigh meat, you must take the temperature of both. Try to avoid hitting bones, cavities, or the surface of the pan, as this will result in an inaccurate reading. When temping a
whole bird, use the following methods:

• For Thigh Meat Insert the thermometer at an angle into the area between the drumstick and the breast, taking care not to hit the bone. It should register 175 degrees.
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• For Breast Meat Insert the thermometer from the neck end into a breast, holding the thermometer parallel to the bird. It should register 160 degrees.
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• If cooking chicken or turkey pieces, use the same techniques described above, while lifting the piece with tongs and inserting the thermometer sideways into the thickest part of the meat, taking care to avoid bones.

Also see these post for tips
Food safety
Ideal Habits of a Cook
Secret Starter Kits of a Cook
Basic Staple Ingredients
Secret Ingredients for the Next Level