5 common mistakes when boiling meat that make the meat dry and flavorless, losing its nutrients

When boiling meat, it is essential to avoid these common mistakes that can result in less flavorful meat.

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Improper meat preparation

Many people simply rinse the meat quickly with lukewarm water and then boil it, skipping the preparation step. This causes the meat to not be flavorful.

Before boiling the meat, you need to remove the hair from the skin, use lime and salt to scrub it clean to eliminate any unpleasant odor. Lime and salt have the effect of removing odors and making the meat more flavorful. If you don’t have lime, you can use vinegar as a substitute.

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It is not advisable to boil a large piece of meat because it will be difficult to cook evenly, with the outside potentially being tender while the inside remains raw. You should cut the meat into medium-sized pieces for faster cooking.

Depending on the dish and personal preference, you can choose the appropriate pork cuts. Typically, for boiled meat dishes, housewives often choose lean meat with a bit of fat, such as leg, rump, or pork belly with alternating lean and fatty layers. This way, the meat will not be dry and won’t feel too heavy. If you use pork loin for boiling, you should soak it in a diluted salt and sugar solution (mix 500ml of water with 20-25 grams of salt and 20-25 grams of sugar) and then rinse it off. This method will help keep the meat juicy and prevent it from drying out.

Boiling meat with cold water

Many people put the meat directly into the pot with cold water and then turn on the heat. However, when boiling meat with cold water, the gradually increasing temperature will cause the sweet and nutritious substances inside the meat to dissolve into the water. As a result, the meat will become tasteless. Boiling meat with cold water should only be done when you intend to use the broth or as a base for making soup.

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To give the meat a natural sweetness, you should bring the water to a boil before adding the meat. At this point, the hot water will cause the outer skin and meat fibers to contract, retaining the proteins inside the meat and preventing them from escaping. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is cooked. After about 15 minutes, you can check if the meat is cooked by piercing it with a skewer. If no pink liquid comes out, it means the meat is cooked. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the meat soak in hot water for a few more minutes to absorb the liquid. This is also the secret to preventing the meat from being pink on the inside or having a dark surface when taken out.

Boiling with high heat and adding cold water

Some people want the meat to cook quickly, so they use high heat throughout the cooking process. However, this will cause the outer part of the meat to cook while the inside remains raw. Boiling meat with high heat also causes the water to evaporate quickly, resulting in a reduced amount of liquid in the pot. In that case, you may need to add water to continue cooking the meat until it’s done. Adding cold water at this point will make the meat less flavorful.

According to nutrition experts, meat and bones contain a lot of protein and fat. Adding water when cooking at high temperatures will cause the temperature to drop suddenly, leading to the precipitation of fat and the contraction of the meat’s pores, resulting in tough meat and reduced sweetness.

Boiling meat for too long

Some people want to ensure that the meat is not pink on the inside, so they boil it for a long time. However, boiling for too long will cause the meat to become dry and tasteless. Prolonged boiling also alters the nutrients in the meat.

Removing and slicing the meat immediately

Taking the meat out of the pot and slicing it immediately will cause the steam to evaporate, resulting in a darker color, dryness, and dull appearance.

After boiling, you should soak the meat in hot water for about 5-10 minutes to allow it to absorb moisture.

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In addition, some people use a heat shock method to make the meat more firm. This means that after boiling, the meat is transferred to a bowl of ice water to cool down. This will help the meat retain its firmness and make slicing easier.

If you want the meat to be easier to slice, you can wrap the boiled meat tightly in plastic wrap (after it has been cooled with ice water) and leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up. This way, when you slice it, you will get thin and evenly-sized pieces.

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