How to choose good meat
Color, smell of meat
One of the most common ways to choose clean pork is to observe the color and smell of the meat. Therefore, high-quality pork will have a pale pink to deep red color, with no foul smell. When cutting the meat vertically, you will see dry meat inside, slightly contracted fibers, soft skin, white fat that is semi-transparent, and no strong oily smell. In addition, when boiled, the water will be clear, there will be large droplets of fat and not too much foam.
Elasticity
Clean pork is fresh meat, so it has a very good elasticity. Therefore, when buying, you should press the meat with your finger to create a dent but leave no marks when you lift your finger. At this time, if you see that the meat fibers are even, firm, not flabby, and have good elasticity, no secretions or sticky residue, then it is good pork.
Fat layer, meat
Normally, good pork will have a fat layer with a thickness of about 1.5 – 2cm. In which, the fat and lean meat are tightly attached to each other. According to some people, the thicker the fat and skin, the more likely it is a pig that is not artificially fattened.
An effective way to remove the odor of meat
Boiled meat, although simple, is incredibly delicious and is often found in family meals. Boiled pork can be combined with salted lemon, chili sauce, shrimp paste, or fish sauce… and used to make many delicious dishes like rolled pork with rice paper or mixed salads with various vegetables.
However, when boiling meat, many people often face the problem of unevenly cooked, smelly, and not tasty meat. To overcome this issue, you can apply the following tips:
Wash the meat with diluted saltwater to disinfect and reduce the gamey smell of the meat. Choose the part of the meat that includes both lean meat and fat for a better boiled meat dish.
Pork leg, pork belly… will usually have a more delicious taste than pork loin or hip when boiled. You can also add some ingredients like vinegar or lemon, a little fresh ginger, a dried onion, or tie the meat to make the boiled meat dish more fragrant.
Use cooking twine to tie the meat
Use cooking twine or soft rope to tightly tie the meat before boiling it to create a beautiful shape when slicing. By tying the meat vertically, you can create a round meat piece and after boiling, it will be easy to slice horizontally. Tying the meat tightly helps it have a better shape.
If using cooking twine, choose a colorless white twine. For pork leg, it is better to tie the meat tightly before boiling to have a more beautiful round shape when sliced. Pork belly usually does not need to be tied. However, if you do not have twine or do not want to use it, you can still put the meat directly into the pot to boil.
Why should you boil meat twice?
To ensure that the meat is delicious and does not have a foul smell, a good way is to boil the meat twice. In the first round, you put the meat in the pot, pour enough water, and boil for 2-3 minutes. Then, add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to the pot to remove the smell and make the meat whiter. Next, pour out the boiling water, rinse the meat with warm water, and prepare for the second round of boiling.
In the second round, prepare a pot of boiling water and add the meat along with some salt, a little sliced ginger, and a peeled dried onion. Simmer the pot on low heat and continue boiling the meat until it is fully cooked. When it is cooked, the meat will have a light white color and a distinctive aroma to enjoy.
Use salt, ginger, and dried onions
Salt helps distribute the boiling water evenly, ginger has the ability to remove the foul smell, and dried onions add a fragrant taste to the boiled meat. During the boiling process, simmer the water on medium heat until the meat is cooked. Check the meat by using chopsticks to pierce the meat. If the meat still releases pinkish liquid, simmer for another 5 minutes. On the contrary, if the meat is cooked, the chopsticks will easily penetrate through it and no pinkish liquid will come out.
After the meat is cooked, you should take it out and soak it in a bowl of cold water with some ice cubes. Cold water helps the meat shrink and maintain its shape, prevents it from drying out and losing its color. When the meat has completely cooled, you can slice it for immediate use.
If you want the meat to be evenly and more beautifully sliced, leave it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment for a few hours. Before packaging, use food wrap to tightly wrap the meat and keep it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment for a few hours to make it firm and easier to slice.
Unlocking the Simple Solution to Combatting Odors of All Types of Meat
In order to ensure that your meat-based dishes not only taste great, but also do not give off any unpleasant odor, it is essential to find ways to deodorize popular meats such as beef, pork, chicken, and fish.
How to Select the Best Tasting Chicken – Fresh or Pre-Prepared?
Do not let the wrong chicken ruin your Tet dishes! Selecting the right chicken for your dishes is essential for a successful celebration.
Tips for Baking Food with a Microwave Oven’s Grill Setting
Today, Dien May XANH is here to show you how to use the baking feature in your microwave oven which is an incredibly useful kitchen tool for many households. Don’t forget that some ovens also include a grill option too!
Expert Advice on How to Identify Unsafe Food
Are you aware of how to inspect food for possible safety risks? With the presence of food products from unclear origins and chemicals used as preservatives, it is important to be vigilant in selecting food items for our families. Join us in the Food Tips section to take a closer look at how to select safe and healthy food for our families!
Avoid these 3 Types of Tofu at the Market
Are you shopping for tofu at the store? Before you buy, there are three types of tofu that you should be aware of in order to make the best choice. Read on to find out which types to avoid.
