When it comes to dishes made from meat, besides the seasoning technique, the process of selecting the meat plays an important role. Below are 6 tips for choosing delicious meat from professional chefs.
Thickness and Firmness
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Use your senses to determine if the piece of meat you plan to buy is good or not. Professional chefs recommend that good meat should not be soft or mushy; it should feel firm when touched. Squeeze the meat with your hand, if it is firm, has good elasticity, then go ahead and buy it.
Red Color
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Professional chefs remind us that the color of the meat is an important characteristic to identify good meat. The meat with a reddish or pinkish color is considered to be good and sweet. They also advise against buying meat with brown or gray color, even if it’s only in certain parts of the meat.
Ask about the animal’s diet
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This information may be printed on the product packaging, and if not, ask the seller. Professional cooks agree that grass is the best food for cows, and it will bring excellent flavor to beef.
Choose meat based on the dish to be cooked
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Before buying meat, be clear about your menu and your intentions. Cheap cuts of meat require longer cooking time, but they are handy when you have time to prepare food in advance or store it in the fridge. In general, the more cooking experience you have, the more you will be able to choose the right cut of meat for your recipe.
Color and Fat Distribution
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Here are some things you need to know about fat. Chefs agree that a good piece of meat will have alternating layers of fat and lean meat, with neither too much nor too little fat. The fat from young animals will appear white, and as the animal ages, the fat will have a yellow hue. Although not as tender as meat from young animals, experts believe that meat from older animals will have a better taste.
Price
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Cheap meat often means it is not good anymore. Professional chefs recommend choosing slightly more expensive meat for better quality. They estimate that the amount of meat per person per meal is between 120 to 200 grams, depending on the dish and the type of meat you are cooking.
Befriend the butcher
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These are the people who can give you helpful advice when choosing meat. So, have a friendly conversation with them, and sometimes they will help you pick a good piece of meat.