SEARING MEAT.—Since the juice of meat contains both nutriment and flavor, it is desirable to retain the juice when meat is cooked. This can be accomplished by subjecting meat to intense heat. By so doing, the protein coagulates and "seals" the outside of the meat so that its juices are prevented from escaping. This process is called searing.
[Illustration: Courtesy of Bureau of Publications, Teachers College
FIGURE 45.—PORTERHOUSE]
From the results of Experiment 51 (b), one can understand why seared meat tastes good. Dry heat tends to develop flavor. Hence it is desirable to sear meat not only to prevent waste of its juices, but to make it tasty. After meat is seared, it is usually necessary to reduce the temperature of cooking in order to cook the interior of meat.
TENDER CUTS OF BEEF—Certain muscles of an animal used for food contain more connective tissue than others. Such muscles are considered tough cuts of meat. Other muscles contain either less connective tissue or the connective tissue is less tough. These are considered tender cuts.
[Illustration: FIGURE 46.—SIRLOIN,—HIP STEAK (portion next to the porterhouse) Courtesy of Bureau of Publications, Teachers College]
[Illustration: FIGURE 47.—SIRLOIN,—FLAT BONE (choice cut in the middle of the sirloin section). Courtesy of Bureau of Publications, Teachers College.]
Muscles which are the least used by the animal are most tender. What parts of the beef would one expect to find most tender?
Certain methods of cooking meat are adapted to cooking the tender cuts. Unless meat is chopped, only tender cuts of meat can be cooked successfully by dry heat. The following methods are used for tender cuts of meat: (a) broiling, (b) pan-broiling, and (c) roasting (baking).
[Illustration: Courtesy of Bureau of Publications, Teachers College
FIGURE 48.—SIRLOIN,—ROUND BONE (next to the rump and round).]
The best steaks of beef for broiling or pan-broiling are club (see Figure 44), porterhouse (see Figure 45), sirloin (see Figures 46, 47, 48), and first cuts of round. The best cuts for roasting are porterhouse, prime ribs (see Figures 49, 50), and sirloin.