Cooking Easy Food

Food preparation

Meat and fish should always be rinsed in clean water and dried. (As a butcher, my father stressed the need for washing meat in salt water as half sides of beef, pork and lamb were dragged off lorries onto the pavement and across the shop floor where it was chopped and hung in the back of the shop). Think about what happens to your meat and fish and who handles it. Don't forget that red food colouring that some butchers and supermarkets put on meat - gently wash it out under cold water.

Grilling - use the grill pan for this with or without the rack that fits inside. Flavour meat and fish with sea salt and ground pepper. Brush over with either olive oil or recipe dressing regularly to prevent the meat or fish from drying. Grill on a medium heat. Turn over to cook each side. Ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked and if in doubt, cut the meat open and look at the inside.

Ø Frying - some meat is naturally fatty e.g. lamb or minced lamb and beef, so frying these can be done without fat but if they stick to the pan and don't look as though they are producing much fat, add a tablespoon of olive/groundnut oil to the pan. Meat goes grey in colour when it is cooked and it won't hurt to give it a few minutes extra on a low heat.

Before stewing/braising meat or chicken, season (with sea salt, black pepper and flour) and fry the outside of the meat just to brown and then put in the pot or whatever your recipe tells you to do. This helps to seal meat so that the flavour and juices stay in the meat - there is a difference in the taste. Use the sauté pan or frying pan without the lid.

Ø Roasting - beef, lamb or pork joints - a general guide is to allow 20 - 25 mins cooking per 1lb at Reg 4-5, (see Basics for °C and °F oven settings). This will give you medium to well done. You choose how you like your meat.

Good cuts of meat roast well, these are usually more expensive. Cheaper cuts of meat are always cooked on a lower heat and for longer. Although all meat responds well to slow cooking for longer. Please see the website links below for roasting joints.

Ø Braising - braising steak is a cheaper cut of beef and is therefore slightly tougher. Slower cooking i.e. braising in liquid on the hob or in the oven for a longer period tenderises the meat. You can add chopped vegetables, potatoes, onions and garlic for a quick tasty meal.

Ø Stewing - (beef) stewing steak, which is again a cheaper cut of meat. Cook in liquid on the hob or in the oven. Add diced vegetables. Dumplings can be added (half an hour before the stew is going to be served).

Ø Boil and Simmer - boiling - boiling a kettle with water is faster than waiting for cold water to heat up on the hob. Boil enough water to put in your saucepan for whatever dish you are making, keep the water bubbling fast. To simmer, turn the hob down to lowest level and keep a tight fitted lid on your pan. If you leave the lid off, your liquid will reduce (evaporate), your pan can dry out and burn. Recipes will tell you when you need to take the lid off to reduce liquid.

Ø Barbeque - how to cook properly on a barbeque (why do we let men lose on the barbeque when they don't usually cook indoors?) A lot of food is ruined on barbeques because it's undercooked or burnt. Meat should be cooked on the outside of the barbeque after the flames have died down and the barbey has settled at a more equal temperature. Don't cook anything in the flames or try to cook food faster than you would on a conventional cooker. Undercooked meat and fish can lead to serious food poisoning.