Meat

You’ve probably read in recipes and heard again and again that you should slice steak and other cuts of meat against grain. But what exactly is “the grain,” and why is it so important to slice against it? Oh, and how do you even know what it looks like?The grain refers to the direction that the muscle fibers are aligned, and it is important to cut against it so that your meat is easier to chew.

You don’t need an excuse to treat yourself, but the holiday season is definitely a great opportunity for special meals. Enter: the prime rib. Although this cut of beef, also called standing rib roast, is available at most butcher shops and even some grocery stores, for many of us it remains an order-out or once-a-year indulgence.

Don't deal with messy bacon packaging — try this instead.

Prime rib is the undisputed king when it comes to a large cut of beef. I remember going to the steakhouse with my family on prime rib night for special occasions and celebrations, savoring every bite of a slice of rosy, juicy meat with some tasty jus. Prime rib isn’t something you can only eat at restaurants, though.

When is the turkey done? What temperature should it be? These are important questions, and we have the answers you need so you can cook a safe and delicious turkey in the oven. First thing’s first: When the turkey’s internal temperature registers a steady 165°F in the thigh, the meat is done.It’s an important number to remember because, when it comes to Thanksgiving food, a lovely roast turkey is usually the centerpiece of the holiday spread.

It all depends on what you're serving and how.

Have you ever seen a black chicken? We don’t mean a black-feathered chicken; we mean a Silkie chicken, which is black-pigmented right down to its bones. They aren’t commonly found in the grocery store, but you might see them in Asian groceries. What are black chickens, and do they taste different than the paler breed? Silkie chickens are a highly prized breed of chicken that has beautiful silky white plumage, and startlingly black skin.

Find out where your favorite steak comes from.

After taking a look at the many different poultry items at the grocery store, you’ve probably wondered what a chicken tender is and how it’s different from other cuts of chicken. While we’re used enjoying chicken tenders when they’re battered and deep-fried, not everyone may know where this particular cut comes from.

Learn more about how the traditional style of meat is prepared.

Don't even think about cooking another steak without reading this first.

How do you cook and shred a pork shoulder? How do you carve a roast chicken? How do you check the temperature on a turkey? What’s the secret to crispy skin? What’s the best way to package meat before freezing? The answers to all these, plus many, many more in our definitive tips, tricks, and techniques guide to MEAT. • How to cook a turkey. • How to cook moist and tender chicken breasts every time. • How to cook and shred a pork shoulder.

One of the very first cooking tricks I ever learned was just how much a slice or two of bacon can boost the flavor of an otherwise simple soup or braise. I was hooked from that first subtly smoky, bacon-enhanced bite. You can bet I had bacon stocked in my freezer ever after. Freezing the slices individually between layers of wax paper takes a few minutes of work at the outset, but allows you to use just a slice or two when you need them. Here’s how to freeze bacon.

Our favorite tool for the job might surprise you!

A succulent ham is one of the reigning centerpieces of holiday feasts, and rightly so. It’s an easy main dish with virtually no cooking required, and it serves a crowd. But since there is nearly no cooking (depending on the type you buy), all the work of a ham lies in the choosing. How do you decide what kind of ham to get? Where do you buy it from, and what should you look for? Read on — we have the answers! Ham comes from the back leg of the animal.

These are the most ideal cuts to use for an ultra-tender beef stew.

What you need to know to make beef stew like a pro.

Flexibility in use landed this method in the top spot.

Flank steak and skirt steak are both long, odd-looking cuts of steak. Wonder if you’ve ever eaten either of them? If you’ve ever had fajitas, then chances are it was skirt steak. In most recipes, they can be used interchangeably, so how are these cuts actually different from each other? The flank is located at the cow’s bottom abdominal area, while the skirt is a thin, flavorful cut located in the diaphragm area.

You'll be bound for greatness with this one!

Avoid these common mistakes for better burgers every time

I think we can all agree that bacon is pretty irresistible as is. That crispy, crunchy texture and smoky flavor can liven up breakfast plates and add an extra oomph to salads and sandwiches. Which is precisely why it’s time to up the ante on your next batch of bacon with the help of a few rich, sweet, spicy, and savory upgrades. Even though it doesn’t necessarily come with a mild flavor, bacon is a total blank canvas.

With the onset of spring, I’ve been happy to push hearty stews and braises to the back burner and welcome leaner cuts of meat into the kitchen. While it’s not something most of us cook on a very regular basis, lamb is a springtime favorite. Between its larger size and higher price tag, it can certainly prove an intimidating cut of meat to prepare. But this perfect-for-spring meat is a lot easier than it seems — especially when you know the common missteps to avoid.

Although short ribs used to be seen as a less desirable cut of beef, they’ve risen in popularity, causing prices to also increase for this cut that used to be fairly inexpensive. So if you’re now spending more for short ribs, it makes sense to get to know the two popular ways that they’re cut, flanken and English style. The difference can come down to thickness of the cut and cook time for your desired meal.

Boneless country-style pork ribs are a bit strange — they’re rib-like strips of meat but are in fact boneless. If they don’t have any bones or ribs in them, why are they still called country-style pork ribs? Interestingly enough, boneless country-style ribs don’t actually come from the ribs, thus the confusing naming convention. Maybe the name stems from the fact that the meat has a texture and flavor similar to meat around the ribs?

For starters, one is a roast and the other is a steak.

Recent food movements to make use of all parts of an animal and eat “snout to tail” have brought offal back into forefront of cooking. Even so, unless you grew up with it or are a particularly adventurous eater, offal still might not seem very…appealing…to you. Where do you stand?Offal is the broad term for the organ meats and other parts of the animal leftover after butchering.

If you actually hail from Canada, may just think of this meat as bacon. If you’re from other parts of the world, you may know it as Irish bacon, English bacon, or back bacon. No matter what you call it or where you’re from, I think we can all agree that thick slices of this bacon make a mighty fine addition to breakfast, especially in eggs Benedict, perhaps its most common use in the U.S. But what’s the difference between this good stuff and American bacon?

We love bacon as much as the next omnivore, and we love using it in our cooking even more. A slice or two of slowly-rendered bacon is a great way to start off a soup or a braise. Recently, we’ve started playing around with a new-to-us version of this beloved pork product: slab bacon. If you cook with a lot of bacon, definitely check this out!Slab bacon is really just regular bacon before it’s been sliced.

You just need water and salt!

From lean and mean to lush and tasty with just two ingredients.

Want to cook your best corned beef yet? Keep an eye out for these.

Whether you're cooking a whole leg of lamb, a Frenched rack, or lamb chops, remember this.

Yes, there is a difference!

Here are the four most popular cuts of steak. We'll cover where they're cut from, what they taste like, and how best to cook them.

Do you know?

The winner truly makes a tastier burger on the grill or in a skillet!

Sausages, brats, bangers, and dogs are terms that are often used when referring to any of the fresh sausage links we adore for their ability to pair well with ball games and beer. It is likely that you can distinguish a hot dog from the bunch, but do you know the difference between a sausage and a bratwurst? The difference between the two lies in its preparation, ingredients, and varieties. Here’s a detailed information about their differences.

These are the most common cuts, what they taste like, and the best ways to prepare them.

No one wants to mess up steak on the grill. For one thing, a leathery over-cooked steak makes for an extremely sad eating experience. For another, steaks are expensive! From grilling pro Jennifer Chandler, we have six steps that will guarantee a perfectly grilled steak every time.When I asked Jennifer about steaks and explained my nervousness about grilling them, her excitement kicked up a few decibels.

Never suffer through a dry piece of chicken again.

My favorite part of a chicken is, hands down, the wing. Whether I’m nibbling on one as I carve up a whole roasted chicken, or feasting on a messy pile of saucy buffalo wings, they’re fun to eat and oh-so-satisfying to a dark-meat lover like me. If you look closely, whole chicken wings are actually composed of three parts. Do you know what they are called? I consider chicken wings a bit of a delicacy since there are only two per chicken, but they pack a ton of flavor.

"Perfect slices every time."

Searing meat is 100% about building flavor. And oh, what flavor it is! When that meat hits a scorching hot pan, the surface instantly begins caramelizing. In your stew or braise or roast, this translates into the kind of deep, savory flavor that we crave on an almost a cellular level. This is the flavor that makes us want to lick our plates clean. No sear, no plate-licking good times. Here’s how to do it. Searing meat might seem like an unnecessary and time-consuming step in a recipe.

What happens if you forgot your ground beef or chicken breasts in the fridge for a couple of days? Do you need to scrap your plans for burgers or chicken for dinner? Is it still safe to eat or should you throw it out?The good news is, even if there’s a color change, the meat or poultry is still perfectly fine to eat if stored properly in the refrigerator or freezer and consumed within a safe period of time (up to two days for ground meat and five days for other cuts).

Meet the meat substitute with all the flavor.

Bacon, pancetta, prosciutto: These three pork products look alike, taste somewhat similar, and even get regularly substituted for each other. It’s no wonder we get them confused! In actuality, each pork product has distinctive characteristics that make it ideal for different preparations. Here’s the scoop on each one and their differences. Bacon and pancetta have the most in common. They are both typically made from pork belly and both are cured for a certain length of time.

What are those things and what do you do with them anyway? Toss them in the trash? Please don’t. Before you reject the bird’s vital organs, learn a little about what they are. Giblets refers to the little bundle of parts sometimes found inside the cavity of a bird, such as chicken or turkey. Can you name all the parts in a giblets bundle? A labeled version of this photo appears below, along with some thoughts on what to do with giblets.

Including the one thing you should be doing before you even turn on the heat.

Your official guide to cooking restaurant-quality steak.

It turns out the difference between the two isn't what's most surprising about these dishes — it's what they have in common.

Not all meats last the same amount of time!

This popular protein-rich meat substitute has been around for centuries.

Making this easy ingredient swap will take your meatballs to the next level.

Whether you’re cooking a massive prime rib or a simple pan-seared steak for one, it’s helpful to know the temperature beef should reach before it’s safe to eat. To make it easy to remember, the safe internal temperature for cuts of beef, lamb, and pork is all the same! The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F, which is considered medium-well. Ground beef, however, should be cooked to a higher temperature of 160°F.

Apparently, we've been doing it all wrong.

Rich, long-simmered stews are as satisfying to eat as they are to make. It’s all about building layers of flavor and then stepping away from the stove to let the low heat gently do its magic. You don’t need a recipe – just a few basic guidelines will help create the perfect stew!Note for Vegetarians – Sure, you can make stew, too! Instead of meat, try adding about a pound of mushrooms and a pound of potatoes.

Pâté might not look too appetizing, but this spread made of ground meat (usually liver) and fat combined with wine and spices, cooked, and puréed into a smooth, spreadable paste is quite yummy.Not simply a mainstay of hors d’oeuvre trays, pâté is also a main ingredient in the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich. A little pâté spread on a baguette with some cornichons makes a delicious sandwich.

One question we hear again and again is: Can you help me learn to cook meat properly? Our readers have tackled An instant-read thermometer like the Thermapen lets you quickly and accurately test the temperature of a piece of meat, while a probe thermometer has a probe that can be left in the meat while in the oven, allowing you to track its temperature as it roasts. Whether you are grilling, roasting, baking, or braising, a great thermometer is indispensable.

Folks can get pretty particular about how they like their steaks. Some of us like it well-done while others say the more red and rare the better! When we’re cooking steaks at home, it can be hard to get it just the way we like it, especially if we have guests with different preferences.Cutting into the steak to see how things are coming along works well, but this also lets out juices and moisture that we’d rather keep for ourselves.