 |
//Meat Preparation
Guide
On
this page I am showing you a few simple basic meat preparations
that with a little practice easily can be learned. Instead of
having a professional do it, save a few dollars by preparing the meat
yourself. Note: Although the tips shown
here are done with
pork and beef they apply to any equivalent cut of other meats,
like veal, lamb or vension too.
Frenching
Barding
Hand
Chopping
Stuffing
Roast
Tying
Crown
Roast
Frenching
This
process is used primarily for presentation
purposes. It provides an attractive piece when served. Frenching is the
cutting
away of the fat, gristle and meat at the end of the bone on rib chops,
crown
roasts and rib roasts.
 |
The
bone is scraped with a sharp knife to clean 1
to 2 inches of the tip of the bone before cooking. Tip: When you grill
the roast cover the bare bones with aluminum foil to prevent burning
them |
Barding
Barding
is used on very lean cuts of meat that will be
roasted to provide moisture while cooking. Very thin slices of pork
fatback or
bacon are wrapped around the outside of the roast and then are tied to
secure
in place. The fatback or bacon is generally discarded when the meat is
done
cooking.
 |
Slices
of pork back fat or
bacon are also wrapped around tenderloin medallions to provide moisture
during
the cooking process. Cut a string approximately 10 to 12 inches in
length and
then tie around the bacon to secure it in place. Tie in a knot and then
trim
strings to 1/4 inch. |
Hand
Chopping
 |
Cut
meat into cubes and then continue to cut the
cubes into smaller pieces until the meat is the consistency that you
desire.
Hand chopping will provide firmer ground meat than the other methods.
|
Stuffing
Stuffing
can
be used in crown
roasts, extra thick chops or steaks, rolled roasts or rolled into
flattened
tenderloin. The stuffing can be made from a simple bread base or a wild
rice
mixture, with ingredients such as onions, garlic, lemon, herbs, and
spices
added for extra flavor. A variety of other ingredients, such as
sausage,
vegetables, mushrooms, pecans, and chestnuts can be added to make up a
more
complex recipe with a unique flavor. It is common to use eggs for
binding and
stock or broth to moisten the stuffing.
 |
To
stuff extra thick chops or steaks make a slit along
the side, through the middle of the chop to form pocket to hold the
stuffing. |
 |
Stuff
the
chop lightly, being
careful not to over stuff. Any remaining stuffing can be placed in a
glass
baking dish and baked separately.
|
When
stuffing a crown
roast,
fill the center of the roast with the stuffing and then
cover the stuffing with foil. Remove the foil during the last 45
minutes to an
hour of the cooking time so that the stuffing can brown. To stuff extra
thick
chops or steaks make a slit along the side, through the middle of the
chop to
form pocket to hold the stuffing.
Rolled
roasts
and flattened
tenderloins that are stuffed generally have a layer of the stuffing
spread over
the meat and are then rolled up and tied before cooking. If the
stuffing
contains egg, it must be cooked until it reaches an internal
temperature of
165°F to ensure that it is safe to eat.
The
following guidelines should be followed in regard to stuffing:
- If
using a recipe where the stuffing or any parts
of it are cooked in any manner, it must be completely cooled before
inserting
into the meat.
- Do
not overstuff because the stuffing will expand
during cooking.
- Stuffing
should reach an internal temperature of
165°F when eggs are one of the ingredients.
- Always
thoroughly sanitize any utensils and areas
exposed to the raw meat or juices.
- For
stuffed chops, be sure to purchase chops that
are at least 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick.
NEVER
stuff meat in
advance. Stuffing in advance will
increase the risk of bacteria growth. Stuffing can be made in advance
and
refrigerated separately from the meat and then inserted just before
cooking.
Roast
Tying
 |
Tying
a roast provides better results
for pot-roasting. The first step is to wrap a piece of string, which is
at
least 6 feet in length, around the short circumference near the end of
the
roast and tie a double knot. |
 |
Pull
the remaining string down from the knot,
approximately 1 to 2 inches (depending on the size of the roast), and
hold it
in place with your thumb. Loop the remaining string around the short
circumference of the roast and back to the string under your thumb. |
 |
Run
the string under the string beneath your thumb to
create a loop and pull the remaining string down from the loop. |
 |
Once
again, place your thumb on the string at a 1 to 2
inch distance from the previous loop and run the string around the
roast back
to the position of the string beneath your thumb to make another loop.
Repeat
the process until the entire length of the roast has been tied. |
 |
Roll
the roast over and run the string over and around
each of the loops on the underside. |
 |
Wrap
the remaining string around the end of the roast
and then flip the roast over again to tie the end of the string to the
original
knot. |
Tip:
This same
technique can be applied to all roast tying such as rolled pork belly
or any other filled or unfilled roast. Only use natural string or
better still proper meat tying twine available at most stores. Do NOT
use plastic string as it will melt in the oven and give of poisons
fumes.
Crown
Roast
Two
or three racks can be combined end to
end and then curved into a circle to make a "Crown Roast". How many
racks you will need depends on what type of meat is used. For a lamb
crown roast (shown) you may need three racks, a pork and beef crown
roast may require on one or two racks. Preparing a crown roast takes a
bit of practice and time to learn to get it looking perfect. Ask your
local butcher shop to cut and trim the racks for you.
 |
You
will need at least two rib racks to create the
crown roast. Use three racks to give the crown roast a rounder shape
and to
provide more servings. After
completing the steps in "Preparing a Rack
of Lamb", perform the following simple steps to create the crown roast. |
 |
After frenching
the racks make a shallow cut in the flesh between each rib bone
so that the rib racks will curve easily into the proper shape. |
 |
Bend
each rack into a semicircle (meat side out and
fat side in) and tie them together at the base, center, and top to hold
the
racks together. The rib ends should be pushed outward to create the
look of a
crown. |
 |
The
finished preparation may be roasted as is, however
many cooks prefer to place stuffing in the cavity. |
Note:Be
sure the back bone (spinal column) has been removed – ask
your butcher to do t
for you - before attempting to create the crown roast. Before cooking
wrap the
exposed bones (ribs) in aluminum foil, otherwise they will burn.
|
|
