Pork Tenderloin

Holiday Moderation

November 17, 2017

The holiday season is in full swing and soon you’ll be living on Thanksgiving leftovers. Ever had pumpkin pie for breakfast followed by a full turkey meal for lunch and another for dinner? It’s easy to get in the habit of holiday indulging.

The average American gains more than a pound each holiday season. Over a decade that really adds up. As they say, “It’s easy to put it on and hard to take off.”

There are ways to enjoy the holidays, but keep yourself in check so that you don’t fall into the trap of complete abandon.

High Fat Foods
Pigs In A Blanket: High In Fat, Salt, and Carbs.
Fried Cheese Balls: High In Fat And Small So It’s Easy To Overeat.
Baked Brie: Fatty And Addictive, Plus You Have To Slather It Onto Some Carb Calories.
Chips: They Have No Nutritional

Eat In Moderation
Cheese And Crackers: Calorically Dense And Super Easy To Eat. They’re Not Special So Spend Your Holiday Calories On Something More Festive.

Once-A-Year Favorites: You Only Eat Stuffing, Latkes, And Eggnog Once Or Twice A Year. If You’ve Been Coveting Aunt Martha’s Chiffon Pie Or Cousin Tommy’s Cooked Goose, Enjoy In Moderation.

Be My Guest
Crispy, Crunchy Crudités: Make The Brightly Colored Vegetables Your First Stop For Noshing. Add Hummus To Slow Digestion.
Pork Tenderloin, Ham Or Turkey: Protein Is Going To Suppress Your Appetite Due To The Fact That It Is Slow Digesting And Triggers The Release Of Several Satiety Hormones.
Shrimp Cocktail: Low In Fat, High In Protein And A Perfect First Course For A Low Calorie Tour Of The Buffet.
Swedish Meatballs: Another Protein Packed Option That Stands Out Amid A Carbohydrate Heavy Table.
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus: A Great Choice To Fuel Your Body While Keeping Your Appetite In Check.

Enjoy the holidays, but enjoy them in moderation.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2017 All Rights Reserved

Basics of Meat & Poultry

September 8, 2013

 

Basics of Meat & PoultryMeat Basics

Many people ask me how long they can keep fresh meat and poultry. You can refrigerate whole meat cuts for 2 to 3 days and raw ground meats for 1 to 2 days.  Raw poultry for 1 to 2 days.  If you’re not cooking your meat or poultry within these time frames, freeze it.  We never want to risk getting food poisoning. 

How do you know when your particular meat is done cooking?  The safest way is to use a meat thermometer, inserting into the thickest part of the meat, but never touching bone. 

Meat Cooking Terms

Braise: Moist cooking in a pot with a lid and a small amount of liquid. This method works well either on the stove top or in the oven, rendering tougher cuts moist and extremely tender by melting the tough collagen between fibers, but allowing the fibers themselves to retain moisture.  Examples: Pot Roast, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cacciatore, Most Curries. 

Brine: Similar to marinating, meat or poultry is soaked in a salt-water mixture prior to cooking to enhance flavor, moisture and tenderness.  Examples: Brined Turkey, Chicken or Pork.

Broil: Dry cooking under intense direct heat, sort of like grilling from the top down.  Great for tender steaks and chops, boneless chicken, kabobs. Example: London Broil.

Deep Fry:  Cooking pieces of meat, often coated with batter or crumbs, submerged in very hot oil.  Example: Southern Fried Chicken.

Grill:  Cooking over direct heat, usually outdoors.  Grill pans and electric grills don’t require much additional oil, and create nice looking char marks, but lack the crust and smoky flavor of outdoor grilling.  Grilling can be fast or slow.  Examples: Grilled Steaks, Barbecued Chicken, You Name It!

Pan-Roast or Pan-Fry: A technique that begins on the stove top and often ends under the broiler or in the oven.  Combination cooking creates a flavorful browned exterior and allows for finer control of doneness.  Great for thick chops and steaks or larger pieces of poultry.  Examples: Filet Mignon, Pork Tenderloin, Pan-Roasted Veal Chops.

Poach: Simmer at a point less than boiling to produce just a slight movement in the liquid.  Examples: Poached Chicken Breasts.

Roast: Dry cooking in ambient oven heat.  Creates a flavorful, browned outside and a tender, juicy interior. Ideal for larger tender roasts, whole poultry, most stuffed roasts.  Examples: Roast Beef, Thanksgiving Turkey, Crown Roast.

Sauté: Quick stove-top cooking in a skim of oil in a heavy, low-sided skillet, frying pan or sauté pan.  Great for tender steakhouse cuts and chops, chicken or duck breast, boneless cutlets.  Examples: Sandwich Steaks, Wiener Schnitzel, Chicken Cutlets.

Smoke: Food is cooked or flavored before cooking by exposure to smoldering wood, herbs or tea.  Examples: Tea-Smoked Chicken, Mesquite-Smoked Pork Chops.

Stir Fry: An Asian technique of cooking small pieces of food over very high heat, usually with oil, using constant stirring and tossing motion to prevent burning.  Examples: A Profusion of Meat, Seafood and Poultry Dishes From China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Simmer: See Braise & Also See Stew

Stew: Slow cooking, Submerged in flavorful liquid, usually after browning on the surface.  Stewing is similar to braising except that stews usually have more liquid, which is an important part of the finished dish. Best for cubes coming from tougher cuts.  Examples: Beef Stew, Chili, Gumbo.

Sous-vide: A method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times (72 hours in some cases). The temperature is regulated and much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55° F to 60° F for meats.  The intention is to cook the item evenly, and not to overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same doneness, keeping the food juicier.  Examples: Beef Brisket and Short Ribs.

 

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