Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that similar smoked meat dishes served at different restaurants taste so different by contrast? Some are super creamy and juicy whilst some others end up dry, tasteless, and even tarty. This contrast in taste and texture depends upon authentic cooking. It is only authentic smoked meat that tastes best, doesn’t dry out, and remains super creamy. As to how? There are certain cooking rules that make smoked meat taste as it does. Those significant secrets to cooking authentic smoked meat are listed below.
- The Meat Cut
Cooking starts with raw materials, remember? So, for the smoked meat dishes to taste good, the meat cut should be high grade. Whether from beef, pork or chicken, it is the marbled cut that’s the creamiest since it contains the maximum fat. This keeps the meat creamy and juicy despite the lengthy cooking process. Yet another meat cut that’s juicy and retains most of the flavor of the marrow is the portion with the bone.
PS: The meat slice should be cut with proper tools because the thickness of the piece can alter the taste largely. Thus, a large, sharp butcher knife should be used to cut even slices.
- Meat Handling
The meat slices should be properly handled. Meat quality is largely temperature dependent and the dish will taste best only when it’s fresh. Therefore, the meat should be stored in controlled cool conditions so that the meat remains as fresh as new.
- Proper Marination
It might have made you wonder more than once that why the smoked meat at a few restaurants like the restaurant viandefuméeJarry taste so different than most of the others in Montreal. And, the reason is cooking process that actually begins at marination.
Authentic smoked meat takes about a week to be cooked. At the beginning, the meat slice is cooked in a gravy of herbs and spices and left alone to sit and absorb all the spices and flavors for a week. This is where major taste change comes. Authentic smoked meat that’s marinated for 7 days will always have an edge over the smoked meat that’s cooked in a rush.
- Cooking Temperature
Overheating burns the meat and makes it dry and undercooking leaves a nasty texture behind. Thus, cooking temperature is the turning point that determines how the smoked meat will taste in the end. Also, turning and tossing the meat at regular intervals is equally important to avoid overcooking at one end and undercooking at the other.
- Source of The Smoke
Since the meat takes the aroma of the wood it is smoked on, it will be only as good as the quality and scent of wood used to smoke it is. The meat tastes best when smoked on quality wood of oak, pine, chestnut, maple, rosewood, and so on.
These are the 5 cooking essentials that are followed at only limited deli restaurants like the Jarry Smoked Meat deli restaurant. And this is why, their smoked meat dishes taste the best.
