Balancing cooking times and temperatures to cook tender, flavorful ground beef meat loaf while using safe food preparation practices is a challenge, even for professional chefs. Ground beef must cook to the correct internal temperature to kill the...
Ribs are a culinary delight and readily adaptable to many recipes. Pork ribs include country-style, baby back and spareribs. Beef rib cuts include short ribs and spareribs. All types of ribs can be roasted, barbecued or grilled. Whether you plan...
When prepared properly, pork meat can be a delectable dish either on its own or within a recipe. From slices of bacon to whole hams, there are a variety of methods to cook pork which include roasting, broiling, frying, braising and stewing. Pork...
You label and date everything as it goes into the freezer, adhere to "use-by" dates and rotate stock so that the oldest items are always up front or on top, but one package of smoked sausages got overlooked. While the two-year-old date has you...
When serving barbecued chicken at an outdoor function, boiling it first is a wise move. Raw chicken, particularly bone-in pieces, takes a long time to cook through on the grill. Boiling the chicken beforehand not only ensures that you serve safely...
The gizzard and heart of a chicken, usually called giblets, and the neck are typically removed from the bird before cooking and discarded. In many cases, they are removed before purchase, packaged in plastic and stored inside the abdominal cavity...
Sometimes if your timing is a little off or your busy schedule makes you forget to take it out, you are faced with frozen or partially frozen chicken when it's time to make dinner. Chicken is typically a lean source of quality protein, but it can...
Most packages of food include a sell-by or use-by date that helps stores and consumers know how long each item is safe for consumption. Eating foods that have expired might increase your risk for certain illnesses or conditions. If you are unsure...
Broil precooked ham slices to attain a crisp crust with a moist interior. Broiler heating really only works for ham slices, since the high heat of the broiler burns the outside before completely reheating the interior. Follow the USDA's Food...
The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection service recommends the use of Crock-Pots, or slow cookers, to keep hot foods above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot food, such as sausage balls, must remain at or above 140...
A smoked ham is the cured leg of pork that is hung in a smokehouse, where the smoke slows down the rancidity process of the meat and adds flavor, notes the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. You can buy precooked...
The best, safest way to defrost any cut or preparation of whole or ground beef is in the refrigerator. Frozen beef must be kept cold during the thawing process to prevent rapid bacteria growth. While you can defrost beef faster by submerging it in...
Although commonly found in Italian cuisine, where it is known as chicken al mattone, grilling a whole, butterflied chicken underneath heavy bricks has found its way into America's backyard barbecues. Although cooking chicken with the skin on helps...
Few things are as arrestingly delicious as biting into a hot, juicy burger fresh from the grill; however, grilling hamburger can be tricky if you don't take precautions to keep the meat from crumbling and falling through the rack and onto the...
Drying meat turns it into jerky, a chewy snack that is high in protein and keeps well, even at room temperature. The best way to dry meat at home is using a home meat dehydrator, which circulates warm, dry air over the meat. You can also smoke...
Pork is the meat of young domesticated swine or pigs. Although it can be cooked in a variety of ways, barbecuing pork can add a smoky flavor, juicy texture and a caramelized crust to your meat. With a few adjustments to ingredients, method or...
If you love a good burger but are trying to curb your calorie intake, give bison burgers a try. Bison is naturally leaner than beef, has a richer and sweeter flavor and is high in many essential nutrients.
Few cooks prepare just as much as they're prepared to eat at one time. Frequently it's more practical to prepare a large dinner and save the leftovers for another meal. While this makes good sense from a time-management perspective, it does open...
Hog jowl bacon is a fatty cut of pork taken from the cheeks of a pig. It is a common addition to greens and peas in the South, where it is usually boiled with other food to add flavoring and then removed prior to the dish being served. It is...
Although rebels like the White Castle restaurant chain have dared to serve square hamburgers to the masses, a typical burger patty is round and perfectly sized to fit the bun. When sizing and shaping your burgers, remember to allow for shrinkage...
Steaming lobster is simple and is usually preferred over boiling because there is less chance of overcooking the meat. You can successfully steam enough frozen lobster to feed an average family in less than 30 minutes. Whether purchased in your...
The best way to mince beef is in a meat grinder. However, a meat grinder is a specialized piece of equipment that is not common in every kitchen. If you would like to mince your own meat rather than buy it from the store, you can still do so with...
Bacteria from spoiled pork can cause food poisoning, which produces symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting. The symptoms can take one to three days to occur. Fresh pork can be a healthy part of a diet, but it's...
Until refrigeration became cheap and widespread in the 20th century, our forebears kept leftovers covered at room temperature in their pantries. Not surprisingly, sudden illnesses were also common in those days. In the modern era of powerful...
A versatile food, meatballs go well with pasta, on a sandwich or even alone as a main course. The addition of bacon to a meatball adds a contrast of texture to the ground meat, not to mention an extra depth of flavor. While this cured pork product...
The pork you buy today is about 50 percent leaner than pork produced 25 years ago, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This makes pork a healthier choice for your table. Choose lean cuts, such...
White sausage, otherwise known as weisswurst, is more subtly flavored and elegant than other types of sausage. Traditionally made from veal, white sausages may sometimes also contain pork. They also have fat, seasonings, binders and preservatives....
Ham is a tasty source of protein and B vitamins and makes a great alternative to poultry and beef. Buying spiral-sliced, fully cooked ham speeds up cooking and ensures the ham is as moist and flavorful as possible. It is safe to eat fully cooked...
Cooks and cooking sites are evenly divided between those who peel and de-vein shrimp before cooking and those who don't. Imported seafood constitutes 75 percent of all United States seafood consumption. Although The U.S. Food and Drug...
